Are flashlights a bad expense? They always die

[jac2001]

My oldest LED is a Surefire L4 LuxV, that I traded into back in 2004, before I was infected with this disease called 'Flashaholism'!!! It wasn't my first Surefire, just my first good LED. I took it out of my wife's purse (my wife is a nurse and carries my E1e to work, so I didn't leave her in the dark!!)yesterday to put it on my LX2 body to make a legoed two stage light and lo and behold it still works just as well as the day I bought it, almost six years ago!!

Surefire's and other premium lights, like anything else made by man[especially if mass produced] can fail. My L4 had to go back a few years ago because switching on/off became unreliable. But because of Surefire's lifetime waranty, it was a short two week wait for the light to be returned with a brand new KL4 head on the same well worn body. So, IMHO, you do get what you pay for, and the following years of customer support is certainly part of that initial investment and it is absolutely worth every penny.

J

 

[Tekno_Cowboy]

Re: Are flashlights a bad investment ? They always die

I'll have to second the post that says you get what you pay for. If you want something reliable, buy custom or more mainstream lights, like Surefire or Streamlight.

I've noticed that with most of the Chinese made lights I've used, while the machining quality was decent, the electronics were absolutely horrible, and couldn't be trusted for a trip to the bathroom, much less something important.

 

[Woods Walker]

Someone can spend more money on 5-10 cheap gear items than a single good one and still have nothing to show for their troubles.

 

[cheapbastard]

Have you tried the troubleshooting guide for budget lights?
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/227518

Buying the budget stuff is always a bit of a gamble. There's a chance you'll get a dud or a decent one. If you don't want to tinker and you want a decent warranty buy some of the more reputable brands.

 

[cityevader]

A favorite tagline: "I can't afford to buy cheap".

That said, I purchased a couple of Uniquefire XP-G 1x18650 from Dealextreme and was astounded at the quality...and the price of $22 !!!

 

[Closet_Flashaholic]

I own flashlights that date back over 15 years.

From Surfire M3's to Fenix P1D CE (the original cree version) and everything in between.

Surefires,
Nitcores (multiple D10's, D20)
Olights (M20)
Fenix (P1D CE, Q5, L1D CE, L2D CE, Q5, P3D)
4Sevens Quarks (Ti + Al)
Maglights (3D, 2AA)
Zebra
Husky 4W (Home Depot)
Gladius (the origjnal)

They all work. Of course the ones that are EDC get regular 6 month cleaning and lubrication. I have only had 1 failure (other than replacing incandescent bulbs) and that was on a Nite-ize tail cap switch, I have had 2 of them fail.

I don't treat my lights especially well, none are shelf-queens. I guess I will point out that I have never spent less than US $25 on any given light.

Perhaps you should stop buying cheap lights -or- the other way to look at this is that continue to buy cheap lights and plan on replacing them when they fail after a couple of months. There is nothing wrong with this approach, as you will usually be able to buy something with a more efficient led on a continuous basis - just don't complain about it.

 

[Ajay]

I am of the mindset that all lights will eventually fail so you must take in the amount of effort/cost/time required to get them fixed BEFORE you buy them.
eg. I know if my 6p surefire fails I can have surefire fix or replace if for cheap (shipping costs).

If my Romisen or Ultrafire fails I will just repair it for a few dollars since I know it makes no sense to ship a $20 light back to China for fixing.

So buy cheap lights for modding with no expectation of reliability unless you mod it to be so.

Buy moderate/expensive lights locally with the expectation of good warranty/service.

Remember quality lights require quality batteries which requires a quality charger.

So to answer your question: NO. Flashlights are not a bad expense.

I hope you find happiness with you next purchase although I'm pretty sure some lube and solder can fix your cheapo lights.:tinfoil:


Ajay

 

[bstrickler]

I am sure there is a 'hammer forum' out there somewhere too, written by a lot of folk who wear steel-capped boots!
TC

They're probably wearing gauntlets, too!!!

Jokes aside,

I used to have the mindset of "2 cheap is better than 1 expensive", until I got my hands on a 6P and put a LumensFactory D26 LED dropin in it, and compared it to my Trustfire TR-801's. That blew them away, and they both had the same output ratings (250 lumens).

Surefire is a great maker of lights. I haven't had to warranty any of mine yet, but I don't ever think I will, since new dropins are maybe $30/each, and last at least 2 years.

The TR-801's are flickery as hell, even though they're regulated by 7135's. even after removing the anodizing from the tailcap, and threads, and re-soldering everything I could, they still flicker. There's a few possible reasons why they're semi-functional, but I don't see any immediate need to fix them right now, so they're just stowed in different areas of the house, for easy access (flickering light is better than no light!).

Plus, I get a longer runtime on the Lumens Factory dropin than I do with the TR-801's, which is really weird, considering they both are supposed to be driving the same LED at the same power (yes, I tested with the same cells).

After buying the Surefire, I've never gone back to cheap lights. The "cheapest" light I have now, is my 2AA minimag with the 3 5MM LED dropin. Way more reliable than the Trustfire crap, and costs less!.

My EDC, though is a 4sevens Quark AA^2 Tactical Neutral White. That thing has seen more drops than Don Kellner, and is still working!

Cheap is fine for "lending" to an unreliable friend. You're less likely to get upset about losing a $10-$20 light than you are a $60-$150 light.

~Brian

 

[MrBenchmark]

All of the older lights I have (Inova and Surefire) have lasted half a dozen years at least, and I'm relatively abusive to them. I don't mean to be, but anytime I go out for a walk I am 100% certain to either drop my light OR fall down myself AND THEN drop the light. (Lanyards are my friend.) The one problem I've had with a SF light was quickly handled by their customer service - no questions asked.

I expect the Jetbeam M1X, Thrunite Catapult and 4Sevens lights I own, will last equally well. I've had one defective Zebralight - they fixed the problem. I've had one defective LRI Photon Pro - LRI also fixed the problem.

Other than possibly the Photon Pro, which has a fairly weakly designed switch mechanism in my opinion, I expect all these to last essentially forever. I'd be more worried about the Photon Pro, but LRI has a lifetime warranty, and they appear to honor it. (Literally no questions asked - you don't even call 'em first - just ship 'em a broken light and they ship you back a working one.)

I will not use a light that I don't believe will survive repeated drops and immersion in water. It's not that I do anything particularly adventurous or mission critical, but I do walk around at night at times, and when I do, I WILL have some sort of mishap. So to me, it's worth carrying a couple of lights that will not break under stress.

I suppose if you are just lighting up stuff around the house, or in your urban backyard, it doesn't much matter if the light breaks. (Other than the expense and annoyance.) But if you routinely use a light someplace where you'll be in real trouble if it breaks, I think you are absolutely crazy to buy something that isn't as reliable as you can afford. Fortunately I think there are many great choices for reliable lights - not just SF. (To be honest, I think SF is likely *more* reliable than what I really need, but I like them anyway because their designs are typically great.)

 

[Cruzer23]

Alright you guys convinced me to LOOK HARD AT THE Quark Mini 123
I am about to pull the trigger on this one.. hoping I will be happy about this purchase !! And that I won't need any other small type lights if i get this one, since it seems like it has it all, good runtime, good beam, good build.


Thanks |!

 

[tygger]

I've gone through probably 100+ lights over the years, with hard use, and have only had a few failures. Mostly original style CMG Infinity. I think the OP's lights may have dirty contacts or there is a battery problem. And I may be in the minority, but I'm pretty sure my 4sevens and fenix lights will last as long as my surefire. I'm curious as to how so many arrive at the conclusion those other brands are more prone to failure. Maybe I'm just lucky. :shrug:

 

[hyperloop]

I have like 5 ultrafires, 4 of them are flickering, the other one is dead.
2 Trustfires, both flickering after a few days.
barely even used it
Wondering if it is the same with other brands ?

I have a few Ultrafires, the very first one i got in 2007 is still working fine. The others, well, they all died premature deaths, some after a 2 foot fall onto a tiled floor, others just flicker and irritate me till i threw them away.

As has been most properly said, do you really expect someone to put in loads and loads of QC and sell a light on the cheap? The most reasonable place to get a budget light is, IMHO Shiningbeam, take a look there if you want to get some decent and reasonably priced lights.

Are flashlights a bad investment then ? Why spend 100 bucks if it's going to fail in a few months ? Plus this forum is packed with how Fenix,47 etc lights fail after a few months...

I think that there always will be a few instances of failures in lights, it's how the customer service deals with it that is important. I have had a barely used Nitecore EX10 R2 whose piston was really tight and hard to use, i contacted them and they have repaired and are sending it back to me (am awaiting its arrival in the mail).

So, what's the longest you have used your flashlight before it died ?

Good ole faithful Maglite 2xAA (fitted with Nite Ize 3 LED drop in): 15 years and still going strong.

To those who have massive collections - How many lights do you have and how many had to be sent out to warranty?

i have about 33 lights, 1 Ultrafire WF500 had to be sent back for repair/replacement, a Nitecore had to be sent back for stiff piston and Nitecore sent me a replacement lens fro free.


[

]Just making sure if it's even worth spending money on a better brand instead of just getting bulk Ultrafires and put them in the bin when they die.

Its worth paying more to have a reliable light that will not quit on you just when you need it. $15 for a Fenix E01 is, IMHO one of the best buys you'll find out there, just make sure to feed it with reliable batteries (i use only NiMH rechargeable AAAs in mine as they do not leak).

Wow I didn't know Surefire had that reputation ! I wish they had a small light like the ITP EOS, Nitecore EX/EZ or Fenix PD10 type too.

Surefire Titan is a small light

BTW Nitecore's site seems to be down, any idea what their warranty is like ?

you can check my post in the Cheers section of CPF.

So basically if something happens with Nitecore or Fenix, do I just send it to them and in the worst case pay a few dollars for a burned out LED or a tailswitch ?

so far, with Nitecore, all i have had to incur is the postage to send it across, everything else was done by them.

Alright you guys convinced me to LOOK HARD AT THE Quark Mini 123
I am about to pull the trigger on this one.. hoping I will be happy about this purchase !! And that I won't need any other small type lights if i get this one, since it seems like it has it all, good runtime, good beam, good build. |!

haha, that's what i said when i got my first small light! The MiNi123 is nice, i have the neutral white and it rides on my keychain. I have a few other small lights too and they're fun as well.

I used to balk at spending money on a flashlight, "the specs look similar" and "It's so much cheaper at ______ or _______", if i knew then what i do now and had also listened to the longtime members, my purchasing patterns would have been very different. My latest purchase was a Novatac 120P for $100+ which i thought was a steal! Prior to that a Surefire Aviator A2 (white LEDs + incand) at $110.

Still it may be a process of flashaholic evolution.

Enjoy your stay here!

 

[Xacto]

I can hardly comment on Surefire-style lights or LED-Lights in general. But my first Maglite 3D, bought some 15 years ago from my first apprentice's pay, still works on its first bulb. I kept it in the car most of those years, used mainly when on parties or barbeques, neverever had to use it as an impact tool. Although I have the feeling that the rubber over the switch got a little stiffer compared to the rubber of newer Maglites, I doubt that this 3D light (or the 6D I got later and mostly used at night in a labyrinth cut into a cornfield (imagine the light carried in the low ready with a MP5 style sling) or the 4D LED or the 2D will ever fail me.

And, after finally starting to carry one of my Surefires (the first one will always stay a drawer queen and piece of worship) I am sure that they won't fail me either.

As for the much cheaper iTP SA-1 Eluma.... I am sure it will hold a while, but 15 years? And where would I get spare parts for that light (again, if I ever need them). No problem there with Surefire or Maglight.

Just my 0,02€

Cheers
Thorsten

 

[Illum]

Problems with flickering in nearly all of your lights?
What type/condition batteries are being used?
There seems to be a common denominator shared by the lights.

Might be a long stretch but since the post op did not specify what Ultrafire lights he was referring to could PWM be a leading factor in diagnosis? 4 out of 5 seems like outstandly high probability for any brand...:thinking:

 

[BigHonu]

Flashlights are bad investments.

Just keep in mind that even the more expensive stuff sometimes fail. Usually, the difference is that the more expensive stuff will usually come with OUTSTANDING CS.

Surefire
Malkoff
HDS/RA

All great products AND customer service.

 

[325addict]

The very first "bright" light I bought was an Ultrafire... and it still works like new. So I bought more of them, only to receive one with a tailcap clicky that died within 10 clicks, and another with a loose wire in the D26 LED-dropin....
I also bought two Romisen AAA LED-flashlights, one after another, because my uncle wanted one... the second one had a loose connection to the LED!

For serious purposes, you need serious lights. Until now, no Fenix or Surefire or Maglite I bought let me down, one of my most used flashlights (a Surefire C3 Centurion, which I can really advise to buy) still has its first(!) lamp assembly in it (a P90). From my 2D mag, bought in 1994(!), the switch cover finally gave way. I bought a new one for EUR 2,- and the light was fully functional again

I expect serious lights to last a lifetime. OK, a switch or a lamp assembly may break, but that's about it. When a LED-driver becomes old, capacitors in the circuitry may start to leak. If it's just a D26 drop-in, that's no problem. If the driver is fully incorporated into the flashlight, then you may have a problem.

Until now, I stick with incans most of the time. The only things that may break on these are the lamp and the switch. Both are easily repaired, no need to throw away the entire light
Maybe the new 4 sevens limited run warm LED-lights will change the way I look at LED-lights... I ordered one, so let's see

Timmo.

 

[AnAppleSnail]

I pay for a flashlight and get dividends in not falling to my death. Does that count? I've had a Quark AA^2 for about a year and it's served me well. As a bonus, it's a good lightpainting light.

 

[RA40]

What is it that you require of the tool...specific uses? What works for one may not another. If you buy a good light with good build qualities, you may not be on the treadmill with each new release. Otherwise, buy and sell them as you replace.

 

[M@elstrom]

Are flashlights a bad investment then ? Why spend 100 bucks if it's going to fail in a few months?

Depends on how great an inconvenience getting left in the dark is for you, personally my light collection started out with me simply looking for a "better" flashlight for work and of those various lights ranging from generic multi-LED lights to Surefire all still function, fit & finish is lacking on the El-cheapos but at less than $10 this I would expect (make great beaters/loaners).

 

[cityevader]

Now, if the OP is referring to investment rather than expense, then it is likely a general rule not to be a good investment. The strict monetary value in a marketplace environment for said light makes purchasing lights a bad investment unless one shrewedly purchases cheap and sells expensively. Few people here are in this position, in fact, quite the opposite, we buy lights expensive, decide we don't like them and sell them cheaper.... bad for investment sakes!!!


Technically, definition of "expense" could be a few things, from simple monetary cost to purchase a light, it which more spent is "worse". It could also mean a "sacraficial" cost, as in giving up something to gain something else. These definitions at first glance seem to be linear as far as the OP is concerned...cheaper is better/expensive is worse. However, for those of us who use their lights regularly, they become tools which allow greater productivity/safety/helpfullness/even enjoyment which becomes more valuable than the "expense" of acquiring said light. Less quality bringing less safety/productivity etc becomes so detrimental that it's worth every dime to get "more expensive" stuff.