My experiences with HDS are mostly negative but Henry made it right. All in all, four of my lights went in for servicing and one of them had to go in a second time. Another couple of spare battery tube had to go in to Henry because it failed to work. I was so pissed in a way I really felt that Henry should have just taken the initiative to compensate me the shipping cost or give me another HDS light as a gift for all the agony I had to put up with.
2pcs 100 high CRI clicky, slight machining issues leading to a slight short circuit that resulted in fast battery drain.
1pc 140 GT clicky, capacitor drain. Fixed but problem wasn't resolved so it went in again.
1pc 170 tactical clicky, failure to react to click commands.
1pc 200 rotary, went in for firmware bug correction as well as fix a tailcap issue.
2pcs CR123 battery tube that failed to work after months of sitting in the drawer. Henry said it was a design problem which he had already came up with a fix.
All the agony, sending and waiting, sending and waiting, but once it works, it is a real joy to use and you can be sure it is the toughest lights you have.
Physically tough? Sure, but when a product is sent in for numerous warranty repairs. The question imo is, "how reliable is it"?
For example in the case of the multiple repairs to the lights battery drain. Which imo could the reason of having the ability to signal for help, or not! Correct me if I'm wrong, but a flashlight with out it's power source becomes a weight for a fishing line, right?
IMO toughness, is similar to the word performance. which has different meanings to each individual's perspective in what performance means to them. As well as the word tough/ness does not mean, or the same meaning as reliable!
The following is in direct reference to my Rotary (as well as what I posted in the toughest light thread). IMO that the Achilles' Heal on the Rotary is;
1) It's software
2) It's electrical switch
And I'm sure at one point (especially if a person uses the light as much as I do) the Rotary mechanism will need servicing. But this is service work and not a failure, well (knocking on wood) not yet anyways!
However my experience with Henry is, he's very good in regards to his turn around time to repair the light. Each time I sent the Rotary in, I received the light back within a week to a week and a half. Communication, as most here know, is excellent!
But reliability is an important issue/factor for a person who uses the light on a daily basis, as well as the person who's in a remote location (by accident or not). A failure will leave the owner with the obligation of finding a replacement light, or if it's the only light, in the dark, and in a extreme case (as mentioned) without the ability to signal for help.
One last thing, imo the use of words like "bullet proof" etc. are imo used much too loosely.
Now, what was the question again?