How Reliable Are All These Flashlights?

[Stress_Test]

Surefire lights generally don't develop problems like that. My daily carried E1B got slammed on the concrete yesterday so hard that one of the crenellations busted off. This is the most recent of a long list of impacts that would destroy most other lights, but the E1B keeps getting uglier and uglier while still working as intended. If you do have a problem, Surefire is in CA and will replace or repair their lights with very few questions asked. My E1B came with a 'gritty' feeling button, so I called and 4 days later had a brand new tailcap assembly.



That's because most of the lights out there, with lots of features and high lumens, are cheaply assembled from cheap parts so that the light can be sold cheap (or not, and someone is making a lot of money marking up what should be a $7 light to $77).

There's a huge difference between lights designed to go to war, and hobby lights made to shine at walls to compare lumens.

When I first started getting into lights several years back (2008ish I think) there weren't a whole lot of companies out there it seemed like. SureFire and Fenix appeared to be the biggest players on CPF, with a few other niches that people liked. (I started off with Fenix lights and have had pretty good luck with them).

In recent years there has been an absolute EXPLOSION of all these different companies out there churning out lights. I don't know how in the world you'd ever keep track of who's good and who's not. In the space of one year there were probably a dozen new companies being discussed on CPF. To be honest, I wouldn't dabble in any of them for any serious use because there's no track record.

If reliability is your main criteria, stick with the well-established players that have been in the game a while. SureFire obviously, but also Fenix and 4Sevens have developed good reputations here. Both those companies make lights for hard use. (the TK10/11/12 style from Fenix are good, and Maelstrom from 4/7s)

 

[Timothybil]

So far I've owned four G2s, a Lumens Factory Seraph 6, a TwinTask 2L, two Microstreams, a Stylus Pro, a ProTac EMS, two EA4s, a TM11, a SuperTac X, some Icons, and a RayoVac 4C lantern. Also a Maglite Solitaire I gave away and a handful of Photon IIs that went I don't know where. I don't baby any of them, but don't abuse them either. The only problems I've had to date have been a melted lens on a G2 when it got turned on in my holster - a borofloat from FlashlightLens took care of that - and a wavering (not bad enough to be a flicker) from my Stylus Pro. Unfortunately, it ran away from home before I could send it in for repair. This is all over about ten years or so. I think that's a pretty good record for reliability.

 

[Gentlemansflashlight]

I recently purchased Lumens Factory Seraph s6 and am impressed. I thought it may be cheap but its been reliable and the single output is very convenient.

 

[ampdude]

That's because most of the lights out there, with lots of features and high lumens, are cheaply assembled from cheap parts so that the light can be sold cheap (or not, and someone is making a lot of money marking up what should be a $7 light to $77).

There's a huge difference between lights designed to go to war, and hobby lights made to shine at walls to compare lumens.

Yup, all those brands listed by the OP are cheap Chinese brands that use circuit board contacts and sloppy threads/assembly. They're sold to the uninformed masses for a premium brandishing the latest wonder emitter. Like most things nowadays they are not engineered to last, but to give a nice short term bang for the buck until the next piece of aluminum tubing comes out harboring the latest trendy emitter.

Yet there are tons of us with Maglites and Surefires twenty or thirty years old that still work perfectly scratching our heads over this explosion of cheaply made overpriced Chinese lights the past several years and the market that sprung up for them. To each their own, these threads "OMG WHY IS MY (insert Chinese brand here) SUCH A PIECE OF CRAP LIKE ALL MY OTHERS?" give me good lulz though.

 

[NeedMoreLight]

I thought the only time flashlights flickered and stopped working, was in movies. Just as the guy/gal goes into the dark basement, and right before the monster grabs them and has a meal. Since it happens in every horror movie ever made where there is a dark place, someone needs to keep track of the lights used, and put out a warning not to buy them.

 

[HighlanderNorth]

I thought the only time flashlights flickered and stopped working, was in movies. Just as the guy/gal goes into the dark basement, and right before the monster grabs them and has a meal. Since it happens in every horror movie ever made where there is a dark place, someone needs to keep track of the lights used, and put out a warning not to buy them.

^^I actually started a thread about this phenomenon last year. But it was really about cheaper lights that sit in the closet or pantry for periods of time, then when you need it its either nearly dead, completely dead or flickering. That used to happen more often than not when I was growing up, and it wasnt just at my house, it seemed to be at most houses I visited, because the lights were el-cheapos, or the alkaline batteries were beyond their prime. Lets face it, 98% of the households out there are using cheaper lights and alkaline batteries.


OP: I'm surprised your PA20 had a switch issue from a few drops from waist height. I used my BC10 for over a year on a daily basis, and although I dropped it from more than waist height onto hard surfaces, never had an issue. I'd bet the PA20 has the same switch, just different circuitry vs the BC10, which is 1/2 the price. But since the PA20 holds 2 AA batteries versus 1 lighter CR123, it probably hits the ground harder. Still, from waist height I'm surprised it stopped clicking on and staying on. You can probably just get another switch from Jetbeam and replace it by unscrewing the switch housing.

 

[HighlanderNorth]

Yup, all those brands listed by the OP are cheap Chinese brands that use circuit board contacts and sloppy threads/assembly. They're sold to the uninformed masses for a premium brandishing the latest wonder emitter. Like most things nowadays they are not engineered to last, but to give a nice short term bang for the buck until the next piece of aluminum tubing comes out harboring the latest trendy emitter.

Yet there are tons of us with Maglites and Surefires twenty or thirty years old that still work perfectly scratching our heads over this explosion of cheaply made overpriced Chinese lights the past several years and the market that sprung up for them. To each their own, these threads "OMG WHY IS MY (insert Chinese brand here) SUCH A PIECE OF CRAP LIKE ALL MY OTHERS?" give me good lulz though.

^^ Also to MatthewSB:

I dont think its fair to paint all the brands made in China with the same brush. Sure there are some cheap, low quality lights made there, but I dont think EVERY Jetbeam, Olight, Zebralight, Eagletac or Thrunite product is an overpriced piece of garbage. I dont know of any of their $75 lights that are only worth $7 either. You can hardly buy just the LED for that, let alone the circuitry, the quality anodizing on most of these lights, the MUCH thicker aluminum tubing and the generally better quality threading than found on lights such as the average Maglight justifies the price. I see 4 - D cell Maglights for $28, and I can tell you for sure that the OVERALL quality of my $33 - $75 Chinese lights is better. I have not had quality control issues but with one light from one company that I wont buy from again, and that company isnt listed in the OP. I can assure you that if I was stuck somewhere outdoors or even indoors when the power was out for a long time, Id actually be more comfortable with any of the Chinese lights I own than a Maglight, for the obvious reason that they put out MUCH more light, AND get much better battery life, but also because I trust them to work.

But everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, so I digress...........

 

[Roger999]

I bought a Fenix L1D back in mid 1977 and carried it almost all the time for the last six years. I used it very often at work, it got dropped occasionally, I can't remember it ever getting wet, but the only trouble I have ever had was the battery running down when I didn't have any spares around. That is hardly the flashlights fault. Because of that L1D I bought another L1D, various other Fenix's, and finally spread out to other brands. I have never had any trouble from any of them, so far.

I bet you also bought maglites when they first came out in 1472 as well :nana:.

 

[MatthewSB]

I dont think its fair to paint all the brands made in China with the same brush. Sure there are some cheap, low quality lights made there, but I dont think EVERY Jetbeam, Olight, Zebralight, Eagletac or Thrunite product is an overpriced piece of garbage.

They're not all garbage, but you are way more likely to buy a defective light with fragile electronics when shopping from China.

This isn't a Chinese problem, the issue is quality control, quality of materials, and quality of construction. If the Chinese flashlight makers could do what Apple does, their lights would be just as good as any Surefire. They just haven't decided to upgrade their materials, assembly practices, or quality control because right now they're making plenty of money even though their lights aren't super reliable or durable.

Spyderdco makes knives in the US, Japan, China and Taiwan. While Taiwan isn't exactly known for super high quality goods, the Taichung Taiwan knives are superior in quality even when compared with the much more expensive US made knives. It's not the country of origin, it's the quality practices at the factory that matter.

 

[reppans]

They're not all garbage, but you are way more likely to buy a defective light with fragile electronics when shopping from China.

This isn't a Chinese problem, the issue is quality control, quality of materials, and quality of construction. If the Chinese flashlight makers could do what Apple does, their lights would be just as good as any Surefire. They just haven't decided to upgrade their materials, assembly practices, or quality control because right now they're making plenty of money even though their lights aren't super reliable or durable.

Spyderdco makes knives in the US, Japan, China and Taiwan. While Taiwan isn't exactly known for super high quality goods, the Taichung Taiwan knives are superior in quality even when compared with the much more expensive US made knives. It's not the country of origin, it's the quality practices at the factory that matter.

I believe this to be generally true but I EDC a back-up or two and am quite comfortable with risk/reward profile of my made-in-China lights (most from US-owned Co., btw). When I buy a Chinese-manufactured light, I like to know that it has a decent warranty and customer service behind it from a domestic interface (dealer incl'd) so I don't have to deal with overseas shipping/tracking hassles - otherwise, I buy assuming the light will be a throw-away if it fails and the manufacturer will see no further $$ from me - hasn't happened yet, and still haven't ever needed my back-up light (except for dead batts).

I'm still itching to buy a high quality American-made light, I'm fine with paying more for quality and a company that stands behind its product, but up until very recently, the US Co's have failed to address the AA/NiMh/14500 market - all other my portable camping/travel/emergency electronics and wall/solar chargers are consolidated around Eneloops and the battery commonality is so much easier and with deep, deep back-up options.

Malkoff and McGizmo have recently introduced AA engines so things are starting to look up....

 

[1c3d0g]

...

My Klarus XT11 for example is regularly dropped and thrown and so forth, and other than surface dents etc, its bullet proof.


To add to the above suggestions:

I WOULD ask about the cells the lights run on. Good cells, I have no issue. BAD cells, many issues, including flickering or lost modes, etc.

If the cells are bad or damaged, etc, no light will work well with them.

I second this! A Klarus XT11 with AW cells is pretty much bulletproof, if reliability is what you're after. Mine's been thrown, stomped on, fell in mud, fell on concrete/asphalt and yet keeps giving me the light that I need whenever I press the button. It won't get much better than this.

 

[Cataract]

I second this! A Klarus XT11 with AW cells is pretty much bulletproof, if reliability is what you're after. Mine's been thrown, stomped on, fell in mud, fell on concrete/asphalt and yet keeps giving me the light that I need whenever I press the button. It won't get much better than this.

I don't wish to start a debate, but I have a Fenix and a Quark that have been through most of this, plus both have been dropped in a chemical bath that's equivalent to concentrated vinegar and I never had a single problem with those either. Lots of flashlights can survive these types of daily abuses. The real trick is discerning which can't and avoiding those.