LED Flashlight Abuse Test

[Illum]

Someone needs to do a "long term abuse" test.

I'm not impressed by "tests" that consist of dropping a flashlight 30 feet onto concrete or throwing the light against a brick wall.

What I want to see:

A light in a cement mixer just filled with sand or small rocks for a period of 7 straight days.

A light last 20 continuous wash and dry cycles.

A light frozen, then dropped into warm water for a dozen or so cycles.

A light dragged behind a bicycle for 50 miles

A light in 12 inches of water for 28 days

A light on the dashboard of a car driven in a climate where it regularly gets above 85 (F) in the summer and below 30 (F) in the winter for a period of 5 years.

You get the idea...

When you see your light dropped, run over by a car, hit by a bullet, etc. you immediately know it might be broken or is about to completely break. However, long term, repetitive shock/impact/friction/temperature changes, etc. will really test a light as I believe many unexpected failures occur under relatively moderate, constant abuse - not some rare, freak occurrence.

your not going to like the results.....
I don't think current flashlights can win an iron"light" contest...especially ones with complex switch assemblies and nature of deterioration that exist in both incandescent and LED alike

testing such as A light frozen, then dropped into warm water for a dozen or so cycles. paired with A light last 20 continuous wash and dry cycles. or A light frozen, then dropped into warm water for a dozen or so cycles. or A light in 12 inches of water for 28 days probably won't last too long given the durability of o-rings:devil:

but I agree, long term abuse is usually more accurate in testing of durability of lights

 

[olrac]

Someone needs to do a "long term abuse" test.

I'm not impressed by "tests" that consist of dropping a flashlight 30 feet onto concrete or throwing the light against a brick wall.

What I want to see:

A light in a cement mixer just filled with sand or small rocks for a period of 7 straight days.

A light last 20 continuous wash and dry cycles.

A light frozen, then dropped into warm water for a dozen or so cycles.

A light dragged behind a bicycle for 50 miles

A light in 12 inches of water for 28 days

A light on the dashboard of a car driven in a climate where it regularly gets above 85 (F) in the summer and below 30 (F) in the winter for a period of 5 years.

You get the idea...

When you see your light dropped, run over by a car, hit by a bullet, etc. you immediately know it might be broken or is about to completely break. However, long term, repetitive shock/impact/friction/temperature changes, etc. will really test a light as I believe many unexpected failures occur under relatively moderate, constant abuse - not some rare, freak occurrence.

Can you imagine the cost of a light that would meet these tests?
All the R&D costs that would have to be recovered as well as the increased Mfg. and Q.C. costs. My guess if it would disuade all but a elite few Mfgs. (ie. Surefire)
Most Mfgs. are always going for the largest market sement.
But yes, Wouldn't that be one fantstic light!

 

[yellow]

I d say most any light of a medium built quality will survive most abuse that lets its battery fail soon
(hey, its possible to damage a battery from turning the end cap in too hard.)

Take any 2 or more battery in a row light and shake it light those "shakelights" with impact on You foot, or ...
Pretty sure the batts will fail very soon

 

[h2xblive]

I know my list is extensive and not very realistic, but I think you all got my point. :laughing:

You wouldn't need a flashlight that could survive all those tests - just the light that's currently made that could last the longest.

I bet LEDs would have the best chance of lasting the longest, don't you all agree?

 

[Toohotruk]

I believe on average that some of the most abused lights are the ones we carry on our keychains. When i first got into flashlights a few years ago i bought a cheap river rock keychain light. All the paint was off in a month of carrying it in my pocket with many keys in jeans. About 2 months later it just would not work any more. The head was bent and could not be turned easily. I now have carried a Fenix E1 for over a year now and it is only slightly scratched up, and it works perfectly. I am not easy on them. I come home ever day and throw them on the counter. Every day at work they are wet from water or sweat. Also find myself laying on them trying to get to something i am working on. In my opinion this seems fairly abusive, and a good long term test of a light.

I agree...I carried this Solotaire (I know, I know...but at the time, I didn't know any better:candle in my pocket with the keys and change and whatnot for many years:



The body is worn smooth and the letters are almost comletely gone, as is the "sharp" edge of the bezel and it has been through the wash several times. But it STILL WORKS!!!

Actually, a couple of months ago, I modded it into a 12V LED...it's MUCH brighter now!

 

[Illum]

the solitaire reminds me....someone bump the "show your beatup light"'s thread

 

[12Brav0]

I repeatedly threw down a Pelican 3330C LED light on to a concrete floor. Eventually the tail switch broke such that it would not lock ON, but it still worked in a momentary mode. When I opened it up and took out the batteries, all the little bits to the switch fell out.

It took a lot of abuse before the switch broke. It showed me that a screw down tailcap type switch would be more resistant to that sort of abuse.

12Bravo

 

[alanagnostic]

I don't have one, but does anyone believe that an Arc AAA could withstand some/most of those torture tests mentioned above? From what I've read about the Arcs, if any flashlight could survive, it's that one.

 

[Toohotruk]

the solitaire reminds me....someone bump the "show your beatup light"'s thread

Actually, I have this pic of my trusty Solitaire posted on that thread...maybe it's time I gave it a bump...

 

[Illum]

I don't have one, but does anyone believe that an Arc AAA could withstand some/most of those torture tests mentioned above? From what I've read about the Arcs, if any flashlight could survive, it's that one.

I'm still trying to find that thread where some idiot shot his arc into a tree via shotgun:thinking:

 

[h2xblive]

I don't have one, but does anyone believe that an Arc AAA could withstand some/most of those torture tests mentioned above? From what I've read about the Arcs, if any flashlight could survive, it's that one.

I agree.

I have heard that the Peak AAA lights are pretty durable, too. I'd like to know which is more durable - Peak or Arc?

 

[holeymoley]

I'm still trying to find that thread where some idiot shot his arc into a tree via shotgun:thinking:

:huh2: Someone please find this for us new guys