HighlanderNorth
Flashlight Enthusiast
I just got my new Fenix TK41 on Wednesday or Thursday evening, and its a big light, so I left it at home and only checked it out at night in my back yard for about 5-10 minutes each night for the next 3-4 nights.
There are 2 switches on the side of it up behind the head, and on the TK60, and maybe other TK series lights(?), one is on/off and the other switch right beside the on/off switch is for changing modes. The 1st night, the on/off switch might have failed to turn the light on maybe 1 or 2 times, and I had to push the switch a 2nd time to turn it on, but I've had the occasional minor switch issue with my SC600 too, but its rare, so I didnt see it as a big deal.
But it seemed to get worse, and by last night(night 3 or 4 since I bought it), it had gotten to the point where it wasnt working every other time I pressed it, and it was taking as many as 3 or 4 presses of the switch to get it to turn on. It often takes a few presses to turn it off too.
But the other switch that controls the modes never misses. It works every time. This is the first time I've had a real, ongoing problem with the switch on any light I have owned, aside from the cheap $2-$4 Chinese lights. This switch problem keeps getting worse, but last night was the 1st time its really gotten bad. It seems like if I keep it, it is just going to get worse, and I'm now second guessing whether I want to take the chance of swapping this for another TK41.
Even if the next TK41 doesnt have a switch problem, I dont like the 2 switch setup as much as I thought I would. In the dark, I often hit the wrong one, and end up shutting it off when I want to change modes, and vice/versa.
So I want to swap it for another light, and my current 2 choices are 2 very different lights: The Spark SL6S-800CW, or the Sunwayman T60CS. The downsides of each light are as follows: I already have several 1-18650 lights the size and performance of the Spark, but probably not the same beam profile, as mine are either total flood(SC600), or almost total throw(G25C2 and T20CS), and the Spark seems like a happy medium in beam profile(?). Plus, it costs less than the TK41, so I would get a little refund back when swapping.
But I dont have any light like the SWM T60CS(2100 Lumens). Its much brighter than every light I own by a long shot! So it wouldn't be yet another redundant light. But...It will cost about $70 more, because the TK41 cost $116 after the 10% off, and the T60Cs will be $185 after 10% off.
I already have batteries for either light, so thats not an issue. I have no really good idea about the beam profile of the T60CS. It seems to have wider, deeper reflectors than the Nitecore TM-11, so I assume it will throw a little better, but still be mostly a flood light. But I dont know for sure.
Has anyone had problems with Fenix TK series switches? Need some help here making this decision......... Which would YOU choose if you were in this same situation?
Thanks......
**Update: After having problems with it last Saturday/Sunday, the problem cleared up for a few days, and seemed OK, so I decided to keep it. Then yesterday(7/26/12) it started having problems with the on/off switch again, which continued this morning, so I shipped it back today. I actually grew to like th throw and modes of the light, etc., but I worry that the switch will get worse, so off it goes. Now I must once again try and decide on a replacement.
There are 2 switches on the side of it up behind the head, and on the TK60, and maybe other TK series lights(?), one is on/off and the other switch right beside the on/off switch is for changing modes. The 1st night, the on/off switch might have failed to turn the light on maybe 1 or 2 times, and I had to push the switch a 2nd time to turn it on, but I've had the occasional minor switch issue with my SC600 too, but its rare, so I didnt see it as a big deal.
But it seemed to get worse, and by last night(night 3 or 4 since I bought it), it had gotten to the point where it wasnt working every other time I pressed it, and it was taking as many as 3 or 4 presses of the switch to get it to turn on. It often takes a few presses to turn it off too.
But the other switch that controls the modes never misses. It works every time. This is the first time I've had a real, ongoing problem with the switch on any light I have owned, aside from the cheap $2-$4 Chinese lights. This switch problem keeps getting worse, but last night was the 1st time its really gotten bad. It seems like if I keep it, it is just going to get worse, and I'm now second guessing whether I want to take the chance of swapping this for another TK41.
Even if the next TK41 doesnt have a switch problem, I dont like the 2 switch setup as much as I thought I would. In the dark, I often hit the wrong one, and end up shutting it off when I want to change modes, and vice/versa.
So I want to swap it for another light, and my current 2 choices are 2 very different lights: The Spark SL6S-800CW, or the Sunwayman T60CS. The downsides of each light are as follows: I already have several 1-18650 lights the size and performance of the Spark, but probably not the same beam profile, as mine are either total flood(SC600), or almost total throw(G25C2 and T20CS), and the Spark seems like a happy medium in beam profile(?). Plus, it costs less than the TK41, so I would get a little refund back when swapping.
But I dont have any light like the SWM T60CS(2100 Lumens). Its much brighter than every light I own by a long shot! So it wouldn't be yet another redundant light. But...It will cost about $70 more, because the TK41 cost $116 after the 10% off, and the T60Cs will be $185 after 10% off.
I already have batteries for either light, so thats not an issue. I have no really good idea about the beam profile of the T60CS. It seems to have wider, deeper reflectors than the Nitecore TM-11, so I assume it will throw a little better, but still be mostly a flood light. But I dont know for sure.
Has anyone had problems with Fenix TK series switches? Need some help here making this decision......... Which would YOU choose if you were in this same situation?
Thanks......
**Update: After having problems with it last Saturday/Sunday, the problem cleared up for a few days, and seemed OK, so I decided to keep it. Then yesterday(7/26/12) it started having problems with the on/off switch again, which continued this morning, so I shipped it back today. I actually grew to like th throw and modes of the light, etc., but I worry that the switch will get worse, so off it goes. Now I must once again try and decide on a replacement.
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