Surefire Executive Elite E2E bulb issue

I inherited an Executive Elite E2E and have found that it burns through bulbs at an alarming rate. By that I mean maybe after an hour or three. It's pretty unpredictable. Is this normal behavior for surefire incandescents or should I try to seek warranty options? I don't know much about incandescent lights, but from what I've read, bulbs should last longer than this. Thanks in advance!

I have not let the magic smoke out of my E2E hotwire bulb but I bought a spare bulb at the same time I ordered the E2E. Perhaps it is murphys law. If I gave the spare bulb away the installed bulb would blow immediately if not faster! What batteries are you running? The bulbs might be sensitive to voltage variations. You might consider buying a Surefire KL1 LED head for your light, they are not blindingly bright but don't burn out. Incandescent bulbs are vulnerable to shock by dropping them just like the household 110v bulbs. One thing to consider is if we ever get a EMP (electro magnetic pulse) from a nuclear device pretty much all electronic components will self destruct while incandescents will not be affected, Ironically old vehicles with points and condensers will not be put out of commission while newer cars with electronic ignitions will be disabled by the EMP burst. Not trying to be a doomsday gloomy Gus but...............

I appreciate the reply. I thought it was weird that it had so many issues, especially considering it doesn't get used much. I'm running the standard surefire 123a battery and authentic surefire bulbs. I think I'll call surefire and see what they suggest.

edit: I thought about converting it, but considering I have other LEDs, I would like to keep it as an incandescent. There is just something sexy about it.

Which lamps ( "bulbs" ) are you using ? ... the model #.

How old are they ? Are they new or used ?

Could you post a photo of them ?

Are your batteries primaries, or rechargeables?

I don't have any on me right now (currently out of the states). However, I'm using the standard surefire primary 123a batteries. I purchase authentic, new, surefire bulbs. I'll get a picture of the bulbs as soon as I can.

If you choose to upgrade to LED, and you can get some that have a very pleasing color (Nichia). No angry blue tinted light. Contact member Tana. He can lead you in the right direction. Even if you just want a simple upgrade that can be reversed.

I have a vintage totally stock Indy E2E and it has been on the same bulb for years with light usage. Not sure how yours is doing that. Unless there is some contact issue? Are you sure its the bulb?? Could it be the rear tail switch?? Or loose head??

Yeah, it's the bulb. Here's a shot of it. Part number MN03 lamp assembly.

edit: here's a link to the photo of the bulb. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0By6u2WPUG-lvOUtBaVVWNjVJWXM/edit?usp=docslist_api

Is the glass blackened ? Filament broken ?

Does the light see rough service (lots of physical jolts) ?

Might want to try Lumens Factory lamps, I guess ....

Yes, the glass is blackened. I don't believe the filament is broken, just burned out. The light rarely gets used, and when it's used, it sees nothing rough. I'm perplexed. I guess I'll call surefire and see what they say. If they don't have any answers I'll try a different bulb manufacturer.

I appreciate your input!

What is strange is that the incandescent system is so simple. No electronics to go wrong. Really just an empty tube, a twisty switch (mechanical contact), batteries, and a lamp ... :thinking:

I agree 100%. Really strange.

I agree, check out Lumens Factory. They have three E2 lamp assemblies in incandescent. the HO-E2A works with regular CR123As and outputs 110 lumens. The HO-E2R is also 110 lumens, but designed for RCR123A cells, as is the EO-E2R with 150 lumen output. All three are in the $15 USD price range.

UPDATE: I spoke with a surefire rep and they basically told me to get lost because the light is a discontinued model and outdated. They pointed me towards LED conversion. I'm not sure if I'll try a different brand bulb or just jump on the conversion. Thanks for the help, all!

jfwalker said:

I inherited an Executive Elite E2E and have found that it burns through bulbs at an alarming rate. By that I mean maybe after an hour or three. It's pretty unpredictable. Is this normal behavior for surefire incandescents or should I try to seek warranty options? I don't know much about incandescent lights, but from what I've read, bulbs should last longer than this. Thanks in advance!

Click to expand...

Further down in this discussion you mentioned that the bulbs were discolored, which is normal yet it can be exacerbated & shorten bulb lifespan by operating the light for a length of time with weak batteries

If I remember correctly(which I may not) the lamp requires a minimum operating temperature otherwise the tungsten atoms boiled off the filament will plate themselves to the inside of the glass envelope instead of back onto the filament, which shortens the life of the lamp.

In the old days we used to discuss "vampire" lights, LED lights that we used to drain the last bit of life from 123's from our SF lights, as it was standard operating procedure to swap out 123's at the first noticeable dimming of the light. ETA: My favorite vampire light was a Streamlight Twin-Task 1L with the incandescent lamp removed with just the 3-LEDs remaining. An almost dead 123 will power this light for 5-10 hours or so used at night, as a find my way around the house light without disturbing vision too much.

So don't drain the Batts dry in a good incandescent lamps.

In my distant pass I use to issue Surefire E2e lights to my crew and have purchased over 15 of them. Only one guy ever had a problem with lamps going bad, not entirely sure why. I currently own an M6, M3, C3, P9, 3 - E2e's an E2W and a E1e and a couple of the original LED heads, only issue was with the M6 hi-output lamp exploding inside after about 5 minutes of runtime, lamp was powdered glass. SF replaced the head ASAP. Sadly they are all sitting in their SF boxes in a tub in the closet. The E2e was my all time favorite SF.