Another one bites the dust... 7th armytek wizard crapped out

[R.W.D.]

I'm on my 8th wizard specifically the xhp50 as has been for the last five of them. I'm starting to feel like armytek makes junk. Twice they had sent me replacements one of which hardly worked if you would even say it did at all by only turning on in firefly mode and the second just didn't work right out of the box both of which mind everyone were replacements for one that fried out of the box and almost caused a brand new 18650 to go thermonuclear...

I can't be the only person who has had as many problems as I've had with the wizard line right? I have a C2 partner they gave to me in what felt like a bribe about their lights failure points and I've beaten the hell out of it yet it works flawlessly. I even put two trits into the TIR lens by using a file so I could find it in the dark.

If anyone has had similar problems with the Armytek Wizard models please make it known here because I'm extremely curious at how often and in what ways others have failed. Mine always seem to be electronic failures including the recent one where it just decided to totally stop working, not even the switch will light when pressed.

 

[thermal guy]

Wait you bought another one after 7 spit the bit?

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

I'm pretty sure I would have given up after the 6th.

 

[R.W.D.]

Two were stolen, one broke physically, two were replacements that were junk out of the box, one recently just stopped working, and the rest were not XHP-50 wizards and they got lost or crushed except one that fell off a tower and broke into a ton of pieces. I'm on number 8 and I feel like I can't trust that it will work when I need it.

 

[motigg]

Get a Zebralight or a Surefire and don't look back.

Or find a way to get a Malkoff or HDS to function as headlamps.

 

[slumber]

The two that failed out the box and the one that recently stopped working are of concern. I think the lost, crushed and fell of the tower lights are user error and wouldn't necessarily place fault on AT.

 

[thermal guy]

" I'm on number 8 and I feel like I can't trust that it will work when I need it."


I think that's the understatement of the year😁

 

[dotCPF]

I used to be a MASSIVE Armytek fan. They were my be-all-end all. Ended up with close to two-dozen at one point. Gradually, after about a year, I was down to around 12. Over half of my Prime/ Wizard series lights died with little to no use, let alone abuse. (ironically, the one Wizard I have BEAT up, still works), but I've had about 8 failures in total. 4 Wizards over 3 generations, and 4 Primes (C2 XHP, C2 XP-L, C1 XM-L2, and one of the A2 primes.) A few of these failed with less than a minute of runtime on them. Most of the failures were different in nature, but not all.

I do not trust Armytek. Furthermore, their Customer service is at best, spotty and they are well known for stealing and appropriating well respected flashaholic's content to use for advertising, cropping out or editing out watermarks.


TL;DR F Armytek, if you want a real Canadian light, check out Focus Works EDC! (Pretty sure they are leaf-based)

 

[Stefano]

So far my experience with AT has been good.
Years ago I kept away from it because I read many stories of failures especially on Pro versions.
Then I bought a Wizard XP-L (basic version) as a secondary headlamp to lend (guest flashlight) I liked a lot and I also made a strong use of it.
Then came the new version (Wizard XP-L Magnet) even more powerful than the previous one, I bought many (as gifts) the one I kept for me has become the most used light by far surpassing the use made of my Zebralight.
It has also fallen several times without any consequences and has been used for a long time in all seasons almost always at Turbo level.
I bought many ELF C2 for some friends, these too have been used (also for work) and so far none has failed.

In 2017 or 2018 I decided to try the Wizard Pro XHP50 but I received a disappointing headlamp that I returned immediately, it worked perfectly but compared to the Wizard "basic" version it had ridiculous performance.

I bought Wizard Pro again in 2019 hoping to have more luck and this time everything is fine, it has excellent performance, I don't know if the first sample was a lemon or if in the meantime the led has become XHP.50.2 (or both) the new one Wizard Pro is very powerful and works well but has not been used so far
enough to make a judgment on durability and reliability.

I also bought the Viking and the Predator, beautiful lights but I have not yet made intense use of them to talk about reliability.
The Predator arrived with the ruined thread (the tube) I tried to have it replaced but it was not possible, I should have sent it back, I decided to keep it because it works very well and the tint is perfect, I just have to be careful when I screw the cap.
Some time ago talking to my seller he told me that I was lucky because over the years he had to make many replacements under warranty, when I asked for details he had to admit that they were almost always about Pro versions. (the talk was about the Wizard)
Maybe the motto of the Paris Dakar mechanics "what is not there can not be broken" can also be good for the lights?

 

[Fish 14]

That's the consequence of Chinese quality vs USA or Europe built lights.

 

[neutralwhite]

so would an AT light ( viking Pro ) modded by Clemence Virence suffer the same fate ?
I know he also modded a lot of wizards. I wonder how they are holding up.

 

[Fireclaw18]

Wow.

Original Poster is talking about how his lights fall off towers and get stolen in addition to being duds out of the box.

Sounds like a better option might be to go for a light marketed for toughness (like an HDS).

Or maybe go something cheap so it's not a big loss if it falls off a tower, gets run over by a tank, hit by an airplane, etc.

Maybe a Rayovac Indestructible. It's a decidedly budget light and not very high quality. But it's designed to be durable and if it does get lost or damaged, it's really cheap.

 

[StagMoose]

Go for lucky 11 bro. 2020 is your year.

 

[F250XLT]

" I'm on number 8 and I feel like I can't trust that it will work when I need it."


I think that's the understatement of the year

:laughing:

 

[Lou Minescence]

I had a Wizard with the XHP50 cool white and after a couple of weeks I noticed the lense was cracked. I had no idea how it happened. I had the Vendor send it back to Armytek and after 8 months they still had no word from Armytek and sent me another new light. A few months later I went to use the new Wizard and the battery was completely dead. I put another battery in and figured I must have left it on and the low voltage protection didn't work. A few minutes after putting the new battery in my Wizard I looked at it and saw some smoke. I quickly took the battery out and the circuit board was burnt. That light could have caused a fire. I was not impressed. The cracked lense was something that was happening to other people too for no reason. I have a lot of Armytek lights and other Wizards with no problems. After seeing smoke I manually lock out all my lights when not in use. I would be very upset if a flashlight burned down my house. Good to see this thread is not in the Armytek section, it may last a while.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Two were stolen, one broke physically, two were replacements that were junk out of the box, one recently just stopped working, and the rest were not XHP-50 wizards and they got lost or crushed except one that fell off a tower and broke into a ton of pieces. I'm on number 8 and I feel like I can't trust that it will work when I need it.

You should probably take up bowling as a hobby.

Chris

 

[R.W.D.]

They will absolutely take your photos off IG and use them for advertising also I've learned....

 

[R.W.D.]

Hds is ultimately what I'm after but an outright purchase of almost $400 to get exactly what I want is just going to have to hold off.

The reason I even continued to buy the AT Wizard what is being so compact, output for the size, the very warm tint, and it being at a 90 degree light which I've gotten so use to I feel weird using anything else. I wish there was a better company to make something almost exactly like the wizard (Olight is out for me) but I can't seem to find anything close enough.

I've been using old incan Mags lately because I can't beat the warm light, if I drop it worst case I have to swap a bulb, and I even took the AR lens from the corpse of a Wizard to throw into my pocket mag. Only problem is poor output 🤣

 

[R.W.D.]

Out of curiosity anyone here handled a skill hunt and wizard? I'd be sacrifing lumens but I could live with it.

 

[Whitelight1]

That's the consequence of Chinese quality vs USA or Europe built lights.

I agree, reliability in USA lights is unrivaled. The only non American brand I buy is Olight, I have never had one fail me in probably 7 or 8 years of using them, but they are not or par with Surefire, Malkoff, or Elzetta.