How rough are you on your lights?

[greenLED]

I don't purposefully mistreat my gear, but I don't baby it either.

 

[Larbo]

I dont mistreat or bang up my stuff, I also dont let any light spend too much time on turbo so it gets too hot.

 

[Patriot]

My lights generally get pretty well taken care of. I enjoy using my lights but sometimes accidents happen. Dirt washes off and mud is rare with our dry climate here. I'd say my lights generally stay looking pretty good because they're in a case, holster or pocket when not switched on.

 

[Zendude]

I'm not rough with my lights but I am clumsy.

I can't tell you how many times I dropped my minimag and popped the bulb. Thats (in part) what led me to LED flashlights and CPF in the first place.
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[foxtrot29]

My attitude towards my edcs is that these lights will be will be used, damaged, and at some point will become inoperable. At the same time I do not abuse them or perform "torture tests". My E1B was not cheap but I won't feel bad if it dies in the line of duty.

I manage commercial kitchens and that environment can be surprisingly rough on lights. The Microstream I edc at work has been dropped on tile floors several times and has had the finish bleached by harsh cleaning fluids. My E1B has a nice ding on the head from being dropped on bathroom floor tiles while I was changing a lighting fixture at home and has hit ashphalt a couple times while running errands.

When I buy a light that I know I'm going to use a lot it comes with the realization that it very well could be lost or broken as that comes with the territory.

Your E1B will never really die... because if it does, Surefire will just send you a new one!

 

[gsxrac]

Well unlike the "I dont abuse my lights but they do get used and I almost dropped my _____ once!!!" crowd I use my lights all the time in lots of demanding environments and they get dropped on concrete, gravel, dirt, and anything else I walk through. They get drug through the mud, dinged up in the engine bays of cars and trucks, and tossed around at work to other people who sometimes arent good at catching lol. ALL my lights are regular users and other than my Quark Turbo (It hasnt been used too much since Im running low on CR123's and lost a couple of my ICR's) show a decent amount of wear including my HA Surefires and even my new Ti Quark My most worn are probably my first Surefire 6PL, M@G 4D, Streamlight twintask 1x123 and Streamlight Stinger. I will try and take some pics and post them later They are scratched like crazy!

 

[Search]

You might wanna clean that every so often. You risk damaging the lock's pair of omega springs and you want to keep the channel the AXIS bar slips into clean before you lose your fingers

I tried to. Sadly the allen wrench they sent stripped on the screws along with the one I had. At this point I'm a little lost for one that is strong enough.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

Depends on what it is used for. The Fenix EO1 on my keychain is pretty scratched up. My old worklight, a Gerber LX3.0 has been beaten up on steel and concrete, but it still works as well as the day I bought it (though much of the anodizing is gone). Handheld 18650 and 2 123A lights that are used on hikes get busted up occasionally, but I don't purposely smack them against things. Lightweight, high efficiency, expensive flashlights and headlights I take backpacking get babied. I don't want them to fail while I'm in the middle of nowhere (this includes my lighter Fenix lights and Princeton Tec headlights). I lube my good lights with Nyogel and treat the contacts with DeOxit. I don't try to destroy any of my flashlights, but none sit as shelf queens either. If I need a tool, I'm going to use it, even if using it gets it scratched up a bit. Taking care of my tools makes them last longer so I get my money's worth.

 

[mossyoak]

I tried to. Sadly the allen wrench they sent stripped on the screws along with the one I had. At this point I'm a little lost for one that is strong enough.

those arent allen heads, they are torx.

 

[Hitthespot]

I'm not afraid to use my lights for what ever needs to be done. But I don't purposely abuse them either.

I must admit I can't compare with Marduke though. He can sure tell you which lights are MUD Proof! :thumbsup:

Bill

 

[DimeRazorback]

I tried to. Sadly the allen wrench they sent stripped on the screws along with the one I had. At this point I'm a little lost for one that is strong enough.

I suggest one of these Search :thumbsup:

Or something similar.

 

[M@elstrom]

Some of my lights lights look like they've been beaten to hell, some just minor wear marks but there's just a handful that get babied with the intent of keeping them pristine, I try to look after my stuff and don't believe in lending (call me selfish/overly cautious)

Bottom line they're made to be used (but not abused) :thumbsup: