How tough are your EDC torches - post your experiences

[JCK]

Threw my Nitecore EX10 GDP full force against a brick wall, picked it up and dropped it into a glass of water to prove why my light was better than some 3xAAA 9-LED showerhead POS light. After doing that a wee bit too often, the lens cracked but was replaced by Nitecore.

Have vigorously defended myself against an attacking brick wall by fending it off with the strike bezel of my Fenix TA30 (full force), slight nicks on the teeth of the bezel but other than that, light works great.

GDP means golden dragon plus doesn't it?
is that the one taht has ramping, or the preset modes?

 

[roguesw]

My keychain light, surefire KL4, been through the pavement and more.
Below it is my EDC, one of a kind McGizmo Ti PD body with AL head, sporting a osram Golden dragon emitter. This is a prototype from McGizmo to study the beam distribution.
I use both, am not hard on it, but they still look good.
The KL4 is now 6 years old.
Still going strong.

 

[Wiggle]

I EDC a Quark AA, dropped it a few times on concrete floors 2-3 feet high: no damage.
It slipped from my hand once, flew about 5-6 feet and fell onto ceramic tiles: small flat surface on the rear end you barely can notice.
I've used it working with chemicals, never dropped it in, but I usually rinse it in cold/warm water for a minute, no problem there. Could probably roll on it with a small truck.

I've been carrying mine for about 2.5 months now. Dropped from head height onto cement, no visible damage. Dropped 4 feet onto tile onto one of the weakest points on the light, the tail cap right on the edge above the slot and it took a bit of HA off but no real deformation of the metal there. I've also taken it into the shower with me to shave (my face, I promise).

Fenix L2D: Got off with relatively little abuse, it did take a bad tumble off my bikes handlebars onto concrete though. It fell right onto the bezels edge and took some HA and a bit of deformation but no operating problems. Carried this light while I worked in a coal power plant too, it got really dirty at times but cleaned up quite well.

Solarforce L2: General tossing around, dropped and drug across rough surfaces. Let my friend use it for swimming underwater for about 20 mins or so. Annodizing is wearing in spots but still looks pretty good.

 

[Owen]

I've been surprised at how well the ano is holding up on my E2L. It shows some wear on the front edges of the bezel, and only a few small dings. It has mods doubling its cost, so it's not like I'm trying to hurt it or anything, but have a bad habit of dropping it in my lap when I leave at night, and then having it fall four feet to the pavement when I get out of the truck. For some reason I keep doing this, plus dropping the light playing with it more than I'd like to admit. My stuff always takes a beating, and I think this is my 8th EDC light that's a Nat-HA Surefire. I'm pretty familiar with their ano, but this newest one seems to be resisting damage to the finish better than any of the previous ones.

 

[Jethro]

My Surefire LX2 is tough enough to not even know how tough it is... I don't even have to think about it, the light works each and every time flawlessly.

 

[hyperloop]

GDP means golden dragon plus doesn't it?
is that the one taht has ramping, or the preset modes?

it's the one with the ramping really like that can instantly access min or max.

 

[computernut]

My Surefire E2L got dropped on the ground in the first week I had it. It was on a concrete patio tile. The tailcap got a couple of dings in it and there is a small scuff on the bezel but other than that the light didn't care. It was on at the time and stayed on.

 

[Tim W]

Must be a psychic

...only carry one when I know I will be ... needing one ...

And you know that HOW?

 

[Cataract]

Good to hear so many stories with positive outcome. Here's one with a not so good outcome:

I had bought a Dorcy (can't remember the model, but it was a focusable, no reflector, looked a lot like an L2d in size and shape) and while experimenting with it for 2 days, I dropped it about 3 times on my appartment floor (hardwood with carpet) and the third time, something came off the PC board and it never came back on again. I got my money back, but somewhat miss that light (last one off the shelf).

 

[DimeRazorback]

I've dropped my Surefire LX2 numerous times.

It still works like new.

One night during a heavy rain storm, it was launched 10 meters into the air, and came crashing down onto concrete, all while turned on.

The only damage was a little nik on the bezel, and the positive nipple of the front end battery was dented by the positive contact on the LX2's head.

I am yet to drop my McGizmo's, however I am looking forward to the event one day.

 

[carrot]

I am yet to drop my McGizmo's, however I am looking forward to the event one day.

I am providing a service to all those who want it, lend me your McGizmos and I'll be sure to put a few "user marks" on them. No guarantee as to what type of user mark, but they will certainly look used!

 

[DimeRazorback]

:nana:

I'll keep that in mind

 

[Robin24k]

I am providing a service to all those who want it, lend me your McGizmos and I'll be sure to put a few "user marks" on them. No guarantee as to what type of user mark, but they will certainly look used!

I can conduct 7th story projectile motion tests if anyone is interested. :wave:

 

[carrot]

This is how my McLux looks after all the adventures it and I have been through... Scratches don't photograph well unfortunately.

 

[rfnv]

I tossed my Fenix E01 from the fourth (and highest) storey of my school, It survived with a few scratches, lol.

 

[JCK]

This is how my McLux looks after all the adventures it and I have been through... Scratches don't photograph well unfortunately.

Can I ask, whats that second torch, the one on the bottom, it looks like a little tank, is it a mluxtoo?

 

[carrot]

Can I ask, whats that second torch, the one on the bottom, it looks like a little tank, is it a mluxtoo?

It really does seem like it should be a baby 'Gizmo but actually it is a Muyshondt Ti Mako. Mine is a special 60º version of which only five were made but the others are quite fine lights as well. Only one run was made but they pop up on custom BST once in awhile. It is not a very bright light, rather dim in fact, but it gets 60 hours of runtime on low and 20 hours on high using a single alkaline AAA battery. It is incredibly useful and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I baby it a bit but to be fair Muyshondt's lights are proven tough.

The real baby 'Gizmo is the Ti Sapphire, which is a lovely light but I still like the Mako more. I have used and beaten up this light good too, but the Mako is worn daily. Sapphire pictured on the right.

For what it's worth the Arc-AAA is a tough little light too and at a more acceptable price than the customs. Kept one of those on my keys for years, and it looks terrible but works great. Much brighter than the Mako also. A far less beat up one on the left.

 

[Buck91]

I have dropped my L1T v2.0 many times on to hard tile, concrete and the like... Have smacked it into many branches while mountain biking as well. So far its just shrugged all these off. Ano isn't even bad except for a little around the lens area from the drops.

Just dropped an XRE R2 in it and she's got a whole new life now!

 

[msap]

I have an NDI (bought from TAD Gear first run) that is actually reliable. This thing has been dropped so many times but it just keeps going. I just recently put it through a wash cycle (accident) and it came out working fine.