L0P died...

[ViReN]

If thousands of L0P's have been sold and only two reported failures so far, this is a pretty good track record. No one starts talking crap about "bad quality" manufacturing in the US when an Inova X1 dies after a fall or a Surefire U2 clickie breaks. Just an error, something that slipped by QC, but definitely not a sign that Inova or Surefire is junk. Instead, usually it's "Cheers to Inova" or "Cheers to Surefire" because of the lifetime warranty... something Fenix has too -- why not give them the chance to honor it as well? So, why the hate for Fenix, simply because it's a Chinese manufacturer? I find this thread to be becoming increasingly racist. Just because something's from overseas doesn't mean we should value it differently, if quality is shown to be consistent and up to par, as I've found my own Fenixes to be.

very well said carrot....

(after the bashing that I got from HDS Threads, I rather stay quiet....) the fact is that Fenix is really good quality flashlight, given it's price. One does not have to spend $210 or $450 ... to get that quality... we are talking around $30 - $30 here... and yet it compares with $210 & $450 light.. isnt that amazing?

I am not saying that U2's or HDS are bad... but they cost equaly as much.

 

[ViReN]

oh yes, i cleaned the contacts. i figured the pots and pans cycle of my dishwasher would clean them pretty well... just kidding. yes, they are clean. it had been in the glovebox for perhaps a period of 2 months. it had done keychain duty before that with no complaints. i'm curious as to what Wayne says. <looks at L2T with a tear in his eye... don't leave me baby!>

ginaz, please contact the store where you got your light from. I hope your problem will get solved.

Put some photos of light internals, it may help analyze the problem, if it is superficial (looks like unlikely the case).

 

[Dawg]

Not meaning to be rude but aren't Surefire and Maglight supposed to be in this range of quality ??? I'm only asking because many of the people posting here seem to have a fairly low regard for Mags and as for Surefire, the number of complaint threads about the U2 seems to beat any other topic. As for customer service, need I mention Surefire again...

Above are only two Fenix LOP's bust and I suspect they have sold far more of these than the U2 and I suspect Fenix have sold more total lights than Inovas. Virtually every other post I have seen about Fenix lights has been positive.

I don't know Inova lights but I'm sure that they are well made and reliable but to start slaging off other makes just because one chap has a broken Fenix and another chap said he had the same problem seems a bit extreme and typifies the " everything we have is better than yours" attitude that many Americans like to shout. They then sit back and wonder why other peoples around the world call Americans loud mouthed, arrogant and insular.

Don't get me wrong, I work for an American company with loads of Americans and I like them very much. I lived in California for a year and count many Americans as some of my best friends. However, a great many seem to believe that other races and religions that hate America do so because America is 'The Best' and they are jealous. They haven't considered that perhaps it's because Americans seem to think themselves better than everyone else and therefore superior. Many countries such as Sweden, Singapore and Switzerland have similar or higher standards of living and the reason that they aren't such targets of hatred and terrorism is because they don't go around the world telling everyone else that they're inferior. (Of which the posts above are perfect examples.)

Blah,blah,blah,blah.....................

 

[Lit Up]

Not meaning to be rude but aren't Surefire and Maglight supposed to be in this range of quality ??? I'm only asking because many of the people posting here seem to have a fairly low regard for Mags

They have a low regard for them from an output perspective as far as all the newer offerings and mod lights vs. incan Mags go and that really can't be disputed, however, most of those incan Mags have been bouncing around in cars for quite awhile. Some as long as the 1980's with anodizing worn down to nothing, but still turning on. Irregardless of origin, that's quality.

And if your light does fail.....click here

 

[lightningbug]

Do I even need to add anything to this?

Well, If I'm to understand your point, you imply I'm refering to cold solder joints in Chinese based lights...

Let me state clearly that I've had more problems with cold solder joints in my American made Fender and Gibson guitars and amplifiers than in any flashlight....

 

[InfidelCastro]

If thousands of L0P's have been sold and only two reported failures so far,

There's more than two reported failures... in this thread..

I would like a L0P type light, but these failures makes me nervous. I really love my L2T, and it's served me well, but I'm the first to admit that it's not up to Inova or Surefire quality standards in many ways.

 

[carrot]

There's more than two reported failures... in this thread..

Sorry, it's summer recess from "learning" in school. I lost count.

 

[Lit Up]

This remark is both inappropriate and untrue! Chinese designed and manufactured lights vary in quality just as lights of any origin, and in fact offer some very innovative and affordable technology- in high quality offerings. It seems there are many quick on the draw to ridicule products not made in the USA, and most of their comments are ridiculous and unfounded. Let's not forget that many things we've enjoyed for centuries were "borrowed" from the Chinese.

True.
Much like you can also get a Philips based DVD player or a Cyberhome based DVD player with origins from China. Guess which, out of both of those I have owned, is still working?

I think the question people here are starting to ask is: Is the Fenix company a Cyberhome version of the flashlight business? Impressive features at first, but then failing to supply them after only a short time of usage.

 

[carrot]

True.
Much like you can also get a Philips based DVD player or a Cyberhome based DVD player with origins from China. Guess which, out of both of those I have owned, is still working?

I think the question people here are starting to ask is: Is the Fenix company a Cyberhome version of the flashlight business? Impressive features at first, but then failing to supply them after only a short time of usage.

Cyberhome had a license to make Philips DVD players at one point, iirc.

 

[Lit Up]

Cyberhome had a license to make Philips DVD players at one point, iirc.

And they recently got busted here in the U.S. by the F.B.I. for failing to pay that license. Some 22 million worth.

I'll give you guys a tip if you own one: If you have it on and it feels really warm, get ready to go shopping.

 

[FlashlightPhreak]

Bummer.... I hope my assortment of Fenixs' don't start crapping out on me....

So far, they have been very useful and reliable.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

for the record, that's not my attitude. I do understand and sympathize completely with, your disdain (as a British Citizen) for the "Ugly American" attitude and all it represents. I couldn't agree more. However, there have been numerous complaints regarding Fenix, not just two. I do not now nor did I ever hold the (chauvinistic) belief that "everything we (Americans) have is better than yours". My gripe is with perceived poor quality and service, and lack of parts, not with country of origin. I'm also IMMEDIATELY suspect when something attains "cult following" status, so I take a closer look. My deepest apologies to anyone who was offended, or perceived any racist or anti-Chinese tones....that wasn't the point of my remarks. I own a Japanese car, and lots of Chinese lights, my pantry is full of excellent British tea and China, etc. and would never disparage a particular nationality or country. With me it's just quality/service period.

PEACE!!!

Exactly Steve.

People see racism everywhere nowadays, this politically correct Dictatoship is getting ridiculous. Nobody said anything about race... If a brand of a given country is delivering crappy products and/or crappy services, it's not because of race or origin, but only because they don't care about QC (or don't have to). And this has been the norm for most products from China-- with rare exceptions. That's a fact.

 

[ginaz]

back to the issue at hand:

before we wander too far afield let me just bring a little closure here by saying that Steve has kindly offered to send me a Radiant and i will follow up with the fenix store in regards to the premature death of this L0P. any info gleaned will only serve the common good; and that is why we are here, to share experiences and knowledge as regards our mutual hobby. we can only validly comment based upon our own experience. the sharing of personal experiences with a brand is not bashing them. if you feel it is then perhaps you have an unconscious emotional investment in said brand (country, person, style, etc.) i own 3 Fenix. 1 has failed after a short time under less than demanding service. that is a failure rate of 33% in my own personal relation with Fenix. i'm not pleased by that. i would be just as concerned if my Inovas had done so or any other brand that i patronize. they have not. i do not consider that to be a function of their country of origin. some bad ones slip through, it's to be expected. Fenix hasn't been around as long and so we are seeing their reputation being built as we go. time will tell what that reputation is. china-made, lemonade, nationalism, mental schism. go back to sleep everyone, your governments are in control.

 

[Lite_me]

I was first to post a reply in this thread, stating that I had just ordered an LOP. When I get that sucker,, by early next week I hope, I'm gonna use it all that I can for a while. If it fails, I'll report back. But, it kinda sounds like it doesn't even need to be used in order to have it fail!
I like my chances tho, I don't think you'll be hearing from me.... not on this anyway. (need an imotion for 'crossing fingers')

[Edit] Man is this Forum active. There were 7 replys posted in the time it took me to compose this, from where I wanted it to fall in the thread. Guess it doesn't matter tho.

 

[lightningbug]

I have 2 L0Ps and bought one of them used. That one is carried with me daily, and used frequently. It's been dropped, rolled, and carried in pockets with knives, keys and multi tools. It works as it should, but won't win any beauty contests. I also have an L1P, L2P (x2), L2T, and those heads reside on different bodies including 123s. The only problem I've encountered with any of them was a broken O-ring on the L2T when I received it.

I did have some flickering and intermittent power problems with the L1P when I first got it, and found the failures the result of excessive lubricant both on the threads and ends of the body tube. This was my fault, as I routinely clean and lube any new light. I use pneumatic tool oil-as it's formulated to preserve O-rings, but it's light weight and extremely migratory. Since it spreads so easily, when it gets between the tailcap or head and the body, it causes something like hydroplaning, disallowing proper contact. Other than this self imposed problem, my Fenixs' have performed exceptionally well, and have enjoyed their status in my collection as a true tool, rather than a novelty. They're reliable, compact and well made.

A few failures out of millions sold reported on the most popular global forum for portable illumination is hardly an indictment of poor quality.

 

[jclarksnakes]

I have bought a bunch of Fenix lights. I only had a problem with one of them and 4-Sevens had it replaced within a couple days. Good lights, good service, good prices. Count me as a very happy Fenix owner.
jc

 

[Lite_me]

I have 2 L0Ps and bought one of them used. That one is carried with me daily, and used frequently. It's been dropped, rolled, and carried in pockets with knives, keys and multi tools. It works as it should, but won't win any beauty contests.

Thanks lightningbug, for restoring my confidence with Fenix.:twothumbs

 

[Illum]

Car = heat retaining in sunny conditions
Metal on light = retains heat also
heat = primary source of material degradation second to UV

light put in car
sun heats the car
car heats light
light heats insides
heat deteriotes insides
light found my you
light won't turn on

the possibility of something wrong with the IC is pretty darn high

 

[steve_vance]

..... I suspect they have sold far more of these than the U2 and I suspect Fenix have sold more total lights than Inovas......

Only if you don't count the 9,000+ X5s per month Inova sells the U.S. military services (they're everywhere in Iraq & Afghanistan), the several thousand T2 & T3 per month supplied to FBI, DEA, Seal teams and other agencies, the several thousand plus UV Inovas supplied to forensic teams worldwide, well, you get my point.



I'm not trying to be argumentative , just FYI. Quality control (as close to zero defects as possible) is a mentality (a paradigm), not just a question of simple numbers.

By the way, a little comic (flashlight) relief? I recently found out that the U.S. military considers flashlights "consumables", that is, when they die or the batteries are dead, you discard it and get another one. OMG!!! No wonder they buy so damn many flashlights.

FYI #2: I just ordered an L2T from 4sevens, so I'm not repeat not anti-Fenix. The L2T Looks like a nice light. I just don't want the light I trust failing at "the worst possible time". We'll see how it goes

PEACE TO ALL

 

[amanichen]

Only if you don't count the 9,000+ X5s per month Inova sells the U.S. military services (they're everywhere in Iraq & Afghanistan), the several thousand T2 & T3 per month supplied to FBI, DEA, Seal teams and other agencies, the several thousand plus UV Inovas supplied to forensic teams worldwide, well, you get my point.

Sales from contracts can't be compared to sales made to single, private customers.

A government contract is in effect a customer who purchases thousands of lights, while most private citizens own just a few of differing brands.