LED Flashlight Abuse Test

[Grun]

As you know, there are plenty of runtime tests done on flashlights, but have there been abuse tests? I realize these are far less appealing, because who in their right mind would purposely want to hurt, injure, or maim their "PRECIOUSES!"

Of course not! Anyways, if you accidentally did so, what happened, and how did it end?

I bought one of those cheapy lights from Dealextreme.com, an Ultrafire C3, dropped it 3 times from a height of 3 feet (accidentally of course), and it no longer works. At the same time, I also dropped my Fenix L2D CE 4 times from the same height and similar circumstances, moving at around 20mph, and the Fenix still works! :wave:

So back to the old addage...you get what you pay for.

 

[KingGlamis]

Are you clumsy or what? I try not to drop any of my lights, be they cheap or expensive. Sure, the higher end lights should be and probably are tougher, but if you have a cheap light, don't drop it and it should be fine.

 

[Sgt. LED]

I have seen some abuse posts here, but not too many. Somebody did a multiple surface drag test of a SF G2L till a hole got eaten into the body then he did a dunk test into a lake! Of course it got water in it, he dried it out twice, the it worked fine again. I need to search for that thread just to read it again! But you're right I would enjoy seeing more abuse testing. The most amusing abuse test's go on at the led museum by craig, he's the reason I got into LED's.

 

[LEDcandle]

I believe someone did some tests on a Streamlight Propolymer, (I think) throwing it down from a lift shaft or something to that effect and whacking it on the sidewalk and stuff. Don't have the link now but I might try searching for it later.

 

[Toohotruk]

But you're right I would enjoy seeing more abuse testing. The most amusing abuse test's go on at the led museum by craig, he's the reason I got into LED's.

Yeah...I love the dreaded "Toilet Tank" test!

I would enjoy reading about more torture tests as well. :naughty:

 

[KeyGrip]

There's and HDS EDC out there somewhere that has been taken to trade shows across the country just so people could throw it against the floor or wall as hard as they can. Someone on CPF sawed through a Minimag body with a SureFire body. There's the L4 that went through a snowblower and the L1 (?) that went through a lawnmower. Theres the Arc that fell a couple of thousand feet, then there's the other Arc that was left in a stream in a cave for five years. Here are the Arc stories: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=109168 In the Barbolight forum there are pictures of a light that was left in the sea for quite a while. There's a whole thread full of beat up light pictures.

 

[Stromberg]

It's funny that almost in every led torch advertisement there is something like "leds don't break down like incandescent bulbs". While this may be true they never mention that the other sophisticated electronics inside the torch may be even more fragile than incandescent bulbs..

 

[LEDcandle]

I found the thread but the pics have been removed
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=117570&pp=3

 

[USM0083]

I dropped my Tiablo A8S onto concrete; scuffed the anodizing on the bezel and tail cap, but still works fine. I've also dropped in numerous times onto wood and carpeted floors, and have whacked in onto a counter to demonstrate it's robustness. It's construction is bit lighter than my SF 8AX or 6Z, but SF lights are a bit over-engineered, which is a good thing in my line of work.

 

[yellow]

when I started with high quality lights some 15 years ago (SF 6R), I accidentially dropped it while walking - the LA was dead immediately.
Never since then any light has been dropped directly onto the ground, IF dropped, my leg, quickly moved under it, takes the 1st impact.

Those led parts already left the bike bar holder while riding (and similar things) and still work like new. Simply: they are great

 

[Illum]

I believe someone did some tests on a Streamlight Propolymer, (I think) throwing it down from a lift shaft or something to that effect and whacking it on the sidewalk and stuff. Don't have the link now but I might try searching for it later.

Handlobraesing...the test is 5-11-2006 and as far as my browser can see all the pic links died
Streamlight PP 4AA/3C drop test. *pics* both lights totalled
dropping over 6 stories :shakehead:

for the viewing pleasure, I can rehost the pics since I saved the thread when it was first created, but you'll have to follow along the thread with it
[call me crazy but I have approx 10GBs of cpf threads saved on the hard drive]
Freshly arrived
Beam test setup. The black one is not a destructive test candidate.
beam test projection.
NiMH compatibility discussion
Preliminary-3C
Preliminary-4AA
(4AA)
batteries were damaged
Free fall stopped in time.
This is the final result.
The 4AA developed a crack
4AA - Driver circuit damaged
4AA After landing head first.
Shoddy picture. Hard to see, but the reflector was deformed slightly.
Goner?
What was inside the 4AA after all the drops?
This is the 3C. Got bashed pretty good. The lens/bezel seal is gone.
Clickie on the 3C. Looks fine, but something broke inside.
The LED didn't pop off from the head with the 3C,
Batteries
The remains

originally I wanted in thumbnail...but for 21 pics its going to be a long post and wouldn't be as easy to follow, so I hosted them and linked them into words quoted from the thread

my own testing was merely accidental drops, but by apparent consistency offered me good ideas on what lights are drop-able and whats not....
I have not had any experiences of LEDs popping off from batteries hitting it from the back....I do have a flashlight [was it a dorcy or a brinkmann?] that rolled off the balcony of a resort, smashed onto a tent several stories below and continued to roll until it reached the edge and fell into the swimming pool [talk about lucky, never hitting concrete until it was underwater] and nope...the LED was still there.

 

[Gunner12]

I've kicked this cheaper light down hills, across pavement, tossed it on concrete, thrown it at least 30ft and 10 ft high on to dryish grass/rocky soil multiple times, jammed it into concrete, swam with it in a lake, smashed small rocks with it, hit it with a metal ruler and a hammer(not hard enough to break it, but hard enough to leave dents), hit a few seats with it, and modified it with a Q5, but it still works and nothing has broke yet. I've yet to run it over with a car or down a cliff. A 3 ft fall should be no problem.

The problem is that I've heard the newer versions of the U2-style Cree were of lower quality.

I think it all depends on which light you buy if you want reliability with a low price. But usually more reliable company's lights will take more abuse before breaking.

 

[h2xblive]

Someone needs to do a "long term abuse" test.

I'm not impressed by "tests" that consist of dropping a flashlight 30 feet onto concrete or throwing the light against a brick wall.

What I want to see:

A light in a cement mixer just filled with sand or small rocks for a period of 7 straight days.

A light last 20 continuous wash and dry cycles.

A light frozen, then dropped into warm water for a dozen or so cycles.

A light dragged behind a bicycle for 50 miles

A light in 12 inches of water for 28 days

A light on the dashboard of a car driven in a climate where it regularly gets above 85 (F) in the summer and below 30 (F) in the winter for a period of 5 years.

You get the idea...

When you see your light dropped, run over by a car, hit by a bullet, etc. you immediately know it might be broken or is about to completely break. However, long term, repetitive shock/impact/friction/temperature changes, etc. will really test a light as I believe many unexpected failures occur under relatively moderate, constant abuse - not some rare, freak occurrence.

 

[faucon]

I've dropped my L4 at least twice onto concrete pavement from a height of a meter or so. Aside from very minor damage to the bezel, the light suffered no apparent ill effects. I've also dropped a Fenix torch or two, and they also have kept on working fine.

 

[Sgt. LED]

And if ever anyone found funding for such tests, and they were done, and i remembered to check back in in 5 years to see the results.......
I am sure that they would be impressive and revealing. Sadly they won't happen but I can appreciate the need for the kinds of tests you want:thumbsup:

 

[Lite_me]

Yesterday I was mouthing my recently acquired JetBeam C-LE v1.2 and it slipped out and landed with a 'crack' flat on it's side, on the concrete. A friend saw it land. That makes it a fall from about 5ft. I looked down and it was still shining. Whew! It had one little mark on the knurling. Not a real torcher test, but happy it survived.

 

[Burgess]

see my post #12 in this thread:


http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=176839


_

 

[h2xblive]

And if ever anyone found funding for such tests, and they were done, and i remembered to check back in in 5 years to see the results.......
I am sure that they would be impressive and revealing. Sadly they won't happen but I can appreciate the need for the kinds of tests you want:thumbsup:

I'm currently "testing" the Arc-P AAA on my keychain...a flashlight there will go through a lot abuse.

Eight months later, it's still going strong, although anything less than 60 months will mean the Arc-P has failed.

 

[Glock40]

I believe on average that some of the most abused lights are the ones we carry on our keychains. When i first got into flashlights a few years ago i bought a cheap river rock keychain light. All the paint was off in a month of carrying it in my pocket with many keys in jeans. About 2 months later it just would not work any more. The head was bent and could not be turned easily. I now have carried a Fenix E1 for over a year now and it is only slightly scratched up, and it works perfectly. I am not easy on them. I come home ever day and throw them on the counter. Every day at work they are wet from water or sweat. Also find myself laying on them trying to get to something i am working on. In my opinion this seems fairly abusive, and a good long term test of a light.

 

[Dr.K]

I believe on average that some of the most abused lights are the ones we carry on our keychains. When i first got into flashlights a few years ago i bought a cheap river rock keychain light. All the paint was off in a month of carrying it in my pocket with many keys in jeans. About 2 months later it just would not work any more. The head was bent and could not be turned easily. I now have carried a Fenix E1 for over a year now and it is only slightly scratched up, and it works perfectly. I am not easy on them. I come home ever day and throw them on the counter. Every day at work they are wet from water or sweat. Also find myself laying on them trying to get to something i am working on. In my opinion this seems fairly abusive, and a good long term test of a light.

I agree completely, and for all of us "throw when angry" kind of people the test is even worse:laughing: