LED flashlights can outlive us, right?

[wishywashy7]

I was just thinking, some of today's LEDs have rated lives of 50,000 hours. Assuming I have a SF 6P with a cree drop in, with a stock twisty switch (which means it can NEVER fail), Does this mean this flashlight will be useable for the REST of my life (I'm 30 now)?

My wife and I have this heated debate where I told her a flashlight is a good investment because it will probably outlive me and may become a cherished heirloom.

Am I right?

 

[cal..45]

considered the fact, that one year have 8760 hours (okay 2008 has 8784 hours) and you are most certainly not going to let the light shining 24/7, it is VERY save to say that a led lifetime of 50000-100000 hours will easily outlive us. however, I am 100% convinced, that in - lets say ten years from now - we will all look back (assuming we are still among the living then) with a big smile on our faces and lough about those dim, low, toy-lights we consider "bright" today...


regards, holger

 

[jugg2]

I agree. I'm sure my LEDs will outlive me, but with new technology they will become so dim and ineficient compared to new LEDs that they will get used less and less. So really I guess we will never know... Unless you could give a state-of-the-art LED to a non-flashoholic, without converting them, then they could test the theory out. But that could never happen; give someone a T-1, or a P3D/P2D, and they are hooked.

 

[alanagnostic]

I think some of the LED's in my lights would outlive me but they will be considered very dim (but usable) by then. I worry more about having 123A batteries available in the future. Think about all those flashlights that took size single A or B batteries....dust in the wind. Still, I think I'll consider many of my lights to be works of art no matter how long I live.

 

[Supernam]

What if in the future, lights become so bright that they become regulated? I'm not talking about current regulation, but OUTPUT regulation e.g. "Handheld flashlights may not exceed 1000 lumen for safety purposes". haha

 

[65535]

I don't imagine regulations like that, majority of people are content with their cheap broken or barely working Incan D cell flashlights, Not enough people use lights, and unless finely culminated, light is pretty harmless.