trapperjay
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- May 3, 2009
- Messages
- 59
How well does the Liteflux LF3XT withstand use/abuse as compared to the Novatac?
novatac vs liteflux
- Thread starter trapperjay
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LED Cool
Enlightened
well this one i cannot really answer because i have not abuse my LF3XT or Novatac 120P. 
what kind of abuse do you have in mind?
khoo
what kind of abuse do you have in mind?
khoo
Gatsby
Enlightened
LOL - Like Khoo I don't abuse mine either!
That being said - the Novatac is a more substantial light and has a stainless steel bezel which was unquestionably the weak point on the HDS lights (and you can see Henrys reaction to that with the Novatac bezel change and then, well, the substantial reinforcement on the Ra lights), and is a bigger, bulkier and thicker flashglight. I would expect that in really tough environments the Novatac would probably hold up better than the LF3XT.
Having said all that, the LF3XT is a solidly built light. Like the Novatac the current runs internally and not through the body/threads, the walls are thicker than my Nitecores and the HA is well applied. I would say for normal use it will hold up just as well. It does not have a stainless bezel ring (a feature I really like that isn't used often enough, even the EX10 has one but it was solely to accomodate the D10 reflector since the D10 does not have one) which is the only real weak point I see.
Basically, for EDC use the smaller size of the LF3XT makes it a fair tradeoff for a bit less "ruggedness" than the Novatac. They are close, but the extra size of the Novatac and bezel ring gives a slight nod to it - but they really are in the same ballpark at least in terms of construction. All the Liteflux lights I've handled have been quite nicely made.
That being said - the Novatac is a more substantial light and has a stainless steel bezel which was unquestionably the weak point on the HDS lights (and you can see Henrys reaction to that with the Novatac bezel change and then, well, the substantial reinforcement on the Ra lights), and is a bigger, bulkier and thicker flashglight. I would expect that in really tough environments the Novatac would probably hold up better than the LF3XT.
Having said all that, the LF3XT is a solidly built light. Like the Novatac the current runs internally and not through the body/threads, the walls are thicker than my Nitecores and the HA is well applied. I would say for normal use it will hold up just as well. It does not have a stainless bezel ring (a feature I really like that isn't used often enough, even the EX10 has one but it was solely to accomodate the D10 reflector since the D10 does not have one) which is the only real weak point I see.
Basically, for EDC use the smaller size of the LF3XT makes it a fair tradeoff for a bit less "ruggedness" than the Novatac. They are close, but the extra size of the Novatac and bezel ring gives a slight nod to it - but they really are in the same ballpark at least in terms of construction. All the Liteflux lights I've handled have been quite nicely made.
matrixshaman
Flashlight Enthusiast
Novatac has been an EDC of mine in very rugged conditions for over 2 years. It still works perfectly. Both it and the LF3XT are a couple of my favorite lights but I haven't exposed the LF3XT to anything harsh so I can't say for sure. It looks like it could do well but I'd still guess the Novatac would handle more harsh conditions and drops and might outlast the LF3XT in really rough situations. I agree with Gatsby's evaluation closely.
AILL
Newly Enlightened
100% my opinion. I have 2 Novatacs and 1 LF3XT. The additional weight of the Novatacs is worth every Dime. They are solid as rocks.
Andreas
*AILL*
mightysparrow
Enlightened
I own a LF5XT and I've owned Novatac 120P's in the past. In my experience, the Liteflux light has worked flawlessly since I received it. I returned my Novatacs because of the inherent software issue (the company's diagnosis, not merely my opinion) that caused flickering at lower and upper levels.
My conclusion is that, sure, the Novatac lights had a heavyweight body and a stainless bezel ring, but the Liteflux works when I need it to work, and the progamming options are second to none. So, I consider the Liteflux light better able to withstand use. I don't know about abuse, given my experience, but my LF5XT is made with high-quality components- lots of metal parts and nothing flimsy. It seems to be well made overall. I would depend on it in a pinch, and I'm fairly picky. Again, I might never have the opportunity to see how the Novatac holds up to abuse, because I'll be carrying a Liteflux light, or a Ra/HDS light in critical situations - not a Novatac, unfortunately.
My conclusion is that, sure, the Novatac lights had a heavyweight body and a stainless bezel ring, but the Liteflux works when I need it to work, and the progamming options are second to none. So, I consider the Liteflux light better able to withstand use. I don't know about abuse, given my experience, but my LF5XT is made with high-quality components- lots of metal parts and nothing flimsy. It seems to be well made overall. I would depend on it in a pinch, and I'm fairly picky. Again, I might never have the opportunity to see how the Novatac holds up to abuse, because I'll be carrying a Liteflux light, or a Ra/HDS light in critical situations - not a Novatac, unfortunately.
