Prices of Fenix spare bodies/tailcaps/access. - anyone else think it's a little nuts?

[wintermute]

Got my Fenix L1D CE with the OP reflector - excellent, excellent light. Couldn't be happier with the build quality, light, etc. I've already received the L2D body from another individual on the board, but lets say I wanted to buy the body (or a different body) from another dealer. I want to start out by saying that I'm not pointing any fingers here. I think these dealers are good guys - just wondering why the prices are so high (I assume costs set by Fenix). Here are some various body prices from different dealers:

Serious Lights L1T Body Tube - $18.50 (+$8.00 shipping!!)
Serious Lights L1D Body Tube - $18.95 (+$8.00 shipping!!)
Lighthound L1D Body Tube - $12.00 (+$6.10 shipping)
Lighthound L2D Body Tube - $12.99 (+$6.10 shipping)
Lighthound L1T Body Tube - $11.50 (+$6.10 shipping)
Lighthound L2T Body Tube - $12.50 (+$6.10 shipping)
FenixTectical - All extra bodies on the same page
Fenix L1D CE body and tail $24.00 (shipping included)
Fenix P2D CE body and tail $25.00 (shipping included)
Fenix L2D CE body and tail $26.00 (shipping included)
Fenix-Store L1S Spare Body - $15.00 (shipping included)
Fenix-Store L2S Spare Body - $15.00 (shipping included)
Fenix-Store L1T Spare Body - $18.50 (shipping included)
Fenix-Store L1D Spare Body - $17.00 (shipping included)
Fenix-Store L2D Spare Body - $18.00 (shipping included)
Fenix-Store L1D Spare Body + Tailcap - $24.00 (shipping included)
Fenix-Store L2D Spare Body + Tailcap - $24.50 (shipping included)
Fenix-Store P2D Spare Body + Tailcap - $23.50 (shipping included)

I don't blame any of the dealers for the prices - I assume that Fenix sets the cost high - but why? I can get a complete flashlight from DX or Kai for $15 with a similar body...and that even has the switch, electronics, head, lens, emitter, etc. Why on earth are the Fenix bodies so crazily expensive. I understand why I pay the premium price for the flashlights - the good build quality, excellent circuitry, good overall package. The cost should be in the head - the circuit and LED - the body is a 50 cent piece of machined aluminum.

If Kai and DX can sell their complete flashlights with similar bodies for $15 - I don't understand why Fenix sells the bodies for $15 each!

Today, instead of buying the P2D body and tailcap I was planning to get to use with my new LxD - I bought this from Kai to try out:
MTE CREE P4 LED 4modes Flashlight(RCR123A) - $17.34 (shipping included)

I'm not being a cheerleader for Kai or DX - I would rather buy everything Fenix - in fact, it would be nice if people compared the bodies from Kai/DX to the Fenix bodies to see if we can mix and match some stuff. Then maybe instead of buying the Fenix bodies, we could buy the Kai/DX flashlights - use the bodies when needed, and assemble an extra crappy flashlight when needed as well. Has anyone tried using a similar Kai/DX body on a Fenix head to see if it fits?? There's a chance that these bodies are machined in the same factories anyway.

One more add - $6 for a holster (OK considering it includes shipping), but $5 for a lobster clamp - $5 for lanyard (given away free with many purchases on eBay) - $5 for a AAA clip!!! All of the Fenix Accessories are out of control!

This isn't just complaining - but trying to be a conscious consumer.

 

[BBL]

For cpf standards, it is ok to pay $28 for one hour of light from a surefire M6.
In comparison, $11 for a precision cnc'd and anodized aluminum part dont seem too much.

 

[TORCH_BOY]

Its the same with spare parts for cars, bikes computers ect. When I got my L1D-CE I also wanted the 2AA tube but the price was far to high for that tube,
I ended up ordering a whole L2D-CE light for just a few more $$$. Now I have the best of both worlds

 

[wintermute]

If I didn't see the same looking lights coming out of Kai and DX for $15 complete - I wouldn't say a thing. I expect a company like Surefire to sell expensive stuff, they are manufactured here in the U.S., prices are higher - it's expected from a top dollar product.

Has anyone checked similar Kai/DX lights to see if they fit? I'm going to order some that look really similar next week and then post my findings here.

 

[aceo07]

Yes, I always rant and rave about the prices of tubes. Other people will pay for it. Not me.

If it wasn't mass produced, I'd pay more. Maybe $30, but not more.

For large volume mass produced items, the prices they charge for the tubes can't be justified (at least not by me).

 

[TooManyGizmos]

.. Yes winter , I completely agree with you.

And the price Lumapower expects for orange-peel reflectors to correct faults in their beams , just like the Fenix products .... is totally outrageous and absurd !

After we've spent the big-bucks with them ... we shouldn't have to spend $38 for a simple reflector ... to improve the faulty beam pattern they engineered into the light .

They really should give us the optional reflector (like they give us optional tail caps) .... just to maintain a happy customer relationship.

This is as bad as cheap printers that require ink cartridges that cost twice the original price of the printer.

They are abusing us

.

 

[RV7]

No comments on the fenix tubes. But $38 for an OP reflector? As I know, it's actually easier to make OP reflectors compared to smooth ones.

 

[bondr006]

If I didn't see the same looking lights coming out of Kai and DX for $15 complete - I wouldn't say a thing. I expect a company like Surefire to sell expensive stuff, they are manufactured here in the U.S., prices are higher - it's expected from a top dollar product.

Has anyone checked similar Kai/DX lights to see if they fit? I'm going to order some that look really similar next week and then post my findings here.

If one of them is the MTE C2 5-Mode SSC 42180 Flashlight (AA) for $18.84 over at DealExtreme.....Let me know. I am interested in this light, as it looks and behaves very similar to my Fenix lights.

 

[ltiu]

Maybe it's like inkjet printers. Lose money on the printer, make money on the ink cartridges? Just thinking out loud ...

 

[LightScene]

Fenix definitely takes advantage of their customers by over-charging for parts. They would be better off to make friends with their customers in order to boost future sales. There's no better marketing device than a happy/satisfied customer who is looking forward to buying more products.

 

[Monocrom]

For cpf standards, it is ok to pay $28 for one hour of light from a surefire M6.
In comparison, $11 for a precision cnc'd and anodized aluminum part dont seem too much.

By CPF standards, it's normal to pay more for a higher-output replacement bulb or LED than for the original flashlight.

Still, those prices for parts seem out of whack.

 

[wintermute]

Finally - voices of reason from anyone else. :thumbsup:

I obviously took my time to look into this and wasn't just making a talking point.:candle:

But the prices of the Fenix accessories just turns me off. :thumbsdow

$5 for a tailcap is fine - but why is a body $20.

$5 for a holster is also fine - but $5 for lobster clip. :shrug:

For cpf standards, it is ok to pay $28 for one hour of light from a surefire M6.
In comparison, $11 for a precision cnc'd and anodized aluminum part dont seem too much.

You picked only one part up there is $11.50 - and then they charge you $6 shipping...overall, prices are much higher then that. If the cost of a body was just $10, that would be ok - but they're more like $18.

 

[BB]

Are you sure about the extra shipping charges from fenix.com? According to this:

At fenix-store.com we like to keep things as simple as possible.
Therefore we do not charge for shipping or silly things like
"handling". All shipping and handling and costs such as local
taxes (if applicable) are included in the listed price. The price you see is final price.

I have read in CPF somewhere that if you are an international customer you may have to buy a minimum of ~$16 (IIRC) to get "free shipping"...

-Bill

 

[h_nu]

Perhaps Fenix wants to make sure you buy separate flashlights rather than an extra body and tailcap if you want the flexibility of using different numbers or types of batteries.

One option is to look for manufacturers that bundle the extra bodies with their flashlights such as Lumapower or those that offer cheap bodies such as Peak. I would like cheaper parts from Fenix too.

 

[cave dave]

Just buy the entire light and sell the rest on BST for what you consider fair. I did that to get an extra tailcap before they started selling parts.

I think the prices on the flashlight parts are reasonable and in line with the lights themselves. Not so much on the holster and clasp, but I think the dealers are covering their shipping and handling expenses which far outway the profit they will make on shipping out such a small part.

If you really think you can do better, buy entire flashlights and part them out. But I guarantee It won't be worth your time.

 

[pilou]

It's not a little nuts. It is insane! When I bought my L2P ages ago, I got an extra L1P body for something like $3. Who in their right mind would pay those outrageous prices?

 

[x2x3x2]

ah good ol wintermute, i see you have started a thread to counterweigh all the negative comments eh?

still obvious see what your doing tho

Firstly, i notice that you refereed to using a combo of Fenix and DX parts:
"could buy the Kai/DX flashlights - use the bodies when needed, and assemble an extra crappy flashlight when needed as well"
of course, y not right? no suprise about that statement.

Secondly, this thread it's another advertisement in case you guys havent noticed.

 

[wintermute]

ah good ol wintermute, i see you have started a thread to counterweigh all the negative comments eh?

still obvious see what your doing tho

Firstly, i notice that you refereed to using a combo of Fenix and DX parts:
"could buy the Kai/DX flashlights - use the bodies when needed, and assemble an extra crappy flashlight when needed as well"
of course, y not right? no suprise about that statement.

Secondly, this thread it's another advertisement in case you guys havent noticed.

Do you ever stop??

In case you didn't check the thread date, I posted this thread 3 days ago about how I think the prices of Fenix accessories are too high from most Fenix dealers, and hope that the similar looking lights from Kai/DX will be able to swap parts with the Fenix lights for a better option to the official accessories.

Do you really think that the $15 Kai/DX lights are the same quality as the Fenix lights everyone talks about in this forum? You can find reviews all over the place, and they are not. But, I hope the ones I have on the way are excellent for the price and look forward to testing with my Fenix heads for extra customization options. Also, these 1xAA lights could possibly be used as hosts for RV7's new drivers.

As far as it being an advertisement, I've listed many Fenix dealers in this thread...not just one - and I have questioned the high accessory prices. Not sure how that constitutes an advertisement - except maybe to Kai/DX as a source for inexpensive lights.

 

[TOOCOOL]

ah good ol wintermute, i see you have started a thread to counterweigh all the negative comments eh?

still obvious see what your doing tho

Firstly, i notice that you refereed to using a combo of Fenix and DX parts:
"could buy the Kai/DX flashlights - use the bodies when needed, and assemble an extra crappy flashlight when needed as well"
of course, y not right? no suprise about that statement.

Secondly, this thread it's another advertisement in case you guys havent noticed.

Let it go ...........its getting boring

 

[selfbuilt]

Then maybe instead of buying the Fenix bodies, we could buy the Kai/DX flashlights - use the bodies when needed, and assemble an extra crappy flashlight when needed as well. Has anyone tried using a similar Kai/DX body on a Fenix head to see if it fits?? There's a chance that these bodies are machined in the same factories anyway.

A good idea, but I think you'll find there's relatively few matches.

The problem is that not only do general characteristics need to be the same, but it's critical to have thread thickness, thread depth, number of threads, thread anodizing, and opening diameter an exact match - and both ends of the battery tube.

In my experience of a lot of DX/Kai lights, almost none match the body tube characteristics the "quality" chinese made lights (i.e. Fenix, Jetbeam, Huntlight, etc.) - with the notable exception of a some of the recent "L1P clones" that do fit some of the Fenix LxP, LxS, LxT characteristics. But that's because they are trying to be exact knock-offs

However, I have found a lot of instances where a cheap DX/Kai light matched at least one battery tube end of one of the "second-tier" brand names (especially Ultrafire, which is often copied), or some of the smaller quality shops (e.g. Lumapower). This may reflect the use of the same manufacturing facilities, or more simply, use of a commonly available design that multiple makers draw on. Fenix has definitely customized its product to differentiate it from the pack.

A good case in point is the Luma D-mini. When it first came out, I was thrilled to discover that the 2-stage tailcap from my (then Fifthunit, now DX/Kai) "Lill" was a perfect match. I carried it like this for over a month until Luma released their 2-stage switch for their own tailcap (which is much higher quality than the Lill cap and switch). But in the interim, I had ordered another Lill - only to discover when it arrived the tailcap had changed and the threads were no longer a match! Worse than that, the thread anodizing was gone, and the switch was of cheaper quality. Otherwise, the light looked identical and there was no change in the pics or description on DX site.

This is the problem - even if you find a light that has a good match to an existing light, by the time you order a second one, DX/Kai may not be selling exactly the same thing anymore. Indeed, this seems to happen fairly frequently here.

In any case, good luck with your searches and let us know if you hit a match for anything interesting. If you do, I expect people would need to jump on it quickly ...