True confessions! (List your bad flashlight habits)

[Stress_Test]

Do you have bad habits with your lights? (besides buying too many! lol)

Do you never lube the o-rings? Do you spin them by the lanyards? Do you do the "spit 'n wipe" to clean the lens? What do you do that you know you shouldn't?

Me, I'm guilty of o-ring and thread neglect. I'm lazy when it comes to keeping the lube on there, and sometimes the rings and threads get pretty dry and/or dirty. And I used vaseline until just recently.

I figured if I were about to go out into a driving rain storm and use my lights I might throw a little lube on there just in case, but otherwise why worry about it? But today, as you might guess, there WAS a driving rainstorm and I didn't even think about it until I was already out the door! (oops).

So I finally lubed up three of my lights with some "plummer's silicone grease" that I got from Lowes. If this stuff shows no bad effects I'll switch to it rather than vaseline, so at least I'm trying to improve my bad habits!

 

[zippo]

I turn on my light just for fun, anytimes.

 

[american lockpicker]

I never use lubricant and when my flashlights stop working as well as they should I sell them or sto using them. Also does anyone know of a good USA made lube(no vasaline though).

 

[Stress_Test]

I never use lubricant and when my flashlights stop working as well as they should I sell them or sto using them. Also does anyone know of a good USA made lube(no vasaline though).

The topic of lube has been beat to death around here. Some argue for/against vaseline, silicone, motor oil, whatever.

I'm trying the plummer silicone grease because it's relatively cheap and readily available at lowes, and if it screws up the o-rings then I'll try something else. There's sooo much discussion on lubes that I figured I'd just pick something rather than read through 50 pages of debate.

"One test is worth a thousand expert opinions"!!

 

[jp2515]

I turn on my light just for fun, anytimes.

I'm guilty of that as well

 

[PhantomPhoton]

I'd say CPF is my worst flashlight habit. lovecpf
As for use and abuse of my lights... well they do get use but nothing out of the ordinary. I lube and clean thoroughly from time to time. Charge my cells and battery packs every couple months, etc. I intend my lights to last my lifetime, and I intend to live a very long time.

 

[Bruce B]

I turn on my light just for fun, anytimes.

I'm guilty of that as well.

Me Too. No wonder I need to buy new Surefire CR123 every month. :shakehead

 

[sappyg]

Me Too. No wonder I need to buy new Surefire CR123 every month. :shakehead[/quot

that's why i use rcr's. an CR123 would only last me a week.
i am habitually drawn to CPF but, i don't think that is a bad habit. lovecpf

 

[Flying Turtle]

Sometimes I neglect the older ones, by not letting their photons come out to play with the youngsters. They sit, gathering dust.

Geoff

 

[NonSenCe]

i have no bad flashlight habits.

i think.. hmm.. but

i turn them on for fun.. alot.

i dont care if they drop or scratch.

i use them like they are tools.

i dont lube/clean etc maintain them as often as i should.

i might over drain the battery.

i run them with cheap batteries.

i loan them to other people if they need it.

 

[PetaBread]

I turn on my light just for fun, anytimes.

Me too, then while I'm doing that I just sit there :thinking:

 

[brighterisbetter]

They sit, gathering dust.

While mine don't get dusty, I'm definitely guilty of 'babying' my lights which I suppose could constitute neglect. Most of my higher-value lights don't get used as intended cause I'm afraid of getting the slightest scratch. Even my 'user' doesn't get treated as such....it's a babied user

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

1) I don't always lube the threads on my lights as much as I should
2) I sometimes fully charge my 18650 cells, and then let them sit around
3) I don't always check the voltage on my cells before inserting them into my lights

 

[USM0083]

My bad habit? Building a really bright light in a cheap host, hand it to a co-worker, and watch them blind themselves.

 

[Search]

I never lube my lights.

Ever.

Never going to either.

 

[Monocrom]

I wash my Surefire lights with wet paper towels.

Just my Surefire lights. Modded, and stock. (They can take it. Never a problem).

 

[Benson]

Lube? What's lube?

(I've been known to put a little light oil on any o-rings that are really tight (i.e., risk of cutting/tearing), but mostly don't bother.)

 

[ghostguy6]

I tend to use mine as a kubaton more often than I should....

 

[IMSabbel]

I use 10440s in my P0D-Q4. And i run them down FAAAAAR to low, so they are dead after 25 cycles or so.
But i dont care, because they are <2$ a piece at DX and i consider them semi-disposable. Still cheaper than alkalines...

 

[Guy's Dropper]

I shower with my lights to test their water resistance.