What are your "deal killers"?

[Dude Dudeson]

I'm not talking about performance specs, more like pet peeves, lack of or overabundance of features, inherent characteristics within the chosen "bracket", etc. DEFINITELY not talking about money here.

This is about flashlights, what they do, what they don't, etc - "worth the price" is a whole different conversation...

So what things will make you NOT interested in a light?

For me it's twisties - at least for my current needs. Can't stand 'em.

Reverse clickies too - that would annoy the crap out of me.

I've heard about PWM, haven't experienced it firsthand, but knowing what a refresh rate junkie I was back in the CRT monitor days this would probably be a deal killer for me...

What kills the deal for you?

 

[DimeRazorback]

":caution: Strong Light"

:p

 

[Zeruel]

– Unhidden Strobe + Beacon + SOS + Pizza delivery + UFO Landing.
– Doesn't take rechargeable li-ion.
– Ugly form.

 

[Prat]

So far just looks. If I doesn't look "cool" to me I just won't considerate it, unless it is half off or something, then maybe...maybe.

Superficial yes, but it helps to weed out lights since there is an overabundance of quality lights out there! I just don't have the need/use/time for them all! (Money yes, although my gf would eventually kill me...:sick2:).

 

[vali]

- Its made by Ultrafire :crackup:. Lol, joking a bit, but it seems they stop working at first drop.
- Runtime too short or very bad eficiency.
- Cant be shipped here or is too expensive.
- Too many strobes/SOS in the way.
- Direct drive or bad regulated.
- 3xAAA.
- Incandescent.

 

[Monocrom]

Multi-levels on a light marketed as being tactical.
{If it's truly tactical, it'll have only one level. Screaming bright}.

Bezel-down carry-clip only.
{I prefer the pocket clip oriented for bezel-up carry. There are advantages over bezel-down}.

P*$$ poor Q.C.
{I'm not wasting my hard-earned money on cheap junk from Ultrafire, even if they do come up with a truly innovative design every now & then, because I know the light will malfunction. Not a question of "if," but "when." And usually in the near future}.

Companies with misleading business practices.
{I refuse to buy lights from companies that behave in a shady manner. Integrity is key for me. If I feel a company is sorely lacking in that department, I won't buy their products}.

 

[Dude Dudeson]

-
- Cant be shipped here or is too expensive.
QUOTE]

Good other points, but this is exactly what I hoped to avoid here...

Please no money/law/shipping/taxation/vendor reputation/etc factors here - this is about lights, what they do, don't do, etc.

Pure light discussion please.

 

[defloyd77]

Lights that require rubbing your belly whilst patting your head to change modes. I also like to stick to common AA and AAA cells. Definately poor effeciency/runtime to output ratio is a deal killer. Also after experiencing the XP-E, I don't think I'll ever go back to the XR-E and the Cree ring circus.

 

[Zeruel]

Bezel-down carry-clip only.
{I prefer the pocket clip oriented for bezel-up carry. There are advantages over bezel-down}.

+1
I would like to add on to that...

- For single cell EDC, clip must be deep pocket carry.
Never like the look of something sticking out of my pocket.

 

[jhc37013]

Single mode, programmable or not and to many strobe/blinking modes like the Quark regular models. Poor regulation/efficiency.

 

[amigafan2003]

Battery life under 2hrs on max
Single mode
More than one emitter (hate the cloverleaf beam pattern)
Poor regulation - lights that get dimmer over time rather than a flat line output.

 

[jupello]

Those "Strike bezels" and reverse clickies(especially on 1-mode lights) are the first ones that come to my mind.

 

[Dude Dudeson]

"Single mode" - listed by two replies, by that do you mean one output mode?

As in, one mode flashlight = deal killer for you?

 

[lctorana]

Anything more than one mode is an outright deal-breaker. Probably the only one.

 

[CaNo]

Deal Killers:

*Slow shipping companies

*Shipping not included in price. ( I do not like playing guessing games. This is the reason why I buy the majority of my lights at 4Sevens. )

*Companies that over exaggerate their lumen count.

*Bezel up

*Ugly flashlights (Including excellent flashlights, that you are ashamed to carry around)

*Twisties (only exception is the Ra Twisty 85-TR, nothing else)

*Companies that use the word "Tactical" or "Military Grade" to sell their product, even though we all know its a cheap piece of crap

*Overseas shipping, where it takes 2 years for the light to hit your mailbox, only to find out that there is something wrong with the light that you have been waiting for, for so long, only to have to ship it back, pay the $15 shipping and handling, and wait an additional 4-6 years to get it back. (Sometimes this is an on-going process)

*Companies/Sellers that do not know how to reply back to their consumers. And when they do reply back, they give you some over-the-top scientific explanation for the purpose of confusing you, even though you know exactly what they are saying (because you are a CPF Flashaholic), only to go around in circles and not get anything resolved.

*** I'm sure there will be a part 2 to my reply :whistle:... give it time lol***

 

[^Gurthang]

Deal breakers:

Bad QC;

fragile switches,
all parts glued together,
soldering that looks like it was done by spastic epileptic,
rough/inconsistant threading,
parts that either wobble or jam,
"proprietary" designs that don't allow tinkering.

^G

 

[Erayd]

• Poor regulation (perfect flat regulation :thumbsup:)
• Doesn't take rechargeable LiIon (ideally 18650)
• Easily scratched lenses / reflectors
• Inefficient reflector / lens design
• Bad heatsinking
• Any kind of flashing mode
• Feels 'junky'
• Not waterproof (not looking for a scuba light or anything, but it should survive a dunk in the river)
  
  
  
  
  
  

 

[Tom_123]

What kills the deal for you?

Reverse clickies

twisties

badly thought-out clips with poor mounting

badly thought-out UI

unhidden Strobe, SOS and the like

 

[amigafan2003]

"Single mode" - listed by two replies, by that do you mean one output mode?

As in, one mode flashlight = deal killer for you?

Exactly - an LED flashlight with only one brightness level holds no interest for me.

 

[Oddjob]

Visually noticeable PWM
Cycling through extraneous modes
Poor regulation and runtime
Artifacts in the beam.
Multicell