Which lights withstand hard drops/impact the best?

[Tweaked250r]

I have purchased 5 "Atactical" (otherwise known as wowtac and thrunite) a1s lights. I absolutely love them, but everyone of them has fail from being dropped at 5 feet. They withstand being dropped from 1-4 feet, but 5 feet on concrete kills them. It knocks some soldier loose, and I have repaired them too many times.

So so other than surefire, what comparable lights (compared to thrunite) have the best drop resistance. I don't want to spend surefire money, because I lose lights often, but 75$ and cheaper.

If anyone has expirence dropping your light from 5 feet and above on concrete, let me know how it turned out.

 

[archimedes]

Hello and welcome to CPF

There are a few factors that have a major role in "drop / shock" resistance.

Probably the most important is what is called "potting" ... an inert encasement for protecting the delicate electronics within.

Another significant variable is the overall mass of the item. Smaller lighter items typically, perhaps counter-intuitively, survive drops better.

And, of course, design and quality of the overall construction.

 

[Buck91]

Had a fenix L0D on my keys for many years that was often dropped and occasionally thrown. Still works to this day though it's been retired.

 

[thermal guy]

Well as far as surviving a drop you have to look at the weakest link. If it has electronics and a ton of bells and whistles or a led that is not potted stay away. A twisty tailcap is also the most rugged. Something like a 6P with a solid Dropin "Malkoff " would work. Also an MD2-3 would hold up well.An elzetta with the old style head loaded with a Malkoff can be used to pound nails. " there's a video on that and dropped out of a helicopter at 100 plus feet😁". Problem is there all a tad more then you price point. But they would all work. Better to spend a little more now and not worry later.

My SF E2E and Malkoff MD2 have been dropped so many times at work I have lost count and never skipped a beat. Oh and if you do drop your light a lot stay away from lithium ion cells. Stick to primaries. Much more robust.

 

[Dicaeopolis]

I agree. Malkoff MD2 with the discount is not a lot over your price and it would really be the last light you will have to buy. You could look for an old Surefire 6P, which will be incandescent, but you could upgrade it with a Malkoff drop in and would probably end up around $75. I have seen used Elzetta Alpha for around $75. I've been carrying a potted Malkoff for many years at work and it has seen many drops and throws even.

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

I've only had lights break two different ways when dropped. First, the glass lens is a weak point. The good news is that the light will keep working (as long as you don't get it wet). Second, I've had switches break (both mechanical and electronic). Switches obviously can't be potted, so they're more fragile than you'd think. Look for lights with recessed switches that are protected by metal around them. Even with that, sudden shocks can still damage them internally.

 

[archimedes]

Yes, mechanical twist tailcap switches are far more robust than any other type of actuation device.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Might tethering be an option? Not sure of your application but wondering if a headlamp might somehow work better in that it is not in your hands. If you are leaning down far or hanging your head almost upside down it won't work. Are you losing the flashlights? Is that why you do not want to spend more money?

 

[rearmount]

The light that I just can't seem to destroy would be Streamlight's Survivor series-- it really it firemen proof haha. I, along with other guys on my crew, have dropped it, thrown it, had it ran over with a vehicle by accident, and it still surprisingly functions well. I'm sure the polymer body acts like a giant shock absorber at times, but it would be interesting to see if there's anything else inside that helps with the shock.

 

[5S8Zh5]

This comes to mind... [ PROMETHEUS LIGHTS DROP PROOF? CHECK. ]

 

[Tweaked250r]

Yes, my application is that I will be using it all day everyday as an auto technictiin,. I can't wear headlamps. Can't get used to them.

I often drop the lights I use when working on the vehicles, and obviously they bounce off concrete every time.

I wouldnt mind mind spending more than 75$ if it's actually going to last such abuse.

Ill look into the lights recommended. Thanks

 

[Kestrel]

Yes, my application is that I will be using it all day everyday as an auto technician.

While my main lights are generally 2xCR123 sized (i.e. SureFire 6P), when I find that I'm working with my hands I often reach for a smaller 2xAAA LED penlight I have clipped to a vest pocket etc - it's just so much handier when I've got my hands full. I can also hold in my pursed lips if necessary. :ironic: I have used the Pelican 1920 for a few years now, and it's done pretty well. Not very popular here on the forum though - penlights are sort of a niche application - so I don't really know how it takes real abuse. $20 or so. I have also given very inexpensive 2xAAA penlights to a couple of technician friends (machinist & mechanical tester), and they really do like the format.

Going up in size somewhat; an extremely popular & near-indestructible light configuration here on CPF is a Malkoff LED dropin; installed in either a SureFire 6P or a Malkoff light body. I would prefer the SF 6P as it has an anti-roll hex bezel, which will be really helpful for what you're doing. Rather than using 2xCR123 lithium primary (i.e. non-rechargeable) cells, you'd probably want to go with a quality 18650 or 16650 LiIon rechargeable cell. This combo will be in just a little over your budget, but there is no reason this setup would survive /decades/ of hard use. A no-questions-asked unlimited lifetime warranty on these products, and both companies stand behind their products. Comparable to the SureFire 6P is a version in their nearly-indestructable "Nitrolon" polymer - the SureFire G2 - which could probably take even more abuse than their 6P.

Edit: Another route entirely is the somewhat more compact 1xAA LED flashlight format; there are many good models to chose from, but that isn't my area of knowledge. These lights do have the advantage of lower mass, so they can't really hurt themselves as much when impacting concrete.

Hope this helps,

 

[aau007]

I have a Rofis TR15. 15 months of rough use before having issues. I would not say abuse because I don't 'abuse' my lights. I just cannot give TLC to the light while using it for work. My work efficiency comes first.

I am in a similar situation where my light can drop from up to 8 feet, sometimes hitting hard metal before reaching the hard vinyl floor. When I get lazy to nicely putting the light down, I just toss it to the floor from about 3 to 5 feet. I need magnetic base, able to angle, able to use AA size alkaline, NiMh rechargeable or 14500. No, I cannot use headlight because I need the light pointing at a static place while I move around. Ended up with the Rofis TR15.

I don't use the light everyday but I would say I average about 1 drop a day (anywhere from a few to 10ish per week). Well, after about 15 months, it started to act up.
1. the low battery warning does not come on anymore so I have to gauge it. If it gets dim at high, I know I need to change battery.
2. i need to press the button hard to trigger action. Click hard to turn on/off, click and hold hard to switch mode, etc. light clicking the switch does nothing now.
3. when light is off and i tap the bottom of light on hard surface, the light turns on. shaking really hard up and down won't do it, need to tap on hard surface. tapping again does not turn light off though.
4. since the floor is hard vinyl, I don't get dings and scratches but I do have a few shaves (and lost some anno) when the light hit on the hard metal before reaching the floor. I turn the light at 45 degree a lot of times so the sharp edges where the light swivel have some shaves.

It is still a working light despite the issues above. It is discontinued now so if it dies on me, I might have to switch to the R2, which is the newer design.

Anyone can suggest an alternative for replacing the TR15? Adjustable angle, magnetic base, up to 500 lumen, AA alkaline/NiMh/14500 battery.

 

[bykfixer]

The good old Maglite is pretty durable. They won't take getting dropped from a helicopter but have been known to be used as a hammer from time to time.

 

[Swedpat]

Armytek: unbeateable 30 meters. According to the specs actually...

 

[StagMoose]

I have a streamlight Protac 1L that I have dropped a ton and it hasn't stopped working yet. They are fairly inexpensive and can be found for $20 on amazon when they are on sale. They can take 5 different battery types or more in my testing. I don't expect it to last forever but it has withstood more abuse than I expected.

I seem to drop every Malkoff within 10 minutes of opening it. Most recently a new MD2 UV onto the garage floor from chest height. Didn't even have a scratch.

If I knew I was going to be dropping it all the time (which I do, because I do) I would look for something fully potted and robust. I have stuck more with the Malkoff lights because they don't break and will last forever it seems.

I don't have an armytek so can't comment on them.

The suggestion for a Malkoff MD2 is a sound one. It won't last you at least a year. It will probably last you at least 10 years of dropping. So it is money well spent. Plus it does have a lifetime warranty.

Or used elzetta, Surefire, etc.

I've had good luck with mag lights and their 2AA LED model has survived a bunch of drops over the years. You don't get the output you will from more expensive lights but they are very inexpensive and you could buy 3 of them and still be under budget.

 

[easilyled]

If you're in the habit of dropping lights, you might want to attach a wrist lanyard to the light and and loop the lanyard onto your wrist so that you prevent this from happening, otherwise it can become quite expensive!

Some more expensive custom lights that I'd have absolute faith in, in surviving drops, would be any McGizmo or Oveready flashlights, but I'm sure you could add quite a few others to this list.

 

[Tweaked250r]

Thanks everyone.

After the suggestions for malkoff, I went and looked, and most of their stuff is sold out. Is that normal?

Ill have to look into some some of the other suggestions.

 

[lion504]

HDS. Designed for caving, so you don't die. If you drop your light on the granite floor of a cave and it either (a) turns off or (b) won't turn on, you're screwed, literally. Some customer testimonials here. My favorite is dropping the light down the Cook oil well with the caustic soda. Mil/Leo is another use case requiring durability.

EDIT: sorry, missed the "under $75" part of your question - that eliminates HDS...

 

[AstroTurf]

Elzetta

Thanks everyone.

After the suggestions for malkoff, I went and looked, and most of their stuff is sold out. Is that normal?

Ill have to look into some some of the other suggestions.