Who's best?

[Big_Ed]

Surefire, Arc, Inova and Mag-Lite. I have flashlights from all these companies, and although I don't beat my lights, all of them have been dropped and banged around a bit without failure.

 

[Gunner12]

I'm surprised that McGizmo hasn't been mentioned.

 

[klas1]

I had couple Coastal LED Lenser lights for a while and they took some beating, but still work great. Quality is top notch!

 

[deranged_coder]

I'm surprised that McGizmo hasn't been mentioned.

Actually, he was mentioned by brucec:

If you are willing to go custom, save yourself a lot of trouble and pick up the McGizmo Lunasol 20.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=210596
It will set you back $500, though.

Personally, I have found the Surefire and Novatac / HDS / Ra to be the ones that I think would take a beating and keep on working. I have not delved much into custom light makers yet but I feel that my McGizmo Sundrop could quite easily survive rugged use.

 

[vali]

-Romisen RC-N3-q5 and Fenix L1T-2.0 have both been my most abused lights, dropped several times... unscathed aside from cosmetic finish damage.

Romisen seems pretty robust and I am sure dropping it in concrete or something will not hurt the body or the emitter, but my concerns are about the circuit itself. Good to see you dropped it and still works.

 

[Gunner12]

Actually, he was mentioned by brucec:

Arrg, I read it yet my mind didn't register.

All of the higher end lights mentioned should all be able to take a good amount of abuse. Though Surefire clickies seem to have a bit more problem then they should have.

 

[chaoss]

In my experience the Ra Twisy. If you look at the details, it really is a very rugged and robust light. The Ra Clickys are starting to ship if you prefer a Clickie switch.

Big +1 for the Twisty in the $130 price range.

 

[:)>]

Let me save you some trouble and give you the list of must have lights from the best manufacturers and custom builders:

Manufacturers:

RA Clicky 140Cn
Ra Clicky 140C
Surefire U2A
Surefire 6P w/Malkoff M60 Drop In

Custom Builders:

Endeavor's Ti Aeon
McGizmo's LunaSol 20
McGizmo's Ti PD-S
Cool Fall's Spy 007

Surefire is coming out with some pretty fantastic lights in the future and they will need to be on the list as well.

So there is your first $3000 and it will be money well spent. Trust me on this.

 

[stevoman]

I had couple Coastal LED Lenser lights for a while and they took some beating, but still work great. Quality is top notch!

+1 on this. I know they're deeply unfashionable, but I've owned and used several, and they've been rock solid despite harsh use.

 

[yalskey]

Whaaaa??? Nobody has mentioned Peak?

Get a stainless steel peak twisty... that's one heck of a durable light my friend.

I have a Kilimanjaro 7 LED stainless steel. Even if one or two of the LED's break (very unlikely), the other ones still keep going. Plus, it's fully potted electronics.

How you gonna break that????

I didn't think so.

 

[Burgess]

The StreamLight ProPolymer 4AA Luxeon
is a very rugged, hard-to-break flashlight.


Someone here on CPF actually performed a series
of Torture-Tests, including dropping it large distances.


This tough, ABS plastic body managed to handle it quite well.


Perhaps someone can provide a Link to that thread ?

_

 

[Lurchensteen]

I say the Ra Twisty hands down. I have seen that light take a horrible beating and it still works and works great.

 

[MWClint]

Peak Stainless lights are indestructable
Ra Twisty of course
Surefire G2 can take a beating
mags with malkoffs

 

[cfromc]

I can't remember a stock Mag Lite ever failing on me. Even ones over 10 years old. They are far from the latest and greatest technology, but they are reliable. My NovaTac had an issue or two with flickering but never failed. Most of my SureFires have been dead-on reliable but I've had some clicky switch failures, a couple bulbs that were way-off center, and a clip that broke, but I will say that SureFire's customer service is just about the best anywhere, in any industry.

 

[Superdave]

I've done things to my 6PDL that would make most people cringe, and it still works like a champ.

Surefire all the way :thumbsup:

 

[Strauss]

I would have to say Ra lights. More specific, the Twisty. I have put mine through hell and back and it still works like a champ. I would expect my Clicky to take a quite a beating as well, but she's my baby...

 

[importculture]

I'm definately in the surefire camp for best light. I own many surefires and some have been used frequently and not delicately. I can also vouch for mag light's but only with an led replacement. I tend to drop and whack things with the larger D mag's. I've got to say I don't treat them well and have only broken 2 and that was due to serious abuse. Terralux TLE300's seem pretty good too. I was very surprised when I destroyed a 6D mag and the tle still functioned in another mag. Plus they're cheap. I think most lights that aren't discount types are pretty well made. I don't carry any surefires on me anymore (although looking at the 09 catalog that it seems is about to change) and haven't had any of my lights fail on me aside from a tempramental zebralight. I heavily use a jetbeam IInon-pro and novatac 120p and both function just as well as they have when I bought them. Although the jetbeam really surprises me. That thing cooks on high. I'm just waiting for that led to call it quits.

 

[sappyg]

surefire... dead reliable and no compromise
nitecore d10 has been used as a hammer and still kickin'

 

[PsychoBunny]

surefire... dead reliable and no compromise
nitecore d10 has been used as a hammer and still kickin'

This is turning out to be an interesting thread.

I just added a new flashlight to my collection, based on what I've
been reading. Should receive it by Wednesday.

Surefire U2 :grin2:

 

[nerdgineer]

Many lights are very reliable and would be unlikely to fail you in the field.

No light is assured to not fail in the field - so carry a backup if it's important.

Actual failure statistics are unknown or very protected by the manufacturers.

Anecdotes are unreliable indicators of actual reliability (for anything...).

Analysis of design features (e.g. spring loaded twisty better than crush your battery twisty better than clicky...) may or may not convince you and remain only indicators, not guarantees.

Brand loyalties are...brand loyalties.

Trying to collect statistics, as with polls in CPF, is a lot of work and changes few people's preconceptions since the results are also open to challenge.

So good luck.

That said, I like Fenix and spring loaded twisty designs, so I like the L0x and E1/E0 designs. I wish the E01 came with a full ring negative contact on the PCB instead of the 2 point contact design, and I wish the Civictor V1 still was made and came with a modern Cree LED and L0x type multi-levels.