Zebralight reliability (the poll)

[vtunderground]

I've noticed a lot of talk about problems encountered with Zebralight headlamps. I suspect that there's a silent majority of users who have had good luck with their Zebralights, but you wouldn't know it from the posts on here!

So, for those who own a Zebralight (or several)... who has had a Zebralight stop working, or stop working reliably? And just as importantly, who has used a Zebralight with no issues at all?

I'm curious because a pure flood light would be great for caving & exploring abandoned mines... but I have to be able to trust each of my lights with my life.

 

[Snow]

Two Zebralights, two failures here. One an H30 and one an H501w.

 

[Launch Mini]

Just got the 30. Wife has used it for night reading.
Only a very minor thing, that when you go to cycle to a higher level, it seems to get stuck on low & it flickers a couple times before it moves up.
Not all the time, but occassionally.

 

[PayBack]

3 lights, 33% failure rate so far.

 

[Yucca Patrol]

I have actually had TWO fail on me. The first was my H60 that took on water while caving but I "fixed" it myself. The second was my H50 that just went dead one day.

Zebralight replaced the H50 but I haven't gotten around to sending my H60 in. I'm just going to wait for it to fail again before I do anything. I think I was able to better seal the button area than they did at the factory.

Despite these two problem lights, I still think they are great lights

 

[Woods Walker]

The clicky on my H501w acted funky one night but seemed to clear itself up and have used it more than a few times on the trail after that. The H50 made it though it's first winter last year and that is saying alot. The H501-Q5 never had any issues but only used it in the field maybe 12 times however got tons of use around the house. No water problems with the H501w or H50 but they were exposed to mostly rain, sleet and snow. I don't dunk my head under the water with a headlamp on so never got around to a dunk test. Next time I fail at a stream crossing if using the ZL will report back but guessing with luck this could be a ways off.

 

[matrixshaman]

Six Zebralights which because of a project I'm doing I use a lot and rely on. Two total failures - dead for no reason with only a little use. Two H30's with the battery change problem and some other intermittent annoyances. One fairly good H50 and one so far perfect H501. These are great lights when they work right but I personally have probably had some of the worst luck with them of anyone I've seen on CPF. Zebralight has offered solutions but it usually involves sending back to China and I have not had the time so I have been disappointed in the failure rate and problems. If they had a U.S. based service or warranty place I'd probably be more likely to buy more and get the ones I have fixed.

 

[yowzer]

My H50's gotten a lot of use, and aside from a few dings from being dropped onto rocks and concrete, still looks and acts like the day I got it. Never had an issue. I've had a 501 for less than a week, so too soon to tell with that model...

 

[kwarwick]

Two H60w failures, the original and then the replacement sent by Zebralight also died. I have H50-Q5 that's never given me an ounce of trouble though. Zebralight has been very responsive, so although the failures are disappointing and inconvenient they took good care of me both times.

Karl

 

[mdf]

I've been using my H60w every day for a month without any problems.
I had to shorten the tailcap spring to fit the AW 2200 battery.

 

[Vernon]

I've have an H50-Q5 that's never given me any problems at all. However, I did have an H-60 that crapped out after about 10 minutes of use, so I sent it back to China only to get another one three weeks later that did the exact same thing. I've stopped buying Zebralights since that experience...just not worth the chance of frustration.

 

[EngrPaul]

I've lightly used a H30, H60w, and H501w.

So far, no problems, still have the last two, sold the first one.

 

[TooManyGizmos]

From what I've read , since they came out , I don't consider them reliable .

Therefore , I have not bought one .

Good Poll , curious about the replies .

.

 

[one2tim]

got a h30 and h60w with no issues

 

[lebox97]

just an FYI - USA customers get Zebralight warranty repair/replacement performed outside of Dallas Texas. In my experience the turnaround has been 1-2 weeks (door-to-door) - contact your dealer or ZL for RMA # and address.

If you return it to place of purchase for repair/replacement instead - it has to be sent back to China... (us dealers are low on the totem pole ) = round trip to dealer plus round trip to China makes for much slower turnaround.

:wave:

... If they had a U.S. based service or warranty place I'd probably be more likely to buy more and get the ones I have fixed.

 

[DimeRazorback]

I recently got as H60W... no issues yet, but I don't need to use it very often other then around the house.

I don't have very much confidence in it however, just doesn't feel "solid" to me...

 

[davidt1]

I have dropped my H501 about 5 times. Each time it was dropped the impact was strong enough to detach the super-glued magnet at the tail cap. The light still works just fine. I use it several times a day everyday -- often for hours at a time. It's my main light. It's my "if you can only have one light" light. I can't wait to get their new AA flashlight to complement the H501.

Edit: I voted "No failure" because I own the light and can prove it, but I don't trust this kind of poll.

 

[Luminesce]

I have an assortment of lights to choose from but my H501 is without a doubt my most used light. As I type this it's in my shirt pocket, just a habit as I keep late hours. I've always kept a flashlight nearby for as far back as I can recall but none were so easy to keep on my person. While the L1D is usually my EDC when I know I'm going to be somewhere that may require a brighter light with a hotspot, generally the 501 is the goto light and has been in use every day, numerous times a day for months without fail.

I would consider any flashlight failing due to being dropped as par for the course, all things considered. Only a few lights are truly designed to handle concrete no matter what the manufacturer may say. But as much as I use my H501 each and every day it's holding up well under those conditions, haven't dropped it yet.

The small nature of these lights and the miniature circuits and high amperage involved lend themselves to potential problems. O-rings and switches that fail are another matter. Perhaps listing the type of failure that occurred would be helpful in determining a bit more about the manufacturer's ability to produce a solid performer or not.

It would also be interesting to see how many people have had problems with early generation designs of "any" light and then find that subsequent models function much better, last longer as the bugs are worked out.

 

[DonShock]

I've had three Zebras so far. Never had a problem with the H50. The H30 seems to be chugging along just fine, although it gets used infrequently because it was modded to a red Cree for use with a telescope. I use an H60 daily at work. This one did have a problem and failed after about a week and a half. Sent it back to China for repair and have been using it ever since.

 

[tedh]

H501, H501w, both working fine. Moderate use.

Ted