Fenix P1 Woes

hey all, i was referred over here from bladeforums.com. a few days ago i got my fenix p1 from tadgear. my p1 died within a few hours of me handling it, here's my post straight from bladeforums---



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alright, so between when my P1 arrived at my door and now, i have been in my living room, the post office, and in the computer labs. i have not been jumping out of helicopters, or in the mountains of afghanistan. i am wearing dockers.
i got my p1 via ups about 3-4 hours ago. since then, i've inserted a battery, put it on a keychain, and stood in my bathroom in the dark.

about half an hour ago, as i was walking out of the post office and grab my keys out of my pocket. not being used to having the flashlight on there (my keys are a lot bulkier now than before) it slipped out of my hand. it fell down a ledge near a stairwell. i approximate 6-7 feet, onto concrete.

there is a small dent in the metal case, preventing the head from screwing down. i can turn the head really hard, but the light doesn't come on.

i'm not saying this isn't my fault. i should have been a lot more careful. i guess it just irks me that i've waited so long for tadgear to get these back in stock. and i guess it just irks me that the fall wasn't that far, and my keys aren't that heavy. this is more of a rant, i guess.


i bet fenix has a great warrantee, and ill send it back to them and see what becomes of it. but even if they replace the light, i think i'm done with fenix.

i hit the light with my macro lens so you can see the damage.





life sucks.

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does anyone know if there's anything i can do? the only address i've got to send a repair is in china. any advice would be appreciated. i guess i should be more careful next time.

Get a hold of TAD.

Sorry to hear this. I know not much hope, but have you tried changing the batt...perhaps it suffered a hair of compression and is not making contact?
Do you think if you filed the dinged edge down it might help?

Ken

i've sent TAD two emails so far, waiting for a response.


as far as repairing it myself or checking the battery/bulb assembly, the ding is in the body, pushing into where the threads are. so the cap is pretty much held in place by the dent, when i try to unscrew the head, the assembly part comes out. does that make sense?

This little damage should not stop the light from working.

Can you still screw the head down (with the battery removed) untill there is no gap between the head and the body ?

If not, one of the dings is locking the threads and prevents the battery from making contact.

HiltiHome said:

This little damage should not stop the light from working.

If not, one of the dings is locking the threads and prevents the battery from making contact.

Click to expand...

yes, that's what's happening as far as i can tell. the head is immobile.

Got locking pliers? You could try to clamp them down on the head and untwist... Might do some surface/aesthetic damage but nothing you haven't already done.

put your back behind it, what are you a man or a midget.

tighten it down hard, use wd40 and a couple of strap wrenches.

regards.

i'm not going to risk it.

i *just* got a call from mike at tadgear. just now, they are taking care of me.

hoooray!



thanks for your help, everyone.

are the threads on the head damaged, if not, you just need a large tap the right size to re-cut the threads.

PS. have you tried to see it the head works, with just the battery and a length of wire.

regards.

I've never dealt with TAD-Gear, but if they are even considering replacing or repairing your flashlight after you admitting that you dropped it...well, that's what I call class!


CFU

If the bezel unsrews and the head with the light engine is still stuck, wd40 won't help, because there is an o-ring preventing wd40 to flow...

Wait if tadgear relaces your light, or not.

If they don't replace, you can still use brute force...

That's the problem with those minimalistic tiny lights ... they do not have enough beef to withstand the damage even from smaller "accidents".
Can't have it all ...
bernie

it`s because the aluminum on the P1 is very soft and easily damaged.

a piece of the threads on the head of my P1, came away within a hour of my getting it.

PS. I wonder how it faired on the smack test, on "flashlight reviews"

regards.

Casual Flashlight User said:

I've never dealt with TAD-Gear, but if they are even considering replacing or repairing your flashlight after you admitting that you dropped it...well, that's what I call class!

CFU

Click to expand...

class, and then some. i told mike exactly what happened, and he said, "no problem."

i've dealt with tadgear repetitively for 4-5 years now and have never been let down.



thanks again, everyone.

hehe. that is why if i am going to make custom lights next time(aka 6 years)

they are going to have the light's wall at the very very least 2mm thick. i will go with 3mm.

for heavy duty uses, 4mm and for the reALLY HEAVY stuffs, 5mm

mind you, 5mm is really really thick. unless you want the freaking mad option. 8mm.

8mm will be like woah...

now if they are made of some high density metal, they would be really heavy.

soo... you dropped your light and are about to get a new one...

anyone wondered who pays for that new light?

I own the following Fenixes: E1 P1 LOP L1P and have occasionally dropped them, I certainly don't "baby" them. Luckily: No problems like that so far....

I wouldn't write them off that easily, but to each his own...

PM me your address and I'll send you another unit.

wow, that is quite a dent... that would never happen with my amilite... i wonder what kind of aluminum fenix uses.

-david