Problems With 20% of Products

About one in five of my new lights have had from minor to major defects. That includes the best manufacturer's expensive lights and about 70 purchases in the past few years.

Batteries fare worse at about 25% of the batches boughten have had bad cells. I'll estimate about 5 - 10% of cells are or go bad before they should. Way too many surprise (new cell) leakers. Seems all brands suffer from this.

Judging and guessing from other posts on this subject seem to indicate that most CPFers have better luck. What's your experience? I should add that most problems were resolved and I've had 100% good luck with purchases from CPF members and dealers. Thanks, everyone!

I think that would depend on what you call defects.
I personally exclude tint, donuts and HA variations from that list which leaves me with very little defective lights in all my purchases.

bernie

Either you're way too finicky, or more likely it sounds like you're experience is extraordinary. I've only had two bad experineces over the last 5 years or so, one was marginal with the tint on a SLPP 4AA Lux, but Streamlight replaced it without question. The other was with a batch of CR123 batteries that a friend had ordered from Amondotech; they refused to replace them citing their 90 day warranty period (pretty much an expected response.) And I don't know it it counts, but I did return one of the Inova AA Radiants that had the bad reflectors.

I stick to domestically made lights. I have yet to have a single manufacturer-caused defect.

Of course I never bought a U2 so maybe I dodged a statistical bullet there

Poor designs or beam quality aren't what I'm referring to. Bad circuity, broken parts, missing parts, switch failure, poor threads and things of that nature. I'm quite tolerant of beam color and finish variations because my lights get banged around from use.

I'll just have to continue getting lights just to improve the good/bad ratio!