Hello and help...

Originally posted by MDC on 8-11-07 HERE.

Hello everyone. I'm new to the Arc Flashlight world.
I have used a Mag Solitaire in the past as my keychain lights and recently used a "Eddie Bauer Tac Light" from Target for months. The "Bauer" light was ok for a while, but those button cell batteries are bothersome, and recently the o-ring busted just after opening it for the first time to change the batteries.
Anyway...
I ordered an Arc-P Monday (8/6) and received it Friday (8/10).
I was so happy to replace my keychain light with the Arc.
The light functions great and everything, but the finish has a bit of a flaw in it near the head of the light. :mecry:
I'm not sure if I'm being nit-picky or what. Any others have something similar?
If I were to have it exchanged I would have to mail it back first or they would send a replacement Arc-P/tube/body with a return envelope?
It really seems like a great light though, and it took me forever searching for it on the web.
I was trying to figure out the name of it after seeing it years ago on the web.
Any advice or thoughts would be great. Thanks.
Here are some pics of the flaw to the right of the "Arc-P" engraving:

Copied Replies:

MacTech08-11-2007 08:32 PM
Re: Hello and help...

I recieved my first Arc AAA-P yesterday, and it has a similar ano flaw, but it doesn't bother me, it's cosmetic only, does not affect functionality at all, and since my AAA-P is a user light, not a shelf-queen, it's no biggie

MDC08-11-2007 09:17 PMRe: Hello and help...

Thanks MacTech for the reply.
I know nothings perfect and that there must be tolerances for such "flaws".
Since this will be on my keys and all I'm sure it will get banged around enough, eventhough what I have read it's tough as nails. This light should last quite a while compared to what I have been using. Resting a bit better now.
Thanks again.

BT13243508-11-2007 11:53 PMRe: Hello and help...

Maybe it's just because of the pictures, but that looks like a pretty big ding to me. I'd send it back. That's pretty crazy that you found the Arc AAA after so many years. Seems like great things always get stumbled onto.

karlthev08-12-2007 04:05 AMRe: Hello and help...

For a "new" light that doesn't quite cut in IMHO. Looks as though it was dropped without the head on it. I believe a new one is in order.


Karl

Isak Hawk08-12-2007 04:37 AMRe: Hello and help...

Yeah, that doesn't look like just an ano flaw. It will pick up a few small dings throughout it's life, but it shouldn't come with a big one from the factory IMO. If you send it back I'm sure they will replace it

Gransee08-12-2007 07:11 AMRe: Hello and help...

Of course we will replace it. The satisfaction guarantee is for any reason.


--

That dent is caused in the CNC lathe when the part is completed and drops from the collet. Sometimes it hits the inside of the machine before it falls into the parts catcher. They also hit each other in the parts catcher. We slow the RPMs right before the drop and we have magnets holding rubber sheets to the sides of the walls but the vibration of the machines causes the sheets to slip over time. Occasionally, a unit gets dented. I am suprised to think we are the only people who have ever had a part dented in a CNC lathe before. There is a similiar dent on the heads that sometimes occurs as well (which btw occurs on a thick section of metal which indicates that adding more metal to the battery compartment lip wouldn't elimenate the mark).

In our QC, I do allow for small dents or tooling marks. This used to be a solid rod of aluminum and it was forcefully formed at high speed. There are going to be some subtle indicators of this. One of the most difficult aspects of QC is drawing the line on what gets pulled. Its not about how good your eyes are. After a hour or so, anyone with good eyes can reject 100% of the units for some sort of machining mark. A good QC person is able to differentiate between type of marks and make that decision. Sometimes it is close.

At the GTs, you guys routinely show me your lights or I ask to see them. I have looked at a lot of well used AAAs. I can tell you our machine quality has improved over the years. I am also impressed at the durability of HA. It wears but it usally wears on the sharp edges, which we already radius or break in machining to reduce this effect of wear, but there is still going to be some sort of edge. Dents usually wear less in the center of the dent and more on the edges.

Any rate, I am not convinced (based on observation over the years) that such a dent will cause the unit to wear more quickly or be less strong in any way. Since the top edge is parallel to the surrounding edge, o-ring operation should not be reduced significantly at the extreme off position.

It is my opinion that it is a cosmetic issue. Since you noticed it, you should return it for a unit without that mark (or significantly less of a mark). I say this because I want you to be so happy with the product that you have no trouble using it everyday.

please send it back to us.

I prefer to not have any blemishes of course. Or to have the blemishes be as small as possible. I want my product to look good, not just work well. If anyone has a suggestion on how to reduce the blemishes (beside recycling a lot of parts, which we do), I am interested. At the end of the day, we all pay for any variations in production.

Just read something about gashes on the underside of the shuttle (coincedence?).

peter

Oddjob08-12-2007 10:04 AMRe: Hello and help...

:thumbsup: Peter has always been good with customer service!

Peter, what are you doing browsing threads when you should be working on the new ARC. :nana:

roberttheiii08-21-2007 09:22 AMRe: Hello and help...

Wow Peter! Thanks for the great explanation. Now that its been brought up I have a similar mark on my light (I just opened it Sunday), but I never would have noticed it w/o seeing this thread. A mark like that is NOTHING compared the dings and scrapes I suspect I'll put on this light over its hopefully many years of service. Though I haven't gotten to use this light extensively yet, everything I read leads be to believe its a real keeper. Thanks for the great products!

Robert