Which one of two lights to purchase?

I am considering the purchase of either light. I believe both of them have approximately the same output & runtime.
1. Fenix L1T V2.0 RB80
2. LumaPower LM31

My criteria is as follows;
1. Waterproof to 10 ft.
2. Reasonably rugged & shockproof
3. I will be using a primary AA lithium battery exclusively. Which one has the better heat sink?
4. Are the battery contacts on one light better than the other? Which is easier to clean?
5. Which one of the two has the longer warranty service within the U.S.?
6. My preference is a "twisty" switch but will accept another.

Any comments, criticism etc. will be appreciated. Thanks.

Well first off I'm sure your going to see "Buy Both" pop up a few times.

But away we go........

1. Waterproof to 10 ft. "Not sure I would trust either light for ten feet".
2. Reasonably rugged & shockproof. "So, So, There Ok".
3. I will be using a primary AA lithium battery exclusively. Which one has the better heat sink? "I sir, do not know the answer to that". Sorry!
4. Are the battery contacts on one light better than the other? Which is easier to clean? "I had problems with my Fenix, but nothing major, very easy to clean".
5. Which one of the two has the longer warranty service within the U.S.? "I'm unsure about that one".

All of the above are just my personal opinion so don't take it to heart. Also, if you don't mind could you tell us what you are going to use either light for?

:shrug:

If you are going swimming or snorkelling with it, which I assume is what you intend to do if it has to be waterproof to 10 feet, neither of these will do. They aren't designed for it. Sooner or later, they would flood and that would be the end of them. You need a proper dive-rated light.

Now I suppose there will be a whole lot of posts from people along the lines of "well, I went swimming with my [insert name of non-dive light] and it was fine, you should get one of those," but the simple answer to that is "Yes, you'll be lucky 49 times out of 50, and then the 50th time your light will flood and it will be ruined."

I have to agree with DM51 - if you're planning on using this light regularly under water (as opposed to the random splash or inadvertent dive into the pool with it in your pocket) you should really opt for a dive rated light. UK lights are a reliable choice, the 2AA eled for example.

I do not intend to go swimming or snorkling with either light, just want it to be reasonably waterproof if i accidentally drop it in a pool, etc. My main interest in a light is for general purpose use. I need comments from "actual" users/owners as opposed to random opinions. Thanks.

Spin said:

I need comments from "actual" users/owners as opposed to random opinions.

Click to expand...

You said the light needed to be waterproof to 10 feet. You were insufficiently specific about why this was necessary, so I made a perfectly reasonable assumption and warned against using either of these lights for swimming or snorkelling. I consider your calling my advice a "random opinion" to be rather rude.

Here we got, I will be fighting in the Fenix corner (being that I have had no exposure to the Lumapower.

Well, here goes, for the L1T V2.0:

1. Waterproof to IPX8 standard. I do not know the exact specification, but my Fenix P1D-CE IPX8 rated flashlight spent 15 minutes about 2 feet underwater while I search for a part that had fallen from my pump.

2. By the nature of design, LEDs are pretty shockproof. Also, the L1T V2.0 is so lightweight that its terminal velocity and kinetic energy when falling is not sufficient to cause damage in nearly every case.

3a. Fenix RECOMMENDS lithium primaries amongst the battery list.

3b. The perfectly flat runtime graphs suggest that thermal effects are well handled. If they were not, LED efficiency would drop with elevated temperatures which would cause a drop in the flatness.

4. Err contacts are easy to clean on my P1D-CE, so I expect similar ease with others.

5. Fenix has a LIFETIME international (including US warranty). However, this covers the labor costs of repairs. Shipping and cost of parts are not included, however, David at fenix-store has been know to waive these charges for you, even if you are not a fenix-store customer.

6. Well, it is not a true twisty, but this makes up part of the User Interface. You will appreciate the convenience of a rear-clickie if you have it holster-mounted.

Of course, wait until someone gives an opinion about the LumaPower before making a decision. My word is not guaranteed to be gospel.

Thank you MikeSalt for your input on the Fenix L1T V2.0. Much appreciated.
I sent an email to LumaPower concerning the LM31 & here is their response.

"You can clean the contact threads from bezel to tail-switch. The LED engine can be unscrew but never attemp to disassembly the engine. Reflector and lens can also be swap out, never try to clean the reflector's surface with any material.The surface can only be clean with a air blower. The LM is not design for under-water purpose. When all o-ring in good condition and well-lube, it is suppose to be splash resistance. We have spare part offer for LM, the lens cost USD5.
best regards,
Ricky - Lumapower CS"

I would like to mention that i have a Fenix L1S (purchased from the fenix store) that i did try in 6' underwater in a pool without any negative results.. Though the above as mentioned by "DM51" in a former post can drastically change after the 50th dunking.

I was going to get a LM301, but the L1Tv2 came along and has a momentary, click on, click off tailswitch that I prefer. The LM301 cycles Low, High, Off at the tailswitch; although you can use the twisty head as an alternate switch on the level of your choice. I think the fenix has a better electronics package, but it costs a little more. I'm using the newer low self discharge NiMH batteries and they're working great. I think either of those two lights would be more than adequate if I were "stuck" with one, but I got the Fenix. Oh, the Fenix also has more extra bodies (2xAA and 1xCR123) that you can swap out with the 1xAA body. You can get a reverse clicky tailswitch also if you want it. The Fenix uses the rebel 80 LED. It doesn't seem to get too warm in use. They run a little cooler than Crees, etc.

NA8 said:

You can get a reverse clicky tailswitch also if you want it.

Click to expand...

I forget where I read it, but I read that the L1D V2.0 is shipped with the 'forward' clickie installed, but also comes with a reverse clicky as a bonus! Don't quote me though.

MikeSalt said:

I forget where I read it, but I read that the L1D V2.0 is shipped with the 'forward' clickie installed, but also comes with a reverse clicky as a bonus! Don't quote me though.

Click to expand...

That was part of the introductory deal, but after 9/30 they don't include the additional reverse clicky anymore.

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=2068838&postcount=306

Nope...any one of those won't do it....Had one fenix before, very dodgy manufacturing. By all means they have excellent output and comes with a very competitive pricing. But waterproofness is another matter.