Fenix opinion on lube

I watched the fenix maintenance video and wondered what lube they used so emailed them and this is what they said:

The lube is just the ordinary silicon lubrication, or you also can choose Vaseline for use.

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"ordinary silicon lubrication" ok fair enough, but Vaseline! I`ve read on CPF it shuoldn`t be used because it "could" degrage the o-ring, so that was a bit supprising but I guess if their recomending it then it should be fine.

If you look in their video they don`t lube the threads, just the o-ring. Find that a bit strange. The threads were lubed when it was new and when I cleaned them I tried it without lube and it definatly needs some.

ATM I`m using something called "Tri-Flow grease with teflon" it works but isn`t as free as it could be I think.

Despite the controversy (not sure what it`s all about and don`t really care) I`m thinking af giving nanolube a go. Maybe I`ll try some vaseline in the mean time.

Don't use Vaseline because it'll migrate/drip everywhere when it gets hot. You'll get many different recommendations on what lube to use, the most popular options are probably Nyogel and Sandwich Shoppe Krytox 50/50. I use the Krytox on my Fenix lights; it works remarkably well, better than the stock lube Fenix uses.

I'm sure if Fennix says vasoline is OK, its OK on thier lights. However; Surefire's instructions very explicitly say "DO NOT use petroleum based lubricants.." It would be too complex for me to try and maintain several different lubes for each brand of light I owned, so I just use a silicone based lube for all brands.

95% of the time vaseline is just fine, but most companies don't want to have anything to deal with the 5% of times where common sense is not used. Vaseline has no ill affects on silicon o-ring, and most "natural rubber" o-rings used today can also be used with it with no ill effects because they use a modified formula compatible with petroleum products. Years ago when real natural rubber o-rings were common, vaseline (or any petroleum lube product) could over long periods of time degrade the rubber.

It does have a lot of downsides compared to a good silicon lube (it can migrate when warm, it can be sticky when cold, and can collect dust over time if not maintained), but the general idea is to have something on your o-rings and threads, and it's better than using nothing (which is what most people out there use)

As for that 5%, that's imply not acceptable to the "elitist of perfection" common on a technical board such as CPF.

Is the purpose of having the o'rings more for making the light water proof or to provide some resistance so the parts won't unscrew easily? :sick2: ... sorry, just a little off topic.

roymail said:

Is the purpose of having the o'rings more for making the light water proof or to provide some resistance so the parts won't unscrew easily? :sick2: ... sorry, just a little off topic.

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Both, equally for the most part.

vaseline`s useable then but far from ideal. I agree anything is better than nothing, don`t want the threads turning into sand paper.

tbo even with the slickest of lubes there`s going to be enough resistance so lights don`t unscrew themselves. Then again I`ve not tried any of the recommended lubes yet so I could be wrong.

A few threads that should help you out:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/207116
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/207056

I tried the plumber's silicone but I think it might be too thick. I tried silicone spray but that seems too thin and needs frequent application. :ironic:

I might try the auto stuff, and see what the viscosity is like. Unless someone else can chime in...

Recently i've been using fully synthetic engine oil on the o rings and the threads.

I'm finding it stays on much longer than silicone lube and is much smoother when operating the head to change modes on my L2D.

I need to use the stuff long term to see if there is any degredation of the o rings but at the moment after a couple of weeks there is no swelling or damage to them.

The downside is that it is toxic(and it smells a bit when the light is opened) but with a little care i don't get any on my hands when changing batteries. It does not move once in place either so there is no danger of it getting on the exterior of the light.

At the moment it is the most effective lube i have found for the job.

Well I ordered some nanolube already.

Thanks for the links, I`ll let you know what I make of it.

EDIT: I`ll give the engine oil a go to if I can find any.

Thanks