Destroyed EX10. A cautionary tale....

Taboot

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 17, 2006
Messages
429
Location
Connecticut
After recently nearly destroying my N30, I hoped that my bad luck was over. Not to be, as my wife recently ran my EX10 through the clothes dryer. It came apart nearly to the component level. The bezel unscrewed, the lens fell out, the reflector fell out, the "pill?" fell out, the washer fell off, the battery came out, the led fell off the "pill?" the wires detached and the spring popped out. Then the dryer smooshed the end threads.

I re-soldered the LED to the driver and tried powering it. Nothing.......

The threads are too beat up to even put the bezel back on.

It's totalled. :mecry:

The moral of the story: Beware evil, flashlight-battering clothes dryers and/or wives who don't check pockets.

On another note, if anyone needs any of the surviving pieces, PM me and I'll send them to you for the price of shipping.

Regards,

Mike
 

Vancouverite

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Joined
Apr 2, 2008
Messages
17
Was the head or tail not screwed on tight? I would have thought the light should have survived just fine.
 

artec540

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Joined
Jun 7, 2008
Messages
276
After recently nearly destroying my N30, I hoped that my bad luck was over. Not to be, as my wife recently ran my EX10 through the clothes dryer. It came apart nearly to the component level. The bezel unscrewed, the lens fell out, the reflector fell out, the "pill?" fell out, the washer fell off, the battery came out, the led fell off the "pill?" the wires detached and the spring popped out. Then the dryer smooshed the end threads.

I re-soldered the LED to the driver and tried powering it. Nothing.......

The threads are too beat up to even put the bezel back on.

It's totalled. :mecry:


The moral of the story: Beware evil, flashlight-battering clothes dryers and/or wives who don't check pockets.

On another note, if anyone needs any of the surviving pieces, PM me and I'll send them to you for the price of shipping.

Regards,

Mike

Very sorry to hear of your loss. I sympathize because I have an EX 10 that I'm very fond of and that lives in my pocket.

You must have a hell of a dryer, though!
 

TONY M

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
1,548
Location
Belfast, NI
Maybe you should invest in a new dryer!
A sad story and a sad passing of an EX10.
 

datiLED

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Joined
May 9, 2006
Messages
2,023
Location
Atlanta, GA
Wow... That must be one hot dryer. Kind of like a hot air rework station. :D

I would be interested to see the remains of the light. PM sent.
 

Patriot

Flashaholic
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Feb 13, 2007
Messages
11,254
Location
Arizona
That's a bummer. Sorry to hear that. I've been fortunate then since my LOD's have been through a full wash and dry cycle a hand full of times. :huh: doh!
 

Stainz

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 18, 2008
Messages
266
Location
Pinson, AL USA
I find that by putting the 'seat' down regularly, my pockets get emptied regularly - and she can chastise me for that in place of the 'seat up' scenario. Also, wear w&d shirts after wadding them up - even bum around the house shirts - she'll get to ironing them faster... even my 'holey' shirts!

Now, another trick - besides leaving a bunch of quarters in your pockets - ammo. Really get 'blasted', so to speak, for that one. Your new E2DL will be lovingly removed from your britches pocket prior to washing from then on. A .45 Colt - or .44 Magnum - round looks very intimidating. If you reload your ammo, make some dummy rounds up - with no primer or powder - and a jacketed bullet - just to be safe. Test this with cargo pants and a khaki shirt afterwards - lots of pockets to load up with flashlights.

Now a disclaimer... I am in my third marriage... consider that before taking my marital advise.

Sorry about the loss of your light! In all seriousness, I don't think any light would have made it through that treatment... a dryer is a harsh environment - without heat!

Stainz
 
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Taboot

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 17, 2006
Messages
429
Location
Connecticut
Wow... That must be one hot dryer. Kind of like a hot air rework station. :D

I would be interested to see the remains of the light. PM sent.

Did I mention that my dryer is a Panasonic Soft Beam Dryer (obscure joke)? j/k...

I'm pretty sure the repeated blunt-force trauma took the wiring apart, not the heat.

I'll find out what the shipping cost to you is tomorrow. Should be cheap.
 

kts

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
359
That's a bummer. Sorry to hear that. I've been fortunate then since my LOD's have been through a full wash and dry cycle a hand full of times. :huh: doh!

Lots of Fenix lights have been washed and dried, and survived, theyre just made to take a beating.:twothumbs
 

Fooboy

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 4, 2007
Messages
276
Before surefire's leave the factory they are machine washed and then tumble dried on "High" so I know I'm good.

:)
 

StarHalo

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Dec 4, 2007
Messages
10,927
Location
California Republic
+1 on Fenix washer/dryer survival, there's at least a dozen posts on here about L0Ds and P1Ds that are now thoroughly dryer-fresh and unscathed..

I'd wager a Surefire would survive just fine so long as water didn't get through the switch boot (the G2 would probably do fine), and as long as the bulb filament held up to the tumbling on the incan models.
 

dcbeane

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 19, 2007
Messages
126
I'll put one of my CMG Infinity Ultra's up against about any light out there:naughty: These things are very HARD.
(and if not they really didn't cost much either)
 
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Photon Joe

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Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
138
My surefire E-1 lumamax went through the washer 3 times without any problems.
The guy I sold it to is still using it.
It is a few years old now, but still working.
 
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BabyDoc

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Joined
Jan 29, 2008
Messages
1,245
Location
Beachwood, Ohio
The moral of the story: Beware evil, flashlight-battering clothes dryers and/or wives who don't check pockets.

Regards,

Mike


Hey, Mike, I really feel sorry for your loss. But, really, should you be blaming your wife? Who left the light in the pocket in the first place, eh? If your wife knew you were blaming her for not checking YOUR pockets, I'd bet the damage that dryer did to the light will be nothing compared to the battering she might be giving you! Be happy you have a wife that does your laundry at all. IMO, the moral of the story is check your own pockets and none of this would have happened.
 

GeneralTsao

Banned
Joined
Sep 11, 2008
Messages
41
Hey Taboot could you post some pictures of the light, i'm just curious about the state of the light, i've ran several of my lights through the drier and never had something as bad as you describe.
 
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