3 reasons you prefer a clicky/twisty over a clicky/twisty?

im about to order an RA,

i cant decide on clicky or twisty

gimme 3 reasons you prefer one over the other please :huh:

1.
2.
3.

One isn't really better than the other it just depends on what you need it for. If you are carrying this on a keychain or in your pocket with other things a twisty may be better as its harder to activate. Twisty's also generally are more durable as they have less moving parts to break. Clicky's are easier to activate and in general use.

Think about how you're going to carry it, and then decide.

..you've been here 2 years(!) and you don't know whether or not you prefer a twisty OR a clicky???

Heh heh.. Two years! I prefer a twisty for a must have never fail light as there is nothing much to go wrong. Clicky for anything else. I have several twisy's & several clicky's. So far not one has failed! But, I do love the twisty for its reliability.

1. click
2. click
3. click

:nana:

Armed_Forces said:

..you've been here 2 years(!) and you don't know whether or not you prefer a twisty OR a clicky???

Click to expand...

Sometimes we need a little nudge (one way or another) from our brothers..... twisty baby twisty!

Both interfaces are open/close but I can't shake the feeling that the twisty interface will outlast the clicky.

Sorry, I don't have two more reasons....I'd be happy with either one.


disclaimer: I'm still a noob....my opinion means nothing. :shakehead

1. twistys are usually shorter than clickys
2. more durable
3. more water proof (one less plasce for water to sneak in)

Clicky. Much easier to operate.
Click - on.
Click - off.
That's it.

jorn said:

1. twistys are usually shorter than clickys
2. more durable
3. more water proof (one less plasce for water to sneak in)

Click to expand...

+1

4. Twisty often less likely to turn on accidentally in pack, pocket, ...

1. A clicky switch acts as a clicky and/or twisty, as you want (provided it has lockout). Simply turn it on, and lock it out and you have a twisty!
2. With a lock-outable switch, the point of being activated acidentally while in a backpack is not valid.
3. Easier to activate with one hand (in most cases)

Originally Posted by jorn
2. more durable



They are probably not more durable(at least I think)... On most high-end lights, the internal components of the tailcap are very durable, with nothing to wear out, whereas with a twisty, the metal constantly "damages" the rubber as you twist it back and forth. But even if twistys are more durable, that's probably once you click the clicky millions of times (the LED would probably die before that)

On a completely irrelevant note, "clicky's" uses incorrect punctuation. That translates to "Clicky is" If you want to state a plural, no apostrophe please!

"They are probably not more durable"
Search here and look for broken twistys, then try a search for a broken switch (clicky). You will soon find out whats more reliable.

2. With a lock-outable switch, the point of being activated acidentally while in a backpack is not valid.
3. Easier to activate with one hand (in most cases)

Its easyer to just twist, than twist out the lockout, then push a button.

Twisty

Simpler UI
Shorter
Tailstanding

Brasso said:

Twisty

Simpler UI
Shorter
Tailstanding

Click to expand...

+1

And quieter......useful for not waking up the wife. :tired: In a dark bedroom, the "click" of a clicky sounds like a gunshot!! :laughing:

Umm.. an HDS clicky is really not loud at all. I've got both and prefer the clicky for EDC. Main reason, is I prefer an overhand grip which puts my thumb on the button. When I go out at night to check the horses, I frequently use a low mode with burst to see further away. Doing this with a twisty is a pain if I have a bucket or fork in my other hand. Your uses and preferences will be different, but those are mine. In short

1. easy on/off in overhand grip
2. easy toggling between levels with one hand
3. momentary on and burst

Well if we are talking Ra Twisty vs. Ra Clicky here, above UI there is another huge difference:

Output.

The Clicky will take you to 170 lumens with a narrow beam that throws (the 140 lumen Clicky can be had in either narrow or wide).

With a Twisty, you will only get a high of 120 lumens with just a wider beam option.

I had a Twisty and sold it for a Clicky mainly bc of the higher output, but also I felt that a clicky is more conducive to edc as it's very quick to turn on and adjust levels...

If funds permit, why not buy both and just sell whichever you don't like? Maybe you'll take a small hit, MAYBE, but at least you'll have the satisfaction of trying both...

garden said:

They are probably not more durable(at least I think)... On most high-end lights, the internal components of the tailcap are very durable, with nothing to wear out, whereas with a twisty, the metal constantly "damages" the rubber as you twist it back and forth. But even if twistys are more durable, that's probably once you click the clicky millions of times (the LED would probably die before that)

Click to expand...

This statement is wrong on several accounts.

1- Clickys have several wear points internally, than can and do wear out or seize and fail to operate.
McClicky:


Surefire Z-41:


2- Provided the owner practices routine maintenance on gaskets and O-rings, they do not wear out. Lubrication is a must for gaskets and O-rings. Running them dry will wear them out prematurely.

3- There are significantly more reports of clicky failure on CPF. Both with high end as well as low end lights.

**EDIT** It has been pointed out that these lights do not use mechanical click switches, and thus do not have the physical complexity normally associated with forward and rev click switches.

kramer5150 said:

McClicky:
(monstrous image deleted, wasted electrons recycled)

Click to expand...

Kramer, you need to either post smaller photos, or buy me a bigger monitor!

kramer5150 said:

This statement is wrong on several accounts.

1- Clickys have several wear points internally, than can and do wear out or seize and fail to operate.

Click to expand...

I'll counter that with pics of my HDS clicky.




As far as water resistance goes, my clicky and twisty survived just over 8 hours at 6 feet in a salt water pool concluded with vigorous shaking at about 4 feet without any ingress of water (determined by weight).

Looks like an electronic switch... definitely fewer wear parts than a mechanical click switch.

derangboy said:

Click to expand...

is that an RA light, the current retail version?

is it just 2 seperated metal contacts and when they are made to touch (by pushing the clicky) the connection is made, and the programming moves the light engine thru its modes, all housed in a waterproof housing ?

if it is, that seems like a much better design then the typical clicky with multiple moving parts.