Flashlight Health

I am not sure if this ever got discuss before. How to keep your flashlight physically healthy? Is there few taboos that you should avoid to do so your flashlight can be healthy and situation ready. I am not sure if keep flashlight ON on high until the battery run out is gonna be shorten LED emitter's life or not. I do notice flashlight gets hot after long period of time, can I ignore it or it is at best practice to turn it off. These are flashlight design to be use and not baby them but how rough is too rough?

My Nuwaii Q3 is down to 50% of it's anodizing, my 'new' tank 007 AA has 80% and they still light as new. I say just use them. My SureFires and Solar Forces are just getting to that perfect broken in for use status.

I do know some lights can stand a spin in the wash but I'd try to avoid that. Up to that point all is good.

Never let it get so hot that it's uncomfortable to hold, and never let water/moisture get into the battery tube or reflector space. Keep the threads clean and the o-ring lubed and like new.

Follow these rules and you'll be able to pass your flashlight on to your grandkids if you'd like.

Generally on a well designed light you're not going to do much damage to them simply using them. It's abusing them where you'll see them break. That's obvious. Maybe another thing to watch out for is keep the threads lubricated to prevent long term wear and tear. If you're using alkaline batteries, simply switch out to lithium primaries like energizer AA lithiums or switch to nimh. Alkalines would be about the only taboo because they're prone to leak and that can ruin the light from the inside out.

qwertyydude said:

Generally on a well designed light you're not going to do much damage to them simply using them. It's abusing them where you'll see them break. That's obvious. Maybe another thing to watch out for is keep the threads lubricated to prevent long term wear and tear. If you're using alkaline batteries, simply switch out to lithium primaries like energizer AA lithiums or switch to nimh. Alkalines would be about the only taboo because they're prone to leak and that can ruin the light from the inside out.

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If not using a flashlight for a long time, it is best not to keep batteries in them?

wuyeah said:

If not using a flashlight for a long time, it is best not to keep batteries in them?

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You shouldn't store alkaline batteries in any light for a length of time. The other battery chemistries are fine to store in the light (once you have read and understood their safe usage).

Avoid crossthreading when changing batteries. When closing the light I usually screw the tailcap slightly in the "wrong" direction (like when opening the light) until I feel the point where the threading starts. Then I change directions and screw the tailcap close (got this tip from the Blackhawk Gladius description on how to change the batteries)

Cheers
Thorsten

Just to reinforce shane45_1911's post, do not leave alkaline batteries in lights for long periods, particularly lights subject to thermal cycling like in a car or truck. I've killed a number of lights this way. Many lights in glove boxes, tool boxes, and drawers just wait for a need to arise. These lights need Lithium cells, CR123 or Energizer L91 and L92. If you have a light and burn thru an alkaline in a week, it's probably not a problem but a rechargable NiMH might be a better choice with that much usage.

Just curious what you folks use for thread lube? Do you use silicone grease, good old standard grease, or something special?

Thanks 00Squat

00Squat said:

Just curious what you folks use for thread lube? Do you use silicone grease, good old standard grease, or something special?

Thanks 00Squat

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Comprehensive Grease and Lube Thread - Norm

I clean all the contacts with each battery change. Lube threads when needed. Use Eneloops only & never had any problems.