How Durable are Surefire LEDs?

A long time ago, I dropped a Surefire G2 (incandescent P60) and it stopped working. I replaced the bulb and it was fine.

I have a C2 with a P60L 80 lumen LED lamp or bulb or I'mnotsurewhatyoucallit. How durable are these things? Are they any less durable than the sealed head LX2 or E2L or any of the newer LED Surefires?

When something goes wrong, and a new Surefire LED light ceases to work, what is usually the problem (other than batteries :laughing: )?

The LEDs area LOT more durable than the incans....as there's no bulb to break.

IE: If something were to go wrong on the LED light, it would typically be something other than the LED...most likely whatever would go wrong on the incan OTHER than the bulb.

As the bulbs were the thing that were LEAST reliable, the LEDS take that problem out of the equation, so that with the LED versions....you have a brighter, longer running version of the incan light...that will not break a bulb.

Haven't heard of anyone with a broken surefire yet. I'm sure someone out there has a story, but I don't think it's very common. So far I've seen threads for dead olites, zebralights, and ultrafires, but not much beyond that. LED lights in general seem pretty durable.

WilsonCQB1911 said:

Haven't heard of anyone with a broken surefire yet. I'm sure someone out there has a story, but I don't think it's very common. So far I've seen threads for dead olites, zebralights, and ultrafires, but not much beyond that. LED lights in general seem pretty durable.

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Oh, there's PLENTY of dead SF's, one of my buddies has sent back a total of ~ 4 times all by himself. Its just not the LEDS that die, there's switches, lenses, etc....just like for the incans.

The lifetime warranty on the SF is the difference...you can return the same light forever if need be, according to the warranty. In real life, some people have been refused for whatever reasons, but the vast majority seem to get the lights serviced indefinitely.

TEEJ said:

Oh, there's PLENTY of dead SF's, one of my buddies has sent back a total of ~ 4 times all by himself. Its just not the LEDS that die, there's switches, lenses, etc....just like for the incans.

The lifetime warranty on the SF is the difference...you can return the same light forever if need be, according to the warranty. In real life, some people have been refused for whatever reasons, but the vast majority seem to get the lights serviced indefinitely.

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Switches I understand. But you are saying that LEDs died? How did the lenses die? Seems like that would be from abuse.

Can you give specific examples? Plenty makes it sound like a large majority die but maybe that word was tossed out too casually? I'm not defending surefire specifically. I would ask the same if it were any brand.

So there are lots of people out there with 5+ year old P60L lights that are still running strong?

You can see here what my G2L survived.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/327510

No, the opposite, I'm saying the same stuff that killed the incan versions could still die, but the LED is now out of the equation, as THOSE are more durable.



"Abuse" is a funny word in the context some of us USE the lights.

If you jump over a wall and the lens hits a rock and breaks, is that "abuse"?

If you accidentally drop the light and the lens breaks, is that "Abuse"?

These lights are INTENDED for a a military and LEO market...its their claim to fame if you will.

I can THROW a Klarus XT11 at a wall, and it won't break....and, I can count on SF the same way. Is it POSSIBLE for any light to get a broken lens in hard use, or even an accidental drop that lands just wrong...? Sure, Sheet happens. If that happens to the Klarus 5 years from know, I'd have to buy a new lens or light, etc. If it happens to the SF 5 years from now, they are supposed to just fix it/give me a new one for free, etc.

Thanks for the responses.

nbp said:

You can see here what my G2L survived.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/327510

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Where in Wisc are you? I'm pretty sure I know that tower!

MatthewSB said:

Thanks for the responses.



Where in Wisc are you? I'm pretty sure I know that tower!

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That was at Pike Lake.

nbp said:

That was at Pike Lake.

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I've not been to that one, but there's a few just like it a few miles South.

Leds are pretty much impervious to shock, the issue is in construction. A well constructed LED dropin has all its electronics potted in an epoxy or other resin to make the driver board impervious to any reasonable level of shock. A poorly constructed LED dropin when abused might have a component fall off due to a combination of inadequate soldering and no potting material. The Surefire P60L's shouldn't have an issue with physical shock, they do however have issues with thermal management, P60l's are supposed to have a circuit that reduces output to prevent overheating but given the number of them that seem to dim over the years it's not working as well as it needs to. On that note I haven't heard too many complaints of the chinese dropins with no thermal management and similar construction having issues like that, so perhaps it's thermal overload circuit that's the problem.