Have you ever NEEDED to replace your flashlight's O-ring?

You know how Fenix lights and may be other, too, come with spare rubber o-rings. Have you ever so much used a flashlight that you did need to replace this ring?

I'm wondering how much you have to use a flashlight for the o-ring to tear? Since they provide spares, this presupposes that those rings can wear out/tear/get damaged. It hasn't happened to me yet, though.

I have on a few lights

A Fenix L0P - a 1xAAA light with a very thin o ring that I managed to tear after changing the battery (it didn't squish under the head, popped out of its channel and was Cut as it was scissored between the head and sharp edge on the outside of the channel)

I also changed the o ring on my first "good" light a few years ago - the minimag was EDCed for years (long before I knew what EDC meant) and I renewed all the internals at the same time (new switch, reflector and lens)

I always tell me wife, "Don't get too angry. You look like you're gonna blow an o ring!"

I wore a preon 1 around my neck for nearly a year before the bottom O-ring leaked. Light was unharmed.

Yes to change them from EPDM to Viton because the EPDM was being eaten by the Nyogel I put on it.

I've replace the o-rings several old Surefire lights. I've never had a newer light need the o-rings, but I save them.... just in case!

i have received new lights with minor cuts in the o-ring probably during installation from the threads, and changed them out immediately.

i have plenty of spare o-rings for surefires, and have replaced some that looked a little stiff, or out of shape.

Except for o-rings that arrived with a knick I've never replaced one. And I use vaseline on the o-rings as well cause I'm too cheap to buy real lube.

Never had to change an O-ring, that said, the oldest light I own is a Fenix LD20 from 2010 (it has been gently abused though).

HotWire said:

...I save them.... just in case!

Click to expand...

Ditto... I've got more than I know what to do with, and made the mistake of putting all the small zip bags in a larger bag without labeling any of them

I had to change an o ring on one of my lights before, I'll be dang if I can't remember which one it was tho. I just know it was my fault because I stretched it doing something so it started getting pinched. I think it was an old MTE.

Lol, so I'm lucky so far for not having needed to do that...

AAAND yeah, I also keep them all in a big box, but I did label them, lol.

Had to replace one on my new Thrunite Archer 1A. The tail threads are built like that when you screw on the tailcape the o-ring gets pushed onto the sharp edges of the threads for the removable clip. So I destroy one o-ring there. Since then I'm only unscrewing only the head for battery exchange. That's the only o-ring I had to replace.

rayman