Reliability, which flashlight still performs the same...

The same as it did the first time you bought it?

Im asking because I've read or watched a lot of reviews on a lot of these flashlights straight out the box and the majority will say how durable and bright they (out the box/cover whatever) are etc.. How about long term? Ive read a lot of reviews on almost every flashlight from Olight Et, Fenix having issues a few months later, a yr or however long. Im aware that it's a machine, a tool and things will eventually break down. I'm more interested in long term reliability. I've owned a Ford Explorer that gave me problems, i've owned a Ford Escort that also gave me problems within 2 yrs, I've owned a Honda that lasted me 10 yrs without any big hiccup. Not saying that American made cars are aweful but it is what it is. I hope you understand what im talking about. So which one or two or three from your collection still performs well?

I'm really interested in getting a TK35, PD32, PD35, SF Fury. I love the throw of t he TK35 but i'm not too sure about 10 minute of use then it drops down to high mode, i have the same issue with the PD35. I just like how the tk35 looks. If only one on these flashlights company can make ONE flashlight that is a pocket size with a long throw (more than 200 meters), average spill, with a high output and will work like a Glock or Sig. If you know of a flashlight like this pls im all eyes and ears.

My long term purchases say over 5 years old are still working like the day i bought them except my Microstream,flickers a bit for a few times after months of non use but cures itself if i take it out for a few days use as my edc.

Long term lights to date are by Itp and Fenix.

ps I am well pleased with my PD35.

The only light I've kept religiously for the last few years has been my old Surefire 6P with a Malkoff M61 drop in. They are both working flawlessly. I had a Fenix LD20 for about 3 years, and it failed on me. The warranty was only 2 years, so I threw it away. I found out about a year later that it may have been due to internals loosening in the tailcap, but I found out after I had already tossed it.

Between those you suggest, I'd recommend the Fury. I've owned one for a couple of years and it's great - always works.

All my Fenix lights still work like new, as do all my Quarks. Any flashlight can have issues regardless of brand or cost. One member posted about a shipment of Surefires that had a massive amount of switch failures.

I bought one of the 'best' flashlights made and it died the first day. It was fixed under warranty. About 18 months later the switch died, and it was supposed to be the most reliable switch built. It also was fixed under warranty, but it simply shows that even the very best quality gear can fail.

I had a Sunwayman V10R in tan break down on me right at the 'year mark,' last May. BatteryJunction took care of me and sent it back to China for repairs, but it couldn't be fixed and there were no other ones to send me. BJ ended up sending me a new V11R, which didn't cost me a dime.

The light stopped working on primary CR123As and would only fire up using Li-Ions. Also, the magnetic ring started getting an 'output hitch' at about 70% output, where it would just step up to 'full power' instead of gradually getting there.

I just picked up a M11R in tan from BJ, for ~$45 shipped during the TG sale w/e, so that should be here today/tomorrow.

Chris

All of the lights in my signature are working like new as of today. Some have been dropped, some see light use.

A friend gave me this light about 10 years ago. I purposely keep it as an incan. The bulbs do die from time to time, but the light (running primaries) still works great. This is a backup light that I keep by the garage door. It isn't an EDC, but it does get used quite often by both myself and my wife.



The knife is only about 3 years old
~D

**edit - smaller photo

streamlight stinger. Going on 16 years i think. Still works, use it everyday at work.
Streamlight strion led been using everyday for a year or so.

Armytek Predator is pretty indestructible, I have had no problems with it or any of my Foursevens lights.

the oldest flashlight i own is a fenix l1t. still works and looks as out of the box. lights that failed pretty soon were from: olight, dereelight, tank007, eagletac, ultrafire and niteye. no problems so far with surefire, malkoff, armytek, nitecore, zebralight, LRI and 47s

All of my SureFires.

Honestly wish I could say the same about all of my other lights, from other brands.

I will say that my little Fenix L0D rebel 80 has be truly fantastic as well.

Most of my lights perform the same, there has been a few failures though.

Surefire L4 - Lux V died after a lot of use - i think it may have overheated, because when i pulled the head apart, the screws holding the Heatsink into the head were loose. it has been ReLEDed and is working again (this light did cop a lot of use though, between 1 and 4 hours use a week, for a few years, as an EDC, it was dropped a bit too)

Wife's Novatac EDC 120P - flickers, turns on and off randomly, then just died completely - and Novatac wont answer their emails (my 120P is still working fine though, although mine was an early one, and hers was made much later, shortly before the company kinda disappeared)

various Cheapies - flickering and all sorts of contact issues (including every LED Lenser i have bought - dodgy switches or poorly machined bodies, with threads that strip easily)

my Gen2 Maxabeam - i broke the return wire clip, and it cant be soldered, as it would get too hot - the part i need is about $5 from Peakbeam, but i havent got round to ordering it - this one is completely my fault, the light itself is incredible.

Pelican M11 - lost the charger, and the battery has died.

Streamlight Stinger XT - tailswitch died, it wont turn off

Pila GL3XR - button tops on the cells compacted and no longer make contact (the LA spring isnt long enough)

Essentially, ALL of them...but some better than when I got them because they receive some improvements, etc.

I don't count experimental lights (Junk sorting hoping to find a "treasure", etc...), but the stuff I expect to last, lasts.

Some Surefires had to go back and forth, one zebralight got factory repaired once, I almost had a TM11 go out for repair but I fixed it myself....and, really, that's about it.

None of the lights lost performance over time, they either worked or didn't when I got them, and, stayed that way or got fixed so they worked.

Wait, an Inova X5 died after about 15 years IIRC, but they sent me a new one when I sent it in for repairs (life time warranty).

OK< that's it.

ive encountered failures, or problems with olights, itp, jetbeam, fourseven, fenix all within a year of having them. for the last few years ive been using mostly surefire lights, and have not encountered any problems so far.
I had a new LX2 that arrived with a faulty tailcap, which was exchanged. at a different time, picked up a used L1 which also had a faulty tailcap. i called surefire, and a new tailcap arrived 2 days later. so surefires are not failproof. but with regards of longevity, surefires and malkoffs i feel are best.
surefires and malkoffs are designed, built, and tested to last, backed by a lifetime warranty. but the biggest reason i feel this way, is because of the available optional and after-market parts and components. i have voided the warranty of most my surefires by modifying them, but im not worried if something goes wrong, because repairing, or replacing parts is easy. i can easily obtain almost everything from lens, switches, heads, etcs...

cars have a high possibility of something going wrong because theyre very complicated machines and goes through harsh routines. similar can also be said for lights, the simpler the light, the less that can go wrong with it. replacement parts for cars are necessary, nobody would buy or drive a car if there wasnt parts available for it. ive had to trash lights because of 1 failed part that i couldnt replace.
another reason for my preference of surefires and malkoffs is the resell value, if you get them at a good price to begin with. surefires and malkoffs and some other brands such as HDS, depreciate less over time, of course condition is also factored.

My oldest is an Everready 2 D incan which is 50 years old and still works fine. Next are some Maglites dating back aboout 20 years and a Brinkman 2xAA which is 24 years old and all work fine. My LED lights are all fairly new so it's too early to tell.

My most used, most reliable light - oddly enough - is a Coast LED Lenser V2. I've never used it for EDC, but this is my nightstand/around the house light and has been used almost every day since 2007 - only days it hasn't been used are those when I am traveling out of town.

I currently have over 30 lights in my collection, and others I've bought/sold/traded in the past, and for the most part I have had very few problems, except of course with the 'cheap Chinese budget lights' but even several of them have been quite good. I have an Aurora 3xCR123A single mode 'budget light', for example, that has always worked great - had it out in the yard using it just the other night.

The only real problem with a non-budget light that I remember having was with an Xtar TZ-50. It was past the 18-month warranty period when I went back to Xtar with it - although it had seen very little use and was almost certainly defective from day one - and they wouldn't offer service or replacement parts. I contacted the dealer and the U.S. distributor. The U.S. distributor referred me to the home office (I believe in Hong Kong). They corresponded with me via email but would offer no assistance with the light, even though I offered to pay for replacement parts. I finally fixed it myself - except that it doesn't work with the 2x18650 extension tube.

Flashaholics can be a tough group to judge reliability from.... we tend have so many lights, how much use can each one get?

I have (had) stuff from Foursevens, Eagletac, Thrunite, L10, Inova, Zebralight, Olight, Sunwayman, and Malkoff (in quantity order). I've only ever had an Inova fail on me but I have had a few out-of-box issues that warranted immediate return and/or replacement - a DOA Foursevens and faulty Olight and Malkoff. I buy, use, gift and recommend Foursevens lights by a huge margin though. Yeah, I'm a fanboy and their lights most closely match my priorities. Also, with their great warranty and US-based HQ & CS, I'm most comfortable gifting and recommending them to friends and family. I like keeping tabs on these lights too... as non flashaholics, these tend to be the best/only light they have and some actually see heavy use - haven't had seen one come back yet.

All that said, I actually wouldn't mind one failing on me here or there, as long as I don't have to deal with the cost/hassles/time of shipping back to China for repair - it would finally justify why I've been EDCing a back-up light or two for years without ever using one for its intended purpose.

I know that anything can fail - and sooner or later, everything fails. 2 = 1 and 1 = 0, I get it.

Still, I hope you are joking! Just because we NEED backups doesn't mean we should be OKAY with failure or see failure as a means to justify our backups...?!?

reppans said:

All that said, I actually wouldn't mind one failing on me here or there, as long as I don't have to deal with the cost/hassles/time of shipping back to China for repair - it would finally justify why I've been EDCing a back-up light or two for years without ever using one for its intended purpose.

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rje58 said:

I know that anything can fail - and sooner or later, everything fails. 2 = 1 and 1 = 0, I get it.

Still, I hope you are joking! Just because we NEED backups doesn't mean we should be OKAY with failure or see failure as a means to justify our backups...?!?

Click to expand...

I guess that's why I say "wouldn't mind," as opposed to "want." I really do feel silly EDCing stuff that never sees any use, and push come to shove, for day-to-day life, I could always use my cellphone for light, and (except for camping) really don't ever critically need light. Heck, for 90+% of my life, before getting into this hobby, I never EDC'd a flashlight and never really saw a need to. I also strongly believe that clickies, as the most significant moving part and wear item, will be the first point of failure on most lights, but I know how to easily by-pass them (mechanical ones) turning them into simple twisties.

But in the end, you are right... if my primary failed, it would really burst my bubble with what is my favorite light.

My incandescent Maglights all lasted for many years, in some cases almost 20 years. The vast majority were lost to either 1) inability to find replacement bulbs, or 2) alkaline batteries leaking.

Most of my Surefires have lasted a long time, although both of the original L4's I purchased when they first came out have had the tail switches replaced, and one had to go back to Surefire on two different occasions when it quit working. After the second time, it worked fine for many years, and is currently my car light. My E2DL continued working despite two drops onto concrete from 5 feet, resulting in a broken lens. My EB1T was my only bad experience from Surefire - it worked exactly as designed from the factory, which unfortunately is not exactly how it is advertised to work.

My Streamlight Stinger worked quite well for many years, and never even needed a bulb replacement. However, the lens did become cloudy after a few years. My Streamlight Batonlight developed some switch issues fairly soon after purchase.

I purchased a pair of Inova X5 lights at least 10 years ago. Although the output and throw of these lights is pathetic as compared to any single LED light with a properly designed reflector and/or optics, their reliability/durability is excellent. I still find uses for these lights.

I just recently moved away from Surefire into other brands, so I cannot speak to long term reliability. I will say, however, that my FourSevens Mini MLR2 has been dropped onto hard surfaces numerous times from a height of about 3 feet with no issues.