TWIST VS. CLICK

Just curious if I am alone in my preference. Does anyone else not like twist switches. I am amazed at how many lights are made by good quality manufacturers with twist switches. I have never been a fan of this MiniMag style of switching. I am assuming that because there are so many more lights made this way, the majority of consumers prefer it. To me, there is no comparison: A click switch is far easier to use, and one never has to worry about a light coming apart because it's already threaded halfway out when off. Where is the logic in this type of switch, other than cheaper to make. From a design standpoint, it boggles me as to how it makes sense for a portion of the light that holds the batteries in place requires one to unscrew (halfway remove) it to turn the light off. So now you are carrying a loosened flashlight in hopes that it will not come apart in whatever you are carrying it in. Someone please enlighten me. I realize that some lights use the reverse mechanism (loosening to turn on), which seems better to me, because your light is off far more than it is on, and when it is on you are obviously using it, so it's not likely to fall apart in your hand as opposed to a backpack, etc. I know this is all trivial, but I am just curious. What am I missing?

NOTHING ! I hate twist switches.

I've dumped all mine.

Except my Infinity Ultras, and Arc AAAs, and I don't like the switch in this case.

Well, with a twistie light, there's less moving parts to worry about a breakdown. Also, sometimes clickies compromise the waterproof-ness of a light as well. Most of the twisties do not require you to loosen the bezel almost halfway, I think generally about 1.5 to 2 turns of the bezel should do it.

Having said that I am a fan of both clickies and twisties, it just depends on what you need the light for. Specific lights for specific purposes, and there are times where you must absolutely have a light with as little chances of breakdown as possible, hence no clickie, less worry... otherwise for the convenience, yes I love clickies!

My RM0.02... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

what Stanley said.
just think of the Arc LS series ... a marvel with the twisty ... small, candle mode, reliable, beautiful ... and FUGLY with the TSP-123, turns on in pocket, significantly bigger, less smooth in pocket etc.
so ... depends on the light /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif !
bernhard

For the small lights like the AAA, twistie is ambidextrious(sp?) and single handed. Works quite well for me. Twist doesn't happen very often in the pocket by accident.

Larry

Welcome to here jbrett14 and hope you stick around. I, too, have always disliked twist-on switches except for Arc's AAA which I can turn on with one hand.

My favorite switch action is: partial push for momentary with a further push for stays on. A switch with that action plus having a lock out feature is better yet.

i luv the twisty on my FT3C.

i know i could drop this light without it turning off..

if a clicky isn't protected then it can be turned off and on inadvertantly.

however, it doesn't make much of a difference to me, for my use. (hiking/camping)

In the case of the Arc AAA, I love the simplicity of the twisty. Fewer parts equals less chance for failure. It's my EDC so I want something rugged and dependable. I also frequently use an old Arc LS with a twisty pack, and an Arc AA. There is enough resistance in the threads of these lights that I'm confident that they will not turn on in my pocket, which is more than I can say about my Arc 4 with a clickie.

The failures and sometimes excessive resistance (electrical not mechanical) of the Kroll switch, which is used on the Arc LS and on many minimag mods has been discussed here in detail.

Never had a twisty come apart, but I have had minimags(which loosen to turn on) running badboys turn themselves on in my pack and drain the batteries.

I am with Kiessling on this one,
Depends on the light and what I use it for. Twisty switches are light and very small, great for Arc AA/AAA series and other small lights. The wonderful things about the small Arcs is the twisty switch requires no maintenance, no length added to the flashlight.
For my larger modded Mags and Anglelux, I prefer barrel switches. Tailswitches are fine as long as the upkeep is minimal.

It does depend on the light. I just made a couple of lights and chose to use mini m@g tail caps as twistie switches. I wanted these to be pocket lights and as such, clickies posed a couple of problems.

If I went with a clickie, then you run the risk of it accidentally turning on in your pocket. Not to mention that you can't stand it on end for a candle mode.

With the twistie you can have an overall shorter light and have the capability to stand it on end. Of course you could have a shrouded clickie to stand on end, but then this add bulk.

These are a couple of lights that I built. In the center is a modded KL4 on an E1e body with a Z57 clickie.




Sorry that the second pic was so blurry, but you get the idea.

Twistie switches do have their uses. On the above lights, I think that the clickie may even have been somewhat of a PITA because the lights are so small.

BTW, both of the above lights have BB500 converters driving TWOK luxes with a turned down PR. Both outperform the modded KL4 on the E1e body and come close to the KL4 on an E2e body.

The way I see it, for the most part, twist switches are much cheaper to make and much simpler. Fewer moving parts to go bad (how many have had problems with the Kroll?) means a light that will last and function a lot longer. Twisty switches are also more compact. That's the reason I carry my ARC LSH-P with a twisty instead of the Kroll tailswitch, its much smaller. I've got many flashlights with twistys from various manufacturers (ARC, Mag, Lightwave, CMG, UK, and the momentary push or twist for on of the SF and SL lights), and on none of them do I have to twist the head/tail half way off to turn the light off. I think the worst of them is 20-25% of the way loose, which is still a good margin for error. I've never had the head or tail come off of a "twisty-switch" light while carrying it in any fashion. I'm not really fond of the twisty switches, but in many cases, I find that they are necessarily evils. I'd never give up my ARA AAA'a or LSH because I dislike the twisty switch.

-Keith

Keith,

That movie still cracks me up.

Click gets my vote. If they're made stiff enough or have a guard of some type, accidental turn-on isn't really a problem imho. Twisties do seem appropriate on the the smaller arcs.

Nice lights Chop /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif.I like both switch formats.It just depends on what mood I'm in.

Everyone has their preference. I strongly prefer the momentary on/off switch located at the end of the flashlight.

Maybe this preference started when bought my first 6P well over ten years ago (geez maybe closer to 15 yrs?) The cheapest 123 cells could be had for $3.70 and I was very happy that as soon as I let go of the power switch, I stopped spending money. When I bought my SF M6 and it was costing $20 for 20 minutes of light. I was very happy that I didn't have to think about turning the light off when it wasn't needed, just let go of that button!

But there are other issues as well. Tactical lights need to flashed on/off quickly and silently. The positioning of the hand also dictates the switch be placed on the end of the light, for eaze of locating the switch. You don't want to be rotating a tactical light in your hand to find the on/off switch. For the average Joe this is no big deal, for others this is critical.

I'm glad Streamlight has brought out the Twin-task series of lights. I always recommend them to newbies. Many newbies are more familiar with a Maglite than anything else, the location and type of switch are comfortable to them and it seems to make more sense. As a new flashaholic learns more they begin to understand why somethings are done "that way".

GregR

i think LOTCs like those found on surefires and the pelican M6 lithium are best. mechanical simplicity and ease of use. i've found lights that require you to unscrew it to turn it come on far easier than lights which require you to tighten it. this is simply because in the case of a mini maglite, there's only one position to turn it off, whilst every other position turns it on. in the case of an arc AAA or arc LS, there's only one position to turn it on (fully tightened). every other position leaves the light off /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

My favorite switch, I'm afraid to say, is a button on the side of the light like the big Mags use. You're probably right about the tactical hazard of having to grope around for it, but I'm not concerned about using the light that way.

I'd like to see an Arc4 with a button switch up on the head, getting rid of the need for the mechanism of pushing the battery through the tube.

Not all twistie switches unscrew to turn on. Tektite and Princeton Tec are 2 companies that use the 'screw it down' to turn on method. If you are going to have a light that is submersible capable (not necessarily Dive), then you want something with less chance of malfunction in the switch area. In this, if it is a clickie, then it depends on the design and manufacture of the switch.

Twisties and clickies both have good and bad points.

Just want to thank all of you who shared their thoughts. It's nice to know that I am not missing anything. Based on the posts thus far, it is a 50/50 split in preference. I understand the simplicity of fewer moving parts and water-proof qualities of twist switches, a must for dive lights. But with the fact that you generally need both hands coupled with the thought that most light users rarely, if ever, use their light while submerged in water, I could not justify selecting a twist over a click. Of course this is assuming that the click is of high quality. My SL 4AA Poly, with switch, just rode in the back compartment of a snowmobile for a couple hundred mile ride in the hills of the U.P. (Michigan) without being accidentally activated. If it passes this test, I can't see any need to fear that a switch, at least on a SL, will be accidentally activated. You ought to see what happens to a sub-sandwich after a couple hundred miles while tucked neatly in the back compartment of a snowmobile. Just think of what a blender will do. Again, I appreciate the thorough posts.

It depends on how the flashlight is used. The clickie is handy when you are actually using it. But the switch is one more part to break, and usually makes the flashlight bigger and more susceptible to accidental turnon.

When I put a flashlight in the glovebox for emergencies, I find the twisties are more appropriate for all the above reasons.

Most people don't use a flashlight much. They want a dependable one to use when the AC power fails, or when their vehicle breaks down in the middle of the night. The relative ease of use of a clicky, when it's working, seems trivial to me.

I find it's at least as easy to turn on my ARC twisties with one hand as my SL pro poly. It seems to me if a clicky is easy to use, it's hard to turn on. If it's not susceptible to accidental turnon, it's hard to use. And in your two hundred mile ride, how many man-hours did you save by having a clicky? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Maybe my problem is I'm too old. I've had countless flashlights with bad switches over the years.

Where are all those twisties you see? I believe it's hard to get an ARC LS twisty anymore. And they stopped making the good Inova X5. The bleeping things now have a tail cap switch.

Keep it simple is my motto.