Durability

Afternoon lightfiends...

I popped in here a while ago when I was after a new torch for the old man and ended up with a rather splendid TN4A for his birthday a few years ago(2015).

When I was around there yesterday I noticed he had a new budget supermarket job. Basically, the Thrunite had been dropped and the reflector shattered and the whole thing gave up. Thrunite weren't interested unless he paid £50 for the repair-more than the torch costs new.
The point of this rambling post(I love a story me), is that the Thrunite is supposed to be impact resistant to 2 meters, and clearly isn't - or at least is only if it lands on a cushion. I have a 20 year old D cell maglite which I swapped the bulb for an LED a few years ago, and that's worked flawlessly despite being used as a torch, door stop, and a hammer! My son has big plastic Lego man torch that I think we could chuck out of the window and it would still work fine.

I was wondering why there is an endless stream of fantastic looking/feeling machined torches, with mega outputs but from what I can see, not many that combine this with a durable workhorse body that you don't have to be precious over.

The Coast Polysteel 600 looks almost perfect for me - no idea if it's any cop, but it's missing a really low power mode, which I find dead handy.

Am I missing something?

Cheers,

D.

David AP said:

[...] I was wondering why there is an endless stream of fantastic looking/feeling machined torches, with mega outputs but from what I can see, not many that combine this with a durable workhorse body that you don't have to be precious over. [...]

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Hello David,
I attemped to quote the most pertinent passage above. No worries about the lengthy post; like you, I also on occasion do have a tendency to go on for a bit.

Really a fantastic question & one I hold dear to my heart. On this forum, we certainly do chase after three competing aspects:
- Lumens
- Price
- Durability

I certainly understand the cost considerations that most have; however, compromising durability is a nonstarter for me, and I do find it very unfortunate that so many people prioritize the first two of the three.

Some here have always regarded flashlights as illumination /tools/ rather than just a 'wow' hobby, that perspective often tends to justify prioritizing durability. I do find that encouraging.

While I certainly own candidates along these lines that satisfy my personal criteria, I can leave that aspect of the discussion up to other members here.

Made is the USA is the way to go. They may not be as cheap as Chinese imports, but mostly you can get them fixed.
I only use Malkoff, HDS and Oveready. And I live in the UK.
P

Rayovac Indestructible line of lights just be what you are looking for.

David AP said:

I was wondering why there is an endless stream of fantastic looking/feeling machined torches, with mega outputs but from what I can see, not many that combine this with a durable workhorse body that you don't have to be precious over.

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Big output lights need to be completely aluminum/copper in order to get that heat out of the inside of the light. That means they're hard, and will suffer a bigger impact if you drop them. If you want durable (and cheap), you go with rubberized lights. That's great for impacts, but horrible for thermal management.

But if you just want 100 lumens, it's simple to make those very robust.

well, want durable bright light, get yourself a 4-6d classic maglite, install 5000lm module, (sold on ebay made by custom builder who is on this forum) and you got durable as they come light and a very bright one too. or you can get one of those defiant home depo lights. 3d cells and xml led, i had one, it has rubber shroud on the head and a tail, i dropped mine more times than i can remember, no damage, except scratches.

I got the folks a couple of Mag ML25's for xmas '16 and they use them for everything (pretty much the only decent lights they have) and the grand kids use them as well, so far they are holding up fine.

The 2AA Rayovac indestructible is real nice as well and has a 30 ft. drop rating....I think these are sold in Europe under the Varta brand.

I don't put much stock into drop distance ratings. The extent to which those ratings are valid will vary from one specimen to the next. One survives a two meter drop onto concrete while the next one falls from a coffee table and dies after a carpeted landing. For me there are four things that make for a long-lived flashlight.

1) Potted electronics. Once those electronic bits are sealed in epoxy, it is very hard to break anything.
2) User replaceable parts. Lenses can crack. Switches can break. It's nice to have a bin full of spare parts.
3) Under-driven components. You may have a sports car, but you don't have to go full throttle from every traffic signal.
4) External charging. While on-board charging systems are convenient and fun, they add complexity. Simple things break less often.

You want durable? Track down an old SureFire G2 and drop in a Malkoff pill in it. Probably as tough as you can make a flashlight.

kamagong said:

You want durable? Track down an old SureFire G2 and drop in a Malkoff pill in it. Probably as tough as you can make a flashlight.

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Truer words have never been spoken. I would update the bezel but you won't kill them no matter what you try.

Rayovac are called Varta in Europe.

Coast lights are durable. I have a 2014 version of one called HP7 that has definitely been dropped, kicked, run over, drown and just beat on with no issues.

bykfixer said:

Rayovac are called Varta in Europe.

.

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so is black and decker

Firstly, thanks for the reply's and sorry for taking so long to acknowledge.

I have had a look at the Coast and it certainly looks pretty tough. In fact it's ideal aside from the talk of their output being dialled down after a few minutes.
Very tempting though.

I've found my old Fenix L1Tv2.0 lights to be VERY durable. FOr years they were used a primary bike helmet lights for commuting and for mountain biking. Many impacts from tree branches and more than a few drops onto cement pavement. Some dings in the ano but no functional problems. Your story is one reason why I do have some Surefires and Streamlights in my collection. Actually, one of my bedside lights is a wonderful SF C3 with a Malkoff M31WL and 2AA cells. Not as bright as these new Chinese wonder lights but works well, looks nice and is rock solid durable! I actually just added a flip-up red filter to it for late night slinking around the house.

I second Rayovac Indestructible Lights. My kids could NOT break them and they can break an anvil!!

David AP said:

Firstly, thanks for the reply's and sorry for taking so long to acknowledge.

I have had a look at the Coast and it certainly looks pretty tough. In fact it's ideal aside from the talk of their output being dialled down after a few minutes.
Very tempting though.

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I'd recommend taking the money you would spend on the Coast and spend it on a Surefire instead. Say a G2X-Pro.

^ Good advice

yea, surefire g2x pro is comparable with coast poly steel 600, and surefire is actually cheaper.

Another vote for American brands even though I live in the UK. I've been using Surefire's for over 20 years and they are tough and reliable.
I've only got into Malkoff lights late last year, but they are awesome.

For non- American brands, I have owned Zebralights for over 10 years.... my SC80 has been my EDC pocket light and has proved to be excellent.

alpg88 said:

yea, surefire g2x pro is comparable with coast poly steel 600, and surefire is actually cheaper.

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The Surefire does look pretty tasty. It's twice the price though here - not cheaper!