10X already failed

Aaron

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jun 24, 2001
Messages
118
Location
MI
Well, I finally got my 10X on 12-24, about 9 months after I ordered it. I took it out of the box and handled it. It looked pretty impressive. Then I turned it on. I was impressed with the beam. Then I turned it a little more, until the big beam popped on. I just stood there in awe of what I saw. The hi-powered beam came on, and it was incredible. I have never handled such a powerful light. It was truly amazing, even more powerful than the M6. I work afternoons, so it was already dark when I got home and found the package. I took it outside and shined it around. Awesome is the only word I could think of to describe it. I couldn't wait to show it to my friends the next day. Unfortunately, the 10X didn't last until the next day. When I ordered it long ago, I also ordered a spare battery. I had the spare battery sitting around (for about 9 months) awaiting the light itself. I drained the battery that came with the 10X and started with the other battery. Before the 2nd battery had been drained, the light suddenly got dimmer. I thought that the battery was dying again, but no. The bulb had died (or maybe the switch had failed, but most likely the bulb had failed). The other battery was fully charged (green light) and I inserted it. Again, only the low-powered beam worked. So I only got about 30 minutes of actual functioning before the light failed. And I paid $245.00 dollars for it, plus overnight shipping that cost $25.00, but overnight turned into over 9 months. I called SF customer service, and they agreed to send me a new bulb, without question. That was nice, but I still won't be able to show off the light for yet another week. And once it arrives, how long will that bulb last? If the runtime is doubled, that means an hour. That is unacceptable.
 

lightlover

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 28, 2001
Messages
1,901
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London, UK (Parallel Universe)
10X is more powerful than the M6 !

But yes, Aaron, the lamp problem doesn't sound too good. Jolly annoying, in fact. I know that the 10X's release was delayed to deal with Lamp Assembly problems. I doubt that the switch malfunctioned, though.
The good customer service is nice, but ......

I believe that a failure rate of lamps of around 0.5% is to be expected, whoever manufactures them. Let's hope you just got one of those.

lightlover
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Gandalf

Enlightened
Joined
Jul 3, 2001
Messages
802
Location
USA
I seem to remember that the big delay in getting the 10X into production was a problem with the lamp(s). SureFire's supplier for the 10X lamps couldn't supply lamps that met their specifications. Sounds like you may have gotten a bad lamp, possibly from a relatively early production run.
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Remember the reduced output lamp that SureFire announced for the the E2? ( way lst summer?) The one that never materialised? Same problem with SureFire's lamp supplier: they couldn't supply lamps that met their specifications.
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It's a big dissapointment to wait so long for such an expensive flashlight, only to have it fail essentially immedidiately. SureFire should FedX the replacement lamp to you, considering the circumstances.

And, SureFire shouldn't announce products months (and many months, at that!) before they are even near to being put into production.
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This is a very poor business practice.

I remember buying my first SureFire flashlight, a 6P. I bought it before I found an inexpensive source for those spendy Duracell 123's The first set of batteries lasted for 3 or 4 weeks. a few days after I put in the second set of batteries, the lamp failed. The price of a new lamp came as a rather rude surprise. This problem pales in comarison to your disaster, of course. I actually got to use my flashlight, for an hour or so. But I had to bite the bullet and buy a new lamp. I can only imagine how dissapointed and frustrated your are over the failure of the lamp in your 10X flashlight.

I just hope other people who have spent so much of their hard earned money, and waited for so long for delivery of a 10X, aren't going to experience a failure similar to yours.

I hope it's an isolated incident; not something that is going to happen to a number of people. This doesn't do much to ease your frustration over this situation. I'd be more than a little mad about this, if it happened to me. I seem to remember that SureFire claimed, at one time, to indivually test every lamp they sell. I doubt your lamp got much of a test before it was put in the flashlight that was delivered to you.

I hope SureFire gives you a sincere apology, along with replacing the obviously defective lamp you received in your very expensive SF 10X.

FWIW, you have my sympathy!
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Xenon

Enlightened
Joined
Jul 13, 2001
Messages
275
Location
Singapore (சிங்கப்பூர்)
Surefire willingly replaced the bezel and the bulb when my M6 exploded 2 hours after I got them. And they ship real fast.

Customer service told me that they are only light bulbs and not magic. After paying well over $250 for this light, I didn't expect this type of reply.

My M6 is now in my showcase and will never be called for duty again. The fear of another exploded bulb is just too much to depend on it. I will stick to my energizers lights for more critical mission.
 

sunspot

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 22, 2001
Messages
2,707
Location
Graham, NC
Xenon. <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR> My M6 is now in my showcase and will never be called for
duty again. The fear of another exploded bulb is just too
much to depend on it. I will stick to my energizers lights
for more critical mission. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I double dog dare(sorry, I watched A Christmas Story too many times this week) you to post this on the SF Forum. Let us know if you do. I love Holiday fireworks.
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Size15's

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 29, 2000
Messages
18,415
Location
Kettering, England
There were lamp problems.
Call SureFire - They'll fix it.
BTW, what's your 10X serial number?

M6 - M6 also had lamp problems.
Personally, IMHO, you are over-reacting.
M6 field-tests have proven the lamp stability for me. I got my lamps through a Dealer so they weren't spiked.

Lamps fail.
They have, they do, they will.
Across all brands.

SureFire work hard to keep illumination tools at the cutting edge of technology. It's a double edged blade. I believe that they react fast to problems raised. They need the feedback. It helps make things better.
Of course by being so open, and asking us to comment and talk to them, the bad times are concentrated and highlighted in these forums. Thousands of SureFire users don't log-on each day and write, "My SureFire lamps didn't blow today." A few users experience problems, and it's right to have them sorted, and issues made aware.

I respect that the whole story is not represented.

Test during training before deploying.
Always have a backup.

Al
 
D

**DONOTDELETE**

Guest
So you got a high powered tactical light, and then you drained one battery, then started on the other and the bulb went bad, and it's Sure-Fire's fault???

It is a tactical light, not a work light. It isn't designed to be run constantly. If you look at the "bulb life" listed with some of Sure-Fire's lights, you will see that the brighter the bulb the shorter the life span of the bulb.

If you don't wanna treat that light properly give it to a good home.
 

Glow Bug

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 9, 2001
Messages
969
Location
South Carolina
I bought Five 10x dominators that were received recently. The main bulb failed on one after 30 seconds. The others are doing fine. Surefire sent me a replacement bulb right away. I feel fortunate to own such a fine lighting tool...especially a rechargable one at that..Surefire Rules!!! Keep up the good work PK
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**DONOTDELETE**

Guest
I would really like to hear more about the 10x's. Can anyone tell me how its brightness compares to a Streamlight SL-35X?

How is the handling of the light. With such a radical departure from the norm I am wondering if it is handy/practical.
 

Size15's

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 29, 2000
Messages
18,415
Location
Kettering, England
The SL35X and N62 are practically the same bulbs from what I've read by other posters. It's the reflector that makes the difference with SureFire going for a bigger, closer range beam of flawless beam quality and the SL35X, erm, not, but making a more narrow beam...

The 10X is like an MN21 and N62, but a bigger beam. It's a flood more then a spot if such terms be the choice.

Al
 
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