Flashlights built to last?

[buggs]

Picking up from a comment I made in another thread (about knockoff knives)...

I commented that I had some disappointment with Olight.  Of the first five I bought, only one is still functional.  They lasted 'reasonably' well, probably 3-7 years overall but I remain disappointed that they died out on me.  I still have a large number of Olights, though none go through particular rough periods of use.  Mostly around the house, so nothing challenging and yet some still died.  By 'died' I mean that no matter what I've tried, they are no longer functional.  It's not batteries nor charging, not burnt out bulbs.  Nothing seized, nothing rusted/corroded.  They have just ceased working. 

To be fair I do have a couple of other Olights that have lasted a fairly reasonable period of time, including a rather old i1R.  But it seems they aren't fully engineered to last long.  This might be an artifact of the high lumen output that modern lights share, but I'm wondering if that's true of all brands. 

I also mentioned that I have a very old 6V lantern and a number of really old (25+ years) Maglites that have aged really well.  They're all older incandescent bulb versions but the only repair I've ever made was replacing one bulb in a 2-AA version.  Once.  Obviously the amount of light differs vastly from modern lights. 

So I'm wondering if anyone has some recommendations for lights that are both durable and provide modern lighting levels. 

[greenbear]

I am very pleased to have found this thread.  I too have a number of Olights, I favour the Oclip and Oclip Pro, largely because they slip into a pocket for easy EDC. The key issue with them is the non-replaceable battery and, whilst they have a seven year warranty, it is unlikely that one would go back to Olight after three years of use for a £30/$30 item.

I used Maglites for years and only recently gave away my twenty year old 2D version (LED bulb upgrade). This is a decision with I now regret.

I also use LED Lenser which I have found to be quite reliable and robust. You get a 'lot more light for the size and weight' with an LED Lenser compared to Maglite though.

[nate j]

I’ve had good luck (and fairly long term carry experience) with both Fenix and Nitecore.  Though if they are going to die at 5+ years old, I probably haven’t had most of mine that long.

I do think you’re correct that, as a result of the lumen wars, many modern lights drive their LEDs very hard (especially in high & turbo modes), which also generates significant heat, and limits the life of the electronics.

Looking at traditional Maglites and similar, they are so dead simple (and designed to be user-serviceable) that there is very little that can go wrong that can’t be easily fixed.  There are no complicated electronics.  Batteries and bulbs are user-replaceable, so other than battery leakage/corrosion or switch failure they should last a very, very long time.

Contrast with modern lights, which feature (relatively) complex electronics for voltage regulation, multiple modes, battery level indication, mode memory, etc.  On most lights, neither these electronics nor the LED are designed to be user replaceable.  And, as GB notes, some now even have batteries that aren’t user-replaceable (which offers some benefits from a size, weight, and cost standpoint, but guarantees that the usable life will be limited).

Ultimately, I don’t think it is any more reasonable to expect modern lights to compete with the longevity of traditional lights than it is to expect traditional lights to compete with the performance of modern lights.  There are trade offs.  However, this doesn’t mean that all modern lights are created equal (or that some manufacturers aren’t peddling junk).

For me, the advantages of decent quality modern lights in terms of size, output, and battery life outweigh any disadvantages in terms of longevity.  It’s possible some of the really high-end lights out there might offer the longevity you seem to want, but personally I won’t be spending $300 - $400+ on a flashlight to find out.  Three years seems a little short, but if I pay ~$100 for a light, carry it daily, use it frequently, and get 5-7 years out of it, I’m pretty happy with that.  And replacement also allows me to take advantage of any improvements in design or technology that may occur.

[greenbear]

I have a number of Nitecore products, they've lasted for years and I have never had an issue with any of them.

Maglite harks back to a more sensible era. The fully repairable nature of the earlier models is, I am sure, what made them the number one choice.

The other issue with modern lights are all the light level options. I have an LED Lenser ST300 press for on at brightest, press again for the lower level - that's it. Mechanical not electronic switch - it has lasted for years ad shows not sign of failing.

I rather like Olights, but the Oclip Pro has a whole raft of options that it doesn't need - I can see what they were doing when they developed a 'one size fits all' design and I am very pleased with mine, but with that additional complexity comes an increased risk of failure. I like a 'press the switch for on and press again for off' set up.

[nate j]

I have a number of Nitecore products, they've lasted for years and I have never had an issue with any of them.

I have the (discontinued) MH10S, which was my daily carry for a while, and the MH12 Pro, which is my current primary carry light.  No issues with either.

The other issue with modern lights are all the light level options. I have an LED Lenser ST300 press for on at brightest, press again for the lower level - that's it. Mechanical not electronic switch - it has lasted for years ad shows not sign of failing.

I rather like Olights, but the Oclip Pro has a whole raft of options that it doesn't need - I can see what they were doing when they developed a 'one size fits all' design and I am very pleased with mine, but with that additional complexity comes an increased risk of failure. I like a 'press the switch for on and press again for off' set up.

I really like having multiple light levels.  I think I’ve posted something similar before, but ideal for me is something like the following:

Turbo - The maximum output the light can sustain for about 30 seconds until thermal regulation kicks in.  Should be 2000 - 3000+ lumens. - Good when you really need to light something up, like looking for that next trail blaze at night.

High - The maximum output the light can sustain continuously without going into thermal regulation.  Should be somewhere about 1000 - 1500 lumens. - Good for lighting up a room, checking power lines at night, etc.

Medium - 300-600 lumens, 8+ hours - Good usable general purpose level of light if your eyes aren’t adjusted to the dark

Low - 30-50 lumens, 50+ hours - Ideal for walking/hiking at night with eyes somewhat adjusted to the dark, allows a decent pace

Moonlight - 0.5-1 lumens, 500 - 1000+ hours - Great when nature calls in the middle of the night, and or can even use as a night light

Strobe - Nice to have for crossing the street, walking along a roadway, etc. as it really grabs drivers’ attention at night.


I find a two-button interface the most intuitive on a multi-mode light (pretty much one on/off and one to change modes), but one-button is OK.

Your preference for a simple mechanical switch reminded me of the Fenix PD40R.  Mine is the older V2, but I think V3 is the current version.  Just turn the rotary switch to the desired setting; doesn’t get any simpler than that unless you go with a single mode light.

[greenbear]

You give options for single mode operation. I haven't tried the Fenix yet, but I do use a Nitecore MT1C (specifically for work as it has a long distance beam). That is single button, one click for maximum of 1000 Lumens and a secondary quick click for 50 Lumens. I quite like it, especially the beam range.

[MadPlumbarian]

When I first started carrying and were talking back like 97-98, it was with a simple 2-AA maglite, and I always had a dual sheath, so that old school leatherman sheath with the simple flashlight loop worked, but then I moved up to a larger flashlight, ones that uses those 123a batteries, they were great but I had to make sheaths to fit cause I wanted a dual carry sheath, but over time I got tired of getting those special batteries, so I ended up going back to a simple maglite, but this time with led,, that’s still my flashlight but as far as to carry, I have this simple little keychain carry, that or this hat, just not in this weather, but for spring summer and fall, yeah, just not winter..
JR

[nate j]

You give options for single mode operation.

There certainly aren’t as many such options now as there once were.  Lights that offer at least a couple different output levels are certainly my preference, and I think probably make sense for most users.

Surefire still makes some true single mode lights, such as the G2X Tactical and 6PX Tactical.

In a somewhat ironic twist, some of the more advanced lights out there can be user-configured to function as single mode lights.  Examples include Fenix’s ACE series and Streamlight offerings that utilize their Ten-Tap programming.
 

[gustophersmob]

I've had good luck with Fenix, but they aren't really designed to be bomb-proof and last forever (with the exception of the original E01), or be repairable.

If you truly want built to last, I'd say you are probably best to consider these, in my order of preference:

1) Peak LED Solutions
2) Malkoff Devices
3) HTS
4) Surefire
5) Streamlight (mostly import these days, but much less $$ than most of the above)

[greenbear]

I have no tried any of those, I will keep an eye out for them and might pick one up 

[powernoodle]

I just went semi-retro and bought a 2x C-cell LED Maglite.  No switch, and twist head to turn it on/off.

Its like 1962 again.  Sort of.  Except for the LED part. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016U0F2A6?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

[greenbear]