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]

 

[buggs]

Appreciate all the comments.  I think it unlikely to me that I'll opt for a very expensive light.  I'm planning on spending too much time in the woods and I can't imagine how frustrated I'd be if I lost a $300 light. 

I dislike the planned obsolescence aspect of modern lights, though to be fair I think that's more about the trade off others are speaking of - high lumens and complex electronics lend themselves to breaking down faster than older but lower light systems.  I'm thinking I might duplicate @powernoodle and get me a moderate sized LED Maglite. 

[MacGeezer]

Been using a Tekna Splash -Lite since 1988. Recently changed the use of  K222 incan lamps to a E10 warm white, led lamp. Single stage, waterproof and dirt simple. About 20 lumens, extremely long runtime. Not for everyone, some folks believe CR123 to be exotic and/or obsolete. In 1990 a dive shop owner told me CR123 wouldn't be around in 10 years. That memory always reminds me that opinions aren't always fact 

[nate j]

Not for everyone, some folks believe CR123 to be exotic and/or obsolete. In 1990 a dive shop owner told me CR123 wouldn't be around in 10 years. That memory always reminds me that opinions aren't always fact 

Also, the future is a notoriously difficult thing to accurately predict.
 

I wouldn’t go so far as to say they are obsolete.  But I would say the heyday of CR123 is in the past.  There was a time when the finest flashlights in the world ran on CR123s.  But today, with the exception of a few somewhat niche applications (long term term storage, possibly cold weather), CR123s just don’t stack up well against modern rechargeable Li-ion batteries in terms of performance.

Some of the modern dual fuel lights (e.g. 1x18650 or 2xCR123) are interesting though.

[greenbear]

There do seem to be a few about that will take 18350 rechargeables or CR123. I have a Nitecore MT1C that operates in this way but, also, recently bought a Sofirn SC13 on a whim (it is surprisingly good). Clearly neither of these flashlights run at full power using a CR123 both only putting out 500 Lumens.  Although when I say 'only 500 lumens' this should be borne in context as it was only a handful of years ago that we got excited about 300 Lumen lights.

I like this ability to run on both types of battery as, if I run the rechargeable out of power, I can easily change to a CR123 as a backup.

[fullbreakfast]

Reylight.



The housings are milled from titanium rod and have good thickness. Extremely robust. All internals can be inexpensively replaced by Rey and easily fitted by the user.  I managed to kill one of mine by putting it through the washer and dryer, he sent me a new pill and I swapped it out in 30 seconds. Same goes for button mechanism.

[MacGeezer]

Also, the future is a notoriously difficult thing to accurately predict.
 

I wouldn’t go so far as to say they are obsolete.  But I would say the heyday of CR123 is in the past.  There was a time when the finest flashlights in the world ran on CR123s.  But today, with the exception of a few somewhat niche applications (long term term storage, possibly cold weather), CR123s just don’t stack up well against modern rechargeable Li-ion batteries in terms of performance.

Some of the modern dual fuel lights (e.g. 1x18650 or 2xCR123) are interesting though.

I appreciate your opinion too 

[fullbreakfast]

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.

I've got a small Maglite that is over thirty years old and still works fine. As you say, as long as you don't leave a dead battery in them for years there is not much that can go wrong. Of course it's now just a curiosity that's nice to have, rather than something I would actually carry or use. It has the output of a tired firefly, and the feeble yellowish glow it produces seems like a relic of a bygone era.

[nate j]

I appreciate your opinion too 

 

[Tuisto]

I've owned a few pretty decent lights. The ones that I've used and abused the most are my two Surefires — a Lumamax LX2 and an M3LT-S. I've had the former since 2012 and the latter since 2014-2015 (I can't remember which). They're both great lights and feature my favourite method of operation — press lightly on the tailcap for 15 lumens (Lx2)/100lm (M3LT-S) and push harder for 200lm (LX2)/1,000lm (M3LT-S) and then the tailcaps can be twisted for constant on. My buddy dropped the LX2 into a bonfire — and I mean in the bonfire and it was pretty much totally fine. The only issue I've had with either is that the pocket clip on the LX2 broke off once when I was getting into a car (Surefire replaced it for free) and the rubber tailcap switch on the LX2 is ever so slightly beginning to show signs of (long-term) use; see attached photo. Now, I can't say anything about the quality of Surefire's products nowadays but I will say that these two have served me very well over the years (especially the LX2). NB I actually only noticed about five years after I'd bought it that the body and head were two different colours on the LX2... not sure why they are.