Reliable flashlight brands

[Pellidon]

My experience with Nitecore has been 50-50. The Tip line has been sturdy enough. My thumb and one tube suffered the cracking plastic that the opaque plastic they use seem to be prone to. I have a Tini that the battery failed early on (6 months). My current tube has started strobing on high level after a few months of use. It has not been mistreated, hangs on a lanyard around my neck. I've replaced it with a Rovyvon that seems built better.

 

[mickb]

The OP had 4 lights fail after his kid dropped them? After the first 1-2 failed you didnt think to store them out of a small kids height?

Was your kid also 'dropping' a range of other lights as well and some survived the impact or did just the first four fail?

Sorry Im not buying it, as it stands.

And not be argumentative either, but as we are talking about brands in use here, I think more defintive circumstances need be ascertained.

 

[bykfixer]

I have a friend who voids warranties. I've given him some nice lights over the years and he's managed to break every one of them. When he told me he had broken the Malkoff MD-2 I gave him I said "that's it buddy, no more lights for you".

 

[hsa]

Did he say how he broke it?

 

[TMedina]

I have a friend who voids warranties. I've given him some nice lights over the years and he's managed to break every one of them. When he told me he had broken the Malkoff MD-2 I gave him I said "that's it buddy, no more lights for you".

Brah. How, in the hell, did he manage that?

 

[TMedina]

WOW..I'm only the 2nd one to say Mag-Lite really? I've run maglite for thirty years, I push the button or twist the head It always works.
Thrunite, I bought my 1st one 8yrs ago still going.
I've found both brands very reliable.

Maglite doesn't get a lot of love on this forum. They were relatively late to the LED market and I haven't been especially impressed with their offerings. I don't think it would kill them to release a MiniMag with a simple high/low UI and not trying to max out the lumens.

There's also a matter of the audience - for a group of people that willingly spend $100 or more on a flashlight, Maglite typically doesn't compete in the same area. Too expensive for a "budget" light, too underperforming for premium categories.

 

[bykfixer]

Brah. How, in the hell, did he manage that?

Screwed the tailcap back on too tight. He had to use a vice to hold the tailcap and vice grips to twist the barrel and ended up squashing the tailcap. It still works I'm told.
Dude is bull strong. A wirey little fella who could probably bench press a motorcycle.... repeatedly.

 

[Monocrom]

For a second, I thought he was eating them. Better ways to get your minerals.

 

[The-True-North]

As far as brands I personally own, Elzetta and Malkoff are the toughest and most reliable lights.

A small step below that is Surefire.

A step below that (but still great) is Streamlight and Maglite.

 

[Buck91]

I carried a Fenix L0D on my keys for years and it held up like a champ. More than once those keys were thrown dozens of yards across the garage. Now I carry a thrunite ti3 which has held up just as well.

Jaxman E3 has a pretty robust build. I like the Ultratac a1 as it's very light and well made. So far it's survived a few waist height falls onto concrete without failure.

If you want to over build something the FM 18500 body is very beefy. Paired with a nice p60 build and stainless bezel you should be solid.

 

[Monocrom]

Fenix L0D, magnificent keychain light. Glad I never got rid of mine.

 

[Sabrewulf]

I'm not abusive to my lights by any means, but had a olight warrior die randomly.
The company wanted nothing to do with it. Tossed it.

My prometheus beta QR is very reliable. Went through the washer and dryer, been dropped many times, but still works like new.
Lumintop tool aa/aaa have also been good to me.

 

[Monocrom]

I'm not abusive to my lights by any means, but had a olight warrior die randomly.
The company wanted nothing to do with it. Tossed it.

Just curious.... was it the very first model, or the latest one?

 

[Sabrewulf]

Just curious.... was it the very first model, or the latest one?

Both of them are the warriors m2r. Bought about 5 years ago new.

The working one just sits in a cigar box, who knows if it'll be reliable, like say when I go camping.

 

[Monocrom]

Both of them are the warriors m2r.

The working one just sits in a cigar box, who knows if it'll be reliable, like say when I go camping.

Thanks for the reply. Appreciate it. I've got an Original Warrior that's been very reliable over the years. Always best to bring several lights when camping. If you're really worried it'll crap out on you, best to sell it and avoid that headache.

 

[Sabrewulf]

Thanks for the reply. Appreciate it. I've got an Original Warrior that's been very reliable over the years. Always best to bring several lights when camping. If you're really worried it'll crap out on you, best to sell it and avoid that headache.

Yeah I do bring extra lights, even a huge uvBeast light.
I'm sure the olight would be worth any money.

 

[flashflood]

My vote goes to Zebralight.

Oh, my beat-for-years ITP A3 keychain light rules, especially on Li-Ion!

Really? I've only owned two Zebras, both of which died in less than a year. Not from any kind of abuse, they just stopped working. Never bought another after that.

 

[flashflood]

Rock-solid long-time brands: Fenix and Thrunite, zero problems ever
Promising newer brands: Acebeam and Convoy, no troubles to date
Disappointments: Zebralight, Olight, FourSevens, Peak

If I could only have one light in a true disaster, it would be Fenix TK-75. No contest.

 

[pnwoutdoors]

Myself, I'd rate the Malkoff drop-in modules as stellar. Have several, running in SolarForce tubes/heads/tails. Dropped ... used in the rain ... used in sub-zero temps ... not a single failure in 10+ years of "trying." Not all of them are used daily, but they get a good amount of use. Being fully-potted units, they've proven themselves quite tough.

Not everybody's cup of tea, with all the choices on the market. But "bomb-proof" is good, whatever else one can say about a product.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Fraz Labs is the toughest I know of. I could say it is my grail light.

Do you have an update regarding your experience on that stellar bit of illumination?