Tough LED Flashlight

[Napalm]

Thanks everyone for the great info! In response to how the light will be used, I work a evenings in a maintenance evironment and the light will be turned off and on alot and just generally be used in a rough environment. Thanks again for all of your help!

The Eagletac will resist very well any wear from operating the light. Moreover, the tail switch assembly is available separately would you need to replace it at some point.

However if you also foresee stepping on it with work boots and other similar "abuse", check the other suggestions here, you ideally want a nearly-cylindrical body of constant diameter, with thick walls. If the middle section is of smaller diameter than the ends (like the Eagletac), if you step on on the light in the middle, it will bend.

nap.

 

[Cataract]

If you're doing maintenance and turn it on and off a lot, I definitely recommend someting with a rear switch and simple modes (I do maintenance and installation myself and need my flashlight a LOT). Turning twisties on and off with just one hand is not very practical when you're busy. If you want longer battery life (meaning more than ~1 hour) you will prefer to use less than the light's maximum brightness.

Just any of the flashlights listed here would cover your needs. You might want to base your choice on the type of interface would suit you best. Here's what I can say from my personal experience:

Depending on how deep you want to dip yourself into the world of flashlights, the Quark AA tactical is definitely one of my favorites for work: you can program 2 modes which are accessible by twisting/untwisting the head, so you only need 1 hand to operate it and it will turn on directly with the brightness you want it to. I dropped mine on ceramic tiles and concrete multiple times and wash it under water at the end of the day and never had a problem with it.

The Fenix E series would also suit your needs and you wouldn't have to learn how to program it. Although, once the Quark tactical is programmed, you might never need to reprogram it. The other Fenix and Quark lights can be turned on directly either in max or low mode and the rest of the modes are accessible through a soft press of the switch.

 

[ringzero]

Lots of interesting suggestions in this thread.

I don't trust any of the AA aluminum tube lights to be as tough as the plastic safety rated industrial lights.

Stainless steel tube lights might be as tough as plastic, but the bigger lights in stainless steel might be kind of heavy...

I've yet to have a safety rated plastic light fail even after plenty of drops onto cement. Unfortunately, I can't say that about aluminum tube lights.

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[afdk]

Lots of interesting suggestions in this thread.

I don't trust any of the AA aluminum tube lights to be as tough as the plastic safety rated industrial lights.

Stainless steel tube lights might be as tough as plastic, but the bigger lights in stainless steel might be kind of heavy...

I've yet to have a safety rated plastic light fail even after plenty of drops onto cement. Unfortunately, I can't say that about aluminum tube lights.

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I agree with you! I've owned UK lights for years and can tell you they are very tough lights. I have dropped them numerous times without any functional problems. My newer Pelican 9410 light is made from the same polymer material and should be just as reliable.

 

[ryguy24000]

All of the above!! Ask a 1000 flashaholics a question like that get a 1000 different answers.

 

[ringzero]

I agree with you! I've owned UK lights for years and can tell you they are very tough lights. I have dropped them numerous times without any functional problems. My newer Pelican 9410 light is made from the same polymer material and should be just as reliable.

Glad that someone else here has an appreciation for UK lights, and safety rated industrial lights in general.

These excellent, American made lights from UK, Pelican, and Streamlight are generally ignored on CPF.

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[GeoBruin]

First let me say that I'm a diver. I've used UK dive lights almost exclusively and I have always had good luck. My backup was a 4 x AA light similar to this one:

http://www.uwkinetics.com/uploads/thumbnails/uploads/products/717bb9e4d3d7910b8ff625a3768000060a2ac4e2_800x800.jpg

A few weeks ago I was rummaging through my dive bag to find something and I found that the case of the light had completely split open. It was as if over time the springs just overcame the plastic case and the butt of two AA batteries were sticking out of the wrong end of the light.

Now I realize this is probably rare, and indeed this light was subjected to its share of harsh use conditions being dragged in and out of the ocean but I just don't think a metal light would have succumbed to that particular form of stress. Worth considering when your thinking about a light for hard use every day.

 

[jorn]

To put it politely, I think it will last a long time if you don't operate it too frequently.

Nap.

Have you ever seen/heard of a twisty with the pcb totally worn out? I havent.

 

[TomnAl]

SureFire, 4Sevens and HDS System can take everything you throw at them easily ! FYI : SureFire provides Lifetime Warranty and 4Sevens gives 10 years ! Take these lights to hell and they will survive !

 

[chenko]

Xeno E06 has the thickest walls I've seen in a 2xAA light, and one-piece construction of head and body, only tailcap gets screwed and it has double o-rings. I think it is a very reliable light. Also Fenix TK20 seems to be highly regarded.

 

[quad088]

I had one Led Lenser MT7 & M14 and it works fine with good throw. I bring it along especially to Africa.

 

[Napalm]

Have you ever seen/heard of a twisty with the pcb totally worn out? I havent.

I've seen them in everything from flashlights to multimeter rotary switches. But if they work for you then by all means keep buying them.

Nap. :tired:

 

[JNieporte]

Eagletac anything.
MiniMag AA (decent multi-mode LED for about $20)
Solarforce L2P. It takes any P60-sized drop-in so you can customize it. Even comes in AA format. I throw mine into the brick wall at work when people ask how durable it is. Never fails.

 

[ringzero]

First let me say that I'm a diver. I've used UK dive lights almost exclusively and I have always had good luck. My backup was a 4 x AA light similar to this one:

http://www.uwkinetics.com/uploads/thumbnails/uploads/products/717bb9e4d3d7910b8ff625a3768000060a2ac4e2_800x800.jpg

A few weeks ago I was rummaging through my dive bag to find something and I found that the case of the light had completely split open. It was as if over time the springs just overcame the plastic case and the butt of two AA batteries were sticking out of the wrong end of the light.

Now I realize this is probably rare, and indeed this light was subjected to its share of harsh use conditions being dragged in and out of the ocean but I just don't think a metal light would have succumbed to that particular form of stress. Worth considering when your thinking about a light for hard use every day.

I'm not doubting what you observed, but find this amazing. It must have been defective from the factory, but luckily UK does have a lifetime warranty.

I've used UK lights for years and have never seen a case failure despite lots of abuse.

Most UK lights are drop test rated for use in explosve atmosphere environments. Your dive light may not have been safety rated, but it uses the same case as the safety rated UK 4AA lights.

Case integrity is paramount to the survival of the light's operator in an explosive atmosphere.

I've seen similar failures in aluminum case lights - fractures all the way through the head or the body. When aluminum or plastic fractures like that, it's most likely due to a material defect from the factory.

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[redheddedstranger]

The TK20 probably can survive being rolled over by a tank, but good luck finding one. If you don't need to roll over it, the Fenix E20, E21 and LD25 are all very sturdy and pretty much what is supposed to replace the TK20.

The TK40, TK41 and TK45 are also very, very tough flashlights, check this thread out.

TK-11 being the toughest.. finally got mine in and its nice. it throws one hell of a beam for 258 lumens. beam shoots over 200yds.

 

[Cataract]

The good ol' TK11 and TK20 where real tactical lights: 2 modes, no bells or whistles, just plain tough lights and plenty of throw. You're lucky to have put your hands on one before it's too late, although the TK12 should be exactly as strong, just more bells and whistles. You make me want to take my TK11 out of the flashlight box and play with it for a week.

 

[notrefined]

If your budget is a little more flexible, I'll put in a word for a surefire G3 with a malkoff drop-in and a delrin sleeve for AA's...that's my idea of a tough work light, anyway.

 

[redheddedstranger]

The good ol' TK11 and TK20 where real tactical lights: 2 modes, no bells or whistles, just plain tough lights and plenty of throw. You're lucky to have put your hands on one before it's too late, although the TK12 should be exactly as strong, just more bells and whistles. You make me want to take my TK11 out of the flashlight box and play with it for a week.

i bought the TK-11 for throw and simplicity. my wife hates the bells and whistles. she just wants on/off high or low. so the TK is perfect (though it sits next to me asleep). the MK pocket rocket is simple as well. she likes it. i cant get over how tuned the TK-11 (R5) is. even on low at 60 lumens it sends a nice long beam. very very very pleased with this light. you can find them around 60-65 bucks now.. btw i use a 18650 in it for the longer run times.

 

[DonShock]

I work night shift at a water plant and I've been using a Fenix MC10 from 4Sevens for a while now. My needs were somewhat unique in needing a right angle light so my choices were limited. But it's great for being able to walk around in the dark getting tank levels eery night.

 

[jorn]

I've seen them in everything from flashlights to multimeter rotary switches. But if they work for you then by all means keep buying them.

Nap. :tired:

Hmm. I cant find a single complaint in all the cpf about a twisty fail because of the worn down pcb. There are tousands++ of twistys out there, funny that i cant find a single complaint about this weakness that you claim. I have been using a q mini since it came out, and can't even see a single scratch on the pcb. I find lots of threads on failing switches, but no twisty. When the tube makes contact with the pcb you can't twist any further, so there is close to no grinding motion on the pcb. Multimeter rotary switches is a completly different design, so don't compare it with a twisty..