# Nitecore Flashlights: Are they durable?



## radu191289 (Jul 22, 2014)

I am about to buy a P12 in the next days, after I watched many reviews and browsing forums I think this is perfect for me.
The problem is that all the reviews are made for new lights and nobody came back after a few months to say if the flashlight still works properly.
Here and there, hidden in the forums I found some bad messages related to p12, one person had 2 broken after falling from small distance, someone said the battery indicator does not work after a while.

Based you your experience, please tell me about your nitecore flashlight!
Thank you!


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## UnderPar (Jul 22, 2014)

I have 2 Nitecores and Its been flawlessly working for me. Have read about some Nitecores failing and really feel sorry for them


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## Moonshadow (Jul 22, 2014)

I've had my P12 for three or four months now and it's still working and looking absolutely fine. 

OK, I haven't dropped it but it certainly seems solid and reliable to me. Just checked the battery indicator and it is also working and accurate (showing 4.2V on a recently charged cell).


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## TweakMDS (Jul 22, 2014)

In my opinion (which is not based on facts at all, but just from what I saw here), nitecore is kind of a middle ground in build quality. They don't seem plagued with QC problems, but it's not a solid brand like surefire. Would have no problems buying their lights if they come with a 2 year warranty (and they do, at least in the EU), but I would not weapon mount them or take it to a polar expedition. I did read one report about a failing srt7 but that could be an isolated incident. Not to mention that people only seem to post when a light fails, and not when it serves them well for a few years.

Edit: it's actually a five year warranty which is great of course!


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## Overclocker (Jul 22, 2014)

Here's a P12 driver that had failed at the solder joints indicated by the arrows. Seems like repeated pressing of the side button caused micro fractures on the (lead-free) solder joints. This was a very simple fix though i highly recommend you don't press too hard on the button








Next is an EC25. Water came in through the side button. Turned the copper green especially on the other side of the PCB. Non-repairable







Next is an MH25 with very poor workmanship on the driver:












So yes Nitecore is the least-reliable among the major chinese brands


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## KITROBASKIN (Jul 22, 2014)

NiteCore isn't the only brand of flashlight that you should not be throwing across a parking lot; (get an Elzetta, etc.) Water ingress in a flashlight can be caused by user neglect as well. It seems, that along with NiteCore's innovative designs and competitive price structure, there have been some problems with manufacture and design. I have a NiteCore TM26 and a P12 that perform as advertised. I did remove the brittle plastic reverse-polarity protection disc in my P12 in order to use flat top batteries, and I have not dropped them significantly or let anything more than a light spray of water onto the lights. O-rings should be kept lubricated with a non-petroleum grease, and try not to immerse a hot flashlight into water. The impression I get from Overclocker is that he did not neglect or abuse his flashlights and am not implying otherwise. It is really nice to reliably know the state of charge of the battery without removing it from the flashlight. NiteCore offers that. If you are hard on flashlights, get something else. Otherwise, get what you want.


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## mcnair55 (Jul 22, 2014)

I have a couple without issues,build quality will be the same as most in the price range.


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## Ryp (Jul 22, 2014)

I have had my P12 for seven months and have dropped it a couple times, it even went through the washing machine with the tailcap loosened and everything is working exactly how it did when I first got it.


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## radu191289 (Jul 22, 2014)

@Overclocker Wow this is exactly what I don't want to see. I had an unbranded low-quality light in the past (probably something worth like 5$) with 14leds, anyway it ended similar to the last pic you posted without ever being dropped.

Thank you everybody for the great info!

I am so anxious to buy a "pocket torch", not that I really need it, but I tend to buy small things, get attached to them, carry them for years... 8 years ago I bought a custom simple dog tag that I still wear, a few months ago I bought a leatherman that I got attached to it, next is the flashlight and I cannot afford to screw up since the total cost is 50$ of a standard salary...

Any alternatives in mind? I think of Fenix PD35 and the P18 Striker, I am not sure if I can buy diffuser for the striker.


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## eff (Jul 22, 2014)

I have 2 Nitecores : T5 AAA on my keychain, and an SRT3 that I dropped inadvertantly a few times on the floor. Both lights are still working.


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## KITROBASKIN (Jul 22, 2014)

Alternatives? Some people like the Thrunite version (2014 model), others like the Fenix. But if you are going to open up the choices, you should describe the qualities you seek, budget, etc. because there are so many fine flashlights out there, some give really good value.


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## KardoPaska (Jul 22, 2014)

I hope this isn't in violation... it's a genuine recommendation from pal to pal. I don't know where you live, but if there is an REI nearby, I would pay the extra $10 or $15 over internet prices to get your P12 from there. They have a 1-year no questions asked return policy. I had an SRT3 that was stuck in beacon mode and I exchanged it there with no hassle. It's almost like a warranty but way more convenient.


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## bondr006 (Jul 22, 2014)

I got this Nitecore D20 in 2008 and it still runs with no problems. It is pulling nite stand duty now and makes for a good baton(built like a brick sh!t house). But it still functions like the day I got it and is one of my favorites. Pretty good for a six year old light. In my opinion, one of the best 2 x aa lights ever built. Great UI with instant high and instant low with ramping from low to high or high to low.


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## thedoc007 (Jul 22, 2014)

I know there have been some QC issues with some models, but so far I have had nothing but great experiences with Nitecore. I have a TM26 (had another, but gave it away), an SRT7, a P25vn, a P25, an HC50, a TM36vn on the way, and I used to have a TM11vn (gave that away also). All of them have been flawless. I do basic water tests (submerge and turn off/on, change modes repeatedly) and all of them have passed just fine. I don't drop my lights often, but I have had other brands arrive DOA, or stop working with the same type of use. Nitecore has been one of the few brands with no issues, which is partly why I have more Nitecore than anything else.

I wouldn't say they are as reliable as Malkoff, Elzetta, or Surefire...these brands have proven time and time again that they have EARNED their reputations for reliability and durability. But among the Chinese brands, Sunwayman, Fenix, and FourSevens have all been less reliable for me than Nitecore.


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## choombak (Jul 22, 2014)

Durability is relative, and cannot be compared in isolation. From my experience, no - when they fall on concrete the mode switch mechanism has screwed up more often than not. I have Surefire, HDS, malkoff that have tasted concrete multiple times without loss of functionality. So again, no, nitecore lights are pretty but I don't consider them reliable.


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## radu191289 (Jul 23, 2014)

There are no physical stores for this stuff around, and there are only a few online stores without much diversity especially for accesories/batteries/chargers.
I ordered the best option at online store with 24months warranty, first 12m they replace the product without question. Hopefully it won't fail but if it does i do not mind waiting one week...
My package will arrive in 2 days, i can't wait to get my hands on my first edc light!
-p12 + i2 + panasonic 3400 + difuser + silicone. They also had some color filters that i skipped because they are useless for me. I don,t think i missed something important, the p12 comes with holster and basic spare parts.

Thank you everybody for the good info you provided around here!


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## KITROBASKIN (Jul 23, 2014)

radu191289 said:


> There are no physical stores for this stuff around, and there are only a few online stores without much diversity especially for accesories/batteries/chargers.
> I ordered the best option at online store with 24months warranty, first 12m they replace the product without question. Hopefully it won't fail but if it does i do not mind waiting one week...
> My package will arrive in 2 days, i can't wait to get my hands on my first edc light!
> -p12 + i2 + panasonic 3400 + difuser + silicone. They also had some color filters that i skipped because they are useless for me. I don,t think i missed something important, the p12 comes with holster and basic spare parts.
> ...



Good Job. Yeah, I have that diffuser too; Nice. Enjoy. That charger has served me well, also.


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## bwDraco (Jul 23, 2014)

radu191289 said:


> There are no physical stores for this stuff around, and there are only a few online stores without much diversity especially for accesories/batteries/chargers.



No physical stores? Seriously?

I just got an SRT7 Revenger from B&H yesterday (yes, the famous camera store!). If you aren't near NYC, the local REI may have what you need. Cabela's and ****'s Sporting Goods don't seem to carry Nitecore, though ****'s does carry Fenix. _(note: no affiliation with any of these stores)_

--DragonLord

*Edit:* I was going to ask whether you lived in the United States... :duh2:


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## radu191289 (Jul 23, 2014)

DragonLord said:


> No physical stores? Seriously?
> 
> I just got an SRT7 Revenger from B&H yesterday (yes, the famous camera store!). If you aren't near NYC, the local REI may have what you need. Cabela's and ****'s Sporting Goods don't seem to carry Nitecore, though ****'s does carry Fenix. _(note: no affiliation with any of these stores)_
> 
> --DragonLord



I live in Romania  there are physical store in other cities but there is none in my city.


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## Wolf359 (Jul 23, 2014)

Have you looked at the ThruNite TN12 (2014) i got it over the Nitecore P12 as i have had acouple of problems with my EA4w's
[h=1][/h]


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## bwDraco (Jul 23, 2014)

radu191289 said:


> I live in Romania  there are physical store in other cities but there is none in my city.



I figured... 

--DragonLord


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## toastystuff (Jul 23, 2014)

Just my two cents. i bought a nitcore mh1a as an edc from gg about a year back. After a weak of edc the oring that seals the charging sleeve broke but that was an easy fix as nitecore includes a spare. A couple of months later the rubber boot that covers the "clicky" button started tearing on the side where it flexes, again easy fix as nitcore included a spare. a couple of months later the light would not charge properly,i narrowed it down to the charging cord that came with the light. This was an easy fix because pretty much any mini usb cord will work and i have tons of them laying around. A few months later i noticed the twisty function to access the "turbo" mode wasent quite working right,the head needed to be very tight for the "turbo" function to work. I then unscrewed the head and found that lint and other FOD was getting onto the metal contacts so i cleaned them with electrical contact cleaner and it worked fine after that,but it makes me wonder if the o rings are doing there job propperly, o well life goes on. A couple of months whent by and i noticed the light was being finnicky when accesing the lower modes with the head lossened, so i removed the back switch and then the o ring on the body broke, again easy fix as nitecore included a spare but now im all out of o rings lol. Again i found dirt lint and other FOD in there and cleaned it up as i did before with the head contacts and all was good. The light to this day over a year later works as it should, though i no longer own it cause i sold it to a coworker. He asked me the other day if i had an extra lanyard as the one nitcore supplied broke recently. All in all im not dissapointed with the light especially at that price point (around 50$) and i should mention it has survived drops here and there just fine. I do feel the o rings are not as robust as other manufactures,but those are easily sourced through outside vendors. Hope this helps your decicion.


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## Overclocker (Aug 19, 2014)

another leaky EC25


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## ginaz (Aug 19, 2014)

i have a D10 and a D11 that are still going strong now some 6 years later. when i did have an issue with a light, nitecore CS took very good care of me


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## subwoofer (Aug 19, 2014)

KITROBASKIN said:


> NiteCore isn't the only brand of flashlight that you should not be throwing across a parking lot; (get an Elzetta, etc.)



Funny you should say that...in fact the only light I have thrown across a car park, and down the road at speed and is still going strong is an Ultrafire WF-501B! Due to a less than reliable mount, this light has fallen off my bike on numerous occasions. I use it as a rear light with a single mode red LED module, and it has proven to be the best rear light I've used.

Thanks to being a cheap light I was never bothered if it were to fall, and would not have considered using any decent light in this way. As it turns out, this has tested this cheap host, and it has not yet given up.



choombak said:


> Durability is relative, and cannot be compared in isolation. From my experience, no - when they fall on concrete the mode switch mechanism has screwed up more often than not. I have Surefire, HDS, malkoff that have tasted concrete multiple times without loss of functionality. So again, no, nitecore lights are pretty but I don't consider them reliable.



As lights get ever more complex, and have multiple circuit boards and switches, there is more and more to go wrong. Individual durability can differ greatly in a single batch of lights and depends on who assembled them almost as much as the design itself. Any brand producing high volumes of lights is going to have quite a few fail, but also many more that don't. It all comes down to numbers. The EA4 for example sold like hot cakes. A small number of users had problems with the switch cover in certain conditions. Yes it was a material fault, but considering this fact, the vast majority had no problems at all.

Durability will also vary significantly from model to model. If you pick a simple design with a single power switch, then the chances of failure are going to lower than with a fancy all the bells and whistles type of light.


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## pjandyho (Aug 19, 2014)

Personally I have had more failures with Nitecore than any other brands ever since the D10 and EX10 era. The only Nitecore product I have had no issues with is the TM26 (first couple batches). Even my EA8W died for no reason when I hardly use it. I loaded Eneloop in there and it would only turn on in firefly mode much dimmer than my Surefire T1A. I would like to buy Nitecore but I find their QC too iffy for me to depend on.


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## bondr006 (Aug 19, 2014)

I guess some people just have more bad luck than others. I personally have had no failures with Nitecore lights, and have two of them that are 6 years old that still work like the day that I got them. A NiteCore D20 and a NightCore EZ CR2 that I keep on my key chain.


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## mudcamper (Aug 19, 2014)

IMO _*ALL*_ of the "brand name" Chinese flashlight companies are of relatively equal quality, and that is, pretty good for the price.

As long as they have a decent warranty, and you don't mind mailing a light in for repairs if need be, it's worth the risk.


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## Sherbona (Aug 19, 2014)

I have a pair of Nitecore SRT7 that have had numerous 'at speed' falls to the road from my bike due to bad mounts that I used to use (these mounts couldn't hold onto lights when going over bad bumps). One of these also had a fall where it smashed into cement sidewalk (harder than a road). Both were scratched but still function perfectly. I think one of my Nitecore Chameleons also took a tumble from my bike, but at a slower speed. It too was scratched but works fine.


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## david57strat (Aug 19, 2014)

I bought an EA4 in February of last year, a P25 in July of that same year, and an MT21a, in April of this year, and have had no issues with any of the lights. I EDC the P25, and have been ever since I bought it (along with other lights).

I can't really complain about any of the lights; but I do tend to baby them (even though none of them are shelf queens, and the P25 goes everywhere with me) - and most other stuff I own, regardless of price.


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## DoctorSolo (Sep 15, 2014)

Hello CPF, new poster here. 

I work on arcade games and after getting bored with the shop maglites, I had been looking for a nice 1xAA LED light that is handy and can squeeze every last bit of juice out of a lowly and cheap AA.

After freshening up on current LED technology I felt like I had gleaned some good expectations for a what a good 1xAA flashlight can and can't do. Then, after reading around at various models' specs and features I settled on a Nitecore EA1. I'm not sure what the linking rules are here, but if you google that model it pops right up. 

The flashlight works great, when it works. The red LED was a nice feature because the arcade is dark and things get dropped. The side switches are nice because it's hard to inadvertently switch the light on when it's clipped to a pocket. The brightness on the first two settings is plenty for my needs, and the runtime is good too. The brightest settings are just a fun bonus.

BUT, the light stopped working after about 4 weeks of daily use. The red led still flashes, and the volt-meter still reads and outputs, but the main LED is dead. 

So now I'm in the frustrating process of trying to shake an RMA request loose from Nitecore. I've emailed them from both of my accounts.

Currently, I would have opine the negative to the OP. I think the features of these lights are great, but the durability has certainly left a lot to be desired on my experience. My wife says I'm completely stupid for spending almost 50$ on this thing. I wish she was wrong.


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## Danielsan (Sep 15, 2014)

mudcamper said:


> IMO _*ALL*_ of the "brand name" Chinese flashlight companies are of relatively equal quality, and that is, pretty good for the price.
> 
> As long as they have a decent warranty, and you don't mind mailing a light in for repairs if need be, it's worth the risk.



agree, i have the feeling that most chinese flashlight companies produce the lights in the same factories and nitecore (sysmax) is probably the most innovative and largest company there.


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## GordoJones88 (Sep 15, 2014)

DoctorSolo said:


> I settled on a Nitecore EA1.
> Currently, I would have opine the negative to the OP. I think the features of these lights are great, but the durability has certainly left a lot to be desired on my experience. My wife says I'm completely stupid for spending almost 50$ on this thing. I wish she was wrong.



Nitecore is a very innovative company, always trying new things, which is great.
Unfortunately, the Explorer Series, specifically EA1 and EC1 seem to have some sort of design flaw.
There is something wrong between the red LED and the switch.
It would be best in you could get your money back,
worst case Nitecore should fix or replace the light.
There are a bunch of great AA lights on the market you should also look at.
It is good if you can buy from Amazon, due to their easy return policy.


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## Danielsan (Sep 15, 2014)

GordoJones88 said:


> Nitecore is a very innovative company, always trying new things, which is great.
> Unfortunately, the Explorer Series, specifically EA1 and EC1 seem to have some sort of design flaw.
> There is something wrong between the red LED and the switch.
> It would be best in you could get your money back,
> ...



I have the newest EC1 with XP-G2 and i had no problems with the red light but the there is a slight design flaw in the product. This light sucks your battery empty in a week! even if you dont use it, the only solution is to unscrew the cap. I checked my AW rechargeable after a week and it was dead, thankfully it was a protected cell. The idea behind the light is great and indeed nitecores are trying to produce new designs, new ideas or copy good ideas from time to time like the klarus switch. But many other brands are more conservative with boring designs. I dipped the light in water to clean it, always without a battery, i did the same with a sunwayman D40A and discovered that the lights will not work after that. 10 Minutes later they worked again. I also disvovered this with a Nitecore EA4. I bet is is moisture inside the light that fade away after time or water under the switches because EA4, EC1 and D40A have electronical switches



Other innovative lights i like are the armytek wizard pros and i have to admit i like the Thrunite lynx end cap system, this programmable magnet selector cap should be in all flashlights. If you have this you dont need computer programmable flashlights over USB port, no more "i want ultra low mode, i want medium mode at xx lumen"


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## radiopej (Sep 15, 2014)

I keep hearing horror stories about Nitecore's switches, but all 4 people I know with Nitecore torches haven't had a problem. 

Btw, is it your pants pocket or your jacket pocket? I find I don't like torches bigger than a 1x CR123 light in my pants pockets. Surefire 6P is about the biggest I'd clip there for normal days, and even that is pushing it.

For jacket pockets, the size isn't a problem.


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## DoctorSolo (Sep 16, 2014)

Not sure who the pocket question is directed at but the EA1 is quite compact. Small enough to clip to the bill of my baseball cap. I carry clipped it next to my pocketknife strong side...

So Nitecore did contact me back, but they have not issued an RMA yet.

One thing that is troubling about Nitecore's CS (besides the fact that they take a few days to reply to emails), is that they insist you try to get a return through the merchant first. That will almost never happen, since the merchant will have to eat the initial cost of the product and then pursue a refund or whatever later on. Nobody does business like that stateside. Every other warranty claim I've made has been direct with the manufacturer, and painless or not depending on other factors... So now I emailed them back telling them my seller will not replace the item, so hopefully I'll get an RMA when I hear back. And even more hopefully, it will not take forever to get my repair.

And even more hopefully hopefully, I hope the flashlight lasts this time. Ask me how confident I am about that though...

I'm just posting this because it's important to know how a manufacturer stands behind their products. Chinese companies are a crap-shoot, and I'm seriously regretting this purchase.

If I had known this was going to happen, I would have just splurged and bought a quality product from a US company(or at least north american). 50$ isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things, but it's an expensive lesson in product selection.


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## radiopej (Sep 17, 2014)

I have no idea why I assumed the OP was using it as a pocket torch. I think I got my threads mixed up a little in that paragraph.


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## rickypanecatyl (Sep 17, 2014)

I agree they may be innovative with all their cute color blinky modes etc but on behalf of the original OP's question, Doctor Solo and anyone else who cares to ask the original OPs question the answer is:

NO! Nitecore lights are NOT durable or dependable!

I know we come from all sorts of different backgrounds here on CPF and "durable" is a relative term. 
I'm sure many here are office workers with an array of interesting lights they take excellent care of or LEOs that wear lights neatly on a utility belt.

I just got back from a SOC PAC training event where lots of time is spent dragging your body/gear over rough ground, mud, under water etc.
Nite core is certainly no where near up to those kinds of tasks.
Few will do that kind of stuff I'm sure BUT it was the question asked.

What I'm curious about is what the cost difference is to make lights with identical specs but one at nite core level quality and one at sure fire level?

Going the other direction, our night markets are full of $15 lights with impressive specs but even less reliability.

Let us know how the warranty work goes Doc! How many hoops do you have to jump thru.
Many Chinese companies are extra tight with warranty work as that is how they measure their durability. 
I.e. 
A poor product 
+ extremely poor warranty customer service that wears down customers so they don't send their products in 
= few warranty claims 
= a very reliable product!


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## DoctorSolo (Sep 17, 2014)

Well, my vendor(GPknives) is replacing the flashlight pending a return. They are really nice people and they took pity on my situation and said that it is unfortunate that this manufacturer made it such a hassle.

Moral of the story: If you are going to roll the dice, buy from vendors who care!

I will say this is certainly not the last chinese produced product I'll ever buy, you just gotta go into the deal with both eyes open...


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## Danielsan (Sep 17, 2014)

rickypanecatyl said:


> I agree they may be innovative with all their cute color blinky modes etc but on behalf of the original OP's question, Doctor Solo and anyone else who cares to ask the original OPs question the answer is:
> 
> NO! Nitecore lights are NOT durable or dependable!
> 
> ...



I think the smaller lights with less electronic like USB Port, indicator etc.. are more reliable, less electronical stuff is always better because the solder points can get loose during an impact. For  example the Thrunite T10S is a pretty reliable light, you can hammer on it, freeze it in ice, roll your car over it and so on. The other thing is Nitecore lights are not really bad, the anodizing and overall finish is perfect, innovative concepts, voltage indicators and so on. I think those lights are good for security personal or police. In your case you demand more from a light as a typical police officer would do, more like a military spec light. Im sure many police offices using chinese lights, in germany the Klarus and Fenix lights are popular at police service. Those lights can be dropped from time to time if the height is not to high and rain is also no problem. But those are not made for heavy impacts and diving, i just would not put them underwater, in real life it is unlikely to need underwater ability when you are a police officer or security guy. 

Warranty should be no problem when you buy the light in a special store but usually those stores are expansive, at least here in germany. I can get two identical flashlights directly from china for one bought in a german store.


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## GordoJones88 (Sep 18, 2014)

I just realized the EA1 pic I made 2 years ago was prophetic.

These things are all bad!










** That's KARR on the right*


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## ven (Sep 18, 2014)

For a solid AA light i would go with the mentioned thrunite t10 lights, t10-alloy and cheapest,then t10s -stainless which looks new for ever :laughing: and t10t -ti

Simple 3 mode,0.2lm/20lm and 169lm and come in cool or neutral white

Used a longer nitecore clip on my works(well i fitted a longer clip to all my t10 lights)
t10s cw




t10 cw




t10t nw




Reverse clicky but you can turn off by twisting head,then as long as you wait longer than 1.5 seconds,it will retain last mode.
Great light imo


To add on the nitecore,i have a few and never had a single issue at all,imo great lights,just buy from reputable vendors ideally local.


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## mudcamper (Sep 18, 2014)

rickypanecatyl said:


> NO! Nitecore lights are NOT durable or dependable!
> 
> I know we come from all sorts of different backgrounds here on CPF and "durable" is a relative term.
> I'm sure many here are office workers with an array of interesting lights they take excellent care of or LEOs that wear lights neatly on a utility belt.
> ...



Well, let me quote myself here:



mudcamper said:


> IMO _*ALL*_ of the "brand name" Chinese flashlight companies are of relatively equal quality, and that is, pretty good for the price.



So relative to Fenix, Eagletac, JetBeam, etc., Nitecore is a quality product and is dependable. That's my experience. Actually, in my experience, it's at the top of that list. But like you say, it's relative. Compared to SureFire durability, and when subjecting the light to constant abuse, no, of course Nitecore doesn't compare to SureFire. But you also pay 4 times as much for SureFire. And you usually get last year's technology from SureFire (if even that).


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## Sarlix (Sep 19, 2014)

Just saw this on this on Nitecore's website http://www.nitecore.com/video.aspx?id=176


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## pjandyho (Sep 19, 2014)

Sarlix said:


> Just saw this on this on Nitecore's website http://www.nitecore.com/video.aspx?id=176


Doesn't mean a thing to me if it's on their website. I am not saying this with affirmation, but knowing that a video could easily be manipulated, I have my reservations. For all I know, they may have gone through a few TM-26 to create this video. Thankfully my TM-26 is still functioning after 2 years, but I can't say the same for all my other Nitecore purchases. Horrible quality and QC throughout.

Even if what we see on the video is real, it could be one of the many lucky pieces that survived the video duration. What happens after nobody knows. Reading through the TM-26 thread, one couldn't help drawing the conclusion that the initial releases of TM-26 are built toughest and then flaws started showing up on subsequent pieces. This has always been my experience with Nitecore.


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## rickypanecatyl (Sep 22, 2014)

I agree with Pjandyho and in addition to that would point out that even if the video was legit that was pretty light weight!

Did you see the shots of him kicking the light thru the mud at around 1'40"? I would hope a iphone could take that as well. 

And "subjecting" that poor little light to 30 seconds under 6" of running water when it only claims IPX-8 - waterproof down to 2 meters for 30 minutes? 
Is that really that amazing? That red mud in this part of the world is typically pretty soft... especially with downed leaves thrown in.

Perhaps sharing my opinion of the video is a helpful reference point for my opinion on durability - No! I don't think that video was extreme! 

And on the eagletac front when superfonrik says he can pound the G25C2 as hard as he can hundreds of times into the pavement I want to ask, "Ermmm.... How much can you bench press?"


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## AirmanV (Sep 22, 2014)

mudcamper said:


> Well, let me quote myself here:
> 
> 
> 
> So relative to Fenix, Eagletac, JetBeam, etc., Nitecore is a quality product and is dependable. That's my experience. Actually, in my experience, it's at the top of that list. But like you say, it's relative. Compared to SureFire durability, and when subjecting the light to constant abuse, no, of course Nitecore doesn't compare to SureFire. But you also pay 4 times as much for SureFire. And you usually get last year's technology from SureFire (if even that).



I'd have to disagree on the part where you say SF has out of date technology. This may be true for a large number of SF lights, but surely not all models. Recently SF has been releasing some very high output flashlights like the P3X at 1000 lumens. But like I said a bulk of SF lights are under 500 lumens, which I would agree isn't exactly up to date when compared to nitecore lights. Just my 2 cents. No harm no foul. I agree with most of what you say 

In my opinion it boils down to what you prefer the most in a light, such as durability, lots of features, and cost. I'm personally a SF fan because I value reliability and durability over features and cosmetics.


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## AirmanV (Sep 22, 2014)

Edit: whoops, double post. Please delete.


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## Stanley Spadowski (Sep 23, 2014)

Slightly off subject but Nitecore QC related nonetheless:

If you're in the market in for a charger, I would recommend staying away from the Nitecore brand. I'm pretty new to flashlights, but I've been an e-cig user for a few years and have read many, many stories of Nitecore chargers going bad/ruining batteries. I still have yet to read one single bad Xtar/Pila story.

Nitecore makes competitively priced chargers with great features, but it seems they can indeed be a crapshoot. It's not worth the ~$10 cheaper compared to an Xtar equivalent.

Not even knowing a great deal about flashlights, I already knew it'd probably be best for me to stay clear of Nitecore when it came to buying my first "real" torch, despite their attractive and innovative looking features.

Cheers


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## pjandyho (Sep 23, 2014)

Stanley Spadowski said:


> Slightly off subject but Nitecore QC related nonetheless:
> 
> If you're in the market in for a charger, I would recommend staying away from the Nitecore brand. I'm pretty new to flashlights, but I've been an e-cig user for a few years and have read many, many stories of Nitecore chargers going bad/ruining batteries. I still have yet to read one single bad Xtar/Pila story.
> 
> ...


I have to agree. My Nitecore i4 Intellicharger started giving me problems a few weeks into using it.


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## mudcamper (Sep 23, 2014)

AirmanV said:


> In my opinion it boils down to what you prefer the most in a light, such as durability, lots of features, and cost. I'm personally a SF fan because I value reliability and durability over features and cosmetics.



For me, I end up buying a new light at least every year, because the tech is improving so quickly. I couldn't afford to do that with SF lights.



pjandyho said:


> I have to agree. My Nitecore i4 Intellicharger started giving me problems a few weeks into using it.



I own an I4 and a D4. Both have worked flawlessly. YMMV I guess.


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## Roger Ranger (Sep 23, 2014)

My only issue with Nitecore is the voltage indication on their OLED displays. My first TM26 was "Dead on balls accurate." (A technical term associated with torque wrenches.) I sent my second TM26 back because its voltage indication read 0.12v high. I gave up and kept my new TM36, even though its voltage indication reads 0.08v high.


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## Sarlix (Sep 23, 2014)

^^^^^^^^I only posted that video as a matter of interest as I happened to see it on their site after reading this thread. I have no bias either way. My first Nitecore (D10) had the pcb glued on at a skew and as a result had an intermittent fault. I had the worst possible customer service experience ever with Nitecore UK. I sent the aforementioned light to their 'service engineers' and apparently they could find nothing wrong with it and they sent it back, dismissed my complaint and all of that used up my warranty. After inspecting the light myself I found the skewed pcb board. I went back to my original vendor and got a new light, which has worked flawlessly for 6 years now. No company is perfect and you can get a bad light from any manufacturer. I've had two bad ones from Zebralight for example. I personally like Nitecore a lot due to their constant innovation.

edit: btw here is a much more serious torture test video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FUD2VkTg3o


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## pjandyho (Sep 23, 2014)

Sarlix said:


> ^^^^^^^^I only posted that video as a matter of interest as I happened to see it on their site after reading this thread. I have no bias either way. My first Nitecore (D10) had the pcb glued on at a skew and as a result had an intermittent fault. I had the worst possible customer service experience ever with Nitecore UK. I sent the aforementioned light to their 'service engineers' and apparently they could find nothing wrong with it and they sent it back, dismissed my complaint and all of that used up my warranty. After inspecting the light myself I found the skewed pcb board. I went back to my original vendor and got a new light, which has worked flawlessly for 6 years now. No company is perfect and you can get a bad light from any manufacturer. I've had two bad ones from Zebralight for example. I personally like Nitecore a lot due to their constant innovation.
> 
> edit: btw here is a much more serious torture test video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FUD2VkTg3o


Like I said, torture test means nothing to me. It doesn't show you if the light is still working or not some time after the torture test was concluded. It may have died shortly after the video was taken, or water ingress may have happened. As for EA8, mine died for no apparent reasons, and I hardly use it. My post wasn't directed at you in any negative way but more to explain to you about what is believable and what is not in the internet world. Nitecore may be innovative, but honestly speaking, innovation without quality control and reliability again means nothing to me. Nitecore may be priced lower than most American made lights but they ain't that much cheaper. It is not excusable when light after light failed me for no apparent reasons. The way they handle warranty sucks big time as well and I would rather place my money where I see the worth, even if it costs more.


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## RBWNY (Sep 23, 2014)

DragonLord said:


> No physical stores? Seriously?
> 
> I just got an SRT7 Revenger from B&H yesterday (yes, the famous camera store!). If you aren't near NYC, the local REI may have what you need. Cabela's and ****'s Sporting Goods don't seem to carry Nitecore, though ****'s does carry Fenix. _(note: no affiliation with any of these stores)_
> 
> ...



You're lucky to have access to great stores like that. The term "local REI" is funny...because they seem to have very few retail stores. I live in upstate NY, and my "local" REI stores are the NYC outlets! (not exactly local) We also don't have Cabela's. I've looked for lights at ****'s before, (around here) and their selection was no better than WalMart or Kmart. We have EMS... but at last look, they don't have much either. Although I think they might carry Streamlight.


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## rickypanecatyl (Sep 24, 2014)

pjandyho said:


> I have to agree. My Nitecore i4 Intellicharger started giving me problems a few weeks into using it.



Mine too - about 1 week of use. I bought it at a local brick and mortar store and when I brought it back there was a pile of them. They assured me it still worked, its just the AC part of it didn't work anymore  What he meant was I could still charge batteries with the DC charger plugged into a cigarette lighter. As it turned out, that wasn't my issue but it was true of most of the pile of broken nitecore chargers in his store.

I'm not trying to be a **** by rehashing the cheapness of nitecore - my pet peave here is mostly with my fellow CPFers and not Nitecore. Supply and demand. For some a high quality flashlight is a serious tool that needs to be able to take lots of abuse without being babied. A potential problem with "flashaholics" - the guy that doesn't NEED flashlights as a tool in serious environments but rather the guy who has 15 slick looking lights he rotates to walk his dog in suburbia... the guy who doesn't mind sending back a few of those a month for repair and isn't left out while they are gone....
because of their lower standards of reliability/durability but deeper pockets to buy lots of them, the market can cater more and more to them and possibly even put a company making reliable products out of business or lower their standards to keep up with the "fad money makers."


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## bdogps (Sep 24, 2014)

I agree, nitecore flaslights are not that good. My MH25 nightblade flickers once in a while after loosening the head. I recently bought a thrunite tn11s, and it does the same thing. For op question, i know it might be late now, but I think you are better off with a thrunite tn11s. Same functions as the nitecore p12. Instant strobe, about the same lumens. Difference? 29-39 dollars with extension tubes for the thrunite, while you will end up paying 70-90 bucks for the p12. 

I let you know how my mh25 and thrunite torches go. I am testing them in real world use, I unscrew and screw back in all the parts of it. I turn them on everyday and cycle through all the modes all the time. It irritates the wife, but I do want something reliable. 


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


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## thedoc007 (Sep 24, 2014)

rickypanecatyl said:


> I'm not trying to be a **** by rehashing the cheapness of nitecore - my pet peave here is mostly with my fellow CPFers and not Nitecore. Supply and demand. For some a high quality flashlight is a serious tool that needs to be able to take lots of abuse without being babied. A potential problem with "flashaholics" - the guy that doesn't NEED flashlights as a tool in serious environments but rather the guy who has 15 slick looking lights he rotates to walk his dog in suburbia... the guy who doesn't mind sending back a few of those a month for repair and isn't left out while they are gone....
> because of their lower standards of reliability/durability but deeper pockets to buy lots of them, the market can cater more and more to them and possibly even put a company making reliable products out of business or lower their standards to keep up with the "fad money makers."



I don't see that happening. Surefire seems to be going strong, despite the competition. Their stuff is mostly a generation or two behind, and personally I'm not convinced they are better lights to begin with. More tolerant of excessive abuse, perhaps, but the worst tint I ever saw was on a Surefire. I normally don't mind a slightly-off tint, but my P2X (XM-L) was so green I ended up giving it away. Who cares if it keeps working, if the light isn't worth using? Not me, anyway...Nitecore is offering stuff I enjoy using, and for me personally they have been just as reliable. 

You can vote with your dollars, but don't expect everyone else to pay a massive premium for allegedly "more reliable" lights. I have had three I4 chargers, two I2 chargers, two D4 chargers, a P25, an HC50 headlamp, an SRT7, two TM26s, a TM36vn and a P25vn (last two modified by Vinh). NONE of them have failed. ALL of them still work just as well as when I got them, as far as I know (several have been gifted). I do water testing whenever I buy a new light, and all my Nitecore lights have passed that with no issue. I don't abuse my lights, but I do use them every day at work. They do get dropped occasionally, and they get banged around fairly frequently, since I carry at least one on my belt every single day, and I'm not sitting at a desk.

I'm not saying that quality isn't important...but getting fed up because other people make a different choice than you is kind of ridiculous. I actually agree that Nitecore should pay more attention to quality control - there are too many stories about lights that have factory defects that should have been caught and corrected. But to each his own - if someone wants to buy Nitecore, or Surefire, or any other brand, it isn't my business.


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## Roger Ranger (Sep 24, 2014)

Anybody remember Japan in the '60's? All their stuff was junk. Used to be a joke. Ha-ha-hah.


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## mudcamper (Sep 24, 2014)

thedoc007 said:


> I'm not saying that quality isn't important...but getting fed up because other people make a different choice than you is kind of ridiculous. I actually agree that Nitecore should pay more attention to quality control - there are too many stories about lights that have factory defects that should have been caught and corrected. But to each his own - if someone wants to buy Nitecore, or Surefire, or any other brand, it isn't my business.



^Yup.



Roger Ranger said:


> Anybody remember Japan in the '60's? All their stuff was junk. Used to be a joke. Ha-ha-hah.



Funny. I do remember that when I was a kid, in the 70's. "Made in Japan" was derided as junk. Then by the late 80's anything made in Japan was the highest quality money could buy. They included some dialog to that effect in Back to the Future 3. I wonder if that could happen with Chinese manufacturing. Perhaps. But I don't think it will to the extent that it did in Japan, or even Korea.


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## KITROBASKIN (Sep 24, 2014)

Just curious, thedoc007: What kind of work do you do with your lights? Do they get dropped? How much runtime are they under any given work period, etc.? I have three NiteCore lights and an i2 charger, all good.


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## thedoc007 (Sep 24, 2014)

KITROBASKIN said:


> Just curious, thedoc007: What kind of work do you do with your lights? Do they get dropped? How much runtime are they under any given work period, etc.? I have three NiteCore lights and an i2 charger, all good.



I work for a delivery company. I belt carry a light all day, anywhere from six to twelve hours depending on the day. I've found it handy on the road more than once, but I won't count incidental usage. Mainly, my location has a warehouse full of trucks. At the end of the night, I go through about 45 trucks checking for overlooked packages. Most of the trucks are already indoors, and the warehouse is lit, but not very brightly. And it is easy to miss a small package behind a bulkhead door, or supply rack, or under a shelf, etc. So I use a light to make them easier to spot. There are also usually at least a few trucks still outside, and now that night is coming earlier, it comes in REALLY handy for those. Takes about a half hour, is all - but during that time I might click it on and off a hundred times, easily, so it is vital for me to have a good forward clicky. I have had only one switch fail, and that was on a Fenix. Wasn't a big deal, just a loose retaining ring, and I fixed it easily enough once I got home. As I said in my earlier post, I try to not abuse the lights...but I do drop them occasionally. Either onto concrete, or metal floors. Most of my lights do have minor damage to the anodizing, but I haven't had any lights stop working after a drop.

The bigger (multiple 18650) lights I use for night hikes. I have never dropped any of those...other than water resistance, I don't test them much.


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## Danielsan (Sep 25, 2014)

Thats why i think the toughness of a light is overrated. Fireworkers in germany use flahlights made of strong plastics, police use outdated flashlights without LED i guess, thats why most police officers buy their own LED lights. The army use this http://www.amazon.de/dp/B0073NUWKU/
So a flashlight dont have to be bulletproof because those lights mentioned are definately not. You just dont roll a car over your flashlight and you dont throw a flashlight from a mountain top. This is not real world usage, not even at police or military. there are flashlights for special purposes like diving or weapon lights that need to handle the recoil but thats another story. I cant see why nitecore should be worse then other chinese made lights, most lights from the better chinese brands are more or less the same i would say. 

A super tough one would be a LED light without a driver at all, just reduced to the simplest. I would choose LED over a normal light bulb because its more shock proof


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## robert.t (Sep 25, 2014)

If you want Surefire durability at Nitecore prices, what about Solarforce? Specifically, their various Surefire clones. I have not tried those yet, but I have a Solarforce Z2 and it's OK; the quality is nothing to write home about, but it's not terrible either. It's a nice little light, especially for the price.

The difference with Surefire - and I am referring mainly to the 6P, as I have one of those - is the way it is engineered. It reminds me of Soviet-era Russian military engineering, in that such hardware was engineered to withstand both the need for field servicing, and the possibility that it might be poorly made at the factory. The 6P has a very simple construction, so it's nearly impossible for anything to go wrong. Yet it has some clever engineering like the double spring on the P60 module, which ensures a consistent electrical contact (crucially, in both directions) under all sorts of conditions, even if the parts do not fit together very well. Most similarly-designed lights have zero or one springs at the business end, which makes them a lot more sensitive to damage or manufacturing variance.

I plan on building a clicky 6P clone at some point out of the range of Solarforce lego components - possibly using one of the many other P60 modules that are available; not necessarily a Solarforce one. Given the way the 6P (and the P60 module especially) is designed, there really is very little that can go wrong _even if it is badly made_, especially if you go with the Surefire-style tail cap rather than a clicky. Although from what I have read, the Solarforce ones are constructed as well as genuine Surefires anyway. If it comes to it, the modular design at least means that parts can easily be repaired, replaced, or upgraded as needed.

I also happen to have a Nitecore P12, and while it isn't terribly badly made, the attention to detail and finishing are certainly among the worst for the Chinese lights I have (and I have at least one from all the main brands). I can easily believe that the electronics are neither reliable, nor easily serviceable. It's probably the light I've found most disappointing compared to the "on paper" specs that made me buy it, although I doubt very much that I'd have found the equivalent Fenix models (such as the PD35) to be any better.

The downside of a 6P style light of course is the slightly larger diameter around the head, but it's not a huge difference. I find _both_ too big for EDC anyway, so I have an Eagletac D20A Ti Clicky for that purpose. The P12 and the 6P are both about equally pocketable for those occasions where I need a slightly more substantial light. In that regard the P12 is certainly bright (and can be quite efficient in low-power modes), but it's not very throwy, so outdoors it often doesn't seem as bright as it really is. It has one of the more effective "tactical strobe" modes if that matters, but the efficacy of strobe for self defence purposes is dubious at best.

Of course, if the OP's question was "are Nitcecore so badly made that I shouldn't buy one even though the size, specification and price are exactly what I want" then the answer is no, just buy one, it's as good as anything you'll get at that price. If the question was "can Nitecore be reasonably described as _durable_" then the answer is also no. However the same is true for most things: if you're not going to be in a situation where your life depends on it, you're better off buying something cheap and OK, then replacing it when it fails rather than spending 2-5 times as much on a brand like Surefire that has a much higher standard of quality control. If OTOH, you expect to be dropping it a lot and durability is one of your main considerations over size, UI, etc., but it's not exactly life-critical, then a 6P clone is probably the way to go.

Also, if you are going to be in any situation, life critical or not, where you really depend on your light, you should have at least one backup, since the most reliable can still fail for all kinds of reasons, including the battery running out unexpectedly. One nice thing I will say about the P12 is that I have found the low battery indicator to be pretty reliable, whereas most LED lights I have when running on LiIon will simply cut out when the voltage gets too low, but since they are regulated you get no warning that this is about to happen (the light level stays exactly the same until it suddenly cuts off).


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## mudcamper (Sep 25, 2014)

Danielsan said:


> I cant see why nitecore should be worse then other chinese made lights, most lights from the better chinese brands are more or less the same i would say.



Agreed. In my experience with 4 or 5 Chinese brands, I find them all to be relatively equal in quality. Sometimes some are better than others, but not with any consistency over time.

And all companies produce the occasional lemons. I've gotten a couple over the years from more than one brand. My first and only SureFire failed in the first month. That must mean that all SureFires are unreliable, right? (No.)



robert.t said:


> if you're not going to be in a situation where your life depends on it, you're better off buying something cheap and OK, then replacing it when it fails rather than spending 2-5 times as much on a brand like Surefire that has a much higher standard of quality control.



Agreed. This seems to be the disconnect some don't seem understand. I would wager that most posters on this forum do not regularly need their light to save their life. 



robert.t said:


> Also, if you are going to be in any situation, life critical or not, where you really depend on your light, you should have at least one backup



This. When I don't plan to need a light, I carry 2. When I plan on using a light, I carry 3 (or more).


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## AirmanV (Sep 25, 2014)

I agree with the philosophy of two is one, and one is none. This is why I carry 3 lights at work, where illumination is vital. In terms of durability being "overrated", I would disagree. It depends on the situation you are in, and what you use your lights for. For me, durability in lights is key. For this reason, I primarily use SF lights and Fenix lights. I'm not going to say Nitecore lights AREN'T durable, I am sure they are, but I don't have enough experience with nitecore to comment on their build quality. I would assume Fenix and Nitecore would be similar in terms of durability, although I have heard Fenix has a slight edge over nitecore. 

SureFire lights are great, _if you can afford it. _They are built like tanks and last an eternity. I still have my SF 6PX from when I was deployed. Still works like it did out of the box, despite some cosmetic ware and tear. Fenix is also a great option if you can't afford a SF light or perhaps don't want to because of the lack of features and 18650ability. My old TK35 has seen a great level of abuse, and just like my 6PX, it still works just as well as it did out of the box. 

I know this thread is about Nitecore, and I don't mean to venture too off topic, but I just want to offer my opinion and experiences with the OP. If you want a durable light, I can tell you that SF is definitely a great option if you can get over the price. Fenix is another good option, as I said earlier, if you can't or don't want to afford a SF. IMHO you can't go wrong with either. I'd rather have a few, rugged and reliable lights, than a bunch of cheapo's. That's just me, though.


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## GordoJones88 (Sep 25, 2014)

Danielsan said:


> You just dont roll a car over your flashlight and you dont throw a flashlight from a mountain top.



I think I just might have a new sig.


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## Taz80 (Sep 25, 2014)

Its not that people regularly need their light to save their life, they want a light that is going to work if the disaster or home invasion etc. they are prepping for ever happens. As for Nitecore lights the more complicated you make something the more likely it will fail. The reason people are buying Nitecore is they are making some innovative lights that are affordable, like the SRT and Chameleon series. I like my Nitecores but Ive's never needed a light to save my life. If I did I'd carry one of my surefire's or malkoff's.


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## CelticCross74 (Sep 25, 2014)

get a PD35. Ive got both the 850 lumen model and the 2014 960 Lumen model. Ive also got a P12 I have been very disappointed with. The tube feels thinner and the anodizing isnt as good. It also does NOT make that many lumens there is just no way. Also for some reason the older PD35 I swear is brighter than the new one so save yourself some money and get that one and yes its been dropped kicked etc and still works perfectly. The P12 seems to be Nitecores answer to the PD35 and it just doesnt stack up


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## cigarbufff (Sep 26, 2014)

Ive had a few nitecore lights and i havnt had a problem at all with any of them...


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## yowzer (Sep 26, 2014)

My D10 has been through the wash a few times, dropped more times than I can count, and generally abused. Still works as well as the day I got it.

My only other Nitecore is a EC25W, and the only abuse it's gotten is overheating when it accidentally turns on in my pocket. Still works great, even though it's gotten hot enough to burn my hand when I go to turn it off. Gets a tailcap lockout when it's not turned on after that.


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## Ishango (Sep 26, 2014)

I too didn't experience any problems with my Nitecore lights. My EX10 has been around and still works great (only thing I dislike is the parasitic drain on this one).

I too feel that the bodies of my Fenix lights are just a bit more sturdy, but the Nitecore lights are not bad. Like others said the more gimmicks on a light the more failure points.


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## pjandyho (Sep 26, 2014)

I hope I don't offend anyone by saying this. I am writing this because I am curious to know what some of you actually put your lights through.

Some of you commented that your EX10 and/or D10 are working well, but as far as I am concerned those were manufactured eons ago before Sysmax took over Nitecore. Correct me if I am wrong. I never had any problems with those EX10 and D10, that is until Sysmax took over and started producing a bunch of crap lights that either failed or didn't perform up to expectations in their initial phase after the takeover from the original owners of Nitecore. Do you guys remember all those posts regarding failures a few years back? Maybe you guys are talking about a new production of D10 and EX10 produced by Sysmax which if I am not wrong is renamed the D11 and EX11. Talk about that, the D11 which I bought has a horrible parasitic drain, more like a short circuit, which consumed my fully charged 14500 in a day of pocket carry when I had not even activated the light.

A few other lights I bought had other problems. A sand tan IFE1 suffered clicky switch issues and no matter how hard I tightened it, it either flickers, or failed to react to my clicking. To make matters worst, the so called hard anodized sand tan finishing started falling off the body like how powder would fall off after being rubbed. What's left of it is the blackish looking anodization under the sand tan color. This happened all in a matter of a day of pocket carry.

An IFE2 started flickering on the higher outputs no matter what battery I replaced it with. Cleaned all the threads but it is useless.

Over the pass few years I have encountered problems with all my other Nitecore products within a few days of ownership and I had to return them all.

It was the TM26 which brought back the little bit of confidence I have had with Nitecore. So after almost 1 year of problem free ownership, and thus feeling bolder I bought an EA8W only to have it die on me when I hardly ever used it.

This said, I find it hard to believe that some of you here are not encountering any problems. Other than the one poster who had dropped his light a few times, that left me asking, "Are you guys really using your Nitecore lights?" or are they really just shelf queens maybe being used a minute or two a week? Maybe some of you guys are lucky, or I am probably the most unlucky guy on this planet? I guess I will never know.


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## thedoc007 (Sep 26, 2014)

pjandyho said:


> This said, I find it hard to believe that some of you here are not encountering any problems.



There are a number of people who have posted problems. It isn't the case that everyone is praising Nitecore's quality or reliability. You can't expect everyone to have issues...if the failure rate was truly as high as your posts suggest, the company would be out of business. Certainly some people will have better luck than others, with a given brand. I myself have had many issues with FourSevens, and many people seem to think their quality is much better than average (they definitely have a better warranty). The point is, a small sample size does not really prove anything. I don't think that because I haven't had problems, that their reliability is unparalleled. On the flip side, you shouldn't assume that your experience is representative either.


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## mudcamper (Sep 26, 2014)

pjandyho said:


> or I am probably the most unlucky guy on this planet?



Sounds like it.


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## ven (Sep 26, 2014)

Out of all the brands i have had no issue with nitecore,one issue with fenix(sorted in 3 weeks with part delivered) one issue with klarus with snapped clip,would not send so wont use again(small thing maybe,how about an expensive light!!) no thanks.............lenser one issue with lt,my fault,free part posted free next day,will continue to use. Not had a maglite break apart from bulbs,very poor output though.

Anyway where were we .........nitecore thats it,like their lights,like the innovation,some maybe mall ninja.........so what :laughing:





No issues with ea4 button,although not left in glove box at 120oF and new type anyway. P25 is a great light,like the momentary,like the side mode,just a great light imo.

Used more now the tm15,love it,heavy,solid,well made feel,tripod mount,charge cells in light,handle has brought some novelty back,.with me every night for round house,garden duty etc.








None get a hard life as in thrown,battered,knocked nails in,but i have confidence in them as issues usually show soon(first week or even day for a bad light).

Quality wise may not be quite fenix but not far off,both china,both could be a pita to sort if not a local distributor(who is good)but this applies to most lights excluding home made/built specials.

So pretty good from me,prefer fenix by a tad but not much in it...............

i think better QC with all manufacturers is required,by the way the only DOA light branded i had was a Fenix....


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## kahuna2793 (Sep 26, 2014)

I had my nitrcore p12 about 6 months no problems at all. Very happy


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## Taz80 (Sep 26, 2014)

I've had a P25 since they first came out, used it quite a bit then put it in my work bag. I don't use it alot but when I need it it works. I also have a SRT7 that I use nightly with no problems. I am pretty easy on my lights though, they only get dropped occasionally.


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## Hondo (Sep 26, 2014)

OK, I'll weigh in here. I think there are a lot of issues to do with luck, and some to do with systemic better/worse design practices. The latter tends to be tied to price.

In my *humble* opinion, once we get away from cheap, or even cheap-ish lights (many of which I happen to really like), there are three classes:

Very good: Nightcore, Fenix 4Sevens/Olight, Eagletac, etc.

Damn good: HDS, Malkoff, Surefire, etc. 

CRAZY good: The high $$$ customs, such as McGizmo, which I wish I could justify, but never have for my use. I use redundancy to avoid paying this much for a single light for better assurance of reliability (not that I would not have at least one back up for any light, no matter how bulletproof). One of these days, I will own one.

All that said, I have a bunch Nightcore lights, and none of them have ever had any problems whatsoever.


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## CelticCross74 (Sep 27, 2014)

compared to nearly ALL their competitors then NO Nitecore is NOT durable. Fenix, Olight etc poop all over them in terms of build quality I still do not understand how Nitecore got so popular most likely through their gimmicky and totally crappy Tiny Monster series ugh


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## thedoc007 (Sep 27, 2014)

CelticCross74 said:


> compared to nearly ALL their competitors then NO Nitecore is NOT durable. Fenix, Olight etc poop all over them in terms of build quality I still do not understand how Nitecore got so popular most likely through their gimmicky and totally crappy Tiny Monster series ugh



Spoken like a true troll! Thanks for your input!


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## Ishango (Sep 28, 2014)

pjandyho said:


> Some of you commented that your EX10 and/or D10 are working well, but as far as I am concerned those were manufactured eons ago before Sysmax took over Nitecore. Correct me if I am wrong. I never had any problems with those EX10 and D10, that is until Sysmax took over and started producing a bunch of crap lights that either failed or didn't perform up to expectations in their initial phase after the takeover from the original owners of Nitecore. Do you guys remember all those posts regarding failures a few years back? Maybe you guys are talking about a new production of D10 and EX10 produced by Sysmax which if I am not wrong is renamed the D11 and EX11. Talk about that, the D11 which I bought has a horrible parasitic drain, more like a short circuit, which consumed my fully charged 14500 in a day of pocket carry when I had not even activated the light.



I only mentioned my EX10 as an example since it is the oldest Nitecore I've got . I also didn't have any issues with the newer lights (P25 , EA1, SRT3, MH2A and several others). 

I did however experience issues with a Zebralight H51Fw , Fenix PD30, Olight M10 Maverick.The latter two were handled under warranty. 

Like others have said, each brand has some faulty lights now and then. I don't feel Nitecore is a bad manufacturer.


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## pjandyho (Sep 28, 2014)

Ishango said:


> I only mentioned my EX10 as an example since it is the oldest Nitecore I've got . I also didn't have any issues with the newer lights (P25 , EA1, SRT3, MH2A and several others).
> 
> I did however experience issues with a Zebralight H51Fw , Fenix PD30, Olight M10 Maverick.The latter two were handled under warranty.
> 
> Like others have said, each brand has some faulty lights now and then. I don't feel Nitecore is a bad manufacturer.


Thanks for your reply. I am starting to feel I am probably one of the unluckiest person on earth. Maybe I should give their products another go and see how it goes.


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## Labrador72 (Oct 10, 2014)

Though I think Nitecore do not have one of the best QC and their build quality and finish may not be as good as other Chinese brand as Fenix, I have to admit that I've never had a problem with my Nitecore lights.
My first LED light was Nitecore Infinity Defender which I EDCed for two years and though is now relegated to a drawer, it still works fine.
I've had an several lights from their MT series for nearly a year now and though they are not the most used lights I have, I haven't had any problems with them either so far. I went for basic no-frill models with no (electronic) side switches or other fancy features which means the Nitecore lights I own have fewer parts that could potentially give problems or simply fail!


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## thegaunlet (Dec 2, 2014)

Overclocker said:


> Here's a P12 driver that had failed at the solder joints indicated by the arrows. Seems like repeated pressing of the side button caused micro fractures on the (lead-free) solder joints. This was a very simple fix though i highly recommend you don't press too hard on the button
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks to Overclocker for posting those pictures. I was about to get a Nitecore P12 for kicks when I saw it and realized that flaw. Yes we can't expect top notch quality at an average price but structural/design flaws immediately predisposes it to many problems. 

That being said I have 2 SRT3s and 1 SRT5 that are durable IMHO. I do not baby them, have dropped them time and again. There're scratches and dings but they still work. The SRT ring seems well built and we've probably played with the ring more than we need to and show no signs of failing.

I really love the SRT UI and the compactness of the SRT3 and SRT5. Although the SRT5 isn't driven to 900+ Lumens we do get that extended runtime especially on 3400mAh (Nitecore rates 1hr 45 mins on 2600mAh).

Seems like I'll be sticking to the SRT3 and SRT5 for a long time.

An interesting thing is the SRT3 and SRT5 heads are lego-able so I bought adapters from cpfmarketplace for AAA, AA, 16340 to fit a 18650 form factor, put the SRT3 head on SRT5's body and you have a light that can handle AAA (10440), AA (14500), CR123 (16340) and 18650. Sure it's only 550 lumens max but the versatility is pretty sweet.

Only weird thing is they always provide an extra tailcap boot even though it seems extremely difficult to impossible for the lay person to service it if need be.


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## Danielsan (Dec 2, 2014)

Labrador72 said:


> Though I think Nitecore do not have one of the best QC and their build quality and finish may not be as good as other Chinese brand as Fenix, I have to admit that I've never had a problem with my Nitecore lights.
> My first LED light was Nitecore Infinity Defender which I EDCed for two years and though is now relegated to a drawer, it still works fine.
> I've had an several lights from their MT series for nearly a year now and though they are not the most used lights I have, I haven't had any problems with them either so far. I went for basic no-frill models with no (electronic) side switches or other fancy features which means the Nitecore lights I own have fewer parts that could potentially give problems or simply fail!



I cant agree with that, the nightcore anodizing is really good, i never get nightcore lights with silver spots. I got many other brands with little silver spots in the anodizing. Overall for me nightcore has just the same quality as most chinese lights, i cant see a difference in it at all. The chinese lights are all so similar it looks like they come all from the same factory. The most problems in terms of anodizing i had with sunwayman. My D40A was sparkled with tiny silver spots and the sharp edges on my D20A were not anodized at all. My jetbeam SRA40 has a rattling power port at the bottom. my Olight SR Mini had glue or talcum powder inside the reflector. The lens of my Thrunite Lynx was scratched up. The only cosmetically perfect light i can rember was a Nightcore P25 Smilodon, a P12 and a EC1


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## RCTPAVUK (Dec 2, 2014)

I own TM26, and gong to TM06. Can't say anything about 06, but I have dropped my 26 one time on a hard surface (ceramic floor squares). Broke a lens glass. Had to order another one. IS were surprised, but sent me two of them (as i asked, referring to my luck)...


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## robert.t (Dec 3, 2014)

Danielsan said:


> The most problems in terms of anodizing i had with sunwayman. My D40A was sparkled with tiny silver spots and the sharp edges on my D20A were not anodized at all.



My V10A and V20As have some of the best anodising I've encountered, yet the anodising on my D40A is nothing to write home about. It's like they were made by different companies and, given the way Chinese industry works, I wouldn't be surprised if that were true. I would also not be at all surprised if Nitecore have significant variability between models.


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## david57strat (Jul 6, 2015)

Thus far, I've obtained 10 of their lights, but continue to have zero negative issues with any of them. I'm very pleased with them, so far


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## Overclocker (Jul 6, 2015)

thegaunlet said:


> Thanks to Overclocker for posting those pictures. I was about to get a Nitecore P12 for kicks when I saw it and realized that flaw. Yes we can't expect top notch quality at an average price but structural/design flaws immediately predisposes it to many problems.
> 
> That being said I have 2 SRT3s and 1 SRT5 that are durable IMHO. I do not baby them, have dropped them time and again. There're scratches and dings but they still work. The SRT ring seems well built and we've probably played with the ring more than we need to and show no signs of failing.
> 
> ...





well i'm happy to report that more recent nitecore builds have greatly improved in quality and reliability


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## Ishango (Jul 7, 2015)

I still have my EX10 in working condition (but high parasitic drain seems to be a major issue with it these days). I never had any problem with my Nitecore lights. The recent builds seem to have indeed improved on quality further.


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## Hondo (Jul 7, 2015)

I avoid parasitic drain in the EX10/D10 by turning them off by turning the head when I won't be using them for a while, it's a full mechanical lock-out. When the piston switching/ramping is available, you are using power. You can still have momentary piston activation in this state, though.


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## Lumencrazy (Jul 7, 2015)

Hondo said:


> I avoid parasitic drain in the EX10/D10 by turning them off by turning the head when I won't be using them for a while, it's a full mechanical lock-out. When the piston switching/ramping is available, you are using power. You can still have momentary piston activation in this state, though.



2015 and we still accept that kind of parasitic drain? We are light years behind in technology. The overseas manufacturers know that as long as they print 100000 lumen super-tactical bad guy vaporizer on the box cover we will want to believe it and will buy it. So why try harder. When it comes to selling flashlights they have figured us out.


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## Hondo (Jul 9, 2015)

Actually, we are talking about lights now that were new back in 2008.

And it is only an issue when you activate the piston feature, they have literally zero when backed out to momentary only.

My (newer) HDS lights have a pretty high overhead when running on low modes, although still extremely low in the off state. None of the control ring lights have decent very low mode runtimes due to high overhead draw from the circuit. And unless they have a mechanical switch to disconnect the battery, they draw quite a bit in the off position. HDS is the exception to the latter, as it's switch is electronic, but still prevents significant parasitic drain from the Rotary when off.

I am very interested in the lights that are not made overseas and have the technology that we are so far behind. Could you point me to some? If their prices are not overly prohibitive, I would consider purchasing some. But since none of my current lights have unavoidable parasitic drain that effects their use for me, I won't be willing to pay a lot more for their features.

Oh, and all of my Nitecore lights are still working.


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## Lumencrazy (Jul 10, 2015)

Hondo said:


> Actually, we are talking about lights now that were new back in 2008.
> 
> And it is only an issue when you activate the piston feature, they have literally zero when backed out to momentary only.
> 
> ...


 
As we all are aware, with an electronic switch you will always have parasitic drain. The issue is how much. Companies like Zebralight and Armytek have drain rates lower than the self-discharge rates of most batteries (kudos to them). Battery protection circuits also continually pass current which is one reason I use unprotected batteries for both my Zebralight and Armytek flashlights (these lights have a battery protection curcuit built into the driver so no sense in having two in series) . Again the question is how much current is being used? Ultimately it is a reflection of both the quality of the components and the circuit design. For example, for the EA41, the Nitecore manual recomends keeping the batteries out of the light EA41 to prevent from draining them during storage (high drain rates were confirmed by Selfbuit during his evaluation of this light) meanwhile I can keep my Zebralight and Armytek products ready to go with no problem.


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## WarRaven (Jul 10, 2015)

I wonder how many Joe six packs or regular Joe's, read the manual to realize the high parasitic drain?
Quite a few of them will be using alkaleaks and this light equals a clean up on isle 3.

No one expects it to drain away cells not in use.
Pass.


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## Lou Minescence (Jul 11, 2015)

WarRaven said:


> I wonder how many Joe six packs or regular Joe's, read the manual to realize the high parasitic drain?
> Quite a few of them will be using alkaleaks and this light equals a clean up on isle 3.
> 
> No one expects it to drain away cells not in use.
> Pass.



Average Joe will probably blame the batteries and not realize the light was the problem.
I have a TM06 I like a lot. I discovered the extreme uneven battery drain on my own and then read about it in CPF.
I will never gift this light to anyone incase there is an unsafe battery problem caused by the drain. I might be paranoid, but the average person can't be expected to check there batteries every couple weeks for uneven drain and recharge them.


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## WarRaven (Jul 11, 2015)

Lou Minescence said:


> Average Joe will probably blame the batteries and not realize the light was the problem.
> I have a TM06 I like a lot. I discovered the extreme uneven battery drain on my own and then read about it in CPF.
> I will never gift this light to anyone incase there is an unsafe battery problem caused by the drain. I might be paranoid, but the average person can't be expected to check there batteries every couple weeks for uneven drain and recharge them.


+1
Considerate friend indeed.
I guess an option would be to print on the light itself to lock out power supply when not in use.
That is, if it's not already on one?


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## Lou Minescence (Jul 11, 2015)

There's no label on it but I should make one. Locking out the light is not easy. You almost have to unscrew the tail cap completely. About 2 1/2 turns it's locked out. At 3 turns ithe tail cap comes off. It can be locked out but it's not designed to do that.


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## WarRaven (Jul 11, 2015)

Lou Minescence said:


> There's no label on it but I should make one. Locking out the light is not easy. You almost have to unscrew the tail cap completely. About 2 1/2 turns it's locked out. At 3 turns ithe tail cap comes off. It can be locked out but it's not designed to do that.


Thanks, I had no idea it was that far.

I wonder if pipe thread sealant tape, like one or two thin wraps to limit tail cap ability to make electrical contact unless seated would or may help?


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## Lou Minescence (Jul 11, 2015)

The problem is the pins on the tailcap or some other thing feeds the power to the LED beacon and circuitry in the light. Even with the beacon off there is a substantial current draw. A quarter turn of the tailcap turns the light off. 2.5 turns cuts the current drain all together. 4 turns ( just counted them ) totally unscrews the tail cap. Having a large parasitic drain is not good, but having a drain that unbalances the cells is bad. I haven't read about anyone having a safety problem here yet, but there is a potential. I swap the positive up batteries over to the negative up every week and recharge the batteries every 3 weeks. Good thing this light doesn't take CR123 batteries.
As far as durability, I haven't abused or been too hard on my Nitecore lights. I like them a lot except the EC11 I just got.
Bright little light but the PWM on the 2 or 3 mid modes irritates me big time. Lowest and highest modes are not bad.
My SRT 7 is in my top 10 favorites.
I would hate to drop my TM26 or TM06 because I think it would not be without damage. My TM06 is always in my daily backpack and the TM26 stays at the house to light up my yard for those noises outside in the night. The TM26 drains the batteries enough to charge them once a month. There not dead but low enough to charge. Amazing bright lights.


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## WarRaven (Jul 11, 2015)

I see, thank you for making me aware.
These multi celled lights are beyond me, I can appreciate all the caution an concern to own an use one though. That is probably why I don't, now an then I get lazy an I know it. (High gravity week after full moon week, taller for a few days, then lugging it for a few)(yes j/k)☺
I wasn't sure of contact method, now it makes sense. 


Yes that would be annoying to keep rotating cells because you have to, though a good tool can push us to make compromises when needed. 
Shouldn't have to as noted, but that's life.

Yes crazy if it was full of CRs, I'm wondering if that warning shouldn't be in bold print from the OEM.


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## aramacir (Jul 25, 2015)

i have a NITECORE P12.i want ask what is the best option to get out the Board?


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## Varn (Sep 6, 2015)

Overclocker said:


> Here's a P12 driver that had failed at the solder joints indicated by the arrows. Seems like repeated pressing of the side button caused micro fractures on the (lead-free) solder joints. This was a very simple fix though i highly recommend you don't press too hard on the button



Hi, sorry to quote an old post, but how can i remove the pill? the thing won't budge. i think my p12 got the same issue by being weighed down too much on the mode button. now the mode button will not work and it's stuck in moon light mode


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## teacher (Sep 9, 2015)

Varn said:


> Hi, sorry to quote an old post, but how can i remove the pill? the thing won't budge. i think my p12 got the same issue by being weighed down too much on the mode button. now the mode button will not work and it's stuck in moon light mode



Yeah, I'd like to know the _*proper way*_ to remove it also. That way maybe I won't tear it up using the ole' trial and error method. 
Varn....:welcome:


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## WarRaven (Sep 9, 2015)

I can't help with disassembly.
But on topic of thread, I own one Nitecore, MH20.

I'm not rough on my gear really, I don't drop stuff.
Though, I use it, play with it lots, daily.

No issues to be said in last month or two of edc.
I didn't pay through the nose to buy it, it blows lights costing much more away and has a decent warranty.
It also is carried into shower every other day, JIC lighting, no window in basement shower. No ingress noted on paper inside, I paper shim lights for the record. 
Lens, O rings, emitter all perfect.

This is single cell though and I'm kind of believing all OEM suffer from one issue or another on bigger lights.

Just wanted to update this thread with my current thoughts on Nitecore as I felt negative towards them for what I saw in others posts for a long time.
I'm not saying they're all great, but I'm saying now, they're worth the chance if the light interests you. 

You can put that in your pipe or your light, and..

Have a great one.


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## Crazyeddiethefirst (Sep 9, 2015)

I currently own 13 Nitecore lights. The only problem any has experienced is a modified "Tube" that has an appearance of PWM on the max setting(not true PWM, but that is as close of a description as I can come). My EC11 has seen a lot of hard use & been dropped enough to have battle scars, yet works flawlessly. I use my lights, a lot. I don't baby them, but I don't typically abuse them either. I believe the lights I have bought in the last two years are much better than the older ones. Did QC get better, are materials stronger, design elements superior? All that matters is when I reach for my NC, it works, every time.


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## david57strat (Sep 15, 2015)

I have eleven, and they comprise about fifteen per cent of all my lights. Not one has failed me, yet. I failed and went and lost an EA11, which I replaced, within a week, since it was one of my 6 EDCs. No complaints whatsoever, about any of my Nitecores. They all do exactly what they're meant to do, and they do it very well. I'd gladly buy more of their products. Right now, the P36 is on my list (I love the MT-G2 emitter - very useful tint).


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## tomedmondson (Sep 15, 2015)

I have been using Nitecore for the past 5 months without any problems. They seem quite durable to me till now. I found them better than others.


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## TA_ls1 (Apr 30, 2016)

Well, I'm not sure what to think at this point. I have owned a p12gt for about a month, and sold it, no issues in that short time. I had a tube that came broken, upon taking it apart, I saw the soldering was broken. Amazon took care of that promptly and sent another. I had an mh12 that I used for a short and then gave to my girlfriend, it stopped worked after about 5 months. She really loved that one. There was something rattling in the head. We never abused it or anything, it was used mostly in doors. Surprisingly, when she called Amazon, they refunded us, even after 5 months! Next I gave her my mh27 I had just gotten off a group buy. She liked that one a lot. Today, that died. It won't turn on at all, and we've had it for about 1-2 months. Again, never abused and I cleaned everything thoroughly and tested multiple batteries, so I'm 100% sure it is not user error. She cannot catch a break I guess. About the only good luck I've had is with my mh20, and hopefully my mh20gt that I should be receiving soon.

My girlfriend really loves Nitecores, but after having 2 die on her, I am not sure what to do. I really don't want to risk it again. I wish I could sway her towards Zebralight or Armytek, but she requires a rear clicky, tailstand ability, and a side switch to change modes. If not Nitecore, what would be a good choice that is similar but more reliable? Anyone have experience with Klarus? The xt11s looks promising, but it it reliable? I'm thinking of looking into Fenix, I've never owned one. I guess we'll see.


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## ven (Apr 30, 2016)

My experiences with Klarus has not been positive, so i will not buy that brand again(been maybe 3yrs now) I would maybe look at Fenix as a brand(armytek seem to have a bit hit/miss right now, older seem to be tough as old boots however!) . ZL has a strong following for sure(still not jumped on the brand yet).

IMO NC problems are QC, they put out quite a few lights and seem to not be on the ball with the QC side of things. For innovation, they do seem ahead of the game and have some nice lights released. 

Would get her something like a convoy s2+ as a back up, then she will have something to fall back on to use...............never now, the s2+ could be the user and the ****** a back up :laughing:

If reliability and tint are important, more so than output(1000lm for 3 mins turbo type), sometimes going towards the top is the best investment, maybe a malkoff light/drop in would be the way. Hosts from solarforce to malkoff and a nice drop in off gene.................Might not be as bright as a p12gt, but a far more pleasing tint and still near 300lm of useful light is enough and some for 99% of EDC type uses.


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## darkshot (Apr 30, 2016)

I have been using Nitecore lights for almost four years, 6-8 of them. Have given away a bunch to friends and family. They perform flawlessly under widely varied conditions. From my mother's night stand ec20 to my hunting buddy's srt7. The latter is subjected to hard use as a primary light to a professional hunter - 3 years and still going strong.
I am especially pleased with my little ec21. It is used mostly in Jan.-Feb. as a hunting light to walk to and from my stand. Last year it went through 25-30 cycles of freezing and thawing, never a hickup. There are tougher lights out there, but for my uses Nitecore represents a good balance of quality and price.


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## TA_ls1 (Apr 30, 2016)

I used to think so too, maybe my girlfriend is just that unlucky, but she likes Nitecore so much she still doesn't want to switch brands, plus we couldn't find anything comparable to the mh27 which had the throw along with the other features she wants. I just hope their warranty service is good. I read something on their site about us having to go back to the dealer and not them? I bought the mh27 off a group buy and don't know the dealer. As a manufacturer that advertises a 5 year warranty, I'll be very upset if they don't take care of us.


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## seery (Apr 30, 2016)

Nitecore makes a decent light. 

But Acebeam has really stepped up their game. In terms of build quality and attention to detail, they have surpassed Nitecore.

And although they aren't there yet, Acebeam is getting close to Fenix. 

I'd rate them as:
#1 - Fenix
#2 - Acebeam 
#3 - Nitecore

My opinion is based solely on having owned (2) Nitecore TM16GT's, (2) Acebeam K70's, and (3) Fenix TK75 2015'.


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## cheey85 (May 1, 2016)

I have MT1A and the strobe function didn't work sent e-mail no reply their qc is bad and no response


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## wolfgaze (May 1, 2016)

TA_ls1 said:


> I'm thinking of looking into Fenix, I've never owned one. I guess we'll see.



Fenix PD32 (2016 Edition)?


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## Impossible lumens (May 1, 2016)

I have about 10 Nitecore lights an ea11 now only emits about 1/2 lumen no matter how I press the buttons. Maybe just a bad joint but still. I know another one failed too but I can't think of what it was. I think Nitecore is kind of like Comcast except with Nitecore there are other options available.


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## Parrot Quack (May 1, 2016)

My current stable are all Nitecore and I've not had trouble with any of them. That's not a recommendation as that's simply one man's experience. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Nitecore, which I do but there's no telling when mass produced lights are going come up Aces & Eights.

FWIW, my experience is with Surefire, JETBeam and Nitecore and I have six Nitecore lights. None of my lights have caused me to regret the purchase. The reason I have so many lights is because lights keep getting new features, longer run times and are more powerful.


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## jal (May 1, 2016)

I have several Nitecores (TM16GT, MH25, MH10, CR6, EC4S). The MH25, which I liked quite a bit, died abruptly after it fell onto (carpet-covered wood) floor; I haven't yet disassembled it, but suspect a failure like the one highlighted in the same light earlier in this thread. Since then, and due to other peoples' experiences, tend to think of them as a step up from the $8.99 14000 lumen lights you see on eBay, but not of the same durability as SF or Malkoff, or even Fenix.

Put another way, I don't think twice if I drop my Malkoff MD2. I know it is fine aside from the new scratch. If I were to drop the EC4S, I'd be worried. So I'm saying now I probably won't buy more Nitecore, but of course they will come out with something that gets me hot and bothered, and I'll give in at some point.


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## raiderkilo (May 9, 2016)

I have no any issues with NC, own five model's


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## david57strat (May 9, 2016)

Checking back in, and still with eleven of their lights. No complaints, whatsoever


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## Afzaal (Jun 8, 2017)

Plz share p12gt head disassembly since i am having issues with it after falling.


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## SoCalTiger (Jun 9, 2017)

I bought a Nitecore EA81 and I loved it so much that I got a second one. Unfortunately, one of them was defective from the factory but the replacement is fine. The best thing about the Nitecores are the style and UI. Perfect to me.


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## Crazyeddiethefirst (Jun 10, 2017)

This is a picture of just the solid body Nitecore lights I own that was taken for another thread:
http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/...ghts/A75EDA53-8095-4008-8D6F-810676EDFBDF.jpg
I have quite a few more. Having said that, many people complain about parasitic drain on the EC-11 and a few others and I have never had a problem. I have Nitecore Light that were made long before I was into flashlights up to and including the most recent one I have on pre-order.
Of maybe 20-25 lights that I bought, kept and used for utility, I have only had one failure, ironically one of my newer solid body lights. It worked fine, and after 2-3 minutes it would suddenly shut off. That being said, the Vendor gave me the choice of returning it for repair or keep it and buy a new one for 75% off the sale price. I chose the latter and had my new light in a week. It happened to be my favorite, a neutral white 2000 Lumen 2 x 18650 light. I like Olight too, but have had to return a few lights for service. To be fair, I own quite a few Surefire lights and while I am a big fan, I have had to return two (of maybe 30) for service. A long answer for your short question, I believe overall Nitecore Lights are durable and dependable.


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## SCEMan (Jun 10, 2017)

My 2014 D25A Ti is my travel light and has worked perfectly all over the world on vacations. All my other Nitecores have also been problem-free although they don't get rough usage.


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## Crazyeddiethefirst (Jun 10, 2017)

Hey SCEMan,
Isn't the D25A made by Eagtac, aka EagleTac? I have both the D25A & D25C and while they are awesome and dependable lights I don't think they are Nitecore, but please feel free to correct me if Nitecore snuck one by Me it would not be the first time...


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## SCEMan (Jun 10, 2017)

Crazyeddiethefirst said:


> Hey SCEMan,
> Isn't the D25A made by Eagtac, aka EagleTac? I have both the D25A & D25C and while they are awesome and dependable lights I don't think they are Nitecore, but please feel free to correct me if Nitecore snuck one by Me it would not be the first time...



Doh! 

I'll blame this on the Aleve/Chardonnay combo I had last night fighting a bad cold...

But my Nitecore EA4W & EC25W are still working fine.


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## Crazyeddiethefirst (Jun 11, 2017)

I have the EC1& EC25 too. The EC25 keeps getting back into the rotation even though there are brighter lights out there-it just fits my hand well and the finned design of the head dissipates heat really well.....The EC1 sometimes replaces the E1e.....at the time I noticed your post on the D25A I was enjoying a Chateau St Michelle Riesling & briefly questioned myself "self, are you sure this isn't the wine talking"? Instead of an answer I had another glass....


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## SCEMan (Jun 11, 2017)

Crazyeddiethefirst said:


> at the time I noticed your post on the D25A I was enjoying a Chateau St Michelle Riesling & briefly questioned myself "self, are you sure this isn't the wine talking"? Instead of an answer I had another glass....


I like your style...


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## Afzaal (Jun 12, 2017)

Oh wow some one deleted my feedback because it was against its reliability 
If you guys open thread to get feedback from customers then be honest with it.
Or change the topic and make it 
"Post only good things about nitecore"
Do not complaint


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## archimedes (Jun 12, 2017)

Afzaal said:


> Oh wow some one deleted my feedback because it was against its reliability
> If you guys open thread to get feedback from customers then be honest with it.
> Or change the topic and make it
> "Post only good things about nitecore"
> Do not complaint


No, your post was deleted because of your use of crude language, and Rule 4 violation as "flaming / baiting" , but lacking much else of substance.

As you can clearly see, there are well over a hundred prior posts in this thread, both positive and negative, but discussed in a reasonable tone.

I notice that you are a rather new member here, and joined for "urgent" assistance, which you have received.

Every one of your threads so far has been duplicative, negative, and critical.

Please familiarize yourself with the rules here ...

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/Rules.html#articles

Complaining about moderation is considered a violation of Rule 8.

Thank you.


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## vadimax (Jun 12, 2017)

Afzaal said:


> Oh wow some one deleted my feedback because it was against its reliability
> If you guys open thread to get feedback from customers then be honest with it.
> Or change the topic and make it
> "Post only good things about nitecore"
> Do not complaint



Look how to ***** about lemons:

Well, I had a MH20. Its switch was inconsistent to some extent: it could give either no contact on press or double contact. So I passed it to sister... Yes, I am a bad guy :devil:


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## davyro (Jun 16, 2017)

I own 4 nitecore lights an e11, mh20, mh20gt and a p20 I dropped the mh20 and the switch didn't work great but it was still under warranty. So I sent it to the nitecore UK dealership where I bought it and as usual there service was fantastic. Got my light back within a week as good as new. That was over 2 years ago, I've not had any problems with the other lights or the one I dropped since. I did buy the gt and the p20 after I'd dropped the light 2 years ago but they've been flawless. So I've got nothing but praise for nitecore lights or their after sales service


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## Crazyeddiethefirst (Jun 20, 2017)

I recently received my Nitecore Concept 1 light. 1800 lumens in a very compact form, moonlight accessible from off, Turbo available at any time and a simple way to go from "General" to "Tactical" mode. Perhaps my favorite Nitecore to date. No change in my opinion about durability from earlier post.


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## CREEXHP70LED (Jun 22, 2017)

Of the higher end Chinese lights, I have owned lights from Foursevens, Nitecore, & Olight. Several of each brand. I had the best luck with Olight, then Foursevens and the worst was Nitecore. I was down to one of each model when I decided to take them to the pool and spa where I lived last year. I was correct when I predicted that the Nitecore would leak and die first then the Foursevens and finally the Olight. The Olight died in the pool, like the other two, but after letting them air out overnight the Olight somewhat worked, but not enough for me to keep it. The Nitecore and Foursevens were toasted.


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## aknecht (Jun 22, 2017)

I have several NC lights and spent the past weekend swimming with my MH20GT up to depths of 8 or so feet for a total of ~3 hours of underwater time. No issues whatsoever.


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## DRAWs (Jun 22, 2017)

my MH27 was dropped a lot of time and the red led was dead but the rest of the function still worked fine


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## PaladinNO (Jun 22, 2017)

I've had a Nitecore HC90 headlamp for ~10 months, and nothing to report with it so far (apart from the bundled 2600 mAh unprotected Nitecore battery wasn't very good). 

While I've tried to be careful with it, I managed to bash it off my head once, causing it to fall at speed down about 2 metres and onto a packed dirt surface, but it was barely a scrape on it.
Been out with it in the drizzle and snow too, and while I have been sceptical about the apparent openings in the top of it (due to the operating slider), it didn't seem to affect it at all.

I did consider the Nitecore P12 too a couple years back, but thanks to the beforementioned horror-stories, I ended up with the Fenix PD35 instead. A light I now would trust with my life.


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## TLLOF (Jul 9, 2017)

I picked up an MT10A pretty soon after they came out and have edc'd it since then. Never had an issue and it's a great little light for a few reasons: it is perfect size for a pocket, I use the red light often, built-in voltage measurememt (via flashes), it can accept a wide range of battery chemistries, and turbo mode can put out quite a bit of light keeping in mind it will drain the battery rather quickly. I would still not rank them with Surefire for durability.


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## eugenechia1989 (Jul 10, 2017)

There was once my Nitecore EA11 failed to turn on. Of my branded torchlights, it's the only one that has done this. I've had a Condor C05 for much longer, used it a lot more heavily, and it has never failed even once. Although both are made in China, the C05 definitely feels higher-quality. The EA11 is still ahead of all those cheapo unknown-brand and 'Ultrafire' torchlights (I have one), though, and I think it's still OK as long as you have a back-up torchlight. My back-up is my Condor C05 and occasionally my Surefire G2X LE. I will rarely, if ever, carry only one torchlight, anyway, so I'm not too worried. But I'm not going to say my EA11 is particularly reliable.

Reliability, Performance, Affordability. Perhaps you just can't have all three at once. My Condor sacrifices performance to be reliable and affordable; my Surefire sacrifices affordability for performance and reliability, and my Nitecore sacrifices reliability for performance and affordability. I guess.


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## PartyPete (Jul 10, 2017)

I've owned 3 Tubes. Each one had problems. 2 of the 3 died in less than 30 days and my current one doesn't indicate when it's done charging - the light will stay on forever. 

Also had an MT2A that stopped working after 6 months. 

I'll admit, Nitecore is an innovative company but I won't buy any more from them. Of all the brands out there I see more complaints about their lights than anyone else.


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## eugenechia1989 (Jul 10, 2017)

Likewise for me. Although I mentioned that I always carry at least 2, so the occasional 'failure to start' it isn't a big concern for me, actually, it's still a concern. For me, the question is always, can I trust it with my life? While it isn't quite a big fat NO yet for the EA11, it's not a clear-cut yes as it is with my Condor C05. On that note, I wonder what's the general consensus here about Condor Outdoor Products torchlights like my C05. Hmmm...


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## CONCEPT1 (Jul 15, 2017)

In my opinion Nitecore is the best flashlight company at this moment. First i had only Fenix lights, however Fenix is very slow in releasing new lights and in my opinion less innovative then Nitecore is. However maybe if Fenix comes in the future with nice new highend lights il maybe buy one.

Back to Nitecore:
1 year ago i ordered 10 Nitecore tubes and they are still working without any problens.
6 months ago i bought 2 Nitecore TIP lights and they are still aorking
- The built quality of their products is very good and i trust the products.
- Nitecore is very innovative and that gives me also more motivation to buy a product from them, because i know that with the money i invest i can expect new awesome lights in the future because they invest alot in R&D.
- I also have a Nitecore MH27 and this is one of the best lights ive ever owned.
- My D4 Charger is also working and the best charger ive owned!
- Recently i bought the Concept 1 and also no problems with this light.
- I aldo have a few 18650 batterys from Nitecore and they do what they need to do without any problems 

Few days ago i ordered a 18650 cover, the new NL1835HP 3500mah battery, and the FL1 charger all from Nitecore ( i expect the same good quality as always!)

What also is important for me is that Nitecore is fair about their products runtine and lumens, i really appreciate that and i will hope that Nitecore will stay innovative and keep their level of quality to the max.


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## d'mo (Jul 18, 2017)

I had a twisty Nitecore I used so much I wore out the threads!


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## harro (Jul 23, 2017)

I have an old D20, which is a 2x AA Cree r2, with infinitely adjustable output from min. to max, and a really funky mechanical tail switch that moves the whole inner body of the light. The switch is totally silent but has no tactile feel whatsoever. It would be probably 9 years old and has been totally reliable. Oh, and a nice olive anodizing finish. Also have a TM16GT that seems to be totally reliable. No problems to ths point.


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## heoli (Dec 5, 2017)

I have a nitecore P10 for more than two years and it works perfectly. Despite having suffered some falls, including about 2 meters...


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## Budman231 (Dec 6, 2017)

I like NC lights.. I have an EC4GT and recently dropped it on to a hardwood floor from counter height. landed on tail cap and one if the Tabs broke off. The tab is critical to having the tail cap stay on. Needless to say those tabs are a major design flaw on that light. NC shipped me a new one from China for $10. For everyday use they are fine. Hardcore situations, probably not.


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