What common flashlight feature do you hate most?

The inability to lock out the light with a slight counter clockwise turn of the head or tailcap is a feature that gets left out most of the time on budget lights. i hate to pack or stash a light in a bag or glove box without locking it out to prevent accidental activation of the light.

lack of strobe

Strobes, crenelated bezels (or tail caps) non-removable clips (yes, I know they can all be removed eventually),excessive and unnecessary heat fins, memory, not being able to get behind the lens to diffuse or change tint, mushy tail cap switches, beam artifacts, poor output level spacing.......

Strobe, bad PWM

SOS mode. Also 3-mode lights that are H-L-Strobe and not H-M-L.

Instant dealbreaker? Price. Some features I dislike. Some things I may even hate. But given the right price, I'm willing to live with them.

When buying a car or motorcycle, I feel strongly about what I like or don't like. I won't buy a car without ESC (I know it's mandatory now and the issue has become sort of moot) and I won't buy one which doesn't allow me to turn ESC off. I would never buy a bike that doesn't feel right. I use my car every single day. I have to be able to trust my motorcycle, at least to some extent.

Flashlights are different and budget lights even more so. If one particular light isn't suitable for a given purpose, I'll just bring another. If there's a feature I don't like, I won't be using that light as much. I can always sell it, give it away, shelf it, whatever. I have other options and since I'm no longer spending $100+ on a single light, I can live with imperfections.

Besides, if you want perfection, you will pretty much have to build it yourself. Doesn't matter if it's cars, guns, boats or something else. That's why lots of people do it. Plus, it's fun. :D

The fact that it doesn't evolve to be brighter and brighter by itself :)

Langcjl, I thought I was the only one! Unless you were being ironic.. I could tolerate no strobe on a good cheap light but not if I were to pay £30+.

I really do love a good strobe. Comes in handy a lot for me. I do hate a crappy slow strobe though. Now you have outed yourself as someone who is not afraid of the strobe.

Blinky modes, attack bezels & noticeable PWM are the main bugaboos.

Sometimes the lack of a clip but that really depends on the light.

+1. I like and do use the strobe mode on my EDC lights. Not on a daily basis, I'll admit that, but still. SOS I can happily do without. No strobe and EDC or "car light", however, do not mix for me.

Blinking modes, lack of low mode and forward switch with 'clicky' modes.

Glued lights, they are hard to open as I mod almos all my lights.

First and foremost: PWM. If I can spend 30 bucks on a light that has a linear driver, why would a similarly priced Maglite that is available everywhere (MAG certainly has more working capital than XENO) still using a PWM driver. It's not even high frequency, it's like 75Hz.

Second: Cool white LEDs. The difference in output between neutral white and cool white is so minute in the latest LEDs that you really won't notice a difference in output. Even if you do, the sacrifice is worth the "everything doesn't look dead to me" light.

Same.

1. The generic oval machined cut-out on the body with the brand name (this isn't the first time I vented this frustration, haha)

2. A tail cap/switch that is so close to allowing tail stand but still can't!

UI

Any flashlight with slow/sloppy mode retention feels instantly cheap to me. UI is extremely important because it is how I interact with the device. Just like the touch-screen on my Droid, the crucial connection between me and flashlight must be seamless and should approach being a natural extension of my hand. Nothing I hate more than a torch doing something I did not expect or want.

machine quality

Call it what you will, metal burrs and road-to-Gibraltar lathe work turn me off the second I open the envelope. Also, painting a flashlight black and calling it "anodization."

And, I guess my torch taste has yet to mature because I like different colored boots and GITD lens o-rings. The boot is usually the first thing I change upon receiving a light. I'll probably grow out of it one day.

Foy

Stupid drivers like: H > M > L > SOS > Strobe

I would rather prefer Low (the lowest the better) > Turbo (the brightest the better, with at least 30min of runtime) > M (5h runtime) and may be other hidden modes (like strobe by clicking quickly 3 times, or keeping it pressed), or beacon (by cycling all the modes a couple of times).

I also HATE slow PWM on low modes, it even gives my headaches.

Strobe!

It's funny. Years ago all (most) flashlights cheap and expensive had a side switch because that's where your thumb naturally goes. Now almost every light requires you to carry it like a spear to operate it. I'd like to see more well made side switches.