Lights you bought but wish you hadn’t. Any reason at all but keep it informative and no fan-boy flame wars please.
For myself I’ll start with one that surprised me because everything else I’ve bought from the has been pretty great.
The Fenix PD32 tactical - SUCKS (for me)
I had a PD32 (non tactical) a PD35 (another on the way) and a UC35. They are my go to lights at work. I don’t use anything else unless it’s for a review. I saw the PD32 tactical as a can’t miss addition to the line up. When I tried to use it though I found that the side switch was way too sensitive. It would change modes randomly since my hand covers the switch, there way no way around it the light would never work for me. I sold it at a loss about a week later. The guy I sold it to has tiny hands so it worked OK for him.
Well, several of us BLF’ers got a free Olight S1A to review a while back. I like mine, or at least I wish I did. It works, in that it puts out the amount of light it’s supposed to. The UI is great. It has direct access to both Moonlight mode and Turbo from off. And it can run off either a standard AA or a 14500 cell. I can’t say I hate it. It really is a useful light. But, it has some quirks that make it aggravating to me.
First, the clip isn’t suitable for belts. This is a problem I had with my Olight S2 clip as well. Because of this, I carry the S1A in my pocket, with the clip over the edge of the pocket. Second, the S1A uses a side e-switch (don’t all Olights?) and sometimes it gets activated accidentally. My older S2 had electronic lockout, but this S1A doesn’t! A side-switch light NEEDS to be able to lock out! And Olight HAD a nice electronic lock-out and didn’t include it! Aargghh!!!
I agree on the S-series clip for pockets is a problem, though i do like the clip that its reversible, to clip on a hat brim to use as a head light. I just lock them out by loosening the tail cap a 1/4 turn.
I have had (still have) quite a few of them i don’t like, (or still like but do not use) Some i already sold, or given away, or plan to sell or give away.
Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me. Another thing I hate about this Olight - the clip ISN’T reversible! Near the head, there’s a groove for the clip attachment. There’s no such groove on the tail end. Also, the head is slightly larger than the tube, so reversing it in place (in the same groove, near the head) is still useless. :rage:
Practically every crappy 9-LED tubelight I ever bought(?, dunno if I ever did) or got free. Hate ’em, usually gut them for the LED board to just tack up in places where I don’t care about light quality (under cabinets, etc.).
Pair of UF AT-01s. What a mistake. Thought they’d be decent quality even if a crappy driver/emitter, but nope, just as crappy quality as those 9-LED tubelights. Thinwall almost Al-foil tube, gritty zooming in/out, garbage switch, everything oozes “garbage!” about these lights.
I shouldda waited for Barkuti to get them and review them, so I wouldn’t’ve had to waste the time nor bux on ’em.
I don’t really hate these, just seemed like a waste to get them. 4-pack of LED lights from Rat Shack if you buy a 20-pack of their AAs/AAAs. 2×D, two 2×AA, 1×AA, I think. Decent 1W LED, cheap plastic everything, zero heatsinking, but “good enough” for muggles to be impressed with. Also seems a waste to trash a light just to get the LED… and use it for what? So I just got a bunch in a bag sitting doing nothing. They nominally work, and in case of the Zombie Apocalypse™, I’m sure lots of people would be happy to get one, but…
“Out of stock”, but they’re still selling ’em for 12bux a pop… “on sale”.
Hmm, decent goodies on their clearance sale pages, just placed an order… :person_facepalming:
Funny how a $2 part like a pocket clip can kill an otherwise good light. I had the same reaction with a light I’m about to review. I couldn’t reverse the clip but it made a good enough “friction fit” in one of my holsters that I was able to carry it. Problem is the tint is no good for work and the clip is no good for the rest of life in general. I don’t hate it but if I can’t figure out where it fits it’ll probably have to go.
I’ve got some that were so cheap, I didn;t expect much, and that was what they were - not much.
I have some that I don’t use much
a $7 18650 floody from Amazon, Ultrafire maybe, with a LOT of PWM, it’s still the main one to just grab and look for stuff under the sofa or behind a chair.
a couple of lights that are good but too big to carry - Jetbeam 2x18650, an older Convoy, something else
a 2xC cell Home Depot light - beam is too tight
3xC cell Utilitech - found on side of road, best thrower I have - one mode - obviously too big to carry but is in bedside night table
I’ve come to dislike the whole SIPIK zoom family for some reason, but it isn’t hate exactly.
Is it really necessary TO QUOTE YOURSELF completely in a back and forth reply?
OT: i dislike the sharp edges of the slotted grip rails of the Astro Guard Dog, not only are the rails ugly but the edges tend to cut and bite into your skin—pita…
OTR M3
I bought it because it was an olight clone
sadly it isn’t.
Clip is tougher than Olight so it’s annoyingly difficult to use. I tend to just toss it in my pocket instead of clipping it
While it is brighter than olight even with warm tint, it sucks battery like mad and I’m a sucker for max brightness
Fenix LD12
I crave for it. I really begs to love it. I even save up for 5 months just to buy it
It died, and my replacement came with green tint and ringy hotspot.
I miss my old LD12 that has a brownish tint to the white with close to perfect hotspot without annoying rings.
My local shop opened all 7 of his LD12 and all looked the same ugly.
Do note that all mentioned here uses XPG2 and not the old XPG
Agree on the M3 clip. It’s unfortunate. Because of it, I can’t slide it fully over my hat visor, but it’s still usable - it just sticks out further than it needs to.
Speaking of lights I own that I am not a fan of - Jetbeam ec-r26. Having to press the button for what seems like a really long time to turn it on or off is a PITA. Also, the button is hard to locate at night.
BTW, the Olight S1A clip default position makes it useful for hat/visor light. It’s the other way around that doesn’t work for me. Maybe we’re talking about different lights though? There is another Olight S1 besides the S1A and they are different lights. IIRC, the S1 is 16340 …or …something. The S1A is AA/14500.
P.S. The funny thing is that he quoted us both in entirety to write that. :laughing:
Other than slightly different body width, clip design for S1 and S1A appears identical, and also the same as on my OTR M3. The problem is that little “nipple” on the inside of the clip that prevents me from sliding it fully over a hat visor.
- Fenix E11. Got that one as far back as 2014, outdated for a pretty high price on a national seller, and thought I was getting a good deal out of it, young and dumb as I was. Well that joy didn’t last a month: the switch is far too tough, the light is so short it vanishes in my closed hand, the beam is too intense for indoor use thanks to its TIR optic, and the runtimes are a joke. I legitimately hate it.
- Olight S10R. Thanks to a defect (the whole story is on wle’s thread of light fails), this thing cost me 120 dollars when all was said and done; now it works just fine, but I can’t look at it with anything but disgust and contempt. Another one that my mother now has and uses, in fact it’s one of her favorites thanks to the USB charging base.
- Olight S1. Not due to any problems or price or anything, but I found out I’m not a fan of CR123-sized lights - far too little runtime in the lower modes. It’s the kitchen’s flashlight of choice, but I only use it for the 3min timer, really. The cool white tint doesn’t help.
Convoy S2, 3/5 firmware. I wanted to like it, I really did, but I just can’t stand the 3/5 firmware for an EDC light; on-time memory and blinky on low are tremendous inconveniences when you only use your torch in a jiff then turn it back off, several times during the day. It fell more and more into disuse ever since I got my M1 with Biscotti, now it’s a shelf queen until I get a financial break to set up a soldering station, then I’m gonna get a custom driver (likely Biscotti since Simon sells it, otherwise I’ll go for Bistro) for it.
:+1: