Really, life is most enjoyable when I can bitch about something.
"Budget lights" are crap. I mean really, they are terrible. Why do we send billions of dollars annually to China for all types of junk that never really satisfies? Poorly constructed, with inferior materials, backed by a "no warranty" policy and a 1 month lead time for shipping! Are we stupid?
YES!
You can't beat their free shipping, but who is paying for that shipping? Someone has to and it's not the sellers. Is it the Chinese government? Is that why sellers have an allotment each month? Is that why most all of this stuff comes in bags? Someone is paying for their free shipping and I bet it's not the sellers themselves! If it wasn't for manipulation, China would not be.... Never mind....
I've really been thinking about this, since I started doing the Maglite mod. Maglites, $ value & quality, have to be the best host around for modding (in the US). Ok, they are expensive, or are they? Usually (in the USA) one can find one for $15 to $20 (incan). Well that SAiK I bought was $15 and it was Junk! I swear the Chinese will never learn to make a good thread on a light. They just aren't capable of doing it!
The Mag has a finish so tough that I can Solder a ring on it and not hurt the finish! I can't do that with the Cheap lights from China. Those finishes come off just like paint (they might be paint). They sure aren't quality.
I have bought a couple of the Chinese junk lights too (two of them in 4 years to be exact). I'm just as guilty. I can't find a source for most of this stuff in the states and if I could, it would be 3 times the price (or would it?). Lately I have been buying my emitters from Mouser & Element14 (Newark) and they were just as budget as buying from China, with a 3 day delivery time. I wish someone in the US could start selling the reflectors and other parts, in the US. I would buy, just to have the fast shipping. I do buy boards here, since Illumination Supply and Shiningbeam are selling in the US.
I think I am close to that point once again, where I just ride off into the sunset again and leave the frustration of receiving poor quality, damaged and inferior "budget lights" to others. I think I got my "dose of budget" for a couple more years now, with that SAiK and I will probably do one more Shorty Maglite before hanging it up for a couple more years and going back to another hobby, or go back to gaming on the PC again. I get bored with it all so easily...
Carry On