Which brand do you think is most durable? Your life depends on it and so does your family.

one thing here is, everyone has had something fail.
those are just isolated incidents.
what would matter is some huge survey of things that lasted, things that did not, why, and what the use and application was for all of it

also, usually in surveys like this, the complainers are more numerous than the satisfied users.

another thing is, i don;t really think quality translates directly to cost
and some results here bear that out

there are many reasons why things may cost a lot
it may be an attempt at quality that still failed
it may be looks
it may just be marketing - charge a high price and someone will believe expensive must be better

wle

I think you are right wle. Anything can & will fail sometimes. I have never had a Convoy or Maglite fail…. but this does not mean it could not happen. It surely could.

I have had 1 Nitecore fail, a bad electronic switch; but that does not mean Nitecore is unreliable. It was an isolated thing.

I think for me what I want in a last ditch SHTF light is simple. Manual switch & simple controls. AA compatibly would suit me also. Eneloops are hard to beat.

If you want real unkillable light, get a Solarforce (Al) or NexTorch (nylon) with a real hotwire-bulb drop-in.

Won’t win any lumen-output awards, but it’ll outlast even the cockaroaches.

I’ve a slew of old ASP and Streamlight lights that have endured daily abuse. Since the turn of this century I’ve always carried a LRI Photon light on a neck chain. Extremely reliable and there when others were not.

I’m sure your scientific tests will help the country.
And your degrees will impress the Pentagon.
Uncle Sam will stop buying Surefires immediately.
Just don’t go with “the one pictured” thing.
You can end up in jail.
For wasting their time like you waste yours.

HDS

My daughter grabbed my Convoy L70 blaster out of the drawer at 3am to scare off a burglar. She walked past the simple one button lights I’ve left out (her fav the Nitecore MH20GT) to get to it. She pointed it at the douchbag. (drumroll for blaze of blinding light) whahhh whaaaaaa…the light didn’t work ….so she called the cops. Burglar didn’t see her at all despite her being @15 feet away and the cops arrested the guy.

Oh, turns out that you have to press the damned tail button FIRST, before the side button is hit to turn on a L6. That’s all. Flashlight worked fine after all, the officer, daughter and I all got to laugh about it @3:30am.

Here’s a better thread for this kind of content.

This is why the whole idea of mech/electronic dual-switch lights irritates the hell out of me, either you want turbo right away and it comes on in low, or you want low and blind yourself with turbo. Then, after turning it on you need to use two hands or completely change your grip on it to cycle the modes. No thanks.

OEM, untouched: Fenix

[Clemence]

Figger it’s dark for 12 hours +/-(unless you’re in a cave or far away from the equator); so an astrolux a01 on low should last all night; 3 of them just to be safe; you’re going to have to run high occasionally.
For a weeks worth of outage I would have 6 on hand with solar to power my charger.
Throw in a few i3eos for good measure.(I ran one continuiously for a little over an hour with a aaa bonai1100mah rechargeable).
They also fit little hands without getting hot enough to burn.

My wife removed my right ear on the usability of my collection of flashlights.

Keychain olight….unscrew it

Q8….ramping

VG10….tail switch

TK15……side switch

TK45….two side switches

She asked with all honesty….in an emergency, why should I expect her to remember which flashlight she has in her hands and how it works?

My answer is obvious. Trade her for a flashoholic wife Find a cheap floody light, in red anodizing if possible and buy several of them.

Do not reply with your NONSENSE. Unless you are QUALIFIED WITH DEGREES do not make ANY TYPE of comments pertaining to Engineering, Design, Build Quality, etc… You DO NOT ANY platform to make those type of comments.

Surefire is A JOKE. Especially the prices they charge. I had a Surefire FAIL while other brands stood up to SAME test guy.

Back to subject at hand. Another poster mentioned complainers more than satisfied users of certain brands. I layout and specify that Surefire and Elezetta FAILS like any other light in circumstances. Along comes a elbakan1 trying to play hero in thread really WASTING thread space

You think that you are well prepared to the end of the world, but it’s just a scenario, you absolutely don’t know when it will be your time to say bye-bye.
Did you notice this small lego on top of your house stairs before going down to the kitchen at night ? Ouch…broken neck 2 seconds later.
Yeah, stupid accidents happen every single day even the less expected one.
Stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive…ah…ah…ah…ah, stayin’ alive is not a matter of intelligence, only chance.

Zebralight

My SC52W has had at least two trips in the washing machine so far…. and been dropped onto concrete numerous times. Solid machined body, potted electronics, great driver.

I lost the SC52W, so ordered a SC53W, then found the SC52W! The 52W is the tougher light, chunkier body.

lol speak for yourself bud!! I’ll be the one in the ball! :smiling_imp:

It must be frustrating to have not one, but two minor degrees and not finding a job.
At least, smashing flashlights.

DO NOT even go there guy. Currently working as Structural/Interface Design Engineering AND Electrical Engineering Consultant in Industry.

That is WAY MORE than said for your background guy.

Ooh, BTW, I can CARE LESS about Surefire. I have many other lights : Fenix, Powertac, Olight, Nitecore, MFTactial, Astrolux, Convoy, Wuben, Sofirn, and list GOES ON AND ON.

Surefire is WAY BEHIND on my lists FOR SURE. You can TAKE THAT to the bank.

:smiley:
Not even impressed, I was trained by the best to survive way worst than your ballon. Yeah, deadly falling rocks :

You have me beat in competition with falling rocks which will bounce me all over the place. But dodging boulders isn’t going to help you mow down hoards of zombies like my balloon! :smiling_imp: