I have a Trustfire-like 12 LED XM-LT6 flashlight. It is the long type that takes three 18650 batteries. It stopped working. I presume that the problem is the driver and the drivers seem to be available from ebay and aliexpress for less than the price of the new light but I can't get the current driver out.
It is held in place by an aluminum ring with two small holes in it 180 degrees apart. I can't seem to budget the ring using a screwdriver in one of the holes. I need a sort of two pronged tool to unscrew it.
Does anyone know where I can get hold of a tool or how to unscrew it without a tool?
There were no snap ring pliers in one of my local 100 yen shops (and they tend to have similar products). I bought a pair of tweezers and tried to undo the driver retainer ring with them but the tweezers bent, so I gave up with that.
3 LED versions of a similar light are only about 20 USD on aliexp
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32821090290.html
Fumufumu (hmmm), I am not sure what to do, but thanks again.
Hard to break an old habit but this is definitely the last time I mention this:
I always use the tips of two sharp 3mm SS nails.
Cross them accordingly to the direction of the rotation (force) needed.
And do realize that threads can be clock-wise ( R) and counter clock-wise (L).
For clock-wise threads remember the words: Righty-Tighty, Lefty-Loosey.
Anyway, always apply force at TWO opposite points. Every ring has two indents/dimples/slots!
It’s like zipping up a windbreaker. Using two hands, things go smooth.
Try to do the same with one hand and you’ll end up without a zipper or a windbreaker.
Tried this method numerous times, it works if they are not wound in hard, but if they are that method is not ideal, and for $7.99 and somewhat regularly opening lights as we do, it seems a small price to pay to not mark up the rings, and slips (which have damaged my threads in the past) for a sturdy tool which will last a lifetime.
I bought this one LINK in the end as it’s more customisable, and has numerous ends which make it a useful tool, not only for lights. Also the ‘tax’ will go to the UK, and profit to a UK seller rather than the Chinese.
That one with multiple tips looks like it would be useful. I use an old pair of needle nose pliers about 6 in Long that came from the factory with pretty fine tips. But you could appropriately file or grind down the tips of any pair of needle nose pliers. You don’t really want the tips to be at a sharp angled point because then they are trying to ramp out of the holes as you apply force. Not that these things need to be extremely tight.
It is also good as you can get a bit of an angle on them for narrower lights (especially if you leave the bottom bar out), whereas the other one has one rectangular bar quite low down which would limit that.
I have a set (1 set) of those, sadly the ends are too fat for the majority of my lights, they fit some of them but mainly not. They are good though if they work.
Henk4U2 Thanks for the nail suggestions. I have some nails. But I tried screw drivers which interlocked nicely. I could not get it to budge.
I have known I wanted a tool like this before so I am thinking that if I purchased the cool lens repair spanner recommended by G0OSE I am not sure I would use it again. I am in Japan so I would get it from China.
I tried tweezers, which bent, and crossed screwdrivers, with which I could not open it.
kramer5150 I have purchased some 100 yen shop pliers. They are not needle nose so I will have more to dremel but I will try them next.
I could also drill two screws, or hammer two nails through a piece of wood.
I use a pair of old micro shears . The fact they have a cutting-edge means they bite into the metal and don’t slip . The handles are padded and you end up at a bit of an angle which helps too . Downside is they only open so far . Upside is it’s bigger than you’d expect .
Thank you. Micro shears (which I interpreted as wire cutters) almost worked but I needed two hands on the shears/wire cutters, I don't have a vice, and my wife could not keep the torch from turning.
as said, circlip (snap ring) pliers are the tool for the job. but which kind and size?
for axial clearance reasons, you want the straight (not angled) ones. then for proper radial clearance, you want pliers for external circlips (form A), but pliers for internal circlips (form J) usually work.
for size, i usually use size 1 (~1.3mm tip diameter which is a perfect fit for convoy S2+), but size 0 is also a good choice.
putting that all together, i recommend circlip pliers A0 and A1, but J0 and J1 are also fine unless radial clearance is very tight.
narrowing it down to a single pliers, i'd get size A0. should hopefully work on anything you come across.
