Not all flashlights need thread lube

I happened to go through my flashlight box yesterday, an old light i have is anodized aluminum (with an xp-e) and has anodized threads, i noticed it has no thread lubricant and never has in the 4 years i owned it and used it almost daily for almost 3 of them (till i discovered BLF)
The anodizing on the top thread has worn off but otherwise its fine

I can post a pic if anyone is interested, but why do our lights need lots of lubricant if they can be made to work without it?

O’rings should have a little lube on them to prevent damage. Lubricant in the ideal world stops contact between two surfaces preventing wear. In an unideal world it can also attract contaminants causing excessive wear.

seems like a good time to ask:

What kind of lubricant for flashlight threads/O-rings?

Most people use a silicone based lube like this.

Yes they do, also help prevent water ingress.

without it this light has equal or less ano thread wear then most of my xm-l lights that i have owned for less time

It really depends on the light. I have some ano threads that glide with or without lube. I have some ano threads that squeak without lube. There’s no one answer.

If it’s a twisty, you should probably use lube just to save some wear on the ano. If the ano wears out, the twisty is toast, so it would be advisable there.

Best lubes are teflon based synth lubes like Superlube. There are other lubes that out perform it, but Superlube and similar have the best combo of low cost, performance, and compatibility - you can use it on anything and not have to worry about messing up the o-rings or the threads.

Honestly, if you haven’t tried Superlube and are still using silicone grease, you should try Superlube. It feels like a major upgrade.

My BTU Shocker threads aren’t lubed but it is smooth to screw, does anyone else notice that?

Don't need on all lights!!!

On my sunwayman v11r I don't want lube on the extension tube, which has anodized threads... If they get lubed, it will lock out the light tooo easily.

Which one? They make oil, grease, with PTFE, without PTFE, etc.

My Goread CK36 needs something better than the silicone oil from DX. It’s still very squeaky. >.< I have some Jetbeam silicone grease which is less goopy than Servisol silicone grease (this stuff is better if you need it to stay put).

I haven’t lubed my Preon P0 yet but it’s stainless steel. I use it frequently too.

Teflon is PTFE. As for oil vs grease, either will work, but I like the oil better.

Not stocked at Home Depot locations usually, but you can order online and get it shipped to store for free.

Right, thanks. I was looking at HD, leaning towards the precision oiler.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Super-Lube-7ml-Precision-Oiler-Oil-with-Syncolon-PTFE-Lubricant-Per-Each-51010/202932717?MERCH=REC-_-product-4-_-202932687-_-202932717-_-N#.UkwedPm9Ucs