Hi all,
So I’ve had my Solarforce lights for about a decade and was saddened to hear the manufacturer closed up shop.
Not sure when they shut down or why, but I got ahold of numerous amazing flashlights from them over the years, and they’ve all proven their durability and utility a billion times over …
I love their dropins and LED drivers because they keep a steady brightness without PWM or throttling. I love the machining and awesome durability of the bodies. I love the form factor and the just-right sizing. I have overwhelmingly positive feedback after all this time! Heck, I even got hit by a car once at 30mph while cycling and the L2 on my helmet survived the crash with no significant damage apart from a handful of deep scratches on the tailcap and crown.
These are buy-it-for-life flashlights. And really, that was always my plan. Problem now is I need to do a bit of upkeep, and with the OEM down and out, I’m not sure where to turn to for spare parts and mods.
Must-do stuff:
- the L2 needs a new tailcap and switch ASAP as the current one is getting janky due to switch aging. Ironically, it was the many thousands of button presses over the years, and not the crash, that led to this. 
On-the-radar-but-not-critical stuff:
- find some more of those rubber tactical grips for the L2Ts. If I can get them thicker and tighter and grippier, that would be amazing. If someone makes a better slide-on option these days, I’m all ears. Their current rubbers are getting worn down with age.
The would-be-fun list:
- vanity swap of the switch and boot on my stainless L2T.
I bought a couple of Lumintop Tool AA 2.0s over the pandemic and the one I got this month had a glowing switch! Some research reveals they make a red version of that switch. I would LOVE to put a red glow switch into a stainless L2T under a clear or smoke translucent boot. Not sure if Lumintop’s switches are up to that much amperage though, or if they’d even fit the unit physically. I’m really not sure what I’d have to do to make this one a reality, but I suspect some custom work might have to happen.
- a half-dozen reasonably priced, good quality RCR123A cells with at least 800 mAh capacity would be cool. My dropins can handle the voltage. Everywhere I looked online is asking high prices, though. Is that cell format a niche thing? I remember them being similar in cost to 18650s years ago, sometimes even less.
- two or three high-quality spare switches for the L2 and L2Ts ‘just in case.’
The units in question:
- stainless L2T with OEM 2-prong stainless knurled tailcap
- aluminum L2T with aftermarket 2-prong stainless/HA3 aluminum tailcap,
- aluminum L2 with modernized version of the default HA3 factory tailcap
The stuff I have is 100% Solarforce parts. Any chance they all use the same switch module under the boot?
Who’s got the best boots? (i.e. chemical resistant, immune to seawater, high durability) Mostly interested in having some spares.
Anyone know where I might find one of those 2-prong stainless/aluminum tailcaps? Probably difficult to source any this far down the line, but never hurts to ask.
Last but not least …
Do any of Solarforce’s parts fit Surefire parts?
Back when I started all this I heard Solarforce was a Surefire clone. I wasn’t sure if they copied thread pitches and spacing tolerances, though.
I did find this item in my travels but have no idea if it would fit: shorturl.at/uFKR5 (McClicky tailcap for Surefire).
With many thanks in advance,
Crimson