Around 5-10 years ago **correction 10-15 years ago* there was a bit of a torch craze for a while as Li-Ion and LED technology quickly developed.
I have about six or seven torches from the era and none of them work. They’re not dead per se but either flickering or dim or refusing to reliably turn on, even with brand new/charged batteries and contacts cleaned.
What’s going on? Am I alone in this phenomenon? Is it aliens?
don't even need a phone. garmin's have torches now.
I’ve only used a garmin xero C1 a couple of times but I don’t recall it having a torch.
it's mainly on their instinct models. but recently I think moved onto their expensive tier models like Fenix, Marqist etc.
but cheapest way for garmin with a torch is instinct I think.
Torched…
O.P. just wants to be enlightened.
They're not very bright.
are the holy buildings in Melbourne?
Proves it's a bit of a scam really. If all of them are broken like that.
I have a few that I got on the cheap less than $15 and they all work because I got the ones you can just replace AA eneloops. :)
Just cheaply made junk. I have LED torches that are much older than 10 years and still work fine.
I got the ones you can just replace AA eneloops
Man if you aren't using torches with 18650 batteries then idk what to tell you
Nah man. I only need a torch once in a blue moon. My environment is generally well lit even at night with sensors and 240V lights. :)
Most of my AA-powered LED torches from years ago still work. Maybe you just bought rubbish ones? Or have you forgotten how to change modes?
My LED Lenser lasted like 15 years and died.
Then I moved to nitecore and i discovered how powerful a torch can be
My torch still works.
Nearly all of my thorfire, convoy and sofirn lights still work.
The only ones that don’t work that I can think of are an Olight that had an alkaline leak in it, a Thorfire that had the switch fail and a no name light that had the e-switch fail.
My $6 eBay special still works. It's seen a lot of use on the push bike.
They’re not dead per se but either flickering or dim or refusing to reliably turn on,
This…. Tossed a heap out after pulling them apart, couldn't work out why they had been doing this. So out they went.
Got some of these awhile go, seem decent for around the house and a steal at $7
Unscrew the end cap where the button is and rub IPA on the screw threads. Worked great for mine.
I have ten year old LED torches picked up from street stalls in Asia which still work. These were maybe $10 each.
I've had one or two fail with bad contacts (flickering) but that's no surprise.
Since Temu the latest ones have black titanium grade plastic.
Weigh next to nothing.
Charge on USB3.
Show charge level in %
Ultra white high color temp, look into it and forget sleep for the next 4h
delivered in grey plastic bags
claim to have 1000,000 temu lumens!!
real question should be
where are the eneloops deals…..
Depends on if you got the dirt cheap ones. The torch and LED tech is still developing. I've got a couple that go 500m plus and there are some that go 2 to 3 km while being handheld.
my $3.46 Cree Q3 and $4.22 Ultrafire Cree Q5 still work well 12yrs later, though to have brighter torches, i bought Sofirn SC31 Pro and Wuben C3 for ~$24ea more recently
ps nice username OP :)
I have some Wolf Eyes still going strong from 20 years ago, Led Lenser from then was not as good and are dead (better now). Have newer Nitecore and Wolf Eyes which I think will keep going.
I am guessing your units were built down to a price, no harm in that if you don't use them much.
Please add another option in the poll: I refused to vote
Because they were, in the end, junk. If they managed to continue to work, the switches or plastic in the switches disintegrated, the way plastic in all modern mass produced products does. I've tried a couple of new ones currently popular around here and they have died within a month with retailer non responsive (even on Amazon).
My best recommendation for a torch now is go with whatever your powertool ecosystem has.