Fenix LD10: How is it?

K

knivesngear

Joined
Nov 23, 2010
Messages
214
Hey Guys I am looking into the fenix ld10 flashlight and just wanted to hear your opinions on it.
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-kng
 
It's a very nice light. I have the older LD10 without the clip. Good power levels and ergos. Drop in a single, ubiquitous AA and you're good to go. My only beef is that I wish it was a forward clicky
 
Also a fan, carry mine daily. No issues, really like the single cell AA deal. I actually own 2 LD10s, 2LD20s, 2 LD01s, a PD20 and PD30. Plus a few of the bigger lights. Realyl like Fenix lights, more so for the pretty cheap cost, reliability, and features. Mine gets used daily at work. You will be happy with your purchase I am sure.

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I carry mine everyday, it's a tough, reliable, bright light for a singe AA. And at right around $50 it's a great value as well.
 
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I have two fenix lights and two surfire.The LD 10 is my favorite of the bunch,i love the fact that it runs on 1 AA battery.The TK 10 is wayyy brighter but it uses more expensive batteries so i dont use it as much.The light they give off looks so crisp and clean.My son uses the LD 20 that uses two AA batteries,he loves it too.
 
LD10 is a great light, its my edc light. Its bright, feels solid in your hand and uses AA battery...
 
Fenix makes a good light, but have you looked into 4seven's Quark AA. I would say it's like a Fenix with more modes including a very useful moonlight mode, a sapphire AR lens, and slightly better fit and finish. There is also a tactical version with a different UI.
 
Awsome light, I am a Surefire guy, but this one is my AA edc. Very high quality for the price.
 
I love my LD10, use it for EDC and took it with me on several camping trips. A great flashlight for a great price.
 
This is a photo of the Fenix LD20 and little Buck 309.This light throws 180 lumens and runs on two AA batteries.It's been a great light!
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It's a great light, I've owned two of them but I'd never buy another, there are better lights in the same price range, based on one major observation. To me, the low was way to bright. The Quark AA and Nitecore D10 I use have much lower lows or "moon light" modes which are better for reading, checking on the kids sleeping, etc. and give a much longer runtime.
We've actually used both lights I mentioned as nightlights when traveling or at home after the kids were born. The Fenix is to bright on low and will eat up batteries in that role.
 
I have the older LD10 (without a clip)and I love it .I have many other cheaper LED lights and this is always my go to light and the single AA is a huge plus. I also have an LD20 that I like also but I don`t think it is as bright as it should be with twice the battery power but it may just last twice as long as I have yet to use up a set of batteries with the LD20. Look around and you might get a pretty good price and you will not regret buying a quality light.
 
It's quite a sturdy and reliable light. I had one (now MIA) and used it as a daily work light. I work at heights of 20 plus feet and managed to drop the LD10 about 25 feet to concrete. The bezel around the glass bent a little and chipped the finish, but it worked perfectly. I cannot remember whether or not lithiums are advised against by Fenix or not, but they substantially lighten the light and really improve running time.

I would recommend trying to find a backup sheath as well as the regular nylon one, under a daily workload, tends to fray out shortly.
 
My Fenix experiences have been hit or miss. My LDO1 has been very good light for over a year as an EDC. My EO1 on the other hand broke within a month. Fenix was absolutely no help. I was told any warranty claim would have to be routed through the dealer. After four months (!) the dealer was told to ship it back to China. Fortunately the dealer just replaced it, otherwise I probably still wouldn't have it. I will never buy another Fenix product.
 
I love my LD10....it EDCs like a dream. Plus it has great light output and runs on a AA battery. Easy to find and pretty cheap.
 
Fenix makes good lights. I can only think of one or two that have come back with problems out of literally hundreds we sell a year (probably closer to 4 digits than 3). The LD10 is a very good light. That said, a few things....First, at least 90% of the lights we get back that failed are AA based lights that have had batteries leak inside them. Alkaline batteries have a tendency to do that inside lights, and I am not aware of any manufacturer who will cover that under warranty. Second, a AA battery is 1.5 volts. A 123 is 3.0 volts in Lithium form. They don't leak. So you essentially (yes, this is simplistic and there are a significant number of factors that effect this) have a battery offering double the power without the leakage issues, with a 10 year shelf life. The biggest argument against 123's is that sourced locally, they can be very expensive. I've seen them as much as $16 for 2. But we sell them for $1.99 (+/- based on quantity or brand), and keeping the 10 year shelf life in mind, you can buy a dozen, and cost becomes a non issue because you will use AA's on roughly a 2-1 or more ratio, and you aren't paying the incredibly high local prices for 123's.

So I'd recommend a light that uses a 123 over a light that uses a AA battery. If you want to stay in the Chinese made lights, I'd look at 4Sevens first...quality at least that of Fenix, with a 10 year warranty compared to Fenix's 1 year warranty. I would spend a few extra dollars, and go with a HDS Systems Clicky 120. It is "only" 120 lumens, but keep in mind that "US lumens" are always going to be lower than "Chinese lumens". There are a bunch of reasons why, the biggest of which is that Chinese manufacturers normally measure output at the emitter where US manufacturers measure output at a distance in front of/away from the light. I can say that I have personally compared the HDS 120 side by side with Chinese lights in the 180-200 lumen range, and it is every bit as bright. But, you get a US made light with a lifetime warranty. You get a light that's built like a tank....Surefire is the Gold Standard of the industry. They make fantastic lights. If Surefire is the way a light is supposed to be built, HDS lights are exponentially overbuilt. They are slightly more expensive than the Fenix, but are worth every single penny, and can be had at right around $99. I don't know how to offer a stronger recommendation than to say I can pull whatever I want off the shelf and stick it in my pocket for free. I bought a HDS Systems Tactical Clicky 170 (their "flagship" until the 200 came out this year) out of pocket, so I never have to give it back.
 
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