Should I trust Fenix?

I've had a EO1 that has been beat around in my pocket for a year and a half now. It's been on numerous camping trips, Fishing in Key West, and was indispensable during two blackouts. It's also the flashlight I use for the dog's last walk of the night, since it's always conveniently in my pocket. The only thing it's needed is a new battery once every 7 or 8 months. I bought another EO1 for the better half's purse last year, and it's still going strong.

I wonder if the failures are the models that they put too much into the package with more mods like SOS and multi levels. Maybe the simpler the better.
 
Very few things can go wrong with any flashlight.
1. Battery wears out
2. Bulb dies/breaks.
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This might have been true 15 years ago but this is definitely not the case anymore. The bulbs in most modern day lights are LED which, if treated properly (i.e. proper heatsinking, proper polarity) can last thousands of hours. Furthermore, LED's are immune to vibration; however their preceding circuitry is not. A lot of the higher end lights use electronic regulation to create a uniform output that drops quickly at the end. Also, you have another point of failure at the switch whether it be a more reliable twisty or less reliable clicky. Furthermore you have the 'gunk' build up on the threads of lights that can inhibit conductivity leading to an unreliable light.

I had a Surefire 6P w/ P60L dropin and the negative wire going to the circuitry controlling the LED from the spring became desoldered and was no longer reliable.

One of the things I have noticed with the fenix brand of lights is that they save space by having the battery make direct contact with the PCB which causes any vibration to be directed right back onto the sensitive circuitry. Furthermore the PCB and the thin layer of conductive material (metal) is what twists against the metal body for the negative contact. Overtime, I have seen a lot of wear on this on multiple fenix brand lights. I personally see this as one of the biggest downfalls to this light (sacrificing reliability to save space).

And as a disclosure, I do own multiple fenix lights and I actually just purchased and EO1 as a christmas gift. They fit a specific purpose, but I would not trust them in a life or death situation. My two cents.
 
I have 3 different Fenix models and have carried all of them for EDC. I like them and I will probably buy more but if I was a professional that needed to use my lights I might go with Streamlight or Surefire. Fenix seem to be good lights but they are priced relatively low and I wonder if that means they are less reliable.
 
I have loads of flashlights, many from fenix. The fenix are just as good as my more expensive models. On AA models, you have to be careful and check the internals. The alkaline, if it leaks, can cause corrosion and unfortunately permanent damage. AA's are convenient but they have ruined my eotech on my AR and some flashlights.
 
I know I like 4sevens more as a company, but so far I have a Fenix L2D and TK41, both perform flawlessly.

I like Fenix for their selection of powerful AA models.
 
I currently have 5 Fenix and they are all working great, the oldest if about 4 years old and other than replacing batteries, I've never had an issue with any of them.
 
My TK10 is nearly 5 years old and still going strong, use it all the time at work offshore, no issues to date.
 
OzarkCreekWalker said:
A few days ago my E05 went out. Changed the battery, cleaned it.. It's just not working and there no way im using my Maglite Solitaire :rolleyes:

I want to replace it with a bigger and more powerful LD12 but i'm worried about it happening again. Is my concern valid or is the LD12 good to go?
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What battery did you use? Was it a rechargeable li-ion? If so that would be the problem.

In any case I have two fenix lights that have worked fine so far
 
Didnt mean to start this thread and run away, my bad
To answer the battery question, I was using a basic energyzer battery, not rechargable or anything

I do find it funny that it broke at this time. This summer it was in my pocket while I was wading in the Meramec, my pocket completely submerged the entire time, no problem. Im hesistant to try surefire because both the price and they seem to be pretty big. maybe foursevens deserves a try
 
I carry a Fenix E01 in my pants pocket. Occasionally I’ll find the head has unscrewed itself from the body. Head, battery, and body are right in my pocket, so it’s an easy fix. But I’d rather not have to “fix” my flashlights.
 
I have a Fenix LD01. It has been with me to the Himalayas, to the Gobi desert, to the jungles of south China, and to many more places. It goes with me everywhere. It has never failed in any way. I would trust my life to it.
 
Nafunu said:
I had the exact same experience with my Fenix PD10, and then with the Fenix PD30 that I replaced it with. The PD30 barely lasted 2 months before it started flickering, and then quit altogether. In both cases I contacted Fenix first to try and figure out what was wrong, and then to try and get warranty care.

Anyway, it might just be an outlier, but having two bad experiences in a row really soured me on Fenix. I've since switched to the Four Sevens Quark (don't remember the model #) as my camping light, and the Four Sevens Preon P0 or Maratac AAA as my EDC.
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OzarkCreekWalker said:
Didnt mean to start this thread and run away, my bad
To answer the battery question, I was using a basic energyzer battery, not rechargable or anything

I do find it funny that it broke at this time. This summer it was in my pocket while I was wading in the Meramec, my pocket completely submerged the entire time, no problem. Im hesistant to try surefire because both the price and they seem to be pretty big. maybe foursevens deserves a try
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4sevens are a good affordable light. Have 2 of those as well and both have been great
 
Well ... I have the Fenix E01, LD10 and LD20

I need no other flashlights. After I got these three lights, I wanted to explore the world of flashlights, Surefire etc etc. But these lights are my optimum. I don´t need no other ones. The E01 is on my keyring, the LD10 is always in my EDC-pack and the LD20 is at home hanging on my keyboard for light around the house.

You can´t really go wrong with these lights!
 
I've been carrying an Fenix LOD in my pocket for 8 years with---ZERO PROBLEMS! As a matter of fact, does anyone have an old LOD for sale?
 
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