UKC

Wondering if anyone else has had a similar issue with a petzl head torch before I go through the process of trying to return one.

Few years ago I bought an RXP torch, which performed brilliantly, only issue I ever had was I noticed several hairline cracks in the white plastic front,which I put down to it potentially having gotten a knock in my pack.

When the Reatick + was released I bought one of those and handed the RXP to my partner as was still fully functioning. 6 months in to owning this one, I've noticed exactly the same thing - hairline cracks coming from the openings for the light sensor, the heat vent ports and the corners of the casing where it meets the battery pack. Again its still fully working but know for a fact this isn't down to accidental damage as its been kept in a padded case and well looked after with no mishaps. Looks like it might be due to the heat generated by the LEDs or potentially a fault in the plastic composition from manufacture. bit worried if I don't return it, it could fail spectacularly at the worst possible moment so want to get it sorted..

Before I go through the rigmarole of having to return and justify that it hasn't been used and abused physically, I wondered if anyone else had bought either of these models and had a similar issue?

Cheers all.

In reply to garethb:

I've had Both Rxp & Reactik+ used for Hill running never had any issues however I'll check closely when I get home, However I've noticed in the last few years especially on the Tikka the build Quality isn't that great feels like cheaper Plastic to the touch than older models

In reply to garethb:

I'd be surprised if it was caused by heat, but it could be a molding issue. The original Tikka's frequently broke on the thin section around the closure catch because of this, and it used to be covered under the 3 year warranty. It could be something similar. If it's been caused by accidental damage you'd usually expect to see some witness marks on the casing.

In reply to garethb:
I haven't, but Araldite (or similar) could be a plan for if you don't have any luck in sending it back and getting a new one?

I'm almost thinking about paying through the nose (£90ish) for a head torch so I can know it will never fail due to being made from metal and having robust parts in it.

Only almost, though, it's a lot of money to spend. Trying to guess how many head torches I might buy from the age of 37 onward and if it'd be worth it.

In reply to garethb:

Yes. I have had numerous versions of zipkas, tikkas, tikka xps, a myo, 2 different models of the taktikkas (old style with flip red filter, and new style with red leds) for work and they all have suffered from the plastic cracking from the same places as you describe.

I've noticed that the plastic shell seems to have been constructed progressively thinner over the years.
The only one I have had with zero problems was the original e-lite that came in a red pill shaped tough case, still going strong.

In contrast I have also got a black diamond icon (the previous version in lime green) and that is seemingly bombproof. Just by handling the materials you can tell they're all high quality, it's been dropped a couple of times and even in some seriously cold environments I've had no problems with it whatsoever.

Thanks for the responses people.

Reckon I'll send it back as strange how both models I have (different but same housing) have done exactly the same thing despite being treated well. Failing that, its back the duck tape and glue to make sure it stays in one piece!