UKC

Has anybody found one which hasn't started to developed a fault after a couple of years - ish, and which just keeps on working in the way one might reasonably expect a fairly expensive bit of safety equipment to?

So far I've only used different Petzl ones, and whichever/every model has developed some kind of mystery fault eventually.

I don't want to send them back for a replacement under warranty, I want one which won't randomly develop a fault.

Bah humbug.

In reply to Timmd:

My Petzl tikka XP lasted reasonably well until I lost* it. Replaced it with a BD Storm which has annoying features but hasn't broken yet.

Anything with a wire and separate battery pack is guaranteed to fail although they are usually fixable.

Do you use them a lot in wet conditions? If water is getting in and corroding bits then going for a fully waterproof unit like the storm may help.

*turned up within a week of buying the replacement of course.

In reply to Timmd:
Alpkit Viper - worked flawlessly for several years, and less than half the cost of the main brands.

In reply to davidbeynon:

I have an old (8 years or more) xp, much better design than the new ones. The design they brought out a few years ago only has a rubber seal around the internal components not the batteries I believe this is still the case. There were plenty of cases of people having issues with the new design in heavy rain!

My one everything is sealed.

In reply to Timmd:

I've got an old Petzl Tikka XP (7yrs?) and a BD Icon (3yrs?) - the XP is smaller / lighter and an ok amount of light, the Icon heavier but can light up half a mountain - so far both have been very good.

In reply to Timmd:
Had several expensive Petzl torches and a cheap Alpkit thing fail on me inexplicably in the past. Got a Black Diamond Icon a few years ago now and still going strong

In reply to Timmd:

I've had a BD Storm for about 4 years now and it's still going strong. That's at least two years longer than any other headlamp I've had (mostly BD and petzl). Yes, it has some annoying features and I don't love it, but it works when you need it to.

In reply to Timmd:

As far as I know... there really ain't one.

Perhaps the best to look for, would be an industrial rated headlamp (preferably one which is allowed to be used in ATEX classified areas). It would be spendy though, and also heavy.

The problem I see wiht headlamps, is that there's quite a few tiny welds and then you rattle the lamp around (in the car, rucksack and so on). As far as I see, majority of the problems boils down to this (bad contacts, or possibly condensation shorting things out).

In reply to Timmd:

I had a fair few problems with Petzl head torches and have gone for a BD storm which so far has been good. I am a great believer in going for the highest ingress protection (IP) rating you can find, keeping the outside out is a big factor in prolonging the life of the product!

In reply to Timmd:

I've had a Zebralight H600w for a few years now and it's never let me down yet (providing I use good quality 18650 batteries).

In reply to Timmd:

I have to say I've never had any issue with Petzl torches - quite the opposite, I've found them a lot more reliable than either BD or Alpkit models I've had!

Anyway, that aside, if your looking for a non-petzl, then try fenix or LED lenser. Both I've found to be pretty bomb proof. Take their lighting spec with a pinch of salt though....

Cheers,

Stuart

In reply to Timmd:
After too many crumbling wires in Petzl torches I gave up and changed to BD. So far, it's proven to be a sound move.

Our latest BD torch (an alloy-bodied one - I forget the name) is currently being used daily, not only in darkness but also to peer into the inner recesses of horses. No. 1 son (who is a vet and has a 'statutory excuse' for interfering with horses) says it's the dog's danglies and, being a vet, he should know.....

In reply to Timmd:

My LED lenser developed a fault after about 6 months, but this was a known issue that had been resolved and they gave me a new replacement. That was 6 years ago, and it's still going strong.

In reply to Timmd:

Surefire Minimus HS2-A-BK.

It would be confident dropping it from a great height onto concrete, or driving over it with a forklift truck loaded with 2 tonne of paper on the forks. I fully expect this product to outlive me and form part of my estate when I am writing my will.

In reply to Timmd:

Here you go. (Actually I have no idea if they develop faults but at that price...!)

https://starlessriver.com/shop/scurion/1500_scurion_1600lumen_with_uv_modul...

In reply to MG:




UV lighting on snow and ice would be fantastic! Sign me up!

These are great, used a lot by cavers

http://m.petzl.com/en/Professional/Compact-rugged-headlamps/PIXA-3#.VmGaAl_...

In reply to Timmd:

If you want true reliability, carry a spare. A Petzl e-lite or similar.

Another Surefire vote below, but uses those CR123 batteries, so not the best for adventures in faraway lands.

http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2015/why-i-stopped-using-petzl-headlamps/

In reply to Dell:
I find it interesting how there's mixed reports for both Petzl and Black Diamond headtorches, it almost suggest that meeting price points can leave certain levels of head torches (more) prone to developing faults before they get more expensive.

I might look into getting a Surefire one after reading that review about how reliable that wilderness fellow's head torch has been, and how robustly made it is with knurled metal parts and things. I knew it must be possible to make them properly as it were.