Ledlenser and fenix versus China knock offs ?

[silverclaws]

Is it really worth it these days going out and buying a ledlenser, Fenix or any of the other big name western cree led flashlights in the face of what is coming out of China for a fraction of the cost ?

To put it into perspective, I have two China made cree led lights and in two years they have not failed and they have been used in all weathers, so why pay considerably more for a big western name ?

But where do the big names get their flash lights made and who'se electronics ?

 

[JamesM]

I have an Eagletac and compared with the chinese stuff the quality is far far better. My mates chinese xml bike light failed after less than 10 hours use. I took my xml bike light apart and it was very poor quality. One of the o-rings was missing meaning it wasn't waterproof as advertised. When I reassembled it I used some silicone grease on the o-ring and I thought I'd got some on the refelctor (I hadnt it was actually pitting in the chrome) I gave the reflector a wipe with a soft cloth and scratched the chrome. So I got some car polish (not cutting polish) and gave it a wipe and the chrome came off completely with one pass of a polishing cloth and autoglym super resin polish. Heat transfer is poor and are they anodized or are they painted? Fenix, Eagletac and alike are type III hard anodized. Driver technology is better in the more expensive torches too meaning more efficiency so longer battery life. You get what you pay for.

 

[gregs656]

There are some very well known, very popular chinese light companies out there who are competing at the top lever on the world market - and there are certainly some lights that punch well above their weight. I am absolutely certain that every month their products get better (from the factories that care)

It's not so much about the country any more, but the factory. Some are learning how to produce better products, some are not. A lot of lessons have been learnt over the last couple of years.

I'm not a Jamie so I'm not really into my flashlights. I have a chinese light that I bought from a company I trust in china and it's great. I have also handeld and used lights many many times more expensive and whilst I can appreciate the obvious improvement in quality - the real world gains aren't going to be appreciated by me. That is not to say that they aren't there, just that I don't care enough to appreciate them.

 

[xerxes]

I have one of these: http://www.bestofferbuy.com/ultrafi...ight-with-extension-tube-aa14500-p-14252.html

Had it a couple of years and it works fine, I just wish the beem had a bit more spread and less of a spot. I'm sure that some of the dearer ones are better made etc., but I wasn't really prepared to bay £50 or more for a torch.

I also had a Petzl head torch, which is great for camping, but I also use it around the house, probably more than I use a torch, for stuff like seeing around the back of the PC under the desk to plug cables in, finding stuff in dark cupboards etc.

 

[integerspin]

I bought an ultrafire WF501B last september, it cost ten quid including a 18650 battery and a charger. I have been very impressed with it.

 

[Magsy]

Eagletac are made in China, no?

SRP is abrasive, it has cut, don't be putting that on reflectors!

I have loads, nearly 30 lights, I have some $20 lights and some $300 lights.

In my experience it is all in the QC. Some of the cheap lights are DOA and need threads cleaning, o-rings lubing/replacing, maybe even a solder joint or two touched up but that's all, once you are over that all of mine are super reliable. I actually quite enjoy getting a new DealExtreme jobbie and having to work on it before putting it into use.

I think given the saving and the slightly novelty nature of the lights, buying cheap, tweaking and using for a while before putting into 'service' is good way to go.

 

[JamesM]

Eagletac are made in China, no?

So are Iphones!!!

Alot of the premium brand flashlight companies are based in china, Fenix, Olight etc. When I said chinese stuff I was just using it as a generic term for cheap lights bought direct from china rather than through a dealer in this country.

Honestly though you get what you pay for. Comparing a cheap DX/ebay direct from china torch with a Fenix/Olight/Eagletac type torch is like comparing Alivio with XTR. Nothing wrong with Alivio, it's just not as nice!!!

 

[silverclaws]

That's what I was trying to get at, most big name companies in the West have their top line products made in China and Taiwan where the labour is cheaper and so I am guessing here the Chinese are doing what the Japanese did, copy anything that is successful and sells in the West and seeing as the technology and skills to produce what we think are good items under Western names, why not under their own names, so in effect what one could be buying with an unknown Chinese name is the same as what you pay sheds loads more for under a Western name.

Take my bike the QuingQi 125, the same factory produces Suzuki for the Japanese, the QuingQi is based on Suzuki parts, copies, I have identified three different 125 cc Suzuki bikes in the Engine alone but QuingQi parts and Suzuki parts are interchangeable the quality is that good and Yamaha, they are also made in China too and some Hondas were, certainly the plant engines as copies of those exist and they are just as reliable.

So perhaps China is now taking over where Japan was first, Japan copied, had teething troubles to start with, just like the Chinese and then became world leaders in manufacturing, as the Chinese and Taiwanese will.

 

[JamesM]

You could well be right. I've not seen all these copied torches coming out of china, but the few I have seen haven't been up to the same standards of the big name brands.