Olight Vs Nitecore

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savageagle

HamRadio/Office of Emergency Services/Fire-EMT-SAR
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
Messages
469
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528
Location
Squaw Valley, California, USA, EARTH
Olight M3XS-UT Javelot
Olight M2X-UT Javelot
Olight SR52-UT Intimidator
Nitecore TM16GT
Nitecore EA8
Nitecore EA4

If you, as a prepper have considered a flashlight as part of your survival gear and have purchased or are thinking of purchasing an Olight or a Nitecore brand LED flaslights this might be of interest.
Back in 2012 I started to upgrade what I had as far as survival gear like knives, ammo and flaslights. I included other things just to have more or to get the latest version of that item such as fire starters, binos and night vision optics.
Being part of a communities fire department gives me a very good environment to test flashlights, and a couple other things. The flashlights though, get a real workout with me because i am a 1st responder and where I live i'm usually first on scene and having experience in many areas of the field I have more confidence and act quicker than most, usually I don't have a chance to wait so I jump into it. I have found myself in 12 feet of rushing river water trying to remove a 31 year old woman in a car that is on it's roof and I had a "Nitecore EA4" with me. I have found myself 60 feet over a cliff roping up a patient in a stokes litter and I had a "Nitecore EA8" attached to my helmet, self made from a gun mount. And lastly I was in a search with Fresno County Sheriff's "Jeep crew" as foot crew in a very unforgiving place in the central sierra nevada's and I had my Olight M3XS-UT.
The 6 flashlights listed above are not the only lights I have but are the only lights i have used on calls, except for my trusty and not so bright Maglight 4 C LED, converted. All 6 lights have been through just about the same. They all have been used in rain and snow. They all have been dropped, mostly 3 - 5 feet and one of the Nitecore EA4's took a fall about 35' with bumps and bruizes and didn't skip a beat.
All the lights were used everyday for an average of 6 months and changed out for a new one and the used one was still used daily but not on calls.
Here we are in 2017 and the only lights that are still usable are the Olight flashlights. All the Nitecores have failed in the same way. All the lights were never submerged except for the SR52 Olight, and all were used in rain. even my Maglight went through that same stuff and is much older but still does it's job.
The Nitecores had the same symptoms before complete failure. they began to operate in different modes randomly. I'd turn it on then off and it would go to strobe or SOS. The mode was very random and all the Nightcores did the same thing before complete failure. I have worked and worked on the lights and come to the same conclusion: something within the IC's curcuitry has failed in all the lights and all the lights failed between 14-16 months, just out of warranty. All the Olight flashlights are still being used and have never skipped a beat and continue to go on calls, get used in the rain and are beat up almost on a daily basis.
Looking back when all I had was my Maglite, I never thought a maglite would outlast something that cost twice as much or more and was supposed to be newer technology.
At this point I may never buy another Nitecore light until I am satisfied they have worked out all the bugs with their electronic circuitry. By the way, all the nitecore lights lost there rubber water proof buttons at about 3-4 months and 1 light I sent pictures to Nitecore asking them what to do. they sent me a brand new EA4 which unfortunately failed the same way the others did.
The performance of the Nitecore's was great but the longevity of the lights, all of them with the same failure issues in my opinion gives it a very low rating.
If Maglite would compete i'm sure they would have a winner. I'm happy that all my Olights still perform as advertised and a few of them have been for 5 years now. I guess when they have been working for over 20 years like my Maglite I can then call it a good light.
I hope this gives a heads up to anyone wanting to purchase from Olight or Nitecore. My testing was extreme at times but wouldn't you be better off with a light you know will handle more that what you may put it through?
NOTE: this is NOT an attempt to steer you to any product, it is just a commentary about my experiences with the two different flahlight companies and my own personal opinion, and results of my own testing.
 
Olight M3XS-UT Javelot
Olight M2X-UT Javelot
Olight SR52-UT Intimidator
Nitecore TM16GT
Nitecore EA8
Nitecore EA4

If you, as a prepper have considered a flashlight as part of your survival gear and have purchased or are thinking of purchasing an Olight or a Nitecore brand LED flaslights this might be of interest.
Back in 2012 I started to upgrade what I had as far as survival gear like knives, ammo and flaslights. I included other things just to have more or to get the latest version of that item such as fire starters, binos and night vision optics.
Being part of a communities fire department gives me a very good environment to test flashlights, and a couple other things. The flashlights though, get a real workout with me because i am a 1st responder and where I live i'm usually first on scene and having experience in many areas of the field I have more confidence and act quicker than most, usually I don't have a chance to wait so I jump into it. I have found myself in 12 feet of rushing river water trying to remove a 31 year old woman in a car that is on it's roof and I had a "Nitecore EA4" with me. I have found myself 60 feet over a cliff roping up a patient in a stokes litter and I had a "Nitecore EA8" attached to my helmet, self made from a gun mount. And lastly I was in a search with Fresno County Sheriff's "Jeep crew" as foot crew in a very unforgiving place in the central sierra nevada's and I had my Olight M3XS-UT.
The 6 flashlights listed above are not the only lights I have but are the only lights i have used on calls, except for my trusty and not so bright Maglight 4 C LED, converted. All 6 lights have been through just about the same. They all have been used in rain and snow. They all have been dropped, mostly 3 - 5 feet and one of the Nitecore EA4's took a fall about 35' with bumps and bruizes and didn't skip a beat.
All the lights were used everyday for an average of 6 months and changed out for a new one and the used one was still used daily but not on calls.
Here we are in 2017 and the only lights that are still usable are the Olight flashlights. All the Nitecores have failed in the same way. All the lights were never submerged except for the SR52 Olight, and all were used in rain. even my Maglight went through that same stuff and is much older but still does it's job.
The Nitecores had the same symptoms before complete failure. they began to operate in different modes randomly. I'd turn it on then off and it would go to strobe or SOS. The mode was very random and all the Nightcores did the same thing before complete failure. I have worked and worked on the lights and come to the same conclusion: something within the IC's curcuitry has failed in all the lights and all the lights failed between 14-16 months, just out of warranty. All the Olight flashlights are still being used and have never skipped a beat and continue to go on calls, get used in the rain and are beat up almost on a daily basis.
Looking back when all I had was my Maglite, I never thought a maglite would outlast something that cost twice as much or more and was supposed to be newer technology.
At this point I may never buy another Nitecore light until I am satisfied they have worked out all the bugs with their electronic circuitry. By the way, all the nitecore lights lost there rubber water proof buttons at about 3-4 months and 1 light I sent pictures to Nitecore asking them what to do. they sent me a brand new EA4 which unfortunately failed the same way the others did.
The performance of the Nitecore's was great but the longevity of the lights, all of them with the same failure issues in my opinion gives it a very low rating.
If Maglite would compete i'm sure they would have a winner. I'm happy that all my Olights still perform as advertised and a few of them have been for 5 years now. I guess when they have been working for over 20 years like my Maglite I can then call it a good light.
I hope this gives a heads up to anyone wanting to purchase from Olight or Nitecore. My testing was extreme at times but wouldn't you be better off with a light you know will handle more that what you may put it through?
NOTE: this is NOT an attempt to steer you to any product, it is just a commentary about my experiences with the two different flahlight companies and my own personal opinion, and results of my own testing.


I have both Olights and Nitecores. Olights win hands down in my opinion. My Nitecores took craps on me not long after purchase. I have 3 R40 Seekers that I use on regular basis...running strong.
 
Thank you for the heads up. Always nice to hear from experience. We have been happy with the Maglite, but if we try another I know which one I would want to try.
 
Thank you for the heads up. Always nice to hear from experience. We have been happy with the Maglite, but if we try another I know which one I would want to try.

Olight is good. Also I have had luck with Fenix PD35...though they burn through battery life.
 
I like the Mag lights . I have a Pentagon, the company that Surefire sued and they closed shop . I went on Ebay and bought spare parts while they are avalible . I found a place that sales Nebo lights cheap enough . I have been getting away from the 123 A battery lights and looking for AA OR AAA lights . For battery avalibility .
 

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