MisLED by Surefire's "Quality"

[Miso Beno]

THERE IS A SHOT SHOW FOLLOW UP AT THE END OF THIS POST.

A friend gave me his old Surefire G2 LED because "it was running funny." I figured this meant the light had some dirtiness issues or something common like that. Instead I was met with a shining example of poor quality workmanship/design. Not only that I was told Surefire wouldn't fix the light under their "lifetime warranty." Talk about batting for none.

Anywho, if these photos are indicative of the level of thought Surefire put into these LED units, very disappointed. Why would anyone put a small dab of solder onto a chromed spring that is meant for use in a weapon light. Even the Chinese had the sense to use solder pieces of brass together and have the steel spring push against that. This is just silly. Just silly.

http://ruserio.us/images/1/WTFSurefire%20%20877.jpg
In case you can't see it, look at the broken solder just flapping in the wind.

http://ruserio.us/images/1/WTFSurefire%20%20876.jpg
Generic LED photo.

I invite you to gripe about your experiences with Surefire in here. Heck just talk about Surefire in general, got a positive story? You might as well share that too. Judging by signs I'm seeing, Surefire is quickly becoming the Knights Armament Company of the flashlight world, and it makes me sad.

EDIT:
FOLLOWUP
I paid the folks at Surefire a visit at the SHOT Show and they replaced the LED module for free. I also bumped into the owner of One Stop Knife Shop (http://1sks.com/) and he mentioned that any authorized Surefire dealer should be able to help cut through the customer service fog and get a failed Surefire product repaired/replaced. Basically, if your Surefire light poops out, and it's not because your Xenon bulb has given up the ghost, go to the SHOT show or visit your local Surefire dealer.

I'll perform the same stress test I performed on the CREE R2 on this emitter next week to see where we're at in terms of which seems to be a better unit.

EDIT 2:
I subjected the G2LED to the same drop test that the CREE had to endure. The G2LED died.

[Clinotus]

Thats ridiculous. Is there any more backstory on his interaction with them? Warrantes should be golden.

[Miso Beno]

Thats ridiculous. Is there any more backstory on his interaction with them? Warrantes should be golden.

He said they just wouldn't help him, so he just went and bought another light. I'm gonna pay their booth a visit at shot. Depending on the service I receive I may write an article.

[Capn Beeb]

Hey it's that light that hated me a bunch. Can't believe the problem was staring me in the face for so long.

BACKSTORY WEE:

I had had the light for... I dunno, maybe a year and change. Carried it around in my jacket pocket, used it a fair amount when I'd fix computers around town in poorly lit and horribly dusty rooms. After a while, it'd flicker. I wasn't sure why; fresh batteries, connections were clean and shiny, nothing seemed wrong. I wrote Surefire a couple of times, nothing. Eventually I got a response saying that the culprit is likely a dirty contact point in the tail cap. I wrote back saying I had cleaned it, and was hoping they'd at least take a look at it. Not demanding anything, not HEY GIMME NEW LIGHT PLEASE, just "I'm obviously missing something here, help :("

Nothing. So it sat in my desk drawer for a couple of years, whereas the little baby Fenix I bought to replace it for an every day light is just humming along perfectly fine. I also had an E2D before this which burnt out three bulbs before I upgraded to the G2. Bought an 870 forend that just did not thrill me at all.

Three Surefire products. Two dead, one swapped out for alternate product. Not exactly a stellar ratio :\

[N183CS]

I bought a surefire 6P a few years ago after reading a review of how great they are. This was before the whole "OMG tacticlol must have surefire" nuttyness started. I loved the light for its output and I carried it with me on several occasions when not having a light would mean spending the night in the woods or risk breaking bones trying to feel my way home. After about a month it died. I bought a box of surefire batteries with it so when I sent it back to Surefire they fixed it free and I gave it to my dad afterwards and switched back to my old mag light for normal woods exploration use.

A month later it died again and surefire refused to service it saying it must be user error. I highly doubt my 62 year old father who used it to find stuff in his attic was putting it thought excessive use.

Fast forward a few years, I decided to get an A2 aviator as they got favorable reviews. My cousin gave me a chinese LED light a few months before and I was worried I'd kill it using it in my normal duties at work (aviation, supposedly what the A2 is for) so I got the A2. I use my flashlight mainly for pre flighting C130 cargo planes at work so I need a good beam especially when working outside in winter in Alaska. A month after buying the A2 I was really digging the light output and could even duplicate their claim that it could light up a large jets tail at night for pre flight purposes. Shortly after I managed to snap off the pocket clip while putting it back in my chest pocket on my flight suit, it kinda surprised me. I still continued to use surefire batteries because I got them free from work but I was having to change them about every week. Finally one night while checking on a hydraulic leak over the bearing sea the krypton bulb gave out. This was all within 4 months of having the light. I got so frustrated that I just stuck the light in the drawer and have been using my cheap chinese light with 0 problems for the past year and a half. I guess I'll have to dig my A2 back out and return it eventually since it did cost me a fortune. I'll be sure to post the results here.

[Clinotus]

I had heard such great things about the product before, glad I did not jump on the bandwagon. Sounds like when it works it great, but when it fails you have to look elsewhere. Combining that with what sounds like poor QC, tells me I made the right choice in choosing other products for my lighting needs.

[Steve Balmer]

Im really surprised Surefire would do something like this. I thought they had a reputation for quality and excellence. :(