Over the years I have reviewed many SureFire products. Most people agree SureFire products are extremely well made with rock-solid performance (aka the Cadillac of flashlights). But an overarching comment/theme from readers has been they can buy an (nearly) equivalent device for (much) less money. Nine times out of ten, that is a true enough statement. Although, I would argue that either way you go, you are getting what you pay for…..
I have, through sad circumstance, damaged several SureFire products over this past year. I initially mentioned my experience with SureFire’s stellar warranty in my Pen III review, where I bent its stainless steel clip and had to send it back to have it repaired. ‘… I called SureFire and asked them what it would take to get it repaired. Without hesitation the operator said they would repair it under warranty. He gave me a RMA number and off it went to be fixed. Approximately three weeks later, I received the pen back good as new’.
As the story goes, this past January the Seattle area experienced a massive ice storm that left 300,000 people without power (very unusual weather for the Pacific Northwest). Unfortunately my family and I were without power for nearly eight days. During this time we put some serious hardcore use/mileage on my flashlights. Well, sadly my SureFire Titan flashlight fell out of my pocket and was submerged for a significant amount of time. When I finally found the flashlight, it had water/moisture damage and no longer worked correctly (did not turn off fully). Being my favorite ‘carry around, all-purpose’ flashlight, I was bummed. I attempted to dry the Titan out with the rice in a bag trick but that failed to get the moisture out of the LED assembly.
Well once again, I called SureFire and explained the situation (the operator did not know I was a writer/reviewer). Living up to their No-Hassle Warranty, the operator gave me a RMA number and said they would repair the flashlight. A couple weeks later, my SureFure flashlight was returned to me good as new. So, my point is that a majority of the time you get what you pay for….SureFire products are expensive but without a doubt; they last the test of time and when something happens SureFire does not even blink when it comes to making things right.
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This applies internationally too! and even for the simplest issues. i broke the glass on my surefire 6PL head by accidentally dropping it to the asphalt. contacting SF and telluing them i was based in asia. i paid for basic shipping and a new head in a couple months, in a large container. shipped to me directly from their offices
I totally agree with you on all points except that I wanted a Surefire but could NOT justify the cost just because I “wanted’ it. I bought a foreign made copy that works fantastic and has never caused any problem for 1/2 the price. However, one should always stick to the brand name if you are a professional or rely heavily on your light. Just my opinion.
@Eddie – I have both SureFire and Fenix torches, and the Fenix strike me as just as good for noticeably less money; if you are getting a “foreign made copy” then I would expect to pay a LOT less than 1/2 the price of SureFIre though 😉
I totally agree with eddie and thenikjones comments, in this economy I’m certain Surefire has seen sales plunge because people today are looking for both a reliable flashlight at a reasonable price, and I have found many online with solid build quality, better beam patterns and lifetime warranties at half the cost of Surefire. I own the Fenix TK35, Fenix Mini PD20 and the Olight M20 and I’m have been blown away by the performance of these light and I challenge Surefire to match the lumens, beam patterns and most important price of these quality lights. As Dave has said in this article “Most people agree SureFire products are extremely well made with rock-solid performance (aka the Cadillac of flashlights)”, to that I say if you have the kind of money to spend on a Cadillac you are certainly in Surefire’s demographic.
I have always had surefire products. I keep them at home, work and in the cars as well. I have called them on several occasions to “buy” a part that I broke and they just siply replaced the part free of charge. One flashlight I had that they no longer make and even then they replaced it with a newer one. I gladly pay for the convenience of the warranty, and the stellar quality of their products.