Light to repair? A few thoughts on non-replaceable flashlight batteries.
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- Опубликовано: 3 янв 2023
- Today, I'll talk a bit about right to repair, batteries, flashlights, and a new policy for the channel. Also, after some research, the Marauder 2's batteries are 'permanently installed', but potentially replaceable with some hackery, according to iFixit (www.ifixit.com/Guide/Olight+7....
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As someone who works in computers, the right to repair has been an uphill battle. I'm glad you've made a video on this!
This is so true in almost all consumer goods. Consumer electronics are all designed to be disposable: glued together, proprietary everything, nothing user serviceable. The same is increasingly true of cars, some manufacturers don't even want you opening the hood. I would rather pay more up front for a quality item that I can fix with standard parts.
I want the *entire review community* to make this commitment.
No
Absolutely brilliant !! I hate not being able to fix something that should be fixable I wish more people would make this move! 😤🤷♂️
Also include proprietary charging systems, especially those that require proprietary batteries.
Having just removed the bumper on my friends 2018 Jaguar XJ twice to try and fix a headlight fault, Im totally behind the right to repair concept. Jaguar licence the LED headlight unit so its only available from them, price £2,170.90 inc tax each. There are no replaceable parts its a sealed from factory unit, it breaks its junk. Happy new year to you!
Hey Nick... Thanks for chiming in on the RTR topic!
I agree with the vast majority of your thoughts here. I hate that I can't get my phone fixed without violating some TOS rule that a company gets to arbitrarily set to maximize their profits.
I have one additional suggestion for your flashlight commentary - lights with large battery packs in which the cells inside are mated in series. My primary example would be the Acebeam X75 although there are other similar models which allow end-users to service the battery packs themselves. Where I think it warrants the extra care is because of the general danger a non-experienced user of such cells could put themselves at risk in such cases. Not everyone knows to replace cells in series with the caveats they need to keep in mind and there are some pretty significant hazards. Thankfully this is a relatively small segment of the market and there are PLENTY is people who refuse to buy such flashlights BECAUSE they are experienced enough to manage keeping these battery packs safe.
I just think that in such cases, taking the extra step to design and build a non-serviceable battery pack makes sense because it ultimately lowers the risk to non-experienced buyers - people who just want such a big light and want it to work as safely as possible.
But... In pretty much all other cases - even flashlights - I agree: people should be able to replace their batteries or get outside service for their devices.
Thank you for making this video Nick. I was just searching replacement batteries for the Olight Arkfeld, as some internal batteries can be replaced. I found nothing.
Now I realize the Arkfeld isn’t a $600 CWF Arcadian Peanut but the Arkfeld variants I’m interested in are over $100. As someone who comes from an era where “Right to Repair” was never an issue I take extreme exception to this business model. Especially considering internal batteries are routinely available for many products from online battery superstores.
I can vote with my dollars, sure, but so many people nowadays trust influencers first and research second so they end up blindly following bad consumer patterns with a “that’s just how things are now” attitude. Your channel is large enough to make an actual impact on peoples lives/buying habits and I applaud this valiant effort to call bullshit on this horrendous greed machine. Frankly, it should just be illegal IMHO.
Oh, and sending a product in to China for service with a 2 months turn around time is not a solution it’s a deterrent and they know that.
Keep fighting the good fight Nick! 👍
The older I get the less I look for those perfect items. I've carried a Streamlight Stylus pro for about a decade now. I know there's better lights but this one just works for me.
I agree 100%. E-waste has been going on a LONG time, unfortunately. Even before the programmed obsolescence thing was as bad as it is today. Back in the 90s when folks got their Windows 95 computers in giant metal towers, there wasn't really anywhere for those to go besides the scrap yard/trash once newer tech came out.
On the flashlight front, I've been a Fenix fan for better or worse in the past. Lately, Sofirn has been doing some really decent stuff for the price. Their stuff with e-switches can be a bit polarizing like the SC32, but they have a pretty good variety.
Thank you for what you do man. You're one of the best. Still look forward to your videos everytime they come out.
I hope the right- to- repair battle goes our way. Us EDC nerds tend to forget that most people don't give a darn about self sufficiency and are ok with the "own nothing and be happy" that's being pushed today.
Today we are pushed a lot of stuff to own. My grandpa owned almost nothing and was happy, as long as there was no war.
I think the 'own nothing and be happy' and the 'EDC nerds' sometimes might have a lot in common.
I consider I belong to both groups at the same time.
I love the push for right to repair Batman. I tend to avoid these types of lights for this very reason. To be honest I wouldn’t even mind if the batteries especially on the tiny lights were slightly odd sizes and possibly take a screwdriver to open the light if they had for instance a plastic clip type attachment like so many electronics have. Giving the somewhat typical consumer the ability to replace even if it’s a bit more work than the average screw top flashlight.
As the maintainer of a somewhat popular Arbitrary List of Popular Lights, I agree. I've made very limited exceptions for small form factor lights under $40, but I'm never happy about it. Proprietary batteries are also a pretty effective way to stay off the list, though I've made exceptions for a couple large high-output lights that don't have any competition using standard batteries.
I'm more forgiving of proprietary magnetic charging. There isn't a standard for it, it has advantages over USB ports in terms of convenience and waterproofing, and its use is optional when the light uses a standard removable battery.
I found myself using magnetic charging with some headlamps while doing renovations because it was more convenient to swap headlamps and connect the magnetic charger. Fortunately they support 18650 cells but I just couldn't be bothered putting the cells in a charger while wearing PPE and covered in dust.
Great video and it is about time somebody said something about this! Although I bought a few lights last year with built in batteries, I will do so no more. The last straw was a Thrunite Archer Pro. A great light on paper and I had read conflicting things on the battery replacement options. I was able to easily open the light, but the battery was a proprietary 14500 and not even Thrunite sold it. They told me in response to an email I sent them that the battery was glued in. In my case, that was not so, but they had no battery for it nevertheless. I emailed them back and told them it was a poorly designed light. Laptops are also getting this way. The last one I bought at Best Buy was an HP Spectre and a salesperson there told me that a lot of the PC's sold now had non upgradeable components. I told him as a computer tech, I would not buy a PC that was made like that, and now I will add flashlights to that list. I guarantee if enough people do not buy these disposable items, the manufacturers will change their products. Unfortunately, it seems a lot of people are OK with this, which I will never understand! :(
I agree completely. I found your video through a link. I was researching whether or not the Olight Marauder 2 had a replaceable battery. I am not interested purchasing a very expensive flashlight with a non replaceable battery. This would be a very foolish choice.
Thanks for the video!
Hey Nick, I entirely get your desicion and mostly agree. Personally, I think the whole right-to-repair thing exists on a spectrum, and the question is not if right-to-repair should be a thing, but where you draw the line. Does every product absoluetly have to have replaceable, standardized parts? Hell no. Should the consumer be able to repair anything that might happen to their device? Also, IMHO, no, there are some things that are just difficult to repair.
At the end of the day, I think it's about the likeliness of a component failing and the level of value attributed to the resources consumed: The more likely something is to fail and the more valuable its "ingredients" (rare-earth metals, anyone?), the easier it should be to replace and recycle. Batteries are absolutely at the forefront of that, so manufacturers shoult be held accountable in that particular domain.
Good on you for this Nick. Been a fan and follower since your early days and proprietary screws and items that can't be disassembled were always at the top of your pet peeves list, good to see you address the illumination device community directly. It's a consumer economy and most people don't expect to have an item long enough to need to repair it (let alone repair it themselves) and it's a mentality I hope we can all help to change
Nick, I appreciate very much this advocay video and the decision criteria you have chosen, congratulations.
From my point of view, making non-fixable products should be totally forbidden. Until then, it is up to us, consumers, to make informed decisions. Resources are limited and global enviroment cannot hold abuse forever.
Didn't watched even the first minute but yeah! Important thing to talk about. This should be a movement. Same with things to buy wich are doomed to don't work anymore after one minute of use or maybe 1 year depending on what it is. In my case it should be a thing to give a guarantee that things work for a amount of time Wich is realistic
It's worth noting that nightcore's reasoning for welding the battery into the 10k light is somewhat sound: a welded connection will have less resistance than a spring contact. Less resistance means less heat and less voltage drop. Not an ideal solution, but it DOES offer some benefit to the consumer. I also encourage anyone with the aptitude to invest in your own battery spot welder, in order to fix this stuff yourself
I love my TINI 2. I more or less forget it's even in my pocket until I need to see something. I do have a super small (Tiny?) blip of discomfort knowing every time I turn the thing on I am very slowly killing it.
More so than flashlights I have a bigger issue with phones. I would 100% be okay with a thicker phone if it meant I could pull the back off and put in a new battery when it stated running out too quickly. My mother who is a heavy phone user had to keep her phone more or less always being charged because the battery was so short lived.
This. Exactly. Phones.
Thank you for standing up for the right to repair!
Hugh Jeffries is a huge right to repair advocate. It's crazy how much software Apple implements to stop you from swapping parts out. I have applied for a job at Apple and I joked with a friend about how I would get fired if I brought up the fact that allowing people to repair their devices is better for the environment then using recyclable materials.
Yes more right repair talk. Hopefully things change and I can repair stuff I own.
Nick, as a subscriber of your flashlight philosophy, this is the main reason why I decided not to jump on either the Wedge or the Arkfeld bandwagons.. Rechargeable batteries, yes. Flashlights that are rechargeable internally BUT only to an estimated amount of cycles, meh... I'll go Eneloop Pro in 2023!
I’ve come to grips with the fact that nothing lasts forever. I bought that model from Olight because its awesome and I like it. Sure I could use a mag lite from 20 years ago if I wanted to because it works but it’s the same type of paper weight now that my Olight will one day become.
Awesome position to have. Over the last couple years I've purchased some lamps on Amazon only to find out I can't replace the bulbs. Never again.
Thank you for this Nick, it's really great to see and hear this message being amplified and shared. Getting more consumers to think about these aspects of our purchasing decisions is a key foundation in changing how humanity approaches things. Cheers!
Great. I can't wait to see what you come across for flashlights with replaceable batteries.
Thanks for taking a stand, Nick!
You're right. I've got the SE light on my car key for ages and I sure recommend it.
At least the sorta new Mini Marauder has a replaceable battery, although at this time, I think the availability of compatible cells is probably somewhat limited.
Good on you Nick! I love my standard 21700 cell Emisar D4ks!
Good points in this video. I get non replaceable batteries when the formfactor requires it. I also think a lot of companies have gone to proprietary/permanent batteries for liability and warranty reasons. They don't want your light blowing up because you stuck an Ebay 200,000mah 18650 in it. 😂
Looking after what you already have and repairing or restoring something broken is also good for our wellbeing.
I so much agree with you on this. I do try to avoid those products. E-waste is such a problem.
Yes, mate!! So glad you are talking about this critical issue!
Thanks for the video. I agree with your thoughts here. I have quit purchasing any true EDC light without the option of a replaceable battery. Budget lights might be ok, but not those that we need and truly depend on.
Spot on. The last "disposable flashlight" I bought was the nitecore tube and will be the last
Good for you, Nick! I'm also thinking very carefully about the things I purchase and how I can repair them or easily have them repaired by a 3rd party. It's a struggle sometimes because in a lot of cases there are no alternative choices but better to be considering the options than ignoring the problem.
Highly recommend you get a malkoff. Best light ever!!!
I did not realize that model Olight did not have a replaceable battery. I have the Seeker Pro 2 and that model has a battery that you can swap.
I agree! Thanks for posting this, Nick. This is why I've only bought lights that take replaceable batteries. You can get small flashlights that take CR2032 batteries and are pretty bright.
Nice work Nick! You truly are the Batman of EDC consumerism!
Bravo! If you are inclined, we'd probably appreciate you branching into some other gear like phones, headphones, other portable electronics. Your reviews have been valuable and more would be appreciated
I completely and totally agree with this GEM of an idea….looking at you John Deere
I wonder if this is about the new(ish) Olight Arkfeld? I thought I would take a look at mine and it is very difficult to remove the back panel. I might be able to, but at this point I don't want to force it, since I'm not sure how it's assembled. I'll look if there are any disassembly videos, but I haven't yet. Anyway, they used RED Loctite on the #6 Torx screws holding the pocket clip on. Then, below that there is a small Phillips-head screw holding the panel on. The Phillips-head screw doesn't appear to have any sort of threadlocker on it, but it's held in place by the pocket clip. The panel itself does not want to budge and it's difficult to get in to try to pry it up. Not sure if it is glued in place or if there is a gasket of some sort holding it down. Thanks for coming to my T.E.D. talk.
Good job. Good video, thanks Nick
What a shame that we need people actively advocating for this sort of thing. It's equally, if not more of a shame, to think that the reason why we are here is because companies are actively taking steps to make these sort of things as unintuitive as possible so you're more likely to just throw your hands up in the air and buy a brand new product.
I love the Malkoff flashlight, you can basically buy everything you need to repair them.
best lights and a great family.
I agree 100% but don’t see planned obsolescence going away any time soon. Also, warranties like Spyderco’s where they can or could fix a knife but deem it doesn’t fall under warranty, so instead are willing to let you buy a new knife while not sending back your old knife - this is almost as ugly.
Thank you Nick, this is an important issue
As an avionics technician, I appreciate this philosophy. 👍
Good job Nick. 100% agree. I never buy anything that takes a proprietary battery and really dislike non replaceable battery electronics.
The small keychain lights that get super bright need to be frequently recharged, which makes them wear out sooner. I have an old basic rechargeable keychain light from the brand ASP that has just one mode and it's only 20 lumens. I find that fine for a keychain EDC but the big plus is it hardly ever needs to be recharged. I've had it for 6 years now and still going strong even though it didn't seem to be a high quality product when I got it. I've had a high lumen Olight keychain light stop working in just a couple years.
I love the rovyvon a5 - has a non interchangeable, rechargeable battery in it while ALSO having the ability to place a small triple A battery and replace that triple A
Huge respect Nick! So far I only own AA and AAA flashlights😄and don't feel like I need to upgrade. Same with earpods - 3,5 mm jack is so much better than wireless.
Definitely upgrade to 18650s night and day difference.
Definitely consider upgrading to lithium ion. And you don't even have to choose between removable and rechargeable like with almost every other category of electronics. Most of the big flashlight brands have models that take a standard sized replaceable cell but also have an integrated USB charger.
I agree 100% but you missing another issue. Even the flashlights with replaceable batteries, they are still planned waste because none that I have seen have a replaceable LED. I would really like to see that. The circuits and sensors that control charging and heat safety and the bodies will last almost forever. LEDs last a long time, but not forever.
I agree. I have a few flashlights that I could still use, but the companies don't sell the part I need I.e. tail cap. Things like that should be available so we can get more use out of our gear.
Nick shabazz changing the world one flashlight 🔦 at a time !! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏. Also let's highlight as much as possible 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲. As you say quality is not about geography, but about effort.. however it's not always quality that makes me not wanna support countries. Thanks for sharing 👍
In the past, when I needed something repaired by O-Light, I sent the product to Georgia, USA. I agree, sometimes, the form factor dictates use regardless of other considerations.
Nick - kind of funny that this video came up on RUclips today. In today's newsfeed (I think on Google News...) was an announcement regarding pretty significant increased charges by Apple for battery replacement on a variety of products... article also did make mention of unique fasteners to be dealt with to even have access to the batteries. If you think about it, batteries in phones, tablets, even notebook/laptop computers are even more unique than what goes on with the flashlights. Worse, if those devices basically become bricks, the owner/user is screwed. At least with a flashlight you can always buy a really cheap flashlight at a gas station/convenience store/supermarket/etc etc etc. Hard to deal with no access to smart devices!
if you could get companies to move from proprietary chargers (e.g. oilight) to usb c... that would be much appreciated. thanks nick! 🤘
Because of your decision, I've subscribed. I agree 100%.
Great video right here.
thats why I love my fairphone 4...phone has a few flaws, but all parts are easily replaced without any skill and the parts are readily available:)
Rovyvon angel eyes E3 is my favorite flashlight.. has a built in battery plus has a triple A battery spot
If you think flashlights have battery problem just check e-cigs / that smoking stuff that everyone think is cool... They throw rechargeable batteries inside there without possibility to charge them 😂 i reccomend few of BigClive videos that he discusses that.
As for me... I never had problem with that. Soldering iron, spudger few screwdrivers and it's done. I had sony wh1000 xm4 headphones that are not cheap but still I replaced battery there to X2 bigger and after all that time they still work perfectly. I did that with many devices... Trick to that? You just need to know what are you doing as you can't slap random batteries everywhere.
Im totally with you in terms right to repair but I still think some people should not touch inside of their devices aa people that can do that... Will do that. Did that and will do that again, as they will just know how it work and how to replace parts inside no matter of guarantee as it was never a thing for those people(and me) we just fix stuff by ourself anyway...
I think it is also better for the environment not having that many flashlights😁
Not sure if others have the same experience. But I found that battery life is higher on stuff I actually use. (e.g. my Note 8 is still going strong, but people who had it in storage have bloated batteries). And I found the same for other devices I use regularly (headphones/flashlight/smartwatch etc).
While batteries I don't use a lot degrade much quicker.
Best thing for the environment is to give flashlights you don't use to friends, so they don't have to buy more.
Try to keep unused lithium cells with roughly 50% charge when you're storing them for extended periods. I know it's difficult when they're in a device with parasitic current draw.
yeah... you really cant judge all batteries using samsung as a standard for battery bloat during storage. Samsung cuts a lot of corners for batteries... they are probably worst in the whole smartphone game (now that LG is no longer making smartphones, RIP).
@@Bawrabawla I have 6 identical nitecore 18650. 4 I use regularly (for my bike light) 2 I never use. The ones that are used a lot have maintained better capacity. I have 2 Powerbanks (3000mAh/5000mAh) from the same company, bought on the same day. I used the smaller one a lot but not the larger one. Recently noticed that the larger one has degraded a lot. I have 2 identical headsets, one at work that I rarely use and one private I use a lot. Guess what, the battery on the one I use a lot is in better shape.
It's not just Samsung (with them it is just very obvious), I observe this with every battery I have an easy comparison to. Btw, my Galaxy Note 8 is still going strong and I don't notice any problems with battery performance (and I pre-ordered it, so I have it as long as you can).
Ultimately, all batteries degrade over time. So, the worst thing for the environment is having batteries you don't use (you generate the waste, but don't get the use). Which is another argument for flashlights with remove-able batteries. You can have less batteries and still enjoy a large collection of flashlights.
@Beat E. Schaub I understand how lithium ion batteries work. I was just saying that samsung uses shit grade batteries and can't be used as a standard. My apologies if I miscommunicated. As some already said LiIon batteries should be kept between 30-80% health for best performance.
Edit: I meant for best performance and longevity.
Was the light you turned down the olight arkfeld?
Will this effect your reviewing of Solar watches?
The replaceable battery has quickly become a big decision point for me as well for the last couple of years. Have had to give up on some items like the Logitech MX Master mice because of it, but it does seem like the right choice!
You go Nick! I agree with your take on this issue.
Olight Marauder Mini is so good, easy my best flashlight!
Just got this last night and it looks awesome so far. Also the battery IS replaceable on the mini. Both the battery and the charger are proprietary, which is annoying but, oh well.
Awesome video in a huge fan of the right to repair and if you ever need a battery soldered in that Nightcore it's not terrible to do but still stupid on there part for the design
Any and all flashlights I purchase in the future are going to be similar to Convoy lights where you can replace literally every component. I have two on order now.
I'd say the biggest hurdle to RtR is the amount of people who are simply not comfortable or confident with self-repair, especially with knives, watches and devices Getting past that mental block, or fear of tech, is a biggie.
Interesting topics, i like it.
Good point.
I applaud your decision. Great move.
That nitecore 10k has a permanently soldered battery-they said it was necessary for the rate of discharge, and for heat transfer. I have one and it’s slowly dying.
I think about it with Benchmade knives a lot. I've broken an omega spring before, I don't want to wait around for X amount of time to get my knife back in the mail so I can use it again.
thanks for making an exception for the smaller form factor (I say that because I make an exception for them lol... I may be wrong).
also nice shoutout to Louis, you and him are one of the people I subscribe(?) to on patreon.
I agree, if some of those companies disappear you'd have an expensive brick.
I agree whole heartedly that swappable batteries be a innate feature in consumers
Best decision ever, well done!
Well done ty. I think about electric vehicle batteries regarding their eco footprint and obsolescence. I don't expect to see one on your mat for review and I wonder if the vehicle toolkit outweighs the right to repair policy its wrapped in
Bravo!
👍
I'm against planned obsolescence and Olights "customized" cells. I like replaceable batteries that are made by several different manufacturers. If I spend a decent amount of money on something, longevity and serviceability are some of the things I expect. Sadly some people don't seem to care because they want to replace it with a new model.
I can see a use-case when you want a flashlight who 1) has a non replaceable batter, and 2) a non replaceable bulb/led light, for example in a diving flashlight where it needs to be water proof.
However, for most users, they aren't going to the bottom of the ocean, or even the bottom of a lake. So replaceable bulbs and batteries are the way to go.
totally agree but i had to buy the olight arkfeld because i didnt have a light in that form factor. hard pass on the surefire stiletto and streamlight wedge.
i would personally love to go back to a phone with a removeable backplate and battery pack and cheap screen to replace.
these premium phones are highly capable and of beautiful build quality but most people put an ugly case on it and make it bigger then dont want to spend money on a powerbank, extra cables, or even an extra wall charger. could just be all the annoying iphone people i know who mooch
The problem is larger than most people understand. Take a look into the e-waste dumps in the Republic of Congo. Most of the stuff we throw into a "e-waste recycle bin" end up in places where people burn the devices to extract the precious metals.
JETBeam kindly sent me a new driver for the RRT01 when I complained about parasitic drain. ❤️
That's very nice.
Replaceable boards and LEDs have to be a thing in the future.
I am all for right to repair but I genuinely don't think this is going to be a battle that is ever won on the consumer side. I'd like to see a concerted legal push to force the issue because I think seeing a solution from that side is far more likely than seeing one from things like boycotting/protesting/anything else we as consumers can do.
Agreed. The EU seems our main hope at this point to get sensible pro-consumer concessions from the big tech companies.
Nitecore Tini2 battery can be replaced but it requires some tools. At least it's not heavily glued and has user accessible screws. 😁
I'm looking for a video on exactly that.
👏
I support right to repair hugely, people deserve to take care of their own stuff. Also keeps mechanics, plumbers, and HVAC guys in business lmao
That's to bad , I was hoping for an Olight Arkfeld review
I just bought an Olight Arkfeld with the understanding that the battery may not be replaceable, but the laser and flashlight in one unit will be handy at work. I didn't even consider that when they said rechargeable, that they meant a stupid proprietary magnetic dongle. Why can't it just be USB. You know, universal.
Same reason Apple uses Lightning rather than USB-C: They make more money that way.
That’s what was holding me back from the Arcfeld. The titanium one is beautiful, but I can’t stomach the fact that’ll be an expensive paperweight when the battery craps out.