Sometimes I buy stuff on Tanga.com. When I do, it''s usually a good deal even if their shipping is slow.
Recently I bought a couple LED Flashlights. They were about $13 each but they were supposed to be incredibly bright. I usually carry around a small 24 LED light in my bag when I'm out exploring. This flashlight claimed to have 100 ultra bright LEDs. I hadn't seen one that big before, so I figured why not?
The package arrived yesterday and I ripped it open as soon as I got home from work. They had relatively short handles but the heads on them were huge (they did say 100 LEDs after all, and you know I counted them.) Each light took 4 AA batteries and of course I was out, so after a quick trip to Best Buy (any excuse will do, seriously) for batteries and some other stuff, I get back home and pop them in.
Well, sorta... I try to pop the batteries in, but it turns out the battery clip in one of them is missing the little metal piece I need to complete the circuit. So already, I'm down to one flashlight. I pop open the other one, stick in the batteries and turn it on.
Holy sh!t... it's the brightest f^cking flashlight I've ever seen. I'm not sure, but it just might cause skin cancer. I swung it around and caught the reflection in a mirror and couldn't see a damn thing for a few seconds. This thing is brutal.
Not wanting to incur any property or pet damage, or piss off any neighbors, I turned it off. After about 60 seconds my sense of disbelief (and mischief) kicked in and I turned it back on. and off. and on... I did this about 4 times and the button stuck. REALLY stuck. Now the damn thing won't turn on and I'm out TWO flashlights (and my $29.)
Not one to be hindered for long, I cannibalized the flashlights into one good one (which so far, the next day, still works) and contacted Tanga about a refund for the other one. I have a bad feeling that I'm probably screwed as far as getting a replacement, but hopefully I'll get my money back.
I'm also taking bets on how long the "good" one will last.
For the record, my 24 LED light (that I paid $5 for at MicroCenter) is still doing just fine, months later. It's damn near too bright for exploring as it is, and I often have to mute it with my palm. This new 100 LED flashlight won't be much good for exploration anywhere other than underground tunnels and drains. It's way too bright for a building... seriously this thing is like a portable BatSignal.