I dropped a "AA" size Maglite in a tankful of water 9' deep once. It had to lay in it for a week before we could drain the tank. Retrieved lite, dried it off good, disassembled it and didn't find one trace of water inside. Needless to say, this sold me on Maglites.I've owned them ever since.
Mike

Mag-Lites are durable, although they're pretty outdated now. For an inexpensive flashlight they offer a good value if you're not too demanding. With AA Mini-Mags you can get a huge improvement with an aftermarket 1 watt LED replacement bulb.

After about 20 years since their last new product they're finally coming out with their own LED lights in a month or two.

Don't forget the extra bulb they have in the battery contact spring located in the endcap. Take the endcap off and pll the batter contact spring off. the spare bulbe is ready when needed unless previous owner had used.

John you say they are outdated. What has replaced them?

Well, different things depending on the market and the flashlight:

The C/D-cell Mag-Lites were developed for police used in 1979. Since the late '80s the mainstream police market has been using high-power (about 5x as bright) rechargable lights. The largest maker is Streamlight, second is Mag, and third is Tigerlight. Nowdays C/D cell Mags aren't commonly issued. As homeowner flashlights they're OK. Not too expensive, very reliable, and use cheap bulbs. But there are other choices that are just as good for that purpose.

The two Mini-Mag lights were invented in the mid '80s. Nowdays, technology-wise, they're lagging badly. LED flashlights are much brighter, use less electricity, and never burn out. Streamlight, Dorcy, Peak, and a zillion others make them. The only thing the Mini-Mag has going for it is its physical contruction. Because of this they're very popular as hosts for kits that replace the internal eletrics.

The Mag Solitaire, also 20 years old, is hopelessly useless. Single AA or AAA LED flashlights have outlcassed it so much it isn't even funny. Arc, Peak, Gerber/CMG, and Inova are just a few of the brands.

Another class of flashlight that Mag hasn't tried competing in is poweful xenon-bulb models that use lithium batteries. Sometimes called "tactical" lights because SWAT teams and the like favor them. A lithium flashlight just 4" long is as bright as a 20" long 6D-cell Mag-Lite. And 3-4 cell lithium lights can be absurdly bright. Surefire is by far the leader, with Streamlight, Pelican and others making up for the rest. The batteries they use are sold as camera batteries with huge markups in stores, but bought online from flashlight suppliers they're cheap as dirt.

And I'd also point out that Mag-Lite has very unfriendly business tactics. When a potential small competitor is found, Mag brings a major patent/copyright lawsuit. The majority of these suits are baseless but the legal costs to the small company are too great to bear so they withdraw. Only a fraction are against actual ripoffs.

Don't get me wrong, they're good flashlights. But at this point I would no longer consider them a market leader in any catagory other than sales and advertising. This could change, however. Like I said they're coming out with a new generation of lights for the first time, very soon.

John I just visited the Surefire website and I don't think they are competing with any Maglite I have ever seen. $73.00 for the cheapest flashlight I saw. Is this apples and oranges or what?

I said that in my post, Mag has no flashlights in that market segment. I was just giving an example of what the bleeding edge of technology is. Surefire's cheapest light (G2) is about $35 at dealers. They're the Rolls-Royce. You can get other good brands for $20-25, or Chinese lights for $10.

I think you would have to agree that the Maglite is pretty much top of the line for the average person. If you need to knock people over the head or see something 300 yards ahead you will want something pricier. Oh and by the way, name me one company that will not protect its patent rights with whatever means available.

How long do Xenon lamps last?

Concerning Inova, I bought several because they were supposed to be quality. They did everything they claimed they would BUT after about a year's use, they failed to turn on. The screw-in cap on the bottom of the light that turns on the light fails because of a grounding problem and cannot be repaired. That makes them total junk and I would warn anybody about buying them. Lifetime gaurantee? Yeah as long as you have all the original paperwork and receipt and providing you don't outlive the life of the company.

Absolutely avoid these lights.

If you want to knock someone on the head, that's one of the things a big Mag-Lites are still good for. And they throw pretty well for their limited power. The larger lights are a good deal for average people. The smaller ones aren't in my opinion. Since I got an LED for my Mini-Mag I'd never use one as sold. A zillion companies make these things now. Some are great, some are crap.

Mag goes way beyond protecting its rights. There was a recent suit where they basically shut down a foreign company that was making lights that looked and worked nothing like them. Actually the way I saw it they were a knockoff of one of Mag's largest competitors. This happens a lot, it just doesn't get reported.

It depends on the bulb. Common PR-base xenon bulbs (Mag sells some of these as upgrades for their C/D cell models) last as well as anything for the brightness. High-pressure xenons have less life but are still very reasonable, especially considering how much light you get. Mini-Mag bulbs are awful since they're just plain vacuum and are overdriven to achive the brightness. If you want to get a better Mini-Mag bulb without going LED, get either a Radio Shack krypton bulb or a Brinkmann xenon.

I've never used Innovas personally, but I haven't heard much bad about the good ones (X5, etc). What models were these?

Another company that makes very tough, small flashlights is Underwater Kenetics. Made for dive use, small, durable as heck, and bright. Some LED models, too.

Went to the website to get a model number and of course, it's down due to a broken or busy server......probably broken.

I saw the amazing SureFire U2 microprocessor flashlight at an AMAZING $270! The biggest problem is that the lithium battery does not have a recharger. (like my lithium battery cellphone does) I wonder how many candlepower 85 lumens is?

Lumens divided by 12.566 equals (spherical) candlepower.

The U2 is a real mixed bag. My best guess is that it was made as something of a technology demonstration. It's way overpriced, but you'd be surprised at the number of people who are buying them. The biggest problem is that Surefire's quality control has been spotty recently. The older designs are fine, but the new ones like the U2 or the L4 are popping up with. Since they supply flashlights to the military, opinion has it that they have to concentrate on those orders for the time being.

Disposable lithium batteries pack more punch than lithium-ion (rechargable). That's mainly why they're used. But if you want to make your Surefire rechargable you can get aftermarket nickle-metal-hydride or LiOn batteries.

Most flashlight companies can't be trusted for brightness figures. Different ways of measuring lumens, or candlepower, or peak beam candlepower. Spherical candlepower is a less-used measurement. Surefire is pretty close, but even then take it with a grain of salt. Mag was honest enough in that area until recently, when they arbitrarily upped all the specs without any changes to the product. If you want a general guide, a 65 lumen Surefire (like a G2 or 6P) is about as bright as a 6D-cell Mag-Lite with a xenon bulb. Most other brands of good 2-cell lithium light (like a Streamlight Scorpion or Tl-2) are similar.

LEDs like the U2 are just as bright for a given number of lumens/candlepower/etc but it's a different kind of bright. Much whiter, more flood, doesn't throw quite as far. Can be more blinding depending on the light.

I'm a police officer and have been now for over 28 years. I carry one and only one flashlight. It is a Stinger made by Streamlight. It is compact and very bright. You can buy them in various configurations now, incl. type of charger needed.

In my line of work, a good light is imperative, and your life can virtually depend upon one. It has to work, each and every time you need it.

The Stinger is a firearms grade flashlight. If you want the best and don't mind paying some for it, then Streamlight is the way to go.

In my work I need a small light that can be held between my teeth so I can use both hands. I use spot and flood. My experience with Inova was great until they broke.

What could I buy today, (possibly wait for Mag lights new intro) that would fill this need and I could depend on it to still be working 5 years from now?

One important feature that seems to be missing from LED lights is an adjustable beam. It may be because it takes too many LEDs which can't be focused using a traditional reflector.

I am guessing that these LED lights, like everything else, will be 1/2 price in a couple of years.

BT, I had both the spot beam and flood light. The spot beam was very concentrated. The larger light claim was that it would project a spot beam 200 feet ahead. Keep in mind that it only uses one LED. The first night I got it, I took it outside and aimed it at my barn, which is more than 200 feet away. Amazingly, it lit up a concentrated area of the barn so well that I probably could see a mouse running away.

baymee,

You should look into a head lamp. I use mine all the time.

I have a few different ones and I like them all. It sure beats holding a flashlight in your mouth or balancing it on a nearby rock or branch.

Petzl Zipka

Petzl Micro

Headlamp? They work very well. In my younger days I worked in a mine for 18 months and they were our only source of light.

I remember two things: Without light down there, you can't see your hand in front of your eyes and with the drills running, you could scream at the top of your lungs and NOT hear yourself screaming.

Memories.

Costco and Sams Club often carry some of the smaller tactical type flashlights. They are very bright, made of machined aluminum, about 4 inches in length and often come in two packs for about $20-25. My D cell maglites, mini-maglites, micro-maglites just take up space somewhere in the garage. They are outdated, and just can't compete in light throwing and convenience, but are well constructed.

i have a C cell mag i bought about 15 years ago. The first day i had it i went deer hunting and lost it. i searched every where for it, to no avail. 6 MONTHS later the guys at the camp were doing some spring work and the plow pulled the light up out of a ditch when they drove across it. it worked instantly. that light had been under water for most of six months, actually buried in the mud! My cousin was there when it was found, so he got the light back and gave it back to me. that light stays in my truck now, and 15 years later is only on the second bulb.

i do not care what people say, i will stick to mag until they go out of business. We work on the law enforcement cars here, and all of them use rechargable Mags in the cars. the ones who have tried others always go back to Mag, as they hold up better under extreme use.

As state above, Mag is coming out with an LED soon. I'll wait to see what it looks like before I replace mine.

Is there any month I can expect to see it?

A big improvement in the Maglite's would be a flat spot made in the lens housing so the darn things won't roll off. REJ2.

I bought a rechargeable LARGE MagLite flashlight in 1980. That's over 25 years ago and it still works great with the ORIGINAL battery!

I couldn't be more pleased with that purchase!

Just my 2 pesos worth,
Junkmanme

Don, Surefire has a light for about $35, the G2 nitrolon I think. They also sell the batteries for it the cheapest anywhere I've found.

Mag-Lite didn't make a dedicated rechargable flashlight in 1980. The Magcharger came out in the late '80s. In 1980 Streamlight and Pro-Light were the big rechargables.

Surefire no longer has the best prices on batteries. They just raised the rates. Try Batterystation.com

It's expected that Mag will show their first LED models at the SHOT show in February. Dunno when they'll be for sale.

I bought a couple of Maglites 20 years ago, one that uses four D cells and one that uses 2 double A batteries. I hated the little one and gave it away. The on off function was controlled by rotating the lens housing, which is kind of Mickey Mouse. Mine would sometimes come on in my pocket and drain the batteries, and other times would be hard to turn on.

The big one I bought as a combination flashlight and club. I debated between the D cell and C cell models and bought D because the batteries cost the same and last longer. I wish I had bought the C model, because the smaller diameter barrel is a better club handle.

Quality on the big models is first rate, including a simple sealed rubber on-off switch that is easy to operate and never fails. The only problem, as others have noted, is that it isn't an especially powerful light for such a big heavy object.

One other note: if you plan to carry one of these around in your vehicle, figure out some way to secure it. It would be a lethal projectile in a collision.

In case anyone's curious, Mag demo'd their new lights over the weekend. Probably will hit stores towards the middle of the year. Oddly slow considering Mag's manufacturing capability and the time they say they've spent working on them.

Basically there are two new models, both with regulated 3W Luxeons:

The D-cell lights seem largely unchanged other than adding an LED. At some point Mag will also come out with an LED drop-in (like many currently on the market, but probably with better regulation) for existing D-cell lights. It's unknown how these will handle the head buildup since there's no elaborate heatsink.

The AA size flashlights are where they put some effort. Similar to a Mini-Mag outwardly, but with a longer head. Available in traditional 2AA and a new 3AA size. No one knows exactly what's inside, but from the patents I've seen it appears to be a new, complicated, focusing mechanism to go along with the electronics. Unlike the D-cell models it appears pretty unique. Prices will be under $30. From what I've read the 2AA one might be running under its possible performance, but the 3AA should have some pop to it.

Honestly I'm surprised they didn't come out with more (like an LED replacement for the hopeless Solitaire) but the new lights look solid. I'll probably buy a 3AA when it comes out. Something to go along with my modified Mini-Mag.

Check out FlashliteReveiws.com You should get all the info you need...there's more to it than just brightness,such as run time,actual lumens,etc................I bought a Taskforce(before I found the website) 3 watt luxeon,powered by 2 C cells,at lowe's.It was $40,but has a lifetime warranty;I would say it was a little brighter,and whiter(bluish tint) light; compared to the tactical lites sold at sam's club,the lithium powered one's that come 2 in a package;they were very bright for the size,but the battery's were an issue with me..................I also have just about every size maglite made,and I'd love to see a LED conversion for them.....