Is Maglite dead ?

[PyroJames]

I experienced the same thing with my 6D mag.  I eventually gave up and threw it out.  I didn't want to throw it out but had no choice.  The fact that the maglite gave me 15+ years of awesome service was a big comfort to me so I didn't feel too bad about throwing it out.  It was well used and well loved but it was time to say goodbye.

You realize you could have contacted the battery company and they would have replaced or repaired the light?  
Most times they simply send you a cheque for the replacement cost of the light.

Duracell, Energizer, and Rayovac do it for sure.  

I didn't learn that until after I threw out my mag.    This was many years ago and back then, I didn't know any better.   

[P35]

No they aren't dead. They are old technology, but they work. I have several and have no plans to get rid of them.
I still carry my 6D light sometimes when walking after dark.
What could be better, a reliable flashlight ,and a bludgeon in one package.

[Woz]

I just saw 2D and 4D Fenix lights! Amazing, it seems some people really still ask for those bulky devils, so not only Maglite is still in business, but Fenix started making 4D lights! Crazy world...

Still, the Fenix is regulated and much brighter than the 4D Mag LED 

[Gareth]

Bizarre that this thread should come back, I've just looked out my 2D maglite (with mag's own drop-in) as a torch to leave at work.  Nothing like the brightest torch I own these days, but works well enough and is tough enough to inspire confidence.  It'll not be my primary light (that'll still be my iTP SA2) but it'll be good for lending out or if I somehow forget my SA2.

[powernoodle]

From my perspective, Mag-lite is pretty much dead among flashlight aficionados as there are smaller, brighter and longer-running lights on the market.  Regulated LEDs that don't begin to diminish in output the moment you turn them on.  For the mass-market who just needs a light to throw in the drawer, they are just fine.

But their dead bodies still make good hosts for modding.

[PyroJames]

I'm tempted to get another 6D mag and go with an LED conversion.  Maglite makes a mighty fine torch for  

I still have my 2AA maglite from 20 years ago. It's seen better days and can't compare to my newer lights but it's still reliable after all these years. 

[ICanFixThat]

They should have died, but because they have made inroads everywhere, and not that many people think too much about their flashlight, they have managed to hold on.  As Powernoodle pointed out they are pretty good hosts for modding, but even that market has decreased a lot in the last couple of years.

The have some new LED lights that have been selling OK to the general public, their XL-100 was a weird thing, but some gadget lovers have take to it.  The new XL-50 will likely be an OK seller for them.

Before my Alox SAK collection I did aquire a color Alox Solitaire collection...   I have a few led drop-ins for the Solitaire, but I've given a few away after I color coordinated them with the receiver.  Not sure how many still have them.

They should have bought up some company, but aquisitions don't appear to be their thing.  Their current LED lights are getting to the point of being average, so they might not too too bad in the future.  Soon the components required might be cheap enough, and not changing every 3 months, that they will be able to take advantage of economies of scale again.

[enki_ck]

To a regular person Maglite is still the first thing what pops in their head when you say flashlight. They have made such a name for them self they can live from old glory now. The usual responce from my friends when I use any of my flashlights is "wow that's bright, is it a maglite?" It does help that the boss of mag instruments, Ante Maglica, is a Croat

[Woz]

Well, as I mentioned before darkness did not get darker, so a good light ten years ago still is a good light. but, and that is where Maglite made mistakes imho, times are changing, and while I still like classic Maglites, they did not manage to make decent LED lights.

[cerbera147]

Not dead quite yet. I've got an XL100 which I love and an XL50 on the way 

These XL lights could be improved greatly and let's hope they do 

This thread is definitely inspiring me to upgrade my 2D Maglite  Now how to go about it 

I find it odd that Fenix have brought out a 2D and a 4D light; they must be after a certain market sector. That's a lot of weight to be carrying but yet I think some find the ruggedness of the Maglite D range somewhat comforting 

[Zed]

I dont have one these days but back in the 90's i had a mini mag lite in black and a large maglite, think it took 5-6 large batteries, it was more of a weapon than a torch    i miss that torch,

[BlueDot]

....
I find it odd that Fenix have brought out a 2D and a 4D light; they must be after a certain market sector. That's a lot of weight to be carrying but yet I think some find the ruggedness of the Maglite D range somewhat comforting 

I haven't seen anyone mention the law enforcement angle yet.  Seems like every cop I see has always had Maglite.  Some like the idea of a 'police light', and that may be the market segment Fenix is chasing.

[jekostas]

....
I find it odd that Fenix have brought out a 2D and a 4D light; they must be after a certain market sector. That's a lot of weight to be carrying but yet I think some find the ruggedness of the Maglite D range somewhat comforting 

I haven't seen anyone mention the law enforcement angle yet.  Seems like every cop I see has always had Maglite.  Some like the idea of a 'police light', and that may be the market segment Fenix is chasing.

The cops around here are all carrying Surefires and Fenixes these days.  Can't remember the last time I saw one with a Maglite

[ICanFixThat]

Well, as I mentioned before darkness did not get darker, so a good light ten years ago still is a good light. but, and that is where Maglite made mistakes imho, times are changing, and while I still like classic Maglites, they did not manage to make decent LED lights.

It's true, It didn't get any darker, but the people changed. They're starting to like the light weight and more fuel efficient models, and some like the bells and whistles for partying in the dark with thier iPhone.

Law enforcement was pretty quick to adapt, they always needed more light and more runtime, the only barrier there is price.

[NutSAK]

I find it odd that Fenix have brought out a 2D and a 4D light; they must be after a certain market sector. That's a lot of weight to be carrying but yet I think some find the ruggedness of the Maglite D range somewhat comforting 

With battery adapters, you can run AAA, AA, C and D cells in them.  So, IMO, D cell flashlights are still some of the most versatile available.

[diabolicturtle]

     I think they're a little beaten, but far and away from dead, i know recently a lot of law enforcement, and corrections institutions put rules into place that prohibit them from using large D cell flashlights as "persuasive devices," hence the adoption of surefire, fenix, and streamlight, and other smaller CR123 lights, this had to have resulted in a loss in sales for mag probably more so than the performance difference, and was probably the catalyst for the development of the xl series, and the upcoming professional line, performance wise I personally see the newer D cell led lights as "good enough," although I absolutely love multi-mode mag 2AA led, the not a big fan of the xl100, it's cool, but difficult to use, and the xl50 to be not only cheaper, but way more useful.

      You also have to take into account that tactical lighting is logisticaly very expensive absolutely devouring your batteries, and is only needed a very small part of the time, and that most of the time LEOs use their lights for much more mundane things like traffic control where a supper bright 200 lumen light can actually becomes more of a a liability, than an asset, when you take into account the logistical cost of using a 2 CR123 vs a 4 D or C cell light, especially with led conversions, the D/C cell wins by far every time, but you may have to change the batteries a lot more, I've got a mag 3D led that while not as bright, and way larger, than my buddies surefire goes through a set of batteries about once every 3 months, and takes about 5 bucks to reload, some of the better mods, like malkoff do even better, he goes through a at least once a month, take into account this is for the same amount of usage.

     This then goes to my last point the average user (lighting, stage crews, security, mechanics, etc.) has little to no use for tactical level lighting, and 100 lumens is more than enough light for them, that combined with how you can get maglites for way cheaper and widely distributed than any of their competitors when the are not on sale, like the 3D, multimod minimag led combo at home depot for 30$. When on sale they are absolutely ridiculousness, last christmas in my area a four pack of original mini mags was on sale for over a month at 10$ a pack, the multi mode led was on sale at lowes for 15$. This gives them probably the highest value to the dollar for most users, in-terms of needed performance, and expedient availability

Yeah they are a little behind the times, but they are still good enough for the average user, and widely available, so they are far from dead

[MeadMaker]

Its very fortunate that this thread popped back up.  My anemic flashlight inventory includes four 2AA Mini Magites.  Two old and two that were given to me last Christmas.  I could spend the money and get on Surefire or for about the same cost I can get the Terralux LED conversions for all four Mini Mags and have more "just in case" lights to have around the house and in our vehicles.

I tried an LED upgrade kit from Nitize on one of the Mini Mags and was very disappointed because it actually made the light dimmer.  Its good to know that there is a decent upgrade available.

[Dtrain]

Personally I think that Maglite is far from Dead..For my line of work at least. I drive a Truck for a Living and run mostly at night..Having a more expensive light which takes more expensive batteries is is not worth the increased output that I would get light wise..As of late I have picked up a 2 AA LED and a 3AA LED from Maglight..They have become my work lights for the most part replacing my standard AA MiniMag..MY Solitaire still rides on my Key Ring..I keep the 3 AA on my Belt and the 2AA in a vest pocket or tool bag depending on the season as a spare/back-up..Over the Years from bieng a Soldier/Security Guard/Warehouse Worker/Laborer/Truck Driver and of course Dad they have proved to be durable relaible and relatively Inexpensive Companions..A couple of times I have wrecked one due to my one stupidity or ignorance, most recent was about a year ago I ran over a MiniMag with the drive tire of my Truck..I was more upset at my own stupidity than the cost of replacing it..Maglites may have been truly overshadowed from a technical standpoint but to me they ar far from obsolete when it comes to value,durability,and of course accessability..Are they still the begin all end all of lights that they once were..Nope but even if someone offered to give me a Surefire for one of my Mini's I would not take it..Nothing against the Light(My Brother who is a LEO swears by them),but the Surefire would never fit in with what I need the light to do on a nightly basis

Dtrain

[ICanFixThat]

Of course with a multi-more light, one does not need to turn it on high; but sometimes there is a something inside of us that makes us do it even though we don't need it. 

Mag has announced their XL-200 light now, which tries to mix the XL-50 interface with the XL-100 interface to allow a less querky interface, but with all the bells and whistles of the XL-100.  However these types of multi-mode multi-click interfaces have for a large part started to be replaced by leading LED flashlight companies with more streamlined interfaces, at least in a few models if not across the board.

[Gareth]

I just picked up a 2xAA Rebel LED Maglite on sale and it's....all right.  The claimed 69 lumen seems perfectly realistic IMO and it's as well made as you'd expect from Maglite.  On the slight downside the focus is pretty poor, having very little range of option, and it still lacks a tail-switch.   The LED colour tint is a bit blue/purple but fine in use I'd say.  Just read that the older 2xAA LED (luxon III) also had a different thread on the tail so was unable to take any after market switches.  Fortunately this newer one can and I've fitted a TerraLUX switch I still had kicking around.

With the addition of the tail-switch this is a perfectly decent light, nothing to rave about perhaps, but fine.  Without it I'd have been less happy, the amount you have to twist the head around to change modes and focus is distracting IMO.

Maglite also claim hugely long run times for this light 18 hours on full beam, 31 hours on low.  This strikes me as.....optimistic, anyone got a link to more realistic numbers?

A nice round up of the current Maglite LED range can be read here: http://www.led-resource.com/2010/01/maglite-led-flashlight-review-and-guide/

[Essexman]

As others have said, large maglites make good host for LED projects.

 

   
Inside....   

[charlie fox]

I have several, but my favorite one is my 3C with an LED drop-in. While its not blindingly bright, its bright enough for defensive use as I use this light on duty. The LED makes the usually finicky C cells last a long time. I also have a couple of AA Mini Maglites (also with LED drop-ins and tailend clickies) that roll around in my EDC kits. The brand isn't dead, but will need some more innovation to keep it alive.

[Farmman]

Just repaired a friends aa mag. The torch went all the way from Seattle to Panama on a bike trip. Problem was the batteries leaked and expanded in it. In an attempted to fix it on the road she lost one of the terminal fixings too. I managed to get the batteries out and clean up the corrosion. I used the metal inner of a bread tie to fashion a new terminal and .... It worked.

I have a real soft spot for maglites, I have used the for theatre stage crew for the past 20 (is it really that long) years. We have all switched over to drop in led bulbs now. The funny thing is they are to bright and we are having to use a blue lens to diffuse the light. So while yes there are better performing lights out there now. A aa mag is perfect for my use.

[GraysonK]

I know I should try out some other flashlights, but I love my maglites!  Especially my minimag.  There is just something about the construction and function that I just can't give up.  And with the LED conversion, it's just perfect for me.  I love 'em so to me they are alive and well in my bag, in my car, and my big one in the closet for emergencies.  Love 'em!

[Styerman]

I like Mini's , I plan on getting the new Mini professional model . I keep a current LED mini in my briefcase - loaner lite for helpers and co-workers .

I've been thinking of getting a AAA Mini and giving it a TerraLux dropin .

Back before I got my first Surefire 6P , i used to wear a AA mini on the belt , and a AAA Mini in the shirt pocket .

A 3D LED Maglight is my power failure light - sucker runs just about forever on 3 fresh D's .

Chris

[Dtrain]

I have had a 6 D Cell since I was 16 ( I am now Pushing 42) It has been back to the Factory once for a problem with the switch.When I went off to the Service it accompanied me on numerous field Problems,Including a trip to Honduras.I kept it close at hand at a Bivouac Site or in a Vehicle that I may have been assigned to.Later as I worked Security in the 90's for a few years it spent quite a bit of time on my belt or riding along in the car. When I ran Over the Road it was my Go To Light when I needed ALOT of Light on the side of the Road during many stops to make a quick repair or check on a possible problem. Most Trucking Companys will not allow their Employees to be armed. Even if they did bieng in a Commercial Motor Vehicle brings a whole list of issues that prohibits this. Some of the places I had to Park it was quite a Comfort. I always kept it right by the Door while out and about in case Someone with less than honorable intentions tried to rob me as I got in the Truck. Now slip seating for an LTL Company the light is in "Semi Retirement" in the Closet for the Wifey and Kiddos to use in an Emergency next to a few other items. My Youngest who is now 11 calls my 6 Cell "Big Daddy". He was just learning how to talk when he first saw it and tried to say "Daddy's Big Light" but it came out "Big Daddy" and it stuck. Even though the AA's have replaced it for all intensive purposes "Big Daddy" still rides along in the Trunk of the Car when on Family Vacation.

Dtrain

[Gareth]

6D is "Big Daddy"?  Yup, that fits.

[Beerplumber]

I'm also still on the MAG wagon, I use the 2AA and 2AAA with the terralux drop-ins.  I've looked at other brands but I like the 2AAA because I hold it in my teeth so much at work as a tech. 

[Gareth]

IIRC there was a video from SHOT talking about a 2AA 'Pro', with a brighter LED.  Anyone know anything about it, or was I dreaming?

[Mike 208]

According to a thread on CandlePower Forums, the Mini-Mag Pro is due out later this month.  This will be a one-output flashlight (no SOS or strobe, etc.), available in the usual colors.  I didn't find it, but I seem to remember reading that the MM Pro will have a lumen rating of over 200 (could be wrong).