This Is Not Your Dad's Maglite.

[toolguy]

My wife asked if I could find her a light that she could place in the console of her car.A light that is really bright when necessary but has lower illumination when that featured is desired.After looking at numerous lights I decided I would buy her a light that she is familiar with and had used for almost fifteen years before I bought her a Surefire.

I decided on a Maglite but as stated in the subject line it's not the old light but the newest generation,which still incorporates Maglite's famous adjustable focus feature.This light boasts an LED with 611 lumens at the top end and 150 hours of run time at the eco 20 lumen mode.That's the same lumens that her old Surefire C-3 Centurian with the first generation of Surfires KL-3 head possessed.

I also found it in her favorite color,blue.I gave it to her today as a surprise and she's very happy.As the old axiom goes "Happy wife,happy life".LOL

Below is a picture comparing her new Maglite to her old one.Then a shot showing her new Maglite along with her EDC items,a Farmer & Solitaire,also in her favorite color.

[powernoodle]

Its good to see that Mag-lite has employed LEDs.  Back in the day, the big Mag-lites were cranking a pathetic 40 lumens with an incandescent short-lived bulb that broke when you dropped it, while everyone else was making way more lumens with regulated LEDs in flashlights the size of cigars.  Like Blackberry, Mag-lite sorta fell off the edge of the earth.  But they are making a comeback, and there is still something nice about the big, old school Mag-lite.  600 lumens with LED technology is plenty of light, and that blue looks nice.

[toolguy]

I had an opportunity to play with this light for 15-20 minutes while my wife was at the store.The head only rotates about a quarter of a turn to focus it to a nice tight spot.The button is also more precise than our older Maglites.

It is programable but it appears the standard program will work well,that is high at 611,medium at 100 and eco at 20 lumens.

The cost was unbelievably small for this light,IMHO.

[toolguy]

The more I play with this new Maglite, the more I like it.I always have to remember to place it back in my wife's console after toying with it.LOL

My wife likes its size because she claims she could use it to "bop"  someone if necessary.LOL.

[Aloha]

I still have a 2 cell Mag near my bed.  I "upgraded" with a better bulb but it's still underpowered vs my Olight I3s.  I like it tho and I like that they are finally stepping up and doing some higher powered lights. 

[toolguy]

I still have a 2 cell Mag near my bed.  I "upgraded" with a better bulb but it's still underpowered vs my Olight I3s.  I like it tho and I like that they are finally stepping up and doing some higher powered lights.

I hear you brother.It did seem as though Maglite took forever to respond to the flood of Chinese LED lights.

My wife's 2 cell and my 4 cell were placed at the back of the bottom cabinet of my nightstand when I bought two Surefires 15 years ago.

[dks]

Maglite, and surefire are still a few years behind, some say 5, some 10.. on emitter technology. Fenix, Jetbeam, Olight, and lots of lower end/unbranded lights have been hitting 600+Lm for many years and tend to use the latest cree emitters. surefire etc. claim that it is to test them properly, but the other companies mentioned do not seem to need 10 years to test a light. In Europe I have never seen or heard of surefire, by the way, and maglites were the type of expensive gadjet you bought your husband/friend, that they never used, but just showed it to people once a year, for the wow factor.

Most shops still sell the usual non-LED maglites, (for $50 for the AAA ones here..) - Cash cow..
Also, the 6D maglites main selling point is not the beam brightness 

For the size of their big lights you would expect a lot more Lumens. I got a couple of 2C LED ones a few years ago (for solidity - gave them as presents -plastic "lens" has the advantage of not breaking easily) and they had, I think 160Lm, with  limited runtime -the 3C ones had twice the runtime, and were the same brightness (better/more efficient LED)

However, as most (99.9%) of people just use those cheap 0.05 to 0.5W LED emiters that you see on most keychains/car key/shop lights etc. anything with over 100Lm appears really bright - and realistically it is as you do not in general need more (in the house, walking etc.)

With the LED maglites you lose, from what i recall, the candlelight mode(you can not remove the head) and the zoom, is nowhere near as good as what you get from , cheap, lights using a lens.

There was talk a few years ago that you just had to use the zoom to get a decent beam on the maglites, as the whole reflector system was not really optimised/set up properly on them. With the With a lens system you do not get the "hole" in the centre or the artifacts you get from a maglite.

I like maglites, but sometimes it is hard to justify buying them.....   

[captain spaulding]

The LED models are very affordable and do not have the hole in the middle anymore. My new ML300L puts out 625lm for 16 hours. It also has Low and Eco modes for 77 hours and 177 hours. Maglite is definitely on there game.

[dks]

Affordable, in the US (like most multitools).
Because of their Gadgety classification here, they are just too expensive and only a few models are available...  It is annoying to hear a salesperson telling you how fantastic the incandescent Maglite is, and how bright it is, compared to all the other lights, trying to justify the $50 cost of an AAA maglite..  (not that the unbranded ones are much cheaper... but they are brighter)

Or to see someone open his gift box with the precious maglite he was given, telling you how fantastic it is, though he does not use it so as not to damage it..

The only reasonable prices I find, for them, are on amazon uk/de (that was before the crash of the Euro)

The Maglites I gave a presents do get used/dropped often and still work like clockwork, by the way.  Bulletproof in my opinion

[SAK Guy]

Well, found my old converted Maglite that I had misplaced around the time my Dad got sick (last June)....batts were fried and stuck solid....I'm bummed...it was nobody's fault...I had crucial pressing things on my mind daily for 10 months but it's another Maglite ruined......

 

Having second thoughts about buying a new digital one......   

[captain spaulding]

Well, found my old converted Maglite that I had misplaced around the time my Dad got sick (last June)....batts were fried and stuck solid....I'm bummed...it was nobody's fault...I had crucial pressing things on my mind daily for 10 months but it's another Maglite ruined......

 

Having second thoughts about buying a new digital one......   

If you know what kind of batteries are in it or can get them out and tell you can get it replaced by the battery manufacturer.

[greenbear]

Well, found my old converted Maglite that I had misplaced around the time my Dad got sick (last June)....batts were fried and stuck solid....I'm bummed...it was nobody's fault...I had crucial pressing things on my mind daily for 10 months but it's another Maglite ruined......

 

Having second thoughts about buying a new digital one......   

Take the end cap off stand it up outside and fill it up with a light oil (an easing oil is best).  Leave for a week.  Then get hold of by the lens end and swing it hard and fast in a  downwards motion.  If you're lucky the batteries will, after a few attempts fly out. All you then have to do is strip it to remove any traces of the oil reassemble and hey presto, problem solved.

Obviously the batteries, if they come out, will fly out like a mortar round, as will the oil, so it goes without saying don't do it in front of the patio doors, neighbours car, kids etc etc.

[SAK Guy]

Thanks for the advice greenbear!!!! 

Cap I think they are those Ray-O-Vacs Walmart sells. I have had a great experience with them so far and they are priced right.....it was me misplacing it and then getting preoccupied that did it.

I still might get a new LED one this month but all the ones that were a good deal on Prime are out of stock.....

[Gareth]

Oh, I like the look of the new C-Cell Maglites.  Not that I need one but i do like the 2xC cell format.

[ToolJoe]

I keep a non led solitaire on my keychain and an aa maglite on my nightstand. They both look worn and may not be the brightest but they keep on truckin! 

[matzesu]

I keept an old Mini Maclight lots of yeahrs in my car and it still work,
It was my first realy outdoor light, waterproof, realy tought,
Now on my new car, i have an cheap ALDI 2Cell LED Light which also works great,
Usaly i use my good old Fenix LD20 which is a great lamp for his money..
I also have an Maglight Solitär in Green, but this ditnt workd out well, mybe because the battery is low everytime or i just use it not often enought, and when i wonts to try it, i cant find the light because its that tiny.. ^^

[Oclip]

SAK Guy, Just send it back to Mag lite. They will remove the batts. If they are one of two brands, they will give you a new light. If not, remove the batts yourself, and go find the correct brand  of  corroded batts, install them, and they will give you a new lite. I think they are
Everready and Duracell. You might ask Esther or Service over the phone about this, so you can do the correct swap and return.They are very good about this.    Thanx Oclip    

[SAK Guy]

SAK Guy, Just send it back to Mag lite. They will remove the batts. If they are one of two brands, they will give you a new light. If not, remove the batts yourself, and go find the correct brand  of  corroded batts, install them, and they will give you a new lite. I think they are
Everready and Duracell. You might ask Esther or Service over the phone about this, so you can do the correct swap and return.They are very good about this.    Thanx Oclip   

Thank you for this info!!!  I put the light in a storage box meaning to get back to it....I never did so the batts are still in it.

[Sparky415]

SAK Guy, Just send it back to Mag lite. They will remove the batts. If they are one of two brands, they will give you a new light. If not, remove the batts yourself, and go find the correct brand  of  corroded batts, install them, and they will give you a new lite. I think they are
Everready and Duracell. You might ask Esther or Service over the phone about this, so you can do the correct swap and return.They are very good about this.    Thanx Oclip    

Its good advice on sending them back but this bit doesn’t seem very fair to me Oclip 

[AimlessWanderer]

SAK Guy, Just send it back to Mag lite. They will remove the batts. If they are one of two brands, they will give you a new light. If not, remove the batts yourself, and go find the correct brand  of  corroded batts, install them, and they will give you a new lite. I think they are
Everready and Duracell. You might ask Esther or Service over the phone about this, so you can do the correct swap and return.They are very good about this.    Thanx Oclip    

Its good advice on sending them back but this bit doesn’t seem very fair to me Oclip 

Agreed!

[Oclip]

They do this for PR reasons. I doubt if Esther would admit it publicly, but back in the '90's, she suggested that to me herself. Much of last year, they had a "deal" where you brought in any complete Maglite, working or not, and you could exchange it for half price off any other new model. Beat that! Mr Maglica drives a gold RR, and they just bought, built, and moved onto a huge, beautiful new property, and building. I guess they can afford to be lenient with their customers. This is only good business, if you can afford it, in my opinion. Maybe they spoiled me!  What about the warranty for Cross Pens, or Uncle Henry of (US) Shrade Walden? Unquestionable. Colibri liters?  But I agree, at face value it does appear unfair. I suspect that Victorinox is very lenient with their warranty also. I wish they would be lenient enough to sell more parts!
   
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!  Thanx   Oclip     

PS I'll tell you some of my secrets, if you'll tell me some of your SAK secrets!!

[Sparky415]

Have a good one yoursef Oclip   

[anditsgone]

I love maglite But i am not really fond of manufacturers incorporate switches where you have to double click and half pres etc to switch between modes. My fenix UC 35 has a switch for on and off. And a switch on the side where you can switch brightness levels. I prefer this method. Otherwise i just want a light that has plain on/off switch with a decent brightness level and running time.
That is why i am glad that i own the last gen 3d led maglites that has just a plain on/off switch.

I must say that i have never owned a light that has a multifunctional on of switch but just reading the instruction manual always turns me off.

I am very curious how you are liking the latest gen led maglite switch?