How things change over the years...The Maglite is actually pretty good

LED Flashlights – General Info Multiple AA / 14500 Flashlights
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I dont know why I pay much attention to the general bashing of the Maglite but everytime I see the blatant misrepresentation or outright lies it seems to get my blood pressure up.

Lets take the Mini Mag Pro for instance. Yes Mag is a little behind the times when it comes to new products. When they do make something new though it generally works as designed and considering what you are getting the price cannot be beat...reliable, very durable and proven designs.

Of course they are missing all the flats and lugs and fins and clickies...but guess what, round flashlights still work.

Some new folks miss a chance to try these lights because they read replies from people who supposedly are supposed to know what they are talking about who tell them that Mag is junk and you will be lucky to light up a chair sitting 3 feet away from you.

I remember when Surefire got into the LED game, 40 to 60 Lumens was the general range. The 6P LED as I recall was 60 or 65 and almost all flood and back then folks were raving about the blinding light and it was simply a tactical light because using it for close up work would fry you retina. These days though if 100 dollar flashlight puts out 60 lumens and they are a paid sponsor to CPF then it is "a really nice light for walking around and working on you computer"...if a Mag is 60 lumens then it is "way behind the times and a piece of junk, save another hundred bucks and buy a real light"

I did read where one guy told a new person not to get a Mag because he had a "3d Mag literally fly apart while simply inspecting it"...I simply do not believe that.

The Pro has a step-down cycle to prevent the light from getting too hot which is also a source of scorn for it. Personally it does not bother me. When using it outside at night for extended periods my eyes ever notice the drop off and it is never mentioned that if for some reason you do need full power, simply turn it off and back on and it resets to full power.

My wife uses her Fenix LD20 on turbo quite a bit and while its regulation is much flatter, it will get hot...not just warm but uncomfortably hot. It has not seemed to harm the light at all but sure is a pain to hold. I prefer Mags method.

And of course they dont really want to mention Mag so they type it as M@g apparently trying to be sneaky and maybe throwing of peoples google search for info on Mag.

And no I am not trying to boost Mag by insulting other lights...I love Fenix and some of the lower priced Energizer tac-lights and all that stuff but I just dont think Mag gets a fair shake by folks who have either never tried them or just like repeating what the self-appointed experts on other forums blurt out as gosphel.

Ok, just venting here...all done now

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MagLights are sorta like the Miller Light of the flashlight world. The only real beef I have with them is that lately they went with a thinner gauge of aluminum in their construction. Makes for a less durable light. Mags are supposed to be the ultimate in beater lights.

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Here is my hotwired 2C in a Niteize stretch holster with 3 cr123s and a 5 cell halogen bulb . 100% CRI .

And man will it throw .

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I hear what you're saying...last Christmas season I purchased a 2aa mini mag LED for half price and was pleasantly surprised...plenty bright and feels like my old mag. My only gripe is the blinkie modes but such is life. For a decent 2aa light that can be purchased locally, I'd recommend it. In fact, just yesterday I was digging thru my old backpack gear from about 12 years ago, and found spare batteries that I'd bring with...for my incan 2aa Mag...I would've killed for the performance of the current LED model.

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I've got one of the 5mode 2AA Magled.. and I dont like it. Cool, very small hotspot, some spill, but doesnt really throw. Beatup light now.. for use I prefer one of my almost NW chinalights or soon my NW modded old Mag..

Tho the new Mag Pro (+) seem to be very good. Driving the XPG pretty hard..

Mags are nice for regular people, but not for flashoholics. No LiIon..^^

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@jacktheclipper, I have the holster that you show in your photo and I have been looking at Mags new 2c LED...forget the model number. Are you actually able to carry that comfortably? I am thinking weekend light when outdoors at night.

@NightCrawl...and what good reason is there that Mags are "Not for flashaholics"? I have heard that said before but never a good reason behind it. The only thing I can figure is it doesnt look tacticool enough or gave enough flats and grooves on it? No Li-Ion battery capability? I have been into lights for many years and have or have had lights in all price ranges and never one with a Li-Ion battery...if thats the requirement then I guess I am a flashlight moron instead?

Would really like a logical reason.

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would love to own a Maglite (they are biggish and heavy-ish arent they?) so that i can show my guests (yeah kreisler is a host haha) how great my tiny lights are! a Quark is 40 grams, put in 1x14500 and you got a pocket rocket for 1 hour, 280lumens.

the main reason why i purchase chin*lights is their size and weight. 12g 1x10440 light, 40g 1x14500 light. (the output of 250 + 430 lumens is secondary ;) )

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No, actually I like the looks of Maglites. Its just so smooth.. but if I want to carry a baseball bat (4D Mag), I'll carry a baseball bat. But my tiny lights with 1 LiIon cell are much brighter. And Maglites are harder to mod, tho they are a much liked host for modding.

Nah, you are no moron, you are just normal.. LiIon carry much more energy in much less space, thats just more impressive and practical. If you'll have to walk around, you'll want a rather light light.

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They make for some very high-quality, affordable hosts.

Mags are the five-liter Mustangs of the flashlight world, IMO. Decent performance out of the box, and as many upgrades available as one can imagine.

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Well y'all know what I will say about Maglites, dontcha.Wink

I like Maglites for the fact that they kept going in economic turmoil. They didn't run to China or to Mexico, to buy sub standard parts. They kept making in the US, with US citizens. To me, that is a huge plus, because I am a US citizen, so it's one of the big reasons I use Maglites for modding.

Second reason is, with the design of the "D" maglite, it lends itself to all kinds of mods. More Maglites have been modded than any other light out there.

As far as a stock Maglite? Well, they are behind the times, to an extent. I think what they are trying to do now, with the XL200 and the new ML100 & ML125, will help bring them part of the way out of the past. To me, they have stood the test of time better than any other flashlight in the world. They were originally designed for Police, Fire and EMS. I think they have filled that need for many years and I think the newer LED Maglite "D" and "C" versions will continue to fill it - to a point...

Li-ion? I don't see Maglite going to Li-ion flashlights for a long time, if ever. In fact I don't see the USA going to Li-ion for a Long time, if ever. Not for mainstream anyhow.

I would recommend anyone to try one of the new LED "D" cell Maglites or the XL200 or the new ML100 Maglite that's out now. I think they are Plenty bright enough for anyone and they are still a tough, long lasting light.

Only my personal out of touch with reality and biased opinion though......

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I used to be a Mag fan, but the simple fact is, the Chinese make better lights. You mention the Mini mag pro that ramps down from 245lm to 80lm. Now if that isn't the most lame idea I have ever seen I don't what is. If my torch gets too hot pumping out 245 Lm, I just click it down to the next mode. What I don't want, is it doing it for me because it can't handle the heat. I must also point out that I can definitely see the difference between 245 and 80lms. I would be much more comfortable if it was sold as an 80lm torch with turbo mode. That would be far more honest from Mag. But I'm sure they would sell a lot less, as it doesn't sound quite as impressive as 245lm!

The second thing for me is the quality. They are perfectly durable, but when I compare it to say my Klarus P2A, they really are in a different league. HAIII, AR coating on the lense, extremely high quality switch, clip. I could go on forever. It's just better in every respect.

Now I also have 2, 3D cell Mags with XPG's but when I pick up my Solarforce XPG, it's twice as bright! I won't even bother comparing it to my L2T XML or my Jetbeam BC40! They can also, all be carried in my pocket. The Mag can't.

So as much as I used to LOVE Mags, I just don't any more. They are sadly in need of a serious update. But if they update them too much, then they won't be Mags anymore.

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a modded Mag may compete with chin*lamps such as Quark in terms of brightness but what impresses women is the extreme compactness of the body with tail. 2D is simply too stretching

;)

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I myself don't like Maglite anymore. Their design is bad :(

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I have always loved the look and feel of a Maglite. I almost picked up a gunmetal 2D yesterday at Home Depot. Nice light for keeping out in the garage up on the shelf where you always know it's there....

I hope they never change the classic look and feel, but I admit it would be nice to have more horsepower under the hood. And I would like to see them offer a more deluxe model with a real aluminum reflector and glass lens, maybe a better switch and some more modes. The Mini Maglite Pro+ is a very nice light for short duty - wouldn't trade it for anything. I have other lights for high power applications.

My JohnnyMac Mini Mag shorty is one of the coolest little lights I own. You know how sometimes you're sitting in the recliner watching a little TV and fiddlin' with a light? For me, its usually a Mini Mag. Something about the smooth surface and minimalist shape, just feels right.

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Well put. I think many either forget or don't realize that Mag's LED lights are engineered to fit the needs of as broad a consumer base as possible. CPF user Robin24k made excellent plots of output versus time for the Mini Pro+ that demonstrate the light was engineered specifically for 1.2 volt alkaline AAs. Output starts at 100% for the first 2 minutes or so and decreases according to a precisely regulated pattern that is unaffected by battery chemistry, save for the number of times the pattern can repeat on the same battery.

What I'm saying is that Mag could have just as easily designed the Pro+ circuit to take advantage of NiMH's ability to sustain high current draw, but they didn't because the light would have a 45 minute runtime on alkaline and would not sell*.

As for the claim that the Chinese make better lights-the companies like Olight, Fenix, Jetbeam/Klarus design almost all of their lights for enthusiasts who want to learn how to safely use lithium rechargeables.

BetweenRides, I definitely agree about 'premium' models with the works. What if they brought out out the 4/5/6D sizes in a premium LED trim?

*unless it was marketed as a rechargeable kit with enhanced performance over the regular version, e.g. Magcharger. That'd be something.

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In America, when you add up

Ease of use

Durability

Dependability

Availablity

Length of runtime

Availability of Batteries

Overall Quality of build and Finish

Usability

Price (Cheaper initial cost than ANY Chinese flashlight, battery, charger combo)

Decent enough spill OR Throw for most applications. (how often does one REALLY need 1000 Lumen?)

Front mounted switch, not a tailcap switch, for one handed operation

NO BLINKY modes

Add these all up and Maglite wins by a LARGE margin!

Let me ask everyone here a question:

If "Chinese" lights are so good, why do we need so many to fill our needs?

As and American and I think speaking for Americans, we in making our purchasing decisions, use our collective brains in some sort of cloud computing nerwork, and have chosen MagLites as the best choice.

The Cloud Knows! (same goes for political elections, I hope)

Only people with a specific need or a flashaholic would choose anything else.

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I got the same setup bro in a pewter m@g. I love it, but it's a shelf queen. Can't afford the 123s. Used a rubber plumbing hose iirc.

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The 2xAA mini-Maglite was my first flashlight I bought for myself many years ago. I upgraded it with a Nite-ize LED set up and loved the improved brightness until it was stolen by burglars six years ago. I still own four Maglites: A 2D LED Mag in the Wife's car (A great Multi-tool; a club with built in flashlight ), two solitaires and a 4D Mag gifted by a friend (I have recently ordered a LED upgrade for this but can't see it being my EDC). I will always keep my Maglites because they are iconic lights and still made in U.S.A. I know I live in the UK but American Knives and Maglites are something that we appreciate over here.

Maglite will always have a market share because of their worldwide reputation with non-flashaholics even if they are 5 years behind China. I love them anyway.

Long live Maglite

Paul

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Before joining BLF, I preordered 2 MiniMagLiteProPluses (yes the + version) from Amazon. Back then, they were sold out everywhere and amazon was the only place I could pre-order. Since then, I've gotten over $100 in cheap chinese cree lights, each and every one of them can bitch slap my incan minimags till kingdom come. And I'm still waiting for my amazon pro+ preorders ($26 each) to come in stock.

Where are they if you can find them? Mag needs to work on their distribution model for the general consumer if they want to sell their latest toys. Yes, the Pro+ are back in stock at other online retailers for $35+, but since i've already gotten so many sipik sk68's and similar lights, I have somewhat lost interest in waiting for them, and as a matter of principle, will not cancel my preorder to pay more to other reseller. Seriously though, where are the Pro+ for the general consumers? And why are they still out of stock 3+ months later? Is it because they'd rather sell their low stock to law enforcement at $800 each while choosing to ignore the general consumer's pre-order?

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Yeah , If you deanodize the inside of the tailcap and use the spring from a minimag , 2 18650s will fit .

Cheapest and easiest hotwire mod ever .

And easily reversable .