Yes, Maglite is known for their heavy club lights. I agree they have enormous potential but will they use it? They need some fresh minds that will introduce good emitters, reflectors, convenient UI, get rid of halos, dark spots, etc.
Interesting that I can upgrade the Maglite Mini but I don’t want to go back to the twisty switch anymore. Plus as you say, the shipping costs would make this completely not worth it so I need a better replacement. Sofirn SP10Pro sounds like a nice and sophisticated light but for now I’m waiting for my new Convoy T3 to arrive. As for direct 2xAA replacement of the Maglite I’m considering Fenix E20 V2.0 unless I find something better.
I was thinking of E12 V2 because of the wider beam but I already got the Convoy T3. Interestingly, the single AA T3 at 10% brightness is brighter than my 2xAA Maglite! Sure, it’s not a fair comparison with an incandescent bulb but it shows how much progress has been made in lighting efficiency in the last two decades. BTW, when I look at video reviews of the current LED Mini Maglites I feel a cringe inside when I imagine that I’d have to operate various modes with a twisty head - maybe there are people who enjoy it but it’s a big no-no for me.
Just so rummaging in my light drawer and those Mags…
Anemic beam and littered with artifacts, overly weighed (brass D cell) without grip, and no UI. Right next I have some Rayovacs and Dorcys – night and day. Same era but so much better performance and much less expensive.
Can’t imagine I would use these Mags in any setting, even with some of Matt’s drop-ins.
Tomorrow I’ll be degrading the lot to the lost cause box.
Probably because since the 1980s, Maglite has done such a phenomenal job establishing itself as the dominant flashlight brand that its longevity is basically endless. Walk into a random Wal-mart, right now, in 2022. There are still maglites hanging on pegs for sale in the sporting goods department. That’s an amazing achievement for any company…to have almost the exact same product on store shelves for 40 years, and selling. If you have a highly successful business formula that consistently works, why on earth would you change it? Keep raking in that money until something necessitates change.
The technical /quality side doesn’t even matter to the general public. Most people have a binary mindset when it comes to flashlights…it either turns on and lights things up, or it’s dead. To most people, there are no levels of brightness, no tint, no CRI, no flood or spot, and no interface…just a button that turns it on and off, and it works or it doesn’t.
Really? Why hasn’t that happened already? It’s certainly not due to a lack of access to cheap Chinese flashlights for many years. I guess Maglite must be selling enough of them to keep the lights on (again, because of its branding and incredible longevity.)
They're flashlights. They don't change that much. Look at a cast iron pan and its the same as it was thousands of years ago. They aren't being bought by anyone except those who remember them, and even then have you see the selection? They're C cells and really expensive. Nobody in the last 20 years knows what maglite is unless they had one as a kid, I am a bit older so older people had them but I wouldn't have a clue either if my grandpa didn't have one that was rarely used since the D cells were so expensive.
It does matter to people. They don't know it but they are not going to use the flashlight that dies quickly, the one that looks ugly or the one that is too bright. They may buy it, find it insufficient and stop using it or use it once. There isn't a great demand for flashlights since so many things have LEDs in them now.
Have you been in a store recently? Nobody buys maglite, they get a free/cheap $1 9 LED battery that uses 3xAAA with one mode until it dies or use their phone. It has no brand recognition anymore and people aren't buying it. I have never seen a single one being used in the last 20 years, everyone uses their phone, the LEDs on the drill, or a cheap/free chinese light. How often do you see maglite in the wild? I looked at CostCo and they only have Duracell flashlights with High/Low/Strobe, so it is happening. https://www.costco.com/work-lights-flashlights.html
Rip on Mags all you want. They are a tried and true brand still made in the U.S. of A. Sure, I have plenty of the new hotness rolling out of China. You know what else I have? A 2AA mini mag with its original incandescent hanging out in the bathroom. That mini serves a very specific purpose in my house that NO newer more powerful light would do as well while remaining comfortable for its purpose. Also, still banging around the house is my slick, black 4D Mag club. I recently bought a drop in Cree led upgrade emitter and a glass lens for that beauty. It’s like having a fresh experience with an old friend. Great beam, plenty useful, and a hefty weapon in a pinch. Gonna club that thug with your MS18? I bet not.
When somebody wanders into this forum, with little knowledge of what is really out there, and asks, “What is a good light I can buy?”, invariably someone will answer in reply with, “Well, what are you going to use it for?” My point being, that every light both new and old, both complex and simple, both “anemic” and surface of the sun, has a use and purpose that is fits like no other. Sure we can sit back and be flashsnobs all we want, but that helps nobody. Every good torch has a purpose, every good torch can outshine another when fitting its niche. Mags have been proven performers for different reasons over the years, and continue to prove themselves as a good torch. Even if nothing else applies, a cheap Mini-Mag could be the reason some little kid ends up falling into our collective hobby/passion. I was THAT little kid, and my bright red 2AA Mag was the bee’s knees.
Very true. I was that kid in boy scouts in 1985 with my royal blue mini-mag. They can definitely be a gateway device.
They’re not the brightest, they’re not the smallest, they’re not the lightest, but they are tough and reliable. That has always been the main feature and selling point of the product, IMO.
Y’all seen Malkoff new Mag adapters? Allows use of (all) of his M-drop-ins to snuggle into a C/D head.
Gene also supplies a 2x 21700 sleeve to D…
Personally I am fond of 2x 18650 running in 3C cell. The smaller diameter body eliminates “grip slip factor” when used as a ninja beater
I really enjoyed reading this thread. I still hold Maglite in high esteem. It just does so much for so little money. Look at Maglite 2xAA and compare with Tektite and their version of a 2xAA light that is 10 times the cost if made from Aluminium.
When I first had flashlights that weren’t the for children type it was Eveready 2xD plastic and the sqeeze light that had a little ball chain that fits on your keyring. These were ok then and then my father got my mother a MiniMaglite. At first it was just a flashlight in a plastic box no big deal. Until I held it once. Then it was all I wanted.
I used it at nights to read books with when I was supposed to be asleep and even lost the bulb taking it apart. At that point I put it back in the box until I found the bulb some weeks later. I burned it out using it so much and a classmate told me there would be another in the end cap. That got me back in buisiness. I started buying my own bulbs from a True Value just to keep it running and batteries too. Alkalines that were so costly especially from a book shop or grocery store.
At some point I’m gifted a blue 2xAA and had my own. Then I got a 3D and more. Many many Maglites. In 2009 the quality seemed shoddy. I got some at Walmart that had bad anodising and moved on to other brands from Europe.
Well recently I bought some newer models. The colours are very interesting nowadays and the fit and finish seems as I first remember. I don’t usually buy a premium model of anything but this time I got a Spectrum and boy is it worth it. It has an Incan like yellow beam as I recall.
I’m planning on a large purchase of lights from them next month. I think modding some would be fun and some are good as is.
I had one of those LED Lenser V2 flashlights back in the day. Not only could the body be unthreaded on each side but it was equipped with a plastic sleeve. It was like it was designed that if the batteries leaked they could be knocked out of the light and any component was modular. A really brilliant design given the in use batteries at the time. Too bad it was 17 lumens.
I used to EDC a green 2 aa MagLite. Thought it fantastic at the time. Still have it and now find it hard to believe that I thought it was so good;-) Also had a 3D which I liked a lot until the alkaleaks destroyed it. Got both of my current faves in green to honor the maglite. Blows me away that my little E03H pretty much matches or exceeds the 3D in both output and runtime with a much much better beam (perhaps a bit less throw) on one single AA! The TS10 is just plain fun and great to hold in the hand. My current 2 AA EDCs are so far beyond and I feel privileged to be able to use them.
I wonder why Maglite never did a high output(60 lm) bi pin Xenon light running off of 2 CR123 batteries like the Streamlight Scorpion? It would have been minimal redesign.
