Will I turn into a Maglite fan once again?

[bykfixer]

Went to flashlight lens and ordered some. 95mm UCL lenses for the XL50/200 (22.61mm) lights, some UCL for the ML25's (40.05 mm) enroute, some new Borofloat v3 (99% transmission) for the ML100/125 (46.33mm) lights and some ultraclear acrylic (97% transmission) for the ML50's (46.33).
By the way the ML300 takes same 52.1mm lens as the incan C/D type.

Later I ordered a commemorative ML300 where it celebrates fallen police by donating a portion of the proceeds to a national police memorial. While there I bought a 2 speed classic 2D LED in silver. Love love love polished silver flashlights. And to me the 2 speed 2D is like having a 1979 Maglite with a nice throwey LED installed.

 

[325addict]

OK... Maglite to the maxx
This surely sounds like you compared all important things on these lights... as I meant to say in my very first post: Maglite is BACK! They don't only make those 20 Lumen dim old incans anymore.... sure, they DO still make some of them, but most lights they now make are LED.... and quite bright too! I still like those good old incans, some to just let them stay the way they are, some I buy to mod them and turn them into a 700+ Lumen incan monster

Surefire is not always better. When I got my Mag Tac, I had a Surefire 6PX and when I compared the two side by side, feature for feature and the Mag Tac was clearly the better light. The Mag Tac was better built (sure the clip was plastic, but at least it had a clip). The 6PX had a slightly warmer tint which was good though it was also a bit green. The Mag Tac has that nice electronic tail switch, grenade grip, and the smaller 1 inch head makes it easier to carry. The 6PX was nice but the Mag Tac beat it, not just on price but on features and even build quality, in my opinion.

 

[xxo]

OK... Maglite to the maxx
This surely sounds like you compared all important things on these lights... as I meant to say in my very first post: Maglite is BACK! They don't only make those 20 Lumen dim old incans anymore.... sure, they DO still make some of them, but most lights they now make are LED.... and quite bright too! I still like those good old incans, some to just let them stay the way they are, some I buy to mod them and turn them into a 700+ Lumen incan monster

The Mag Tac is great, but keep in mind that it was 2012-13 when I got mine and compared it to the 6PX of the same vintage. I don't think Mag has updated the Mag Tac since it came out, so an update is overdue.


When I think Maglite, I tend to think C and D cell lights as those are what made their reputation back in the day. Mag has done a real nice job with their current C and D cell LEDs: the ML25, ML50 and ML300, all of which deliver modern performance while keeping the traditional look of the old Mags along with the high value Maglite has long been known for. Sure, they are still designed to use alkaline batteries, which is still what the general public uses for the most part. I don't use alkalines anymore myself, so I run my C/D cell Mags on Li-ion cells in 3D printed adapters. These are really great lights at bargain prices, still made in the USA.

 

[GasganoFJ60]

I am kinda hard on clips, I often bend or break metal clips on knives and I am sure I would end up breaking the Mag Tac's plastic clip if I carried it everyday clipped to a pocket. Normally, I carry it in a belt pouch and only occasionally carry it clipped to a pocket – haven't broken the clip yet. I do like the Mag Tac clip for another reason – it improves the feel and security of the grip and keeps the light form twisting in the hand. Might have to try one of the Elzetta clips, I like that they used a wire clip like Spyderco uses on some of their knives – very nice!


A wire clip from the factory would be great if Mag ever gets around to up dating the Mag Tac, along with a newer LED and 18650 dual fuel capability. A throwier long range version as I mentioned would be great too, though I think it would be hard to beat the ML25 for throw and impossible to to beat the ML25 for price. Hey maybe Mag could be persuaded to come out with an LX version of the ML25 with a hard ano'd grenade grip and a electronic tail switch?

I too used a xl50 clip on my 200. I set mine on the lens/bezel side of the body. That way i can set it on a flat surface and get a slight upward point of the beam. Main reason is so that i can slide the light onto the brim of my cap and double as a headlamp for working with the light hands free.
I feel over time grease/oil would get under the clip and cause it to be prone to sliding off. I took a slip of paper and slid it under the bezel to firm it up. Zero issues since.

I dont clip mine in my pocket. It rides in my back pocket next to my Leatherman.

 

[bykfixer]

Although two distinctly different companies with vastly different customers and nothing in common products, Maglite and Vans shoes have a common bond. Both share California roots, both exploded on the scene like an atomic bomb in the late 1970's, both are household names and both dang near disappeared due to a changing market. Oh, and when the competition started winning huge market shares both tried new fangled approaches to their audience with limited success and both went back to the basics of what got them to the top of the heap so long ago. Checkered Vans slip on's and a 3D Maglite are two American icons. Now you can buy checkered Vans with "ultracush" technology for your tired old knees and a 3D ML300 for your tired old eyes.

One change I noticed starting to happen a couple years back but is now really noticable is how much shelf space flashlights in general have at big stores. Back in 015/16 when the 500,600,750 lumen threshold was reached by every brand from A to Z the stores were flooded with flashlights. Wal Mart had floating lights, baseball bat lights, 10aa flashlights, rayovac, energizer, ozark trail, bushnell, coast, and more. You could spend an hour drooling over the massive selection. Same with Lowes and Home Depot. Even Target jumped in to a degree. Menards had their own line. The wooden Menards 2aa is still one of my favorites. Meanwhile Maglite had some new stuff in the C and D platform that collected dust amongst the offerings. Partly because a 500 lumen light was priced at $35 next to a (so-called) 750 lumen light for $14.99. Even CVS, Rite Aid and Best Buy had a flashlight section.

In 2019 I noted shelf space for flashlights was drastically shrinking across the board. The minimaglite I paid $19.99 for in about 1993 was still $19.99 but instead of a light bulb it boasted 270 some odd lumens. The maxi-minimag was also $20. In my local CVS the LED light section was now a plug in wall light number, while Target had a couple of junky Coleman's on the car care products row. Home Depot had a flashlight section about as big as the Pop Tarts section in a grocery chain. Lowes carried Lux Pro and a couple of Energizers. Maglites seemed to be disappearing from store shelves. But so did a bunch of other brands.

Maglite is seemingly now going the consumer only route. Perhaps there are some small contracts with warehouses like Grainger where made in USA products are still boasted, unlike Harbor Frieght, which is the dollar store of tools. Maybe they still have small commitments from Home Depot or Wal Mart or maybe what we see there is new old stock. As nutty as things have gotten in California old Tony may not be allowed to produce like the old days due to restrictions on electrical use and carbon emisions something or other. But their website seems to be the place to buy the latest gadgets by Maglite. That used to be the place to buy parts from due to lights there being retail priced while stores sold them for way less than retail. Lately the prices on several popular models has been reduced to Wal Mart prices or less. And if you look careful enough you can find a 6D incan or an incan minimag too.

Maglite is no longer king of the hill. But in my view the competition caused them to think outside the box, so we ended up with the XL50/200 platform, the ML25 and the new MagCharger. I still want to like the MagTac, but to me that's like sushi flavored Pop Tarts, I just can't get excited about it. What I am excited about is some of the next generation Maglite products from a few years back. If I weren't a flashlight collector a couple of ML25's, 50's and 300's would be an excellent array of lights for general purposes along with a couple of LED Solitaires and aaa minimags. Good enough. But a warm LED Solitaire or aaa minimag is quite a treat to use. The warm aaa minimag is like having a ginormous Maglite clipped to your shirt pocket minus the mega-thrower beam. The 60 some lumens runs out of steam in light polluted environments at about 75 feet, but still an amazing little lighting tool. I really would like to see Maglite expand the line up of warm beam'd LED availability.

But lumen wars seems to play just enough of a role still to keep Tony thinking brighter is better. Perhaps polls of the general consumer market still shows that.

 

[325addict]

You are right in your conclusion (at least for me) that the tint of the light a LED Maglite produces is... well, not the finest I've seen. But unfortunately these blueish LEDs have highest efficiency... so give the most Lumens per Watt. And what do you think a customer will buy: a 700 Lumen advertised light or a 1000 Lumen one? I'm afraid I know the answer...
The same goes for the 10.8V vs. "12V max" power tools. I think the marketing department of Milwaukee started it all: why not re-badge out 10.8V power tools to 12V max? And they did... quickly followed by Makita, Bosch.... imagine a customer standing in front of a selection of 10.8V power tools, and suddenly he sees one, standing out from the 10.8V crowd: 12V max!! "Yes, that one is more powerful, and the price seems equal to a Bosch or Makita 10.8V machine, so I'll take this Milwaukee 12V max!"

Although two distinctly different companies with vastly different customers and nothing in common products, Maglite and Vans shoes have a common bond. Both share California roots, both exploded on the scene like an atomic bomb in the late 1970's, both are household names and both dang near disappeared due to a changing market. Oh, and when the competition started winning huge market shares both tried new fangled approaches to their audience with limited success and both went back to the basics of what got them to the top of the heap so long ago. Checkered Vans slip on's and a 3D Maglite are two American icons. Now you can buy checkered Vans with "ultracush" technology for your tired old knees and a 3D ML300 for your tired old eyes.

One change I noticed starting to happen a couple years back but is now really noticable is how much shelf space flashlights in general have at big stores. Back in 015/16 when the 500,600,750 lumen threshold was reached by every brand from A to Z the stores were flooded with flashlights. Wal Mart had floating lights, baseball bat lights, 10aa flashlights, rayovac, energizer, ozark trail, bushnell, coast, and more. You could spend an hour drooling over the massive selection. Same with Lowes and Home Depot. Even Target jumped in to a degree. Menards had their own line. The wooden Menards 2aa is still one of my favorites. Meanwhile Maglite had some new stuff in the C and D platform that collected dust amongst the offerings. Partly because a 500 lumen light was priced at $35 next to a (so-called) 750 lumen light for $14.99. Even CVS, Rite Aid and Best Buy had a flashlight section.

In 2019 I noted shelf space for flashlights was drastically shrinking across the board. The minimaglite I paid $19.99 for in about 1993 was still $19.99 but instead of a light bulb it boasted 270 some odd lumens. The maxi-minimag was also $20. In my local CVS the LED light section was now a plug in wall light number, while Target had a couple of junky Coleman's on the car care products row. Home Depot had a flashlight section about as big as the Pop Tarts section in a grocery chain. Lowes carried Lux Pro and a couple of Energizers. Maglites seemed to be disappearing from store shelves. But so did a bunch of other brands.

Maglite is seemingly now going the consumer only route. Perhaps there are some small contracts with warehouses like Grainger where made in USA products are still boasted, unlike Harbor Frieght, which is the dollar store of tools. Maybe they still have small commitments from Home Depot or Wal Mart or maybe what we see there is new old stock. As nutty as things have gotten in California old Tony may not be allowed to produce like the old days due to restrictions on electrical use and carbon emisions something or other. But their website seems to be the place to buy the latest gadgets by Maglite. That used to be the place to buy parts from due to lights there being retail priced while stores sold them for way less than retail. Lately the prices on several popular models has been reduced to Wal Mart prices or less. And if you look careful enough you can find a 6D incan or an incan minimag too.

Maglite is no longer king of the hill. But in my view the competition caused them to think outside the box, so we ended up with the XL50/200 platform, the ML25 and the new MagCharger. I still want to like the MagTac, but to me that's like sushi flavored Pop Tarts, I just can't get excited about it. What I am excited about is some of the next generation Maglite products from a few years back. If I weren't a flashlight collector a couple of ML25's, 50's and 300's would be an excellent array of lights for general purposes along with a couple of LED Solitaires and aaa minimags. Good enough. But a warm LED Solitaire or aaa minimag is quite a treat to use. The warm aaa minimag is like having a ginormous Maglite clipped to your shirt pocket minus the mega-thrower beam. The 60 some lumens runs out of steam in light polluted environments at about 75 feet, but still an amazing little lighting tool. I really would like to see Maglite expand the line up of warm beam'd LED availability.

But lumen wars seems to play just enough of a role still to keep Tony thinking brighter is better. Perhaps polls of the general consumer market still shows that.

 

[bykfixer]

Yup!!
PT Barnum was right.

My local Wally World had zero ML25's for the first time since they first came out. Not even a space for any. They had ML50's for $24.94 and Minimag Pro for $17.88. I don't really did the 300+ lumen minimag but they had polished silver ones that came with the anti-roll thing, a pocket clip and colored lenses for under $18 so I bought one. Surprisingly I had never owned a polished silver minimag in 2aa platform.

Edit: It finally dawned on me at 4am why the 2aa minimag does what it does. It's a security guard style warehouse light. My brain was so stuck on the minimag being a tiny version of the D cell cop light I had never realized the true ability of it going all the way back to the 90's when I bought my first one.

End edit

 

[bykfixer]

Before and after beam shots would really illustrate the variability of the adjustments.

So I adjusted the beam of an ML100 today and tried to take photos. Actually I did take photos but was unable to get the camera to show what I saw.

The factory setting spot

After dialing it in a bit.

Now the photo shows a glaring spot in both photos.
But what I saw was a big ole spot with a nicely dispersing edge that feathered out to the edge of the top photo. If you are familiar with an M61 by Malkoff it would be sorta like that.
When I dialed it in tighter the hot spot is about half the diameter of what you see glaring in the bottom photo with a dispersal to about the outside of the glaring spot. Albeit a much brighter dispersal and a more pronnounced edge of the hotspot.
Moving the other adjuster just makes the edge of the hotspot go from round to egg shaped. It's actually nicely centered from the factory and not easy to recenter as well if you do decide to adjust it.

Check out the numbers for the ML100

Top on is the 2 cell model. Bottom is 3 cell.

 

[325addict]

I just got in some Kaidomain goodies: a metal Mag reflector with cam and a glass lens. Put all these in a 2D Mag with 6AA to 2D adapter in it, screwed in a Tad Customs PR bulb MPR7218 (7.2V / 1.8 Amps) and.... enjoyed it very much!! This light really puts a grin on my face ;-)

 

[xxo]

So I adjusted the beam of an ML100 today and tried to take photos. Actually I did take photos but was unable to get the camera to show what I saw.

The factory setting spot

After dialing it in a bit.

Now the photo shows a glaring spot in both photos.
But what I saw was a big ole spot with a nicely dispersing edge that feathered out to the edge of the top photo. If you are familiar with an M61 by Malkoff it would be sorta like that.
When I dialed it in tighter the hot spot is about half the diameter of what you see glaring in the bottom photo with a dispersal to about the outside of the glaring spot. Albeit a much brighter dispersal and a more pronnounced edge of the hotspot.
Moving the other adjuster just makes the edge of the hotspot go from round to egg shaped. It's actually nicely centered from the factory and not easy to recenter as well if you do decide to adjust it.

Check out the numbers for the ML100

Top on is the 2 cell model. Bottom is 3 cell.

I wonder why the ML100's didn't seem to have caught on back when they first came out in 2011? They have basically the same features as the succeeding ML300 and ML50's which seem to be much more popular. Is it because the newer generations are more refined? Or maybe it's because Mag didn't come out with a D cell version of the ML100 from the beginning?



Despite all of the whining that Mag never came out with anything new since the 80's, the ML100/ML125 were fairly innovative for 2011.

 

[bykfixer]

I wonder why the ML100's didn't seem to have caught on back when they first came out in 2011? They have basically the same features as the succeeding ML300 and ML50's which seem to be much more popular. Is it because the newer generations are more refined? Or maybe it's because Mag didn't come out with a D cell version of the ML100 from the beginning?

Despite all of the whining that Mag never came out with anything new since the 80's, the ML100/ML125 were fairly innovative for 2011.

Apparently the 100 was less popular than the 125 if serial numbers matter. My 2 cell 100 is s/n 44xxx, the 3 cell s/n is 14xxx and the 125 is 70xxx. My XL200 is 309xxx. It's just a bit more than a dozen digits from being 310xxx. The silver 2D classic (with 019 upgrade to 213 lumens) is s/n 5 million xxx, xxx so yeah I suppose the D cell lights were more popular.

Now the 3D 300 I bought in 019 is s/n 199xxx while the 2D 300 that arrived today is 14xxx.
The 2C 50 is s/n 54xxx and 3C 50 is 77xxx. All but the 2 cell 300 were bought at Wal Mart. I take that back the 2C 50 came from Home Depot.

D cell Maglites always out sold C cell versions. It seems the 3D was extremely popular. Member Liftd4R could elaborate, but I wonder if Maglite went up a digit with each generation. Example classic LED gen 1 maybe stopped in the 4 million and when they did the upgrade did it begin at 5 million? Something to help establish which model it is?

Innovative? What other flashlight maker incorparates a way to dial in the LED? Either because of a factory error or just because you want to change it some. I am thrilled with the 100 and 125.

I wrecked the lens on my XL200 trying to punch out the reflector so I could install glass. Maglite is sending me a new head assembly even though I screwed it up. Cost me $11 but worth it.

Todays arrival.
I will be acquiring more 2D 300's. The special edition one is going to be stashed so at some point I'll buy a 2 cell for user. It's so small it was hard to believe it's a 2D flashlight.

 

[xxo]

Makes sense that the second gen D cell LED Mags have high numbers considering they came out in 2009 and the big box stores carried them (I'm guessing that the first gen LEDs from 2006 used the same serials as the incan Mags since they were the same lights except for the LED drop-in?). I don't remember the big boxes selling ML100's, but it is still strange that they sold in smaller numbers than the much more expensive rechargeable ML125.



I hear you on the 2D ML300 – that's why I would have liked Mag to just go to the ML300 format for the 213 lumen/2 mode 2D LED.

 

[bykfixer]

I dunno man. I just don't get that "I can hammer nails" with the ML300 like with the classic 2D. Actually I was surprised to see the LED classic get an upgrade at all. Third gen, that's right. I kept thinking the 177 version was first gen. So I kept calling the 213 the second gen. Thanks for clearing that up.

I wonder if price held back the ML100. When I bought my first LED 2D the box store had the incan for $20 and the 177(?) lumen LED "pro" for $35. Right now the big river e-store is selling ML100's for $45. The 125 is between $50 and $75 depending on the seller. Perhaps the WalMart buyer back when they were released would probably have choked when they saw $35 for a Maglite. I know I did at first. But after my first Malkoff paying $35 for a Maglite was no biggy.

The ML25 was such a great addition to the lineup. I understand why many would be skeptical, as seeing in action is the only way to know just how brilliant that one is.

I got an email from Maglite about a ML150 LRS. It looks nice and compact like the 2D 300.

820 lumens.

Going for $112 at Maglite

 

[xxo]

I dunno man. I just don't get that "I can hammer nails" with the ML300 like with the classic 2D. Actually I was surprised to see the LED classic get an upgrade at all. Third gen, that's right. I kept thinking the 177 version was first gen. So I kept calling the 213 the second gen. Thanks for clearing that up.

I wonder if price held back the ML100. When I bought my first LED 2D the box store had the incan for $20 and the 177(?) lumen LED "pro" for $35. Right now the big river e-store is selling ML100's for $45. The 125 is between $50 and $75 depending on the seller. Perhaps the WalMart buyer back when they were released would probably have choked when they saw $35 for a Maglite. I know I did at first. But after my first Malkoff paying $35 for a Maglite was no biggy.

Actually, the 213 lumen/2 mode 2D Mag is more of a generation 2.5.


The 3rd​ gen is the ML300 – Mag called them 3rd​ Gen early on (mine was so marked on packaging when I got when they first came out) before they changed the name to ML300.


The 2nd​ gen were the single mode LED 2 or 3 D cell Mags with the fixed LED module that came out in 2009 – these are similar to the 213 lumen "gen 2.5" except for no low mode. These have serials that start with DL.


The first gen D cell Mags (2D, 3D and 4D) identical to the incan models except for the Mag LED drop-in – they even had a spare krypton bulb in the tail cap that could be switched in place of the LED drop-in. These have D serials like the standard krypton Mags.


Note that these "generations" only apply to the D cell LED Mags, there were no equivalent first or second gen C cell Mags – Mag went straight from the incan C cell Mags to the ML125/ML100 (though Mag sold the first gen LED drop-ins for a while and you could use them to make your own 1st gen C cell Mag equivalent, though Mag never sold them with the drop-ins installed from the factory).


According to the LED-Resource site, the original MSRP on the ML100's was $54.99-$58.99 and Actual Pricing: ~$45-$55.


They listed "MSRP for the ML125 is about $120" with actual pricing around $100.

 

[bykfixer]

Thanks for clearing up the gen thing… I think…… I remember folks calling the ML300 the third gen. Now I know why. Back then I was not the least bit interested in the new $45 D cell Maglite. They want how much for that? I remember many here saying "yay Maglite" and others saying "boo Maglite sucks". I think I was trying out Bushnell's at the time or something similar. Then came the ML25 and that Christmas everybody I knew had one. Well, practically anybody. They flew off the shelves at first. Later on I tried this ML300 and eh, it was ok. But when the power went out for a week and the Mrs and I had one tailstanding on eco in the kitchen each night I was impressed. Ceiling bounce gave enough light to read by. Am radio crackling in the background, plenty of charcoal for the grill, we were set.

At one point WalMart put 3 cell ML25s on clearance so now when the power is out we light a few rooms with those on eco. Bathroom, den etc. For use outdoors I still prefer the classics. At last check WalMart had a bunch of 3 cell ML300's for $25. I am supposing that is the new 2D cell? ……kinda like 50 years old is the new 30.

 

[hsa]

I have never figured out where this fits into the generational designation but it seems like an outlier to me. I would like to have one. http://www.led-resource.com/2012/12/maglite-pro-2d-led-flashlight-review/
Between the "drop in" led d cell and the ML series was a 136 lumen and 168 lumen, then came the ML. Any ideas?

 

[Chicken Drumstick]

I'm still a Maglite fan. Although I find my self torn on if I'd buy any more.

I have sat next to me right now my original 6D Maglite. Owned it for nearly 30 years, although it is running a LED drop in these days and I run it on 6 Eneloop AA's with D cell adapters. I also have my original Mag Charger. Which is still incan, but also running Eneloop AA's, although in a mix of series and parallel adapters to get a little more voltage than the original NiCd pack.

But here in the UK, Maglites have pretty much vanished. Almost no stores stock or sell them. And the ones that do sell them are all special order and crazy high prices!!!

One of my fav torches is the XL200. Which I managed to get for a good price. It has lots of potential issues, such as PWM, poor tint and lowish output with less than ideal runtime. But it is still an awesome light.


But what I really don't get, is Maglites complete resistance to offer support for other battery types. From something as simple as taking advantage of lithium primaries or NiMH AA's. Maglite engineer the lights so you get no benefit running better batteries over the crappy alkaline AA's...... FFS!!!!! Why :thinking:


The Mag-Tac has always looked cool. But again in the UK it is just too expensive to even consider. That was when new, let alone now. And it has always been a relative poor performer compared to the rest of the market. And again, they are engineered to not support Li-ion in either 18650 or 16650.


I'm also gobsmacked how Maglite hasn't offered other obvious variations on their lights, e.g.

• Where is the 1 x AA Solitaire?
• Where is the 1 x AA Mini Mag?

The Mini Mag was cool 25 years or more ago. And just about small enough for pocket EDC duty. But the latest LED Mini Mags are way longer, too long to fit in a jeans pocket, have no pocket clips......

Come on Mag. Big time slacking.


Also why have they never offered something like a C or D cell traditional Mag that is only 1 cell long. You could run it on 3 or 4 AA's and even allow a 26650 to fit. Such a light would be compact and have appeal to the general public and flashaholics alike. But nope, they still want to offer HUGE torches that are heavy, bulky and don't fit in a coat pocket.

Very very odd really. And might explain why you just don't see Maglites in the UK anymore.


Looking at the Maglite website (quite a chore in itself sadly). I see the XL200 is still listed and must have received an update since I got mine. But 230 lumens is still low output these days. And there is still no 18650 support.

The ML25T looks cool, it's a giant Mini Mag and in the USA cheap. But why does it under perform compared to the AA Mini Mag?

 

[greenpondmike]

Hsa, seems like I had the luxon rebel one. Seems like there was the drop in version, the luxon rebel one that put out 103?? lumens and then they went to the cree xp-e 136 lumen and then the 168 lumen one which might have had an xp-e. After that came the two speed 200+ lumen one.
Bykfixer, xxo, a few years back I thought the ML150LRS had 1000 lumens that was good for a quarter of a mile and the ML300 4D had a little bit more. Seems like maglite did some adjusting on them. Seems like the ML150LRS also had more runtime on high, but it probably stepped down a bit to do that and now the 819 version probably has a flatter regulation. I admit that I could be wrong.

Edit: Hey chicken drumstick- looks like we both was posting at the same time, but you got there first. I assume you were talking about the LED "LT" versions because the incandescent (IT) version of the ML25 does outperform the incan mini mag. The ML25LT (LED) can blow a mini mag pro away in candella (intense hotspot) and shine way farther also. The mini mag pro has an less intense hotspot, but a brighter (but smaller) spill. Both have their usefulness in different applications. The ML25LT is more fitted for outdoors. It is difficult to use words to compair both of them, but you can find beamshots for both on this forum by bykfixer- just don't get confused because he also posted a suped up incan version (IT) of the ML25 also. The ML25LT and ML25IT are both gems.

 

[bykfixer]

For years I misunderstood the LED aa minimag and kept scoffing at its inability to throw like Maglites with half the output. But one day I realized the aa minmag is a backup cop light. In other words it was originally made as a backup to the big lights. Now it eventually became its own phenomena, so I had forgotten it was originally a back up cop light.

With that said, the current crop of aa minimags are more suited for the close quarters action in a backup role. A backup to the ML300 if you will. The ML25 would be a backup to lights meant as throwers like the original D series, even the LED versions. So to compare an ML25 to a aa minimag is like comparing plain milk to chocolate milk.

 

[xxo]

The ML25 is far form outperformed by the Mini Mag Pro – in fact the ML25 blows the MM Pro away completely, no contest.


In a flashlight, lumens do not equal brightness – throw/cd and beam pattern are far more important. This is where the genius of the design of the ML25 really shines (literally and figuratively). They chose a smaller lower lumen LED to get a better beam with a lot more throw and much better performance. The MM Pro's beam has more lumens in the small spill where they are mostly wasted while the ML25 puts the lumens in the smaller tighter hotspot and just enough lumens in it's huge spill beam making it a much more practical light. To be fair the MM Pro is limited by it's smaller reflector as well as it's larger/higher lumen LED, but either way the ML25 just performs better. The ML25 is only a hair longer than the Mini Mag Pro, but fatter - I find that it fits nicely in a coat pocket or the back pocket of a pair of jeans. If I need something smaller, I go with the AAA Mini Mag LED, which is another absolute gem. The AAA MM LED can't compete for throw, but it does have good throw for such a small light and it has a nice big spill that has just the right brightness, much like the ML25.


I don't like alkaline batteries so I run my C and D cell Mags on protected Li-Ions in 3D printed adapters mostly. In the past I ran them on Eneloops in adapters or Soshine LSD NiMH cells.....but the general public still uses a lot of alkalines. I don't think that is going to change until you can grab a pack of Li-ion cells on the checkout line at the supermarket right next to all of the alkalines.