# Mag abuse



## ringzero (Sep 22, 2006)

Reading a thread on the reliability of MagLED modules, I got thoroughly fed up with all the Mag-bashing. The following comes from my post to that thread, which was somewhat off topic:

Barring excessive abuse or loss, ten years from now your Mag will fulfill its primary function: when you click the switch, light will come out of the end.

Some examples of abuse I've seen Mags survive:

-Mag 2C used underwater in cave. (Took on a little water but kept working, and was OK after being opened up and dried out.)

-Mag 3D used to hammer steel tent pegs into rocky soil. (Exterior scarred up badly, but function was still OK.)

-Mag 2C dropped twenty feet onto solid rock, then bounced hundreds of feet down a steep, rocky ridge. (Owner thought the light was lost for good. When found, it was badly dented and dinged up, but after putting in new bulb and batteries, it worked.)

-Mag 2D abandoned fifteen feet underwater. Found on bottom of river during canoe trip. Had been down there long enough to accumulate algae growth on the exterior. (Dissasembled and cleaned up. Still have it and it still works.)

Those are examples of Mag abuse (and survival) that were seen by me, personally - not secondhand stories.

Anyone else have a good story of Mag abuse?


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## Eugene (Sep 22, 2006)

Mine are nothing like that but I have EDC'd the one and two AAA ones for years and have washed a couple. The only bulb failure I have had is due to a washing when the pins on the bulb started to rust afterward and wouldn't make a good electrical contact.


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## LiteFan (Sep 22, 2006)

Too bad Mag does not get into more tactical style lights, the mechanical quality & longevity is rivaled by none. IMHO.


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## dragoman (Sep 22, 2006)

I personally like the side switch rather than the "tactical" style favored by Surefire.

Mags are good quality build, no question. I for one am happy to see the new MagLED modules. Sure they aren't perfect, but they are a hundred times better than the incan bulbs mag had....

I have one (more than one in some cases) of each size mag, and just about every day I end up using one of them. (right now, a MiniMag LED 2AA is ceiling bouncing on my porch as I type this.....)

Cheers to MagLEDs, a noble first effort....

dragoman


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## Diesel_Bomber (Sep 22, 2006)

Ooh, I've had a couple. Washed an incan Minimag countless times when it was my EDC. Still have it, works fine, now sports a NiteIze upgrade. I was working on some project beside my truck and set a 3D Mag down where it was convenient........on my truck tire. You guessed it, forgot it was there and drove off. Went back the next day after realizing what I'd done, poked around in the muddy field and found it. Still worked, and I still have it to this day, repowered with an EverLED or a DB-3W(forget which light it was). I'm sure that if it had been on pavement or gravel, instead of mud, then that poor light would be scrap metal. I've dropped lots of them on concrete and gravel. Back in the incan days that was usually the end of the bulb. The one in the tailcap, with the filament not being heated to nearly the melting point when it received it's shock, was usually fine. Now they're all LED modded, no such problems, though I do keep an incan bulb in the tailcap. Thinking of switching all the incan backups to the NiteIze PR bulb.

No, the Mag design isn't the newest or the brightest. But for me, and what I need it to do, it's the best.


:buddies:


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## Nightwatch (Sep 22, 2006)

I like Mags.

I used to routinely carry a Mag 4D when doing campus security. Not neccessarily for the light (though that was handy) but more for mag-handling the various cranky doors that abound on our campus. I found the but end of the mag to be quite handy for making loose things fit again.  I now do dispatch and don't have to beat on doors quite so much, and the 4D resides next to my bed where it's the fist thing I grab to bump back the things that go "bump in the night"


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## chesterqw (Sep 22, 2006)

you all should see my bashed up minimag 2aa. without lens and not working anymore now. the tab for one of the contact broke off and never found.
i modded the reflector(aka drill) to fit a 5mm led then swiftly threw it across the room to the wall. wall suffered some minor injuries so did the mag


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## Illum (Sep 22, 2006)

I tossed my Mag 3D at a raccoon after frustration about the hole that was dug up in the garden....probably traveled 4 feet in the air and smashed into a wooden post.....the lens shot to hell--not cracked but scratched...


the raccoon no longer fears us...and we dont own a gun [if a dewalt compressor, a B&D nail gun, and a few dozen 50 round clips doesnt count]


I proceed to toss the light...for a bit, until the animal was up on a tree looking at me....then I just stopped feeling a bit stupid.


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## leukos (Sep 23, 2006)

ringzero said:


> Reading a thread on the reliability of MagLED modules, I got thoroughly fed up with all the Mag-bashing.


 
The "dislike" on CPF towards Mag is complex and not necessarily based on their product line's durability. Maglite does produce well designed and affordable flashlight bodies that can stand up to some of the worst abuse. Issues have been more with their marketing, innovation, and litigation. Maglite has succeeded in convincing the general public that they produce the best flashlights in the world. I think they used to market them to that effect (though their latest slogan is more acceptable and basic "a work of art that works" :laughing: ). From a research and development standpoint, Maglite must have the largest market share in the flashlight world, but has done very little to advance flashlight technology in the past 20 years (other than the recent release of their LED models). Instead, they seem to use more of their capital on filing lawsuits against other flashlight companies. One small upstart company associated with CPF had to shut its doors because the lettering on the bezel was too similar to Maglite's trademark.  Most folks hate monopolies that smother innovation, and CPFers dislike ringy, dim brown beams.


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## s.duff (Sep 23, 2006)

+1 on the maghost from me. 
on a side note to this thread. my button cover popped off last night. how is it supposed to go back in place, just slipped back in? one side does not seem to seat in place as deep as the other. is there a trick to getting it back in place perfectly?


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## Eugene (Sep 23, 2006)

leukos said:


> The "dislike" on CPF towards Mag is complex and not necessarily based on their product line's durability. Maglite does produce well designed and affordable flashlight bodies that can stand up to some of the worst abuse. Issues have been more with their marketing, innovation, and litigation. Maglite has succeeded in convincing the general public that they produce the best flashlights in the world. I think they used to market them to that effect (though their latest slogan is more acceptable and basic "a work of art that works" :laughing: ). From a research and development standpoint, Maglite must have the largest market share in the flashlight world, but has done very little to advance flashlight technology in the past 20 years (other than the recent release of their LED models). Instead, they seem to use more of their capital on filing lawsuits against other flashlight companies. One small upstart company associated with CPF had to shut its doors because the lettering on the bezel was too similar to Maglite's trademark.  Most folks hate monopolies that smother innovation, and CPFers dislike ringy, dim brown beams.



The problem is the ones who hate Mag so much for those reasons are using an OS written by Microsoft or Apple whose tactics are much worse than Mag's and they don't seem to complain about that


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## leukos (Sep 23, 2006)

Eugene said:


> The problem is the ones who hate Mag so much for those reasons are using an OS written by Microsoft or Apple whose tactics are much worse than Mag's and they don't seem to complain about that


 
In my post, I had thought of comparing Mag to Microsoft, there are a lot of similarities, minus the innovation part; the dislike most IT folks have with Microsoft is quite similar.


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## ringzero (Sep 23, 2006)

dragoman said:


> I personally like the side switch rather than the "tactical" style favored by Surefire....dragoman



I agree wholeheartedly. I hate "tactical" switches and generally will avoid buying lights that have that type of switch. I understand that "tactical" switches may offer advantages for Law Enforcement - SWAT - Special Forces scenarios, but I'm not in those lines of work.

For me, "tactical" switches are acceptable for utility/work lights, but not for outdoor use. I want to be able to walk along with a light in my hand, business end pointing forward, ready to instantly illuminate whatever's in front of me at the press of a button.


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## ringzero (Sep 23, 2006)

Illum_the_nation said:


> I tossed my Mag 3D at a raccoon after frustration about the hole that was dug up in the garden....probably traveled 4 feet in the air and smashed into a wooden post.....the lens shot to hell--not cracked but scratched...



Yeah, using a Mag for a projectile weapon probably counts as abuse. ;>

Somebody on another thread recounted the story of a LEO hurling a Mag to bring down a fleeing felon. A flying Mag must have considerable knock-down power at close range. I wouldn't want to get hit with one.


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## Brighteyez (Sep 23, 2006)

Actually, I think you'l find that the companies with the larger market shares are companies that you probably wouldn't be buying flashlights from, like Eveready, Ray-O-Vac, Dorcy, Garrity, etc.

Any company who holds and wants to protect their trademark (and IP), is obligated to exercise due diligence in protecting it. If they're selective in protecting their mark it would be an indicator that they've given it away if they were to pursue it with another party that infringed on it. Use the Mag example and if they didn't pursue the infringement with a small producer, how could they justify going after some Chinese company that floods other parts of the world with Mag knockoffs?



leukos said:


> [snip]
> From a research and development standpoint, Maglite must have the largest market share in the flashlight world, but has done very little to advance flashlight technology in the past 20 years (other than the recent release of their LED models).
> 
> [snip]
> ...


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## Navck (Sep 23, 2006)

Strange, I've murdered many MiniMaggot AAs by teething on them when I was younger with saliva...


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## Cmoore (Sep 23, 2006)

leukos said:


> One small upstart company associated with CPF had to shut its doors because the lettering on the bezel was too similar to Maglite's trademark.


 
Although Mag has a reputation for being litigious, I think the reasons the small company mentioned above (I'm assuming it's Arc Flashlight LLC you mean) shut its doors are far more numerous and complex than the single reason you cite.


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## Brighteyez (Sep 24, 2006)

That was me. Yes, it had knock-down power all right. The guy lost his job as a result of that incident, and can count his lucky stars that he wasn't prosecuted for manslaughter (it was being considered.) Needless to say, there was civil litigation that followed.



ringzero said:


> Yeah, using a Mag for a projectile weapon probably counts as abuse. ;>
> 
> Somebody on another thread recounted the story of a LEO hurling a Mag to bring down a fleeing felon. A flying Mag must have considerable knock-down power at close range. I wouldn't want to get hit with one.


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## Alin10123 (Sep 24, 2006)

I've actually used a 4D mag under water before fully submerged. It wasn't very deep though. The main water line going into the house busted one time and flooded a whole area where the shutoff valve was. I had to reach my hand a couple of feet down but couldn't see anything. So i dropped the light into the water and all was lit. hehe
Light pretty much stayed dry on the inside and has worked with 0 problems the whole time.


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## ringzero (Sep 25, 2006)

Brighteyez said:


> That was me. Yes, it had knock-down power all right. The guy lost his job as a result of that incident, and can count his lucky stars that he wasn't prosecuted for manslaughter (it was being considered.) Needless to say, there was civil litigation that followed.



Things have changed over the years.

Remember during my youth a local cop shot and killed a fleeing shoplifter. Cop wasn't charged and didn't even lose his job. A few years later, a local high school student was shot and killed while attempting to elude during high-speed pursuit. No charges, and the cop didn't lose his job. Several years after that, a local cop turned a fleeing check kiter into a paraplegic with one shot. Cop wasn't charged but was sued and resigned his position, probably to avoid being fired.


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## Brighteyez (Sep 25, 2006)

Yes it comes with advancement to a more civilized society and public officials at all levels being held to be accountable for their actions. Back in my youth, the town that I grew up in, had a back room in every bar that the cops used. Those days are long gone, but the guys in the neighborhood police station don't have to go and drive the Sheriff home anymore either. 

Some officials have decided that shooting at moving vehicles is not such a good idea. In addition to having a greater likelihood of missing the target, on the off-chance that the driver is wounded or killed, the vehicle doesn't discriminate as to who or what it hits (innocent bystanders) on the way to coming to a stop.

The use of lethal force is justified when there is imminent life-threatening danger to the officer or to others. Summary execution for property crimes is something that private citizens can be prosecuted for, public officials should be held to the same level of accountablity.




ringzero said:


> Things have changed over the years.


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## big mike 27 (Sep 25, 2006)

Ran over my Mag after it fell out of its mounts in the Jeep into a really disgusting mud pit. Still worked all wet, disassembled and put it back together after cleaning it and it worked great for months until someone stole it...


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## luigi (Sep 25, 2006)

Something I really don't get completely is the following thing:
You say "I did this and that to my Mag" then replaced the bulb, batteries and it worked.
Without the bulb and batteries aren't we talking about a tube of aluminium? So I wonder why do I keep reading stories about how tubes of aluminium survive different situations. I'm sure there is something that I'm missing ? 

Luigi


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## Ironhog81 (Sep 25, 2006)

Remember that there is a spare bulb in the tail cap if you do it right.

HEH HEH
Back in action quick.


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## NightHiker (Sep 25, 2006)

luigi said:


> Something I really don't get completely is the following thing:
> You say "I did this and that to my Mag" then replaced the bulb, batteries and it worked.
> Without the bulb and batteries aren't we talking about a tube of aluminium? So I wonder why do I keep reading stories about how tubes of aluminium survive different situations. I'm sure there is something that I'm missing ?
> 
> Luigi



Well, there's still the contacts, switch, and reflector assembly. All those could be damaged and make the light non-functional.


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## ringzero (Sep 25, 2006)

luigi said:


> Something I really don't get completely is the following thing:
> You say "I did this and that to my Mag" then replaced the bulb, batteries and it worked.
> Without the bulb and batteries aren't we talking about a tube of aluminium? So I wonder why do I keep reading stories about how tubes of aluminium survive different situations. I'm sure there is something that I'm missing ?  Luigi



Yeah Luigi, what you're missing is that for incandescent lights, batteries and bulbs are consumable by design. They're designed to be easily replaced.

An extremely impact resistant flashlight could be designed. Imagine a light the size of a 3D Mag, but powered by 2AA cells housed in a tube located along the central axis. That central tube is attached to a thick, stainless steel, exterior case by orthogonally mounted sets of springs and shock absorbers at each end: ten sets of springs and shocks altogether. The reflector and bulb assembly are mounted similarly. An armor-glass lens is deeply recessed behind a thick stainless bezel mounted on springs and shocks. Similar mounting for tail cap.

A light like this could survive terrific impacts without damaging the bulbs and batteries: probably thousands of gees. But it would be very expensive, heavy, and would grossly underperform when compared to lights of similar size and weight.

If lights like this were available, I predict that very few would be sold.

What is amazing about Mags is how tough they are for an inexpensive light.


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## Ironhog81 (Sep 25, 2006)

The contacts, switch, and reflector assembly all hold up well against abuse.
That big thick tube of aluminium does a great job.
Now with LED's, it will only be better.
Yes there are newer and better lights, but not for Maglite prices yet.
My Surefire 951 is my most serious light, but I have plenty of Mags including some mod LED's for runtime and a lot of spare other types also. One light is not enought.
Any LED's for Magchargers yet? May be next?


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## TinderBox (UK) (Sep 25, 2006)

which light could take the most phisical abuse.

a 2D Mag lite or an Electrolumen Blaster-1R they are both around the same price.

regards.

John.


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## Brighteyez (Sep 25, 2006)

The Elektro Lumens B1R is no longer available from it's manufacturer.

If you want a warranty, you'd probably be better off with the Mag, it has one.
Insofar as phisical abuse, the B1R appears to have thicker aluminum.



TinderBox (UK) said:


> which light could take the most phisical abuse.
> 
> a 2D Mag lite or an Electrolumen Blaster-1R they are both around the same price.
> 
> ...


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## firefly99 (Sep 25, 2006)

ringzero said:


> -Mag 2C dropped twenty feet onto solid rock, then bounced hundreds of feet down a steep, rocky ridge. (Owner thought the light was lost for good. When found, it was badly dented and dinged up, but after putting in new bulb and batteries, it worked.)



I would be very impress if the Mag 2C light up after falling onto solid rock and down the steep rocky ridge. Changing the bulb and batteries is cheating. Since it imply that the original bulb and batteries did not survive the fall.


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## whooda4 (Sep 25, 2006)

firefly99 said:


> I would be very impress if the Mag 2C light up after falling onto solid rock and down the steep rocky ridge. Changing the bulb and batteries is cheating. Since it imply that the original bulb and batteries did not survive the fall.



there are not many incan lights that would survive that fall. and if the housing did, the bulb would be dead. like said before they were designed to be easily replaced. I love my mags. about to use my 6c as a host...


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## firefly99 (Sep 26, 2006)

whooda4 said:


> there are not many incan lights that would survive that fall. and if the housing did, the bulb would be dead. like said before they were designed to be easily replaced..


It is ridiculous to use the excuse "they were designed to be easily replaced"
to justify any component failures after the drop, when the flashlight failed to light up. Replacing damaged components and declare the entire system passed the drop test is just absurd. 

Ease of component replacement is a feature built into the design of a system. It has nothing to do with the reliablitity of any components.

A drop test on a fully functional flashlight would yield more meaningful & accurate result. When each / most component survive the fall and the entire system must be able to emit light to pass the drop test.


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## ringzero (Sep 26, 2006)

firefly99 said:


> It is ridiculous to use the excuse "they were designed to be easily replaced" to justify any component failures after the drop, when the flashlight failed to light up. Replacing damaged components and declare the entire system passed the drop test is just absurd.



I didn't say it "passed the drop test." It did SURVIVE being dropped twenty feet onto solid rock, then bouncing hundreds of feet down a steep slope. In this context, SURVIVE means it was easily restored to a functional state by replacing parts designed to be routinely replaced.



firefly99 said:


> A drop test on a fully functional flashlight would yield more meaningful & accurate result. When each / most component survive the fall and the entire system must be able to emit light to pass the drop test.



A flashlight drop test would likely include two specs:

1) Height at which light with bulb lit would continue to function.

2) Height at which light would survive intact, perhaps requiring bulb and battery replacement.

This is a common type of spec for all sorts of hardware, usually expressed something like: "Functions: 5g; Survives: 100g."

There are undoubtedly MILSPECs for flashlights, like there are for nearly everything the military buys. I'm sure they include drop tests, or the equivalent in G-loads, but I'm not interested enough to search for them at the moment.

Look it up if you're interested.


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## PocketLint (Sep 30, 2006)

leukos said:


> The "dislike" on CPF towards Mag is complex and not necessarily based on their product line's durability. Maglite does produce well designed and affordable flashlight bodies that can stand up to some of the worst abuse. Issues have been more with their marketing, innovation, and litigation. Maglite has succeeded in convincing the general public that they produce the best flashlights in the world. I think they used to market them to that effect (though their latest slogan is more acceptable and basic "a work of art that works" :laughing: ). From a research and development standpoint, Maglite must have the largest market share in the flashlight world, but has done very little to advance flashlight technology in the past 20 years (other than the recent release of their LED models). Instead, they seem to use more of their capital on filing lawsuits against other flashlight companies. One small upstart company associated with CPF had to shut its doors because the lettering on the bezel was too similar to Maglite's trademark.  Most folks hate monopolies that smother innovation, and CPFers dislike ringy, dim brown beams.



Average Joe (me included) thinks that MAG does a great job and cannot afford to pay for a Surefire. I also will not buy a light unless it's made in the USA. I'm not saying Surefire is not, I'm just saying a lot of companies have lights not made in the USA.


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## amanichen (Sep 30, 2006)

PocketLint said:


> Average Joe (me included) thinks that MAG does a great job and cannot afford to pay for a Surefire. I also will not buy a light unless it's made in the USA. I'm not saying Surefire is not, I'm just saying a lot of companies have lights not made in the USA.



[font=arial,helvetica]http://maglite.com/Mag_commitment.asp
[/font]_[font=arial,helvetica]"So when Mag Instrument calls itself "a U.S.A. Manufacturer," what is meant is that its flashlights are made in the U.S.A. -- in a U.S. factory, by U.S. workers -- *even if some components might sometimes have to be imported.*"[/font]_

[font=arial,helvetica]So there you have it: some foreign factories crank out parts, and they're sent to the US to, almost quite literally, be screwed together.[/font]

You wonder how Maglica and friends got their lights down to $20? Thank foreign manfuacturing. It amazes me how some people can still be so insular, provincial, and xenophobic in a global economy.


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## Lit Up (Oct 1, 2006)

I'd like to abuse Maglite into introducing some different colored LED offerings in their drop-ins for the same price.

Red-orange, green and amber will do nicely.


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## firefly99 (Oct 1, 2006)

ringzero said:


> It did SURVIVE being dropped twenty feet onto solid rock, then bouncing hundreds of feet down a steep slope. In this context, SURVIVE means it was easily restored to a functional state by replacing parts designed to be routinely replaced.



By your definition, nothing would fail, since any parts that is damaged by the fall can be replaced to restore item to functional state. 

I respect your concept of "SURVIVE", just find it weird.


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## Timson (Oct 1, 2006)

A mate of mine has taken his Mag 3D scubadiving down to 20M !!

Only thing he did was apply a layer of silicone grease under the thumb switch rubber !

He did however state that he switched the light on prior to entering the water and did not try operating the switch whilst submerged......Even so, pretty darned impressive!


Tim.


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## ringzero (Oct 1, 2006)

firefly99 said:


> By your definition, nothing would fail, since any parts that is damaged by the fall can be replaced to restore item to functional state...I respect your concept of "SURVIVE", just find it weird.



Well firefly99, I find your concept of SURVIVE to be even weirder.

By your concept of SURVIVE: when a bulb burns out or the batteries run down on any incan light, the light doesn't SURVIVE.

After replacing the bulb or batteries to restore the light to a functional state, it works, but it hasn't SURVIVED.

Your concept of SURVIVE is completely bizarre.


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## ringzero (Oct 1, 2006)

Timson said:


> A mate of mine has taken his Mag 3D scubadiving down to 20M !!...Only thing he did was apply a layer of silicone grease under the thumb switch rubber...He did however state that he switched the light on prior to entering the water and did not try operating the switch whilst submerged...Even so, pretty darned impressive!



Thanks Timson, for a great example of Mag abuse -- that is damned impressive. He ought to send that story in to the Mag PR people.


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## benighted (Oct 2, 2006)

I don't know if this has anything to do with mag abuse but I've noticed a Mag 4D is much more likely to get stolen than a Surefire.


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## Double_A (Oct 2, 2006)

I work for a Semiconductor manufacturer. In our business we use hundreds of gallons of powerful acids. For example we use 98% pure Sulfuric acid by the caseload daily, as well as Nitric 70%, Phosphoric 85% and the real nasty that creeps people out ... 49% HF.

All of this (except HF) goes down the acid waste lines into a series of tanks/vaults called the Acid Waste Neutralization system (AWN) where various caustics are added to bring the pH within a range so it can go to the treatment plant.

Many years ago we had to shut the system down for repairs and upgrades. At the bottom of one of the tanks was a flashlight! 

We scooped it up and cleaned it off. The anodization was nearly completely eroded, but there was a small section where it had rested against the tank's bottom. The light had started out it's life as a Red 3D cell maglight. We replaced the batteries and a low and behold that damm thing worked. Yep is glowed it's distinctive crappy beam but it kept on ticking. 

Years later I moved on to another Semiconductor company, I convinced them to swap their Maglights for 10 Surefire E2e's boy were the guys happy!


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## Muddy3 (Oct 2, 2006)

On the subject of mag abuse, I have four mags. One 2D, one 3D one 4D and the mag charger. Because I was completely bored one day I decided to see what amount of abuse two of these could take.

 

I live in an apartment 3 stories tall and wanted to see what my older 2D and 4D could withstand. Both had a complement of new batteries and the 2D had the original krypton bulb and the 4D had the brighter Mag Xenon bulb.

 

Well, I don’t think my neighbour below me was best pleased when he was sitting in his lounge watching TV when a black object fell past his window. Seconds later it was joined by the 4D! He subsequently looked out his window and up at mine and said "what the f##k!". Sorry mate was my reply, "just testing my torches" to which he slammed shut his window.

 

Well I wouldn't be surprised if he was phoning the local mental hospital. I would have done! Sorry, back to the mags. After making it down stairs to the tarmac side road where they fell, both had the usual dents and scratches you’d expect. The 2D didn’t work (surprise, surprise) but amazingly the 4D did! Took them back upstairs and replaced the bulb in the 2D with another krypton from the tail cap and low and behold it actually worked! The 4D worked for another 10 minutes before the bulb blew. I presume the filament was weakened by the blow. Stuck in another xenon and all was fine. 

 

I’ve even driven over both of them (Volvo V70 estate) with no ill effect. Wouldn’t want to do it too many times as I’m sure the head will disfigure and crack the lens/reflector!


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## firefly99 (Oct 2, 2006)

Ringzero, 

You abuse the light by dropping it. Then replacing damaged components and report it as functional. 

That is your concept of "SURVIVE the fall".

I call it tampering with evidence to suit your definition of "SURVIVE the fall".

or "Cooking the account" to paint a rosy picture for the management.


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## Empath (Oct 2, 2006)

Firefly, if you ever become involved in the aspect of business of procurement, budgeting, ordering or whatever, you learn that inventory is basically classified as facilities, equipment, supplies, and accessories. Facilities of course wouldn't apply to a flashlight. In some case a flashlight could be considered an accessory. Generally, we'd think of it as equipment. What we wouldn't consider it to be, would be supplies.

Supplies are items that are assumed to be consumable, or depleted through use. You might think of it as toilet paper, pencils, a tube of toothpaste, batteries, ink cartridges or anything that you expect to have less of after use. Equipment, on the other hand, is expected to last, unless it becomes worn out or broken. Supplies also can be something with a recognizable length of usefulness or disposable nature like a light bulb, flashlight bulbs, paper clips, and paper cups, trash can liners and such.

While a piece of equipment isn't necessarily functional without it's supplies, it's condition and integrity isn't defined by the status of it's supplies. In that manner, a flashlight, while essentially requiring sufficient remaining life to it's supplies, particularly batteries and lamp, the end of life for those supplies are expected and an assumed aspect of the equipment's operation.

There are other parts of the equipment that can fail, like switches, broken lens, damaged reflectors, or whatever. However, loss and replacement of those parts are unexpected occurrences, and would be considered repair of the equipment, rather than supply replacement.

I don't know where you're wanting to go with your insistence that members are being less than honest, but you do seem to be attracting some unfavorable attention to yourself, and adding some unwelcomed tension to the thread. While I'm not asking that you admit error in your view of matters, it may be good to back off and just recognize that while the rest of the world is out of step, at least you're not.


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## ciam (Oct 2, 2006)

Let's do a thought experiment, I drop 2 flashlights to the ground. I pick up flashlight A and find that it still works like a charm. I pick up flashlight B but have to change the bulb for it to work again. So, could I claim that both flashlights survive the drop test? Using the definition used on this thread, the answer must be yes, but if you're the manufacturer of flashlight A, would you cry foul?

I think in a test like this, you can't superficially detach the bulb from the flashlight itself. Although it's easily replaceable and supposed to last only a certain period of time, if the bulb dies a *premature* death as a result of the test, I wouldn't think the flashlight deserves the acclaim of "having survived the drop test." 

Obviously, the design of the body of flashlight A in the thought experiment above did a better job to absorb the shock and vibration and protect the bulb from damage. Such an acclaim to flashlight B too is a travesty of justice.


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## mcmc (Oct 2, 2006)

I agree. What makes the mag better than any other metal-bodied light that would survive decent sized falls or runovers by SUVs - once the batteries and bulbs are replaced? It doesn't seem any function of Mag's better build, engineering, or anything else - just that it's made of metal.

But I still like my 3D mags, for their classic design and good price (though I have Fry's to thank for that, got a red 3D for $10). The focusable design is not very useful but is pretty much the only light that attempts it (I feel like the best light would be a multi-level with true spot to flood capability). With a Diamond 3W bulb it's a great tool. I'm also thinking about adding some milk-carton cutouts behind the lens, to smooth out the rings on flood.


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## NutSAK (Oct 2, 2006)

Empath said:


> While I'm not asking that you admit error in your view of matters, it may be good to back off and just recognize that while the rest of the world is out of step, at least you're not.


 
Very well put. I was in the process of typing something up, but I'm glad I read your well-thought out reply first.


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## Ironhog81 (Oct 2, 2006)

I think we are getting a little pickey here.
Almost any incandesant bulb will fail if it is lit and subjected to a good hard knock.
Had one go on me on nightfire course last month. Not Mag. And not Surefire.
This is where LED's really come into play.
With a replacement bulb carried in the flashlight itself should be an added plus.
This put the light back in action.
I have a fondness for Maglites from way back doing Police work with the old Ray-O-Vac's. First light I felt I could bet my life on.
Yes we have moved forward a lot since then and with this site don't even ask how many new and different I have added in the last few weeks.
Modern answer, carry both or several for different jobs.
Maglite is still the standard and yes there are many above it now.


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## Muddy3 (Oct 2, 2006)

Sorry. I might have misinterpreted this thread. I was just posting about how chuffed I was about the design and strength of the maglite against anything I know of or could afford. You have to remember, Mags were about the first decent torch we got over here on this little Island! I first clamped eyes on the maglites in 1990 and had to buy one. There was nothing else at that time that could rival such build quality and price.

 

And yes, I'm sure that there are other decent lights out there but for me it is a case of look but don't touch. The bank manager (GF) would stop all my credit if I dare purchase something like the Surefire!

 

And MCMC is right, the States has yet again designed something classic.


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## LG&M (Oct 2, 2006)

Not much compared to what others have written but it's all I got.Last year when deer hunting I found my Buddy's 2AA Maglight in the mud on the trail. He had lost it the week before. It was pushed into the mud & stepped on by man & beast. The light was dim I think from the batteries being in the cold but it worked like it should.


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## Handlobraesing (Oct 2, 2006)

My observation is that the competitors who offers comparable type flashlight that can't surpass the competitive advantage owed to Mag in both price and company history to make customer feel safe about the sustanability of "lifetime warranty" shows particularly strong hatred for Mag. As a consumer, "lifetime warranty" from a company est. 2004 wouldn't offer the same sense of security as something from a company specializing in this industry that's been around since the 70s. 

This is further aggrevated when the new companies' products are actually more expensive.


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## LED BriCK (Oct 2, 2006)

ringzero said:


> An extremely impact resistant flashlight could be designed. Imagine a light the size of a 3D Mag, but powered by 2AA cells housed in a tube located along the central axis. That central tube is attached to a thick, stainless steel, exterior case by orthogonally mounted sets of springs and shock absorbers at each end: ten sets of springs and shocks altogether. The reflector and bulb assembly are mounted similarly. An armor-glass lens is deeply recessed behind a thick stainless bezel mounted on springs and shocks. Similar mounting for tail cap.
> 
> A light like this could survive terrific impacts without damaging the bulbs and batteries: probably thousands of gees. But it would be very expensive, heavy, and would grossly underperform when compared to lights of similar size and weight.


 Replace the AA's with 14500's, replace the lamp with a 5-cell Mag-num Star- good to go! Sounds like that body might even survive vent-with-flames!


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## ringzero (Oct 3, 2006)

firefly99 said:
 

> Ringzero, You abuse the light by dropping it. Then replacing damaged components and report it as functional. That is your concept of "SURVIVE the fall".



firefly99, this is my last response to you regarding this particular topic. Here are two possible reasons for your continued intransigence:

1) You understand my explanation and examples of what SURVIVE means, but pretend to misunderstand to bait me into an argument. I decline to argue.

2) You genuinely can't comprehend what SURVIVE means, in which case there is really no more I can do to explain the concept to you. I've tried and obviously failed.



firefly99 said:


> I call it tampering with evidence to suit your definition of "SURVIVE the fall"....or "Cooking the account" to paint a rosy picture for the management.



If I wanted to "tamper with evidence" or "cook the account," I could have lied about the condition of the Mag when it was found at the bottom of the ridge. I could have said, "the owner picked it up, clicked the switch, and the Mag lit up!"

But, I didn't do that. I related the true condition of the Mag when found: needed both a new bulb and new batteries to function.


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## ciam (Oct 3, 2006)

I think there's a genuine disagreement on the popular definition of "survive" in this context. I've asked about a dozen people and while a slight majority would expect a flashlight that "survives" a drop test to be fully functional, many others would also agree that a flashlight does "survive" with a mere change of battery and bulb. Maybe we leave it at that that English words usually don't have a crisply precise meaning?


EDIT:

A moment of reflection indicated that I might not have phrased my questions correctly in my non-scientific mini-survey. So, there I went again and the shape of a consensus started to emerge, well, bar a couple lawyerly type. To the question "Did the flashlight survive the drop test?" most answered "No" because to them, rightly or wrongly, it carried the implicit meaning that the flashlight passed the the drop test. "Did it survive?" "Yes" because it's not dead and continued to be a functional flashlight with a change of cells and bulb.

How could a flashlight survive and not survive at the same time? "We're human, not computers. We're fully capable of handling such ambiguity of the English language." So, I hope there's no assumed intent of malice when there's a disagreement.


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## Muddy3 (Oct 3, 2006)

OK, I think it is down to the individual’s interpretation of "survive". But on the note of true survival I got bored again and did some more drop tests. This time I used my Led Lenser Police Tech Focus 1.25watt LED torch. Dropped it from the same height 3 stories 3 times on to the road below and apart from the scratches and two minor dents, it works mighty fine. 

 

For robustness, I think LED has the edge. Anyone disagree?

 

If I was allowed to post pictures I would.


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## LED BriCK (Oct 3, 2006)

Muddy3-
I gotto go back to the UK again. The mental picture of you dropping lights out your window in the name of science and simonsays duelling with his wife in the backyard :touche: - that's true commitment to the cause!

Edit: I forgot to add, definitely agree with LED being the way to go for robustness (see my username), but I'm starting to appreciate incand again for sheer power.


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## ciam (Oct 3, 2006)

LED BriCK said:


> Muddy3-
> I gotto go back to the UK again. The mental picture of you dropping lights out your window in the name of science and simonsays duelling with his wife in the


 
Yeah, I really salute what these guys have done to advance our knowledge of flashlights. I have a few Maglites myself, bar the MiniMag, all are modded one way or another. I'm rather sheepish, I value them so much that I rather jump out of the window myself (well, second floor is the limit) than drop them out of the window.


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## bigfoot (Oct 3, 2006)

Sorry... no real stories of Mag abuse here, unless you count the 3D Mag I've had for the last 10 years or so. It and its smaller AA Mini Mag siblings have pretty much been everywhere. Lots of usage, bulbs, and batteries later, both models still work just fine.

Until I discovered CPF, ETS, and EDCF, my flashlight of choice had been a Mag. Now I've learned there are other lights in the world, haha.

Some of Mag's business practices might be questionable, but at the same time, what would you do if there were hundreds of "clones" of your flashlights floating around? They are trying to protect themselves; although some new offerings wouldn't hurt. Thanks goodness for the new Mag LEDs. I remember before this LED craze nearly every other flashlight in just about any store was a reverse-engineered Mag. Especially the Mini Mag clones. Only a CPF member would be able to tell them apart!

Sorry to hijack the thread. I should mention that my old 3D Mag is now enjoying a retirement of living in the car, riding around everywhere I go. I KNOW it will turn on and work. (But what the heck, I have a AA Mini Mag in the trunk, too.)

:rock:


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## Gene43 (Oct 3, 2006)

If people are that picky; it sounds to me like the bulb and battery manufacturers are at fault for the failure. Afterall the "Maglite" parts made by "Mag Instruments" came through it fine.

Thanks, Gene


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## Muddy3 (Oct 3, 2006)

Ciam, you sound like an entirely sane person who would rather throw themselves out of the window then a nice shiny maglite. Well, same here! But after a few pints of "what the heck, surely I can’t be arrested for this " juice I'd thought it was a clever idea. 

I only began to regret it when I sobered up and noticed my poor 2D and 4D worse of for wear! OK, they still worked but not the point when the 4D cost me £30 (I think $55) and now it looks like its been used to break rocks!

 

LEDBrick, LED unquestionably the way to go but as you said, incan can't be beaten on pure bright light. Hurry up LED technology, I'm waiting.


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## ciam (Oct 3, 2006)

Hehe, I did it before. Once, tyring to win a bet, I jumped from the second floor onto the grass below. My feet hurt like hell for a moment, but I was fully OK after a while. So, I'm fully prepared for the small sacrifice to protect my priced possessions.


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## 4sevens (Oct 5, 2006)

Handlobraesing said:


> My observation is that the competitors who offers comparable type flashlight that can't surpass the competitive advantage ...



Try caving with a mag  (pictures courtesy of jtice)












That plastic lens doesn't hold up very long. 
Your "spot" light eventually becomes a "flood" 

I keep a 6D in my car. One time I was followed to my car at night.
I increased my pace and when I got to the car I whipped out the light.
The guy disappeared quickly.


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## ringzero (Oct 5, 2006)

4sevens said:


> Try caving with a mag  (pictures courtesy of jtice)



Thanks for the great pics.

Most of my big Mags have been through a cave or two, and they look a lot like these pics.


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## peterkin101 (Aug 30, 2010)

leukos said:


> CPFers dislike ringy, dim brown beams.


 
That is unfair! 

Whilst Maglite don't necessarily produce the brightest and most circular beams going, they aren't the most expensive to buy or to run either and in my experience this issue only occurs when the batteries are on the way out.

And if you have to buy CR123A Lithium batteries in the High St UK, be prepared for a big bill....

Finally, the Maglite LED versions eliminate 99+% of your complaint.


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## etc (Aug 30, 2010)

There is this concept of * 'size efficiency'. * 
Mags score pretty badly on that one. Why get a huge stick when a little one will work just as well. You can get a tiny pencil length lite that will be just as bright as a 3D Mag. Albeit with lesser runtime. That wasn't the case even 5 years ago but they really advanced. Amazing how you can hold a tiny lite that seems to generate as much light as a car headlight.

Once I discovered the Lego concept, never looked back. Haven't used Mags in years now. Still keep them in the box, for power outages. And even when power outages do happen, I still use smaller lites. Start giving them away as gifts, to people who don't know any better and think it's top of the line stuff.

The only way I will start using Mags again is if they drastically increase their size efficiency, to the point where a 3D mag produces 1000 lumens. But they won't, since that won't appear to Joe Six Pack shopping for lites. If I am going to start carrying that big stick around, I would want at least the lumens out of it. Otherwise just plain doesn't make sense and not practical, unless kept at home for power outages.

The one that does appeal is value. Good bang per buck. Pick up these Mags during Black Friday sale, about 14 bucks for 2D. Good deal for sure even not being top of the line.

The reliability is overrated, I had one of these long 3xAA lites fail. Without any abuse, dropping or anything, not even polarity issues.


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## etc (Aug 30, 2010)

bigfoot said:


> I should mention that my old 3D Mag is now enjoying a retirement of living in the car, riding around everywhere I go. I KNOW it will turn on and work. (But what the heck, I have a AA Mini Mag in the trunk, too.)
> 
> :rock:



I kept a 3D Mag in the car for a time, when one day I clicked it on and *didn't* work. Turns out the cells had disintegrated badly enough to junk the whole lite. I don't know if winter or summer did it, or both. You may want to check your cells once in a while, or replace them often, or best, not to store them in the lite. 

3D Mag is a pretty poor choice for living in car. Not just the stupid Alkalines going bad but also not functioning in cold weather.
Lithium AA is the way to go, but then you need to downgrade to the MiniMag...


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## [email protected] (Aug 30, 2010)

peterkin101 said:


> Whilst Maglite don't necessarily produce the brightest and most circular beams going, they aren't the most expensive to buy or to run either and in my experience this issue only occurs when the batteries are on the way out.



I hope you realise necro-ing ancient threads is kinda' frowned upon, better to not awaken the dead and simply start a new current one rather than risk creating a "zombie thread" that won't die ROTFLMAO :thumbsup:


lovecpf & my Maglites


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## jamesmtl514 (Aug 30, 2010)

Nice old thread. the info is still relevant so I'll add my contribution.

I really like my Mag lights. They satisfy a need that no other will. 
They are essentially a hammer with a light at the end.

In 1998 we had an ice storm, which covered most of the North East. US and Canada. I used my 3D to smash 3 inch think ice and it barely showed any signs of damage.

I now use my 3D LED for answering the door at night.
I hope to have it replaced with a 6D in the near future.


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## luisdent (Aug 30, 2010)

I just had to test out my mini aa incandescent mag's durability. So, reluctantly, I ran it over with my car. Not carefully, just put it under the tire and backed over it. It honestly didn't have any sign of damage other than minor scratches. The incandescent bulb even worked after. But that's more prone to shock damage. I have since then (a few years back now) upgrade to the nite--ize 3-led module. Still have the same mag, now over 5 years old. Runs perfectly, albeit a little pathetic in brightness. But it's a great household, reading light.

Now I have an xl100. So far I like it. Lack of any accessories is a bummer. Didn't even come with the anti-roll cap. Luckily it is identical to the aa-head size. So I use that perfectly.


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## Locoboy5150 (Aug 30, 2010)

etc said:


> The one that does appeal is value. Good bang per buck.



Maglites are also the kings of modifications. I cannot think of any other light that is as easy to modify or as much fun to modify as a C or D cell Maglite. There is a great personal satisfaction in using a light that you customized to your own specifications and did it with your own hands. At least there is for me.


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## hiluxxulih (Aug 30, 2010)

luisdent said:


> I just had to test out my mini aa incandescent mag's durability. So, reluctantly, I ran it over with my car. Not carefully, just put it under the tire and backed over it. It honestly didn't have any sign of damage other than minor scratches. The incandescent bulb even worked after. But that's more prone to shock damage. I have since then (a few years back now) upgrade to the nite--ize 3-led module. Still have the same mag, now over 5 years old. Runs perfectly, albeit a little pathetic in brightness. But it's a great household, reading light.
> 
> Now I have an xl100. So far I like it. Lack of any accessories is a bummer. Didn't even come with the anti-roll cap. Luckily it is identical to the aa-head size. So I use that perfectly.


 I ran my 3AA led mini mag over with our forklift (6000 pound plus 2000 pound pallet) it bent it but it still works .


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## Robin24k (Aug 31, 2010)

etc said:


> There is this concept of *'size efficiency'. *
> Mags score pretty badly on that one. Why get a huge stick when a little one will work just as well. You can get a tiny pencil length lite that will be just as bright as a 3D Mag.


However, the 3D Maglite is a much better weapon/deterrent than your pencil-length light. If anything, it will at least give the user peace-of-mind, knowing that it can also be used as a weapon should the need arise.


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## etc (Aug 31, 2010)

Locoboy5150 said:


> I cannot think of any other light that is as easy to modify or as much fun to modify as a C or D cell Maglite. .



Well, I can. I can think of a few alternatives ...


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## Jash (Aug 31, 2010)

etc said:


> Well, I can. I can think of a few alternatives ...



Care to name a few that will put out more lumens with as much runtime.

The beauty of the mag mod is you can get rediculous lumens/runtime per dollar and there's nothing that comes even close.

For instance, you can get a 2C mag for $15 and add to it a Fusion 36 for $23 and run it for about 1.5 hours on two eneloops at 400 lumens.

$38 for a light that pumps out 400 lumens on 2AA's for over an hour. Then if you want you can put it in a 4D with some ni-mh D's and get 400+ lumens for pretty much all night.

If you're still not convinced, just look at the Varapower 2000.


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## Dark Laser (Aug 31, 2010)

etc said:


> There is this concept of *'size efficiency'. *
> Mags score pretty badly on that one. Why get a huge stick when a little one will work just as well. You can get a tiny pencil length lite that will be just as bright as a 3D Mag.



When it comes to size efficiency, one of my old Led Lensers (MiniMoon) is worse than any Mag 
But it is a weapon, too...crazily heavy for its size. Really hurts when you aim at fingers oo:

Well, but when we talk about newer lights, you have a point here of course.


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## etc (Aug 31, 2010)

Jash said:


> The beauty of the mag mod is you can get rediculous lumens/runtime per dollar and there's nothing that comes even close.
> .



What good are lumens or runtime or price if the device is not there for you when you need it and you don't have it in your possession 99% of the time as the big 3D or 4D stays in your drawer. You have it but don't really have it. 

It's a stationary device. Good in the household or maybe the vehicle. Not so good for EDC. In fact, it's not so good in the household or car either when you can have more size-efficient devices instead of the big boat anchor.


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## dosmun (Aug 31, 2010)

Several years ago I found a 3D mag lying in front of my house after it fell out of the back of a truck going 30-40mph. A few minor scratches but worked perfectly, including batts and bulb.


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## alpg88 (Aug 31, 2010)

4sevens said:


> That plastic lens doesn't hold up very long.
> Your "spot" light eventually becomes a "flood"


 how did that happen???
i went into caves few times, but my light lens was fine, 
what kind of caving does that to the lens?????


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## Xacto (Aug 31, 2010)

Robin24k said:


> However, the 3D Maglite is a much better weapon/deterrent than your pencil-length light.[...]


 
I can second that. There is a saying (sort of) in germany. "Schwarzes Licht, das Knochen bricht". It looses (the rhyme) in the translation, but means "black light (color of the flashlight body) that breaks bones". And with the price tag of Maglites, I wouldn't worry to give it to the cops and never see it again if I had to use it in an unpleasant situation.

Cheers
Thorsten


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## Phaserburn (Aug 31, 2010)

I would think that an led Mag that is using the newest design should be considered when criticising the brand with bulb change comments.

Tubes of aluminum are NOT created equal!

If the tube is damaged, dented in, for example, the light may not be reloaded with batteries, the focus system or switch may not work, etc.

One thing usually not mentioned is that a mid-body switch mechanism has got far greater protection from falls and impacts than a tailcap one. The switch and/or battery contacts surrounding it are typical failure points when a light is impacted.

Mag makes _serious_ springs to maintain proper contact in their C/D lineup; I would say best in class.


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## jag-engr (Aug 31, 2010)

ringzero said:


> -Mag 2C used underwater in cave. (Took on a little water but kept working, and was OK after being opened up and dried out.)
> 
> -Mag 3D used to hammer steel tent pegs into rocky soil. (Exterior scarred up badly, but function was still OK.)
> 
> ...



No offense, ringzero, I do understand that you are a fan of Maglites and are trying to stick up for them, but I don't understand why most of these examples impress you. From your descriptions, it seems that all these scenarios deal with incandescent Maglites.

An incandescent Maglite is simply a tube that holds together electrical components and closes the electrical circuit. There aren't really any electrical componenets in most incandescent lights. Assuming that nothing is bent or dinged to the point that it won't fit back together, the only part that could actually be damaged by impact or submergence to the point of preventing activation is the switch. 

The fact that they work underwater with alkaline cells is not surprising, either. JSBurly demonstrated that phenomenon on EDCF a few weeks ago - a closed circuit with alkaline batteries works just fine underwater.

Just for record, I am pretty much neutral on Maglites. I don't own any, but I think they are better than a lot of the lights out there. I'm not discounting their durability, which is pretty good, but the fact that they work after beign submerged really doesn't mean that much.

I hope this is taken with a grain of salt and not as an attack either on you or on Maglites.


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## march.brown (Aug 31, 2010)

Jash said:


> The beauty of the mag mod is you can get ridiculous lumens/runtime per dollar and there's nothing that comes even close.
> 
> For instance, you can get a 2C mag for $15 and add to it a Fusion 36 for $23 and run it for about 1.5 hours on two eneloops at 400 lumens.
> 
> $38 for a light that pumps out 400 lumens on 2AA's for over an hour. Then if you want you can put it in a 4D with some ni-mh D's and get 400+ lumens for pretty much all night.


 
I have revitalised my Wifes old ex-Police Maglite 2C by putting a Fusion 36 into it ... I use two Li-Ion 18500 batteries and the performance is amazing ... I hope to get a Mag 2D torch eventually ... I would get two "3AA to D" convertors to use in it ... This means the torch would run on six AA Eneloops ... This should also be well over 400 lumens with a very floody beam.

With this drop-in , Maglites are wonderful ... The side-switch is in exactly the right place for ease of use.
.


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## copperfox (Aug 31, 2010)

Jash said:


> For instance, you can get a 2C mag for $15 and add to it a Fusion 36 for $23 and run it for about 1.5 hours on two eneloops at 400 lumens.
> 
> $38 for a light that pumps out 400 lumens on 2AA's for over an hour. Then if you want you can put it in a 4D with some ni-mh D's and get 400+ lumens for pretty much all night.



I have serious doubts about that runtime/output estimate. What is your source?


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## alpg88 (Aug 31, 2010)

copperfox said:


> I have serious doubts about that runtime/output estimate. What is your source?


 +1
sounds like the source is wishful thinking


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## jtice (Aug 31, 2010)

alpg88 said:


> how did that happen???
> i went into caves few times, but my light lens was fine,
> what kind of caving does that to the lens?????



That light saw the depths of hell a few times. LOL
Alot of gritty dirt got jammed onto the lens, and was just crudely wiped off with our hands or shirts.

The stock mag lens are compete garbage, at least they all used to be, not sure if they changed them or not lately.

~John


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## jacktheclipper (Aug 31, 2010)

alpg88 said:


> +1
> sounds like the source is wishful thinking


 
If y'all read the whole (rather lengthy) thread in the budget light subforum entitled 'Budget Showerhead Mag Dropin" you will find that this dropin has been tested by many people with many battery configurations .
It is truly a great tool .


EDIT : And this dropin made me love my old maglite again .


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## Locoboy5150 (Sep 1, 2010)

etc said:


> What good are lumens or runtime or price if the device is not there for you when you need it and you don't have it in your possession 99% of the time as the big 3D or 4D stays in your drawer. You have it but don't really have it.



There is no set in stone rule when it comes to Maglite modifications. You can do whatever you and your imagination allows you to do and there is the whole attraction for me. There is no rule saying that you have to use the large 3D or bigger lights as a host. The guys here have made really nice lights starting with the smaller 2D Maglites. Some guys even shortened those down to 1D size that are really small.

I agree, the big Maglites are a pain to live with because they are so big and heavy. That's why my latest Maglite project uses a 2D host instead. No, it's not as small as most of my other lights, but it was a lot more fun too because I built it with my own two hands.

Practicality is not always the goal when people design their modified lights.


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## alpg88 (Sep 1, 2010)

jacktheclipper said:


> If y'all read the whole (rather lengthy) thread in the budget light subforum entitled 'Budget Showerhead Mag Dropin" you will find that this dropin has been tested by many people with many battery configurations .
> It is truly a great tool .
> 
> .


 
great tool yes, definatly, but it will not run on 2 AA for over an hour, as it was claimed here.
i did read the thread, it runs under 2 hours on 6 AA cells (by AA i mean nimh AA)


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## ebow86 (Sep 1, 2010)

Just my 2 cents here, I've never had any real issues with the D cell mags as far as reliability however, I've owned 3 LED mini mag's and I've had issues with every single one. It's always the same issue as well, they seem to work fine for a while then after a couple months use they all exibit the same issue, there seems to be some type of bad contact or something, the lights fail to activate maybe 6 out of 10 times times, sometimes they will come on but are extremely dim till you give em a whack on something then they come on, only to dim out later on. So I difinetly wouldn't consider the LED mini mags to be reliable.


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## Robin24k (Sep 1, 2010)

The first and second generation LED MiniMags have a known problem with the tailcap contacts (there is a FAQ article on their site about it too), which is why they went back to the old tailcap with a lanyard hole.


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## alpg88 (Sep 1, 2010)

ebow86 said:


> So I difinetly wouldn't consider the LED mini mags to be reliable.


 
i would, i have 2 mini led mags, both still work as the first day.

your problem is not maglite, but a crappy drop in you use.
there is no such thing as stock 3 leds minimag.


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## ebow86 (Sep 1, 2010)

alpg88 said:


> i would, i have 2 mini led mags, both still work as the first day.
> 
> your problem is not maglite, but a crappy drop in you use.
> there is no such thing as stock 3 leds minimag.


 

Where did I say I use a crappy drop in? Where did you obtain this information? And if I did use a drop in how did you establish it is crappy?

I said I have owned 3 different mini mag LED's, I didn't say I had a "3led mini mag". Please, read a post more carefully before you post back.


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## ebow86 (Sep 1, 2010)

Robin24k said:


> The first and second generation LED MiniMags have a known problem with the tailcap contacts (there is a FAQ article on their site about it too), which is why they went back to the old tailcap with a lanyard hole.


 

2 of them had the lanyard hole, 1 didn't, all exibited the same issue, though the one's with the lanyard hole did seem to work a little better for a short while.


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## alpg88 (Sep 1, 2010)

ebow86 said:


> Where did I say I use a crappy drop in? Where did you obtain this information? And if I did use a drop in how did you establish it is crappy?
> 
> I said I have owned 3 different mini mag LED's, I didn't say I had a "3led mini mag". Please, read a post more carefully before you post back.


 oops, my bad.
_I've owned 3 LED mini mag's and I've had issues with every single one._
that made me think your talking about 3leds drop in.
apologies

still strange both of mine mini magled work just fine, old and new. and they saw some abuse,


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