Will I turn into a Maglite fan once again?

bykfixer

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How 'bout a 5C ML25?
Nah, seriously it's a 3 cell version with one of those storage containers. Twist the extension for on/off instead of the tailcap.
I actually bought to use on an ML150LR but ended up liking it on the ML25.
 
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I go to Burger King doc. But I see your point.

As I get older I get more inclined to stick with what I know product-wise. Yet as quickly as things change these days there are times I cannot due to that product being no longer made.
My car key for example is this battery operated thing that opens like a switchblade knife most of the time and reveals a twig that feels like it's going to break off in the ignition switch at any moment when starting the vehicle.
Gone from the dashboard is a clock that has been replaced with a computer screen. If I mess around and press the wrong button the car talks to me demanding I enter a command then does not understand the command to "shut the front door".

At least with a Maglite product I get a traditional flashlight that looks and acts like a traditional flashlight with the option of changing some stuff.

I'll take the $3 burger any day.
I go for the Double Cheese and Fires at McDonalds, $3 deal. But I appreciate a $7 burger when I buy one.

I have vowed to never buy an Internet connected car, nor any car with a touchscreen. I still use a flip phone. Mind you, I have been programming for 51 years now and design industrail control systems. But the excitement of a new toy with a big manual has worn off, I seek simpler times.

FWIW, I've been an Olight fan for many years now and they have never left me confused or puzzled or disappointed..
 

bykfixer

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The "car" I speak of Doc is a company provided vehicle. My personal ride has a cassette player and a pea soup display. It's old enough to vote. It does have a key fob but that stopped working long ago. I like to say "I'm still learning to program a VCR"…

I have a friend from high school who runs a McDonalds so every few months I pop in and he cooks me a fresh double quarter pounder with just the right amount of black pepper. Yum yum.

I did not own very many modern Maglites until this thread started. Now I have several (with 2 more on the way). The C sized minimag (ML25) is my favorite but those new mini Magchargers (ML150) are right up there with them. Especially the 2C sized one called ML150LRS.
 

bykfixer

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A 3 cell forest green ML50LX arrived today, a day early. The box had a sticker over the 611 lumen notation stating 705. And a bunch more run time on eco mode.

So my brain was thinking at night my eyes probably wouldn't see a difference between 600 and 700. Or not much difference between 500 and 700, or even 400 and 700. However shined against the side of a shed in daylight at 75 feet showed me where those extra lumens are.
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About 3:30pm on the east coast aiming south east.
 

wacbzz

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I picked up the green and blue XL50 Spectrum Series lights. I was impressed enough with these two lights that I also just ordered Mag TAC plain bezel rechargeable light. Maglite is not Malkoff by any means, but I'm more open minded about lights than I was a few years ago and much more willing to give it a try...
 

bykfixer

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Don't forget the XL series lights have parasitic drain from the electronic switch.

I still cannot convince myself to pull the trigger on a MagTac for some reason. No particular reason, except perhaps I already have plenty of 2x123 size lights. There was rumor of a MagTac 2 that was less XL-50 shaped, more grippy and was 700+ lumens but so far it's not shown up in their lineup.

BTW the XL series clip fits a Malkoff MD-2 just dandy. Well the pre-pineapple body anyway. Don't know if it fits the pineapple.

Why use a Maglite clip on a Malkoff? Got me, but it fits.
 
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aznsx

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I also just ordered Mag TAC plain bezel rechargeable light.
If I were to order a ML today, that's the one I'd get. It's the one that would fit my needs best. I've considered it, but haven't 'pulled that trigger' - yet. Perhaps the flashlight budget in '22 will allow that. I blew the '21 budget pretty badly, and already ate into next year's budget with that new Elzetta Alpha Gen 3 that's in my pocket:-(
 

bykfixer

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In a way I'm glad the Maglite Black Friday and Christmas sale were lame this year. Kept me from adding more flashlights to the stockpile. I used to say quiver but is now a stockpile. Last year at Black Friday it was 30% off everything for a few days and Christmas they did 25% off everything for 25 days, and one weekend added $0 shipping on any purchase. Holy smokes.

I even bought my wife's valentine present, a red ML25 with "to my sweetheart" engraved on it. It was $15 shipped!! My favorite was the shorty ML150. It's like having an ROP without worry the super-rare bulb blows next time I use it to turn off light sensing porch lights from 75 feet away.

This year my only purchase for Black Friday was a pair of 3 cell ML LX models since the 12% off meant they were priced like a non LX 2 cell. They were forest green version of a 50 and a 300.

I used to keep them set in cop mode with "momentary, retina scorcher and ticket writing" output mode but have come to appreciate the medium enough to put the users back to factory mode. In the middle setting (they call low) the surrounding spill is greatly reduced yet the throw is like a classic Maglite pencil beam. So I keep the 300 models set for cop mode and 50's set factory since I mainly use the 50's for general use and 300's for candle mode (they call eco) in power outages.

Here's what I mean by the middle setting still throws well. A 3 cell ML50

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Before: lots of light pollution

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High: a bush is lit about 700 feet away

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Low: not bad for sub 200 lumens.
 

xxo

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I used to keep them set in cop mode with "momentary, retina scorcher and ticket writing" output mode but have come to appreciate the medium enough to put the users back to factory mode. In the middle setting (they call low) the surrounding spill is greatly reduced yet the throw is like a classic Maglite pencil beam. So I keep the 300 models set for cop mode and 50's set factory since I mainly use the 50's for general use and 300's for candle mode (they call eco) in power outages.

I also used to keep all of my programmable Mags set to momentary - high - eco, now I use the default high - low (medium) - eco setting for the ones I have set up as lanterns. The middle mode is great for this as it is not that much less bright than high, but does run much longer - eco mode also works great for lanterns with crazy long run time.

The military momnetary - high - strobe setting should be good for a light kept in a vechicle as the strobe is great for use with a traffic wand for getting driver's attention.
 

bykfixer

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Good idea xxo. I'll have to set up the ML I have a traffic wand on with ability to flash.

Is the beam shape on your ML 150 about the same as the ML 50?
Yeah pretty much best I can tell.
On high the bright spill goes so far on each one it's hard to tell where the cone actually ends.
I suppose viewed from an airplane could really answer the question.
 

bykfixer

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I had not tried the 3 cell ML50 side by side with the short (or long) ML150. This evening I did.

For broad focus or wide hot spot they're pretty equal, but the hotspot on the ML150 focuses a little tighter.

The short ML150 is like a 2 cell ML50 in length and 3 cell in brightness. The regular ML150 is like a 3 cell ML50 in length. Oh it's brighter than the 3 cell ML50, but not like some humongous difference. One thing to keep in mind though is a new battery for the longer ML150 is a lot less than the short version (at this point).
 

wacbzz

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After waiting 7 days from order,I finally got an update on my order for the plain bezeled MAG TAC. It was in the form of an (sorta) apology email from a CSR telling me that the light "kit" I ordered was shy a part "due to high demands for this model." Shipping would start again within a "week or so." Their apologies.

I sent an email back wondering why it took them a week to inform me of this and no shite, this was her reply:
"To be honest with you sir, I sent all customers that ordered this model an email last Wednesday. Unfortunately, there were a few that I noticed were still in my draft folders which I caught today, so I just resent with todays date on them."

Work for word.

Additionally, before I sent my reply email, I went to the Maglite website and saw that one could still put the light in the cart and get to the purchase/how do you want to pay for this page. I asked her how this was possible? IF THEY KNOW THEY ARE MISSING A PART AND CANNOT SHIP THE LIGHT OUT, WHY WOULD THEY STILL MAKE THE PRODUCT AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE?

She said:
"I did send the suggestion about putting these out of stock on our website until we get the part in."

So, more than likely, due to "part manufacture," the "Christmas Holiday," and the "New Year's Holiday," it will be sometime into January before I see the light.

Doesn't make me want to shout the highest of Maglite praise from the rooftops...
 

knucklegary

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I wonder what part of the Mag Tac kits are missing, and how much is made in USA?

Appears spare LifePo batts are available..

Do you think CS will give out that info.. ?
 

wacbzz

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I wonder what part of the Mag Tac kits are missing, and how much is made in USA?

Appears spare LifePo batts are available..

Do you think CS will give out that info.. ?
She didn't say what part, only that it was a single item.

And, I just checked my account - my order is still "unfulfilled." Ordered Dec 14.

This thing had better be the very best Maglite I've ever laid my hands upon. With my luck though, it will be like the one HDS light I ordered that came without a lens...
 
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