I find it quite interesting that Mags get mentioned so often when it comes to toughness and reliability. My Mags (2 D, 2 C, various MiniMags) have also proved very good in that respect over the years, and I've used them in all sorts of situations. Sure, the beam quality is pretty awful, but at least they work.
I'm in the process of looking at other makes because my requirements have changed somewhat. The really frustrating thing at the moment is that information on how tough and reliable flashlights are is pretty hard to come by. There's a lot of anecdotal evidence, but that's about it. Sure, some are obviously so flimsy they'll fall apart when you drop them. But many others seem well-built, but especially with more complex lights that doesn't seem to say much about reliability.
Take Inova for example: These lights seem well-built with pretty good finish; they're certainly among the tougher lights on the market. And yet I've read quite a few reports of Inovas suddenly failing without warning and of problems with the tailswitch in the T series. So, *how* reliable and tough are they? I don't know. The same applies to most other makes.
*sigh* It ain't easy, it seems.
Hans