carrots post is just about what a middle road expectation you can expect, he is generally on . however here is a alternate analysis
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Flashaholic*
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Oregon- United States of America
Posts: 4,383
Re: Minimag LED people, 2AA or 3AA, which do you prefer?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Handlobraesing
What quality problem have you had with your Minimag LED?
Quality is not just all about problems.
But since you asked...and I own several of the 2AA and 3AA MagLEDs...
First off, I found the finish on my MagLED 2AA and 3AA flashlights got banged up and scratched way too easily. That alone isn't that big of a deal.
Meanwhile, the lens, which is just cheap plastic, where they didn't even bother to use a common hard coat to give a little abrasion resistance, but chose to go the cheapest possible route. The reason I bring this up, is after a little use, my lenses look like they have been thru WWII. I just tested one, and was surprised to find that I can even scratch them with a soft fingernail, wow! One would think, with something that is designed to be used as a tool, that materials suitable for use in tools would be utlized. There are a whole multitude of low cost hard coats that could be used, several of which will even stand up to agressive steel wool without scratching.
Furthermore, besides the lack of a hard coat, they didn't even bother to use a 2 sided AR coating, that you find in any flashlight of acceptable quality.
Only one of my MagLite LED flashlights will focus at the turn-on point for throw. The others, by the time you get them close to the throw adjustment, they turn off. However, the end user can hack their flashlight to fix this major issue, with a wood rasp, old boyscout pocket knife, or other suitable tool. Though, one should really not need to carve up a new light just to make it work properly.
I've never understood why MagLite doesn't have the wits to apply lubricant to their threads or to the O-rings. This could be automated easily, and add nearly no cost on their end.
However, that doesn't mean they are not okay. I find them useful for duct taping a magnet to, to put at the metal entryway to the basement, tossing in old tool boxes, in the wife's glove compartment, chucking under the seat, or to turn on and throw at tomcats at night, to get rid of them. They also are cheap enough to give to certain folks so they can experience modern day LED flashlights.
IMHO, if you want good quality, you'll have to start looking at light made by folks here, such as McGizmo, or for decent quality, the volume produced Surefire flashlights seem to fit the bill for many.
Sorry, I find no quality in Maglite, until you start comparing them to cheap pot metal soft aluminum flashlights found on ebay, or simple resistor LED junk lights as one would find at Target, K-Mart, or the Dollar Store.
The Maglite is cheap enough that you will find folks modding them, in fact, they are easily the most modded flashlight on the market, as folks fix the various short-commings common to MagLite, and often further customize them in to something worthwhile.
However, it is good to see that Maglite has finally started updating their multiple decades old designs in an attempt to at least make it to 2003. This is a good thing, and hopefully momentum has been established that will someday in the future, bring them to the current state of affairs.
Or at least one can dream