Maglite XL50 - Just Got One - Somewhat of a Review!

So after meandering around the internet looking at all these tactical flashlights and admittedly, never owning one before, I finally bit the proverbial bullet and purchased a black Maglite XL50 from my local Home Depot for a very reasonable $29.99.

I remember thinking "yeah, it's probably pretty close to a lot of these 5-9 5mm LED Chinese jobs that you see kicking around clearance bins at your local Fry's or hardware store...just with fancier package..."

Boy, I was wrong. I was eager to try it out, and it was around 9PM on the east coast when I purchased it, so as soon as I got in my truck I ripped it open, installed the included Duracell AAA batteries into the holder, then fired her up and my jaw must've visibly dropped. What an intense, pure, white beam this light has!

I stood outside my truck and pointed it at the side of Home Depot to see what kind of throw it had, and even though it was still very bright outside (pre-dusk), I could see the beam on the side of the building at an estimated 300ft away.

I got it home and waited around for it to get completely dark and I only became more and more impressed with it. The light outshines my 4-C Maglite with the optional 'better' bulb, by far. I thought the light that came out of the 4-C was pretty white and intense...jeeze...compared to the XL50, the 4-C looks dull and dingy and yellow.

Here are my humble findings about the light:

First, there appears to be a function that automatically reduces the beam from 100% to the lower (is it 25%? not sure..) setting after a few (5 maybe) minutes of runtime. Perhaps this is to preserve the life of the batteries, a safety feature in case of accidental running, or just to help keep the parts inside running cool and to increase their longevity. I don't know. It's probably all three.

As far as battery life is concerned, I can say this thing is likely to eat up some batteries pretty quickly if you play with it like I did. I'd say that the flashlight, in total, was run for about 25-30 minutes on HIGH, and then an additional 15 on low (during testing). During that time, the included batteries dropped down to 1.35v. In all fairness, I cannot tell a difference in beam intensity from brand new batteries to these mostly depleted ones. Perhaps it is because the light has a regulator, or a choke, in it. I.e., as the voltage begins dropping, the choke loosens up and lets more current into the diode. Would make sense. Seems like something Maglite would do. But then again, it's merely speculation, as I do not actually know nor am I an electrical engineer.

Focus? What focus..? I'd say it's as useless as ears on an acorn. All it does is muddle the beam and put a funny looking artifact right in the center. But on the other hand, so what? It doesn't matter one iota, because unlike conventional Maglites, it doesn't need a focus. The beam it throws out is sort of an 'all purpose' beam which is balanced well. It has plenty of spill while maintaining a nice tight center spot.

The only complaint I have about the construction of the unit is that it does in fact have a plastic reflector cover (sorry if I don't know the lingo for this part, heh). Glass would have been preferred because I can foresee this plastic getting scratched and marred easily. Hopefully I'll be able to replace it. But, then again...it's a $30 flashlight...not a $100 Inova or what-have-you.

All in all, with my minimal-at-best experience, I have to say that for the average person this flashlight will meet and exceed everything they could imagine. I can't fathom someone breaking this flashlight under normal circumstances. And even if you do, hey, it's a Maglite - Made in the USA!

(Questions for myself below):

Anybody else have problems with battery life on these things?

Would it be worth it to invest in some of those disposable Li-Ion Energizer batteries? What would the longevity be with NiMH batteries?

Is this pretty much the best flashlight I can get for $30? I saw a Coast LedLenser-something lumen there as well that was $49.99 that used 3 AAA batteries. Anybody know which light that one is, and how it compares? Is it $20 better?? All I really care about is total brightness and batteries. I don't want to have to buy 123A or whatever they're called's. They cost a fortune and for me, it's just not worth it. I'm not beyond taking this light back if I can get something better elsewhere.

Thanks for the read! I hope I contributed at least a bit to this great forum! Maybe I'll do a video review later.

Cheers!

Welcome the CPF - and posting news of your recent purchase of the XL50.
If you want to compare notes on your flashlight, you might do a search for "XL50" and see the other posted threads.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ite-XL50-LED-Flashlight-Review&highlight=xl50

ohh - just saw that you read and replied to that thread...

ps56k said:

Welcome the CPF - and posting news of your recent purchase of the XL50.
If you want to compare notes on your flashlight, you might do a search for "XL50" and see the other posted threads.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ite-XL50-LED-Flashlight-Review&highlight=xl50

Click to expand...

Thank you, but I did already do this. I wanted to ask my own questions separate of his post, and also post my own findings! Thanks for the information though, friend!

KijanOZ said:

Is this pretty much the best flashlight I can get for $30?

Click to expand...

no. in the world of flashlight addiction, it's a gateway light that you'll quickly cast aside for harder lights. maybe you'll get a Solarforce L2i next because it takes AAA's, is brighter than an XL50, and costs $24. maybe you'll step up to $35 for a Fenix E21, and tell yourself it's only $5 more and totally worth it for twice the lumens and build quality. then you find out that the E21 only has an XP-E R2 emitter, that better emiitters exist and that you can get a Jetbeam BA20 with an XP-G R5 emitter, 50% brighter than the E21, for just $40 and get that. then you find out about beam tint, about warm and neutral emitters. then you find out about floody beams and more efficient XM-L emitters and you talk yourself into getting a Thrunite Neutron for $65. and next thing you know, you're hooked. you're a flashaholic. you start buying Eneloop batteries, then 18650 Li-on batteries. you start buying 800 lumen light cannons that fit in the palm of your hand. you eventually find yourself buying limited run custom lights that cost the same as a used car and you justify it. and one day, in the not so distant future, when your savings are drained, and you're staring at a desk full of high end lights that cost you maybe your life, you'll notice that XL50 you stopped using long ago, and you'll curse it. you're curse it because it wasn't good enough to keep you satisfied, satisfied so that you would not have gone looking for better, harder lights.

robostudent5000 said:

no. in the world of flashlight addiction, it's a gateway light that you'll quickly cast aside for harder lights. maybe you'll get a Solarforce L2i next because it takes AAA's, is brighter than an XL50, and costs $24. maybe you'll step up to $35 for a Fenix E21, and tell yourself it's only $5 more and totally worth it for twice the lumens and build quality. then you find out that the E21 only has an XP-E R2 emitter, that better emiitters exist and that you can get a Jetbeam BA20 with an XP-G R5 emitter, 50% brighter than the E21, for just $40 and get that. then you find out about beam tint, about warm and neutral emitters. then you find out about floody beams and more efficient XM-L emitters and you talk yourself into getting a Thrunite Neutron for $65. and next thing you know, you're hooked. you're a flashaholic. you start buying Eneloop batteries, then 18650 Li-on batteries. you start buying 800 lumen light cannons that fit in the palm of your hand. you eventually find yourself buying limited run custom lights that cost the same as a used car and you justify it. and one day, in the not so distant future, when your savings are drained, and you're staring at a desk full of high end lights that cost you maybe your life, you'll notice that XL50 you stopped using long ago, and you'll curse it. you're curse it because it wasn't good enough to keep you satisfied, satisfied so that you would not have gone looking for better, harder lights.

Click to expand...

Oh, I'm completely aware of the inherent insidious nature of this hobby. However, I do not plan to spend more than $30. This is why I asked if it was the best I could get for $30. It's also why I passed up the $49.99 Coast LedLenser thingamajig.

Any word on whether it's worth it to get those expensive Lithium batteries from Energizer? Can I even use those?

KijanOZ said:

Oh, I'm completely aware of the inherent insidious nature of this hobby. However, I do not plan to spend more than $30. This is why I asked if it was the best I could get for $30. It's also why I passed up the $49.99 Coast LedLenser thingamajig.

Any word on whether it's worth it to get those expensive Lithium batteries from Energizer? Can I even use those?

Click to expand...

two easy fixes can make the XL50 a perfectly respectable light. 1) as you've already mentioned, get a glass lens. the stock lens scratches really easily and is terrible. the lens is the same size as a 2AA Mini-Mag and you can get them from a number of places. that's the first thing. but more importantly 2) get Eneloop batteries and a smart charger. Eneloops (or any other quality low-self-discharge Nimh batteries) will give you close to constant voltage for the life of a charge. this means that your light, even without regulation circuitry, will maintain it's brightness longer and at steadier levels than with alkaline batteries. you may be able to use lithium batteries with the XL50, but a 4 pack of lithiums costs about the same as a 4 pack of Eneloops w/o the advantage of being rechargeable. basic smart chargers cost under $10, and along with the Eneloops, will pay for themselves pretty quickly. not only will you save money in the long run, you'll be able to use your light guilt free since, once you have the batteries and charger, it won't really costing you anything to use your light. check the Batteries and Chargers threads for more info on Eneloops and affordable smart chargers.

regarding other lights, if you want to use a hard cap of $30, there are quite a few lights that are a little bit better than the XL50. if you raise that to $35, then there are a handful of lights that are a whole lot better than the XL50. but if you use Eneloops, i think the XL50 is a perfectly respectable, not a bad at all, light.

robostudent5000 said:

two easy fixes can make the XL50 a perfectly respectable light. 1) as you've already mentioned, get a glass lens. the stock lens scratches really easily and is terrible. the lens is the same size as a 2AA Mini-Mag and you can get them from a number of places. that's the first thing. but more importantly 2) get Eneloop batteries and a smart charger. Eneloops (or any other quality low-self-discharge Nimh batteries) will give you close to constant voltage for the life of a charge. this means that your light, even without regulation circuitry, will maintain it's brightness longer and at steadier levels than with alkaline batteries. you may be able to use lithium batteries with the XL50, but a 4 pack of lithiums costs about the same as a 4 pack of Eneloops w/o the advantage of being rechargeable. basic smart chargers cost under $10, and along with the Eneloops, will pay for themselves pretty quickly. not only will you save money in the long run, you'll be able to use your light guilt free since, once you have the batteries and charger, it won't really costing you anything to use your light. check the Batteries and Chargers threads for more info on Eneloops and affordable smart chargers.

regarding other lights, if you want to use a hard cap of $30, there are quite a few lights that are a little bit better than the XL50. if you raise that to $35, then there are a handful of lights that are a whole lot better than the XL50. but if you use Eneloops, i think the XL50 is a perfectly respectable, not a bad at all, light.

Click to expand...

Yeah but by the time I spent the money on the batteries and the charger and everything, I could've just about bought 16 of those lithium batteries, or 160 alkalines. (Fry's has a 40 pack for $5, and an 8 pack of those lithium batteries for $12.99)

What can I pickup around here that's better for $35? Anything? Something they might have at Fry's? I do live in Atlanta so I have a lot of stores at my disposal. I'd prefer not to order anything, so if I decide it's not worth the extra, I can take it back.

KijanOZ said:

Oh, I'm completely aware of the inherent insidious nature of this hobby. However, I do not plan to spend more than $30.

Click to expand...

Now I know why the acronym "ROFLMAO" was coined. You are a bright (pun intended) person who has asked a number of intelligent questions that indicate a genuine interest in flashlights. You, my friend, are a future Flashlight Addict, and are forever doomed to getting an ever-increasing photon phix, er, fix. Congratulations, and welcome.

Duglite said:

Now I know why the acronym "ROFLMAO" was coined. You are a bright (pun intended) person who has asked a number of intelligent questions that indicate a genuine interest in flashlights. You, my friend, are a future Flashlight Addict, and are forever doomed to getting an ever-increasing photon phix, er, fix. Congratulations, and welcome.

Click to expand...

Touche, I suppose.

Seriously though, I just want one good light. If there's a better one for only $5 more that still uses regular batteries and I can purchase at a walk-in store, I'd jump on it. I won't spend $40, nor will I spend $45. I can justify $5. Not $10 or $15. Believe me, I've been down this road with other hobbies. "Just a little bit more. Just one more accessory."

KijanOZ said:

Yeah but by the time I spent the money on the batteries and the charger and everything, I could've just about bought 16 of those lithium batteries, or 160 alkalines. (Fry's has a 40 pack for $5, and an 8 pack of those lithium batteries for $12.99)

What can I pickup around here that's better for $35? Anything? Something they might have at Fry's? I do live in Atlanta so I have a lot of stores at my disposal. I'd prefer not to order anything, so if I decide it's not worth the extra, I can take it back.

Click to expand...

regarding batteries, alkalines just don't work very well in high drain flashlights. alkaline batteries have high internal resistance and the chemistry isn't designed to discharge that quickly. nimh's and lithiums have lower internal resistance and thus perform much better. a 4 pack of LSD Nimh's (Eneloops) cost under $10 on Amazon. a good charger will cost you under $10 too. that's $20 for 500+ charges. for the same dollars of alkalines for an XL50, you'll get 53 charges of significantly lower performance. for the same dollars of lithiums, you'll get 5 charges. so, maybe you'll save a few bucks up front with alkalines and/ or lithiums, but you won't really be saving anything in the long run. also, alkaline batteries used in high drain flashlights have a tendency to leak and damage the flashlight. nimh's won't leak.

regarding lights available in retail stores, it looks like there are a couple REI stores in Atlanta. and they should have some Fenix flashlights in stock. the Fenix E21 is a very good light for $35. it uses 2AA batteries, so no matter what battery chemistry you go with, it'll be cheaper to feed than the XL50. it has regulation circuitry, so even if you use alkalines, the light will maintain a relatively steady level of brightness for the life of the battery. the Fenix is also built much better - glass lens, aluminum reflector, better switch, better LED emitter, better everything. your local REI store should have them. if not, you can order it online and have them deliver it to the store for free. a lot of the better flashlights are hard to find in stores. but this is one of the few you can easily find at a retail location, thanks mostly to REI.

Avoid using alkaline batteries in a flashlight you value. They are almost certain to leak and ruin it someday. Use Energizer E2 lithium primary or low self discharge NiMH (e.g., Sanyo Eneloop) batteries instead.

robostudent5000 said:

regarding batteries, alkalines just don't work very well in high drain flashlights. alkaline batteries have high internal resistance and the chemistry isn't designed to discharge that quickly. nimh's and lithiums have lower internal resistance and thus perform much better. a 4 pack of LSD Nimh's (Eneloops) cost under $10 on Amazon. a good charger will cost you under $10 too. that's $20 for 500+ charges. for the same dollars of alkalines for an XL50, you'll get 53 charges of significantly lower performance. for the same dollars of lithiums, you'll get 5 charges. so, maybe you'll save a few bucks up front with alkalines and/ or lithiums, but you won't really be saving anything in the long run. also, alkaline batteries used in high drain flashlights have a tendency to leak and damage the flashlight. nimh's won't leak.

regarding lights available in retail stores, it looks like there are a couple REI stores in Atlanta. and they should have some Fenix flashlights in stock. the Fenix E21 is a very good light for $35. it uses 2AA batteries, so no matter what battery chemistry you go with, it'll be cheaper to feed than the XL50. it has regulation circuitry, so even if you use alkalines, the light will maintain a relatively steady level of brightness for the life of the battery. the Fenix is also built much better - glass lens, aluminum reflector, better switch, better LED emitter, better everything. your local REI store should have them. if not, you can order it online and have them deliver it to the store for free. a lot of the better flashlights are hard to find in stores. but this is one of the few you can easily find at a retail location, thanks mostly to REI.

Click to expand...

Wow, thank you very much! I go by that store every day. I may have to have a look-see!

So it looks like for $5 more I gain probably 50% brightness, lose my strobe function (I really like that function but I suppose I can go without it), gain regulation (really like that one - means I can now use my rechargeable AA batteries), and some other nice features.

Do you know if I will be able to completely remove the top cap and turn it into a massive flood light like I can on the Maglite?

Also, what's the likelihood of those beam distance numbers being correct? Because according to their numbers, the Maglite has about a 10m advantage over the Fenix. How likely is this? Just curious.

Also, one of the most enjoyable things about the Maglite is the fact that the light is just so crisp and white and clean. No artifacts of any kind. Will the Fenix be like this as well? I hate yellow-ish looking LEDs. That would be the deal breaker for me even with all the other positives.

Thanks again for all the help! Very useful! *bow*:bow::bow:

parnass said:

Avoid using alkaline batteries in a flashlight you value. They are almost certain to leak and ruin it someday. Use Energizer E2 lithium primary or low self discharge NiMH (e.g., Sanyo Eneloop) batteries instead.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up! Will do.

KijanOZ said:

Do you know if I will be able to completely remove the top cap and turn it into a massive flood light like I can on the Maglite?

Click to expand...

the E21 does not have this feature, and IMO, that's a good thing. LED's and related circuits are high tech electronic devices that should be sealed from dust and moisture as much as possible. having that "candle" feature just increases the chances of damaging the LED.

KijanOZ said:

Also, what's the likelihood of those beam distance numbers being correct? Because according to their numbers, the Maglite has about a 10m advantage over the Fenix. How likely is this? Just curious.

Click to expand...

those numbers they give you aren't always relevant in a real world sense. Edit: also, be wary of Maglite's runtime claims. they claim 8.75 hours on high, but only about 30 minutes of that is at max lumens. after that, on alkalines, output drops significantly. Fenix's runtime numbers are pretty close to the actual runtimes on max lumens.

KijanOZ said:

Also, one of the most enjoyable things about the Maglite is the fact that the light is just so crisp and white and clean. No artifacts of any kind. Will the Fenix be like this as well? I hate yellow-ish looking LEDs. That would be the deal breaker for me even with all the other positives.

Click to expand...

this thread has some beamshots of the E21 if you want to see. the E21's at REI should be the cool white models, so the beam will be bright white.

Got one a few weeks ago-threw it aside. Much too dim even with rechargeables.

Rich

richpalm said:

Got one a few weeks ago-threw it aside. Much too dim even with rechargeables.

Rich

Click to expand...

I assume you mean the Maglite? Wow. Dim? Heh, I guess I am just starting out.

robostudent5000 said:

the E21 does not have this feature, and IMO, that's a good thing. LED's and related circuits are high tech electronic devices that should be sealed from dust and moisture as much as possible. having that "candle" feature just increases the chances of damaging the LED.



those numbers they give you aren't always relevant in a real world sense. Edit: also, be wary of Maglite's runtime claims. they claim 8.75 hours on high, but only about 30 minutes of that is at max lumens. after that, on alkalines, output drops significantly. Fenix's runtime numbers are pretty close to the actual runtimes on max lumens.



this thread has some beamshots of the E21 if you want to see. the E21's at REI should be the cool white models, so the beam will be bright white.

Click to expand...

Well, I went by REI today. After checking their website which SAYS they carry them in the stores, the person at the store told me they don't have them. In fact, they had very little in the way of lights with the exception of some overpriced D-Cell incandescent Maglites and some Benjamin+ Surefire lights.

KijanOZ said:

Well, I went by REI today. After checking their website which SAYS they carry them in the stores, the person at the store told me they don't have them. In fact, they had very little in the way of lights with the exception of some overpriced D-Cell incandescent Maglites and some Benjamin+ Surefire lights.

Click to expand...

dude, bummer. one thing you can do is order it online and have it delivered to the store. this is free. then if you don't want it, you can return it back to the retail store.

their customer service page states:
"...you may return or exchange your REI.com purchases at any REI store..."

Edit: i just remembered that Fenix-Store.com aka 4sevens.com is located in Tucker, GA. i don't think they have a storefront, but maybe they'll know where you can go look at a Fenix light in the Atlanta area.

robostudent5000 said:

dude, bummer. one thing you can do is order it online and have it delivered to the store. this is free. then if you don't want it, you can return it back to the retail store.

their customer service page states:
"...you may return or exchange your REI.com purchases at any REI store..."

Edit: i just remembered that Fenix-Store.com aka 4sevens.com is located in Tucker, GA. i don't think they have a storefront, but maybe they'll know where you can go look at a Fenix light in the Atlanta area.

Click to expand...

I won't stretch the language barrier here, seeing as how I don't know what they are, but I'll just say that I was P-O'ed in a major way by the way the salesperson treated me. His attitude about the website and what it claimed, the availability of other products and information pertaining to such, and just trying to help me at all, was complete and utter apathy. I guess because I wasn't wearing $500 worth of clothing when I walked in there, they all sort of turned their noses up at me. What a bunch of pretentious snobs.

Rant over, however! The good news is that I'll probably order it, or something very similar from Fenix, from Amazon. Either that or I'll perhaps email or call that place! Thanks for the increasingly useful information!

...sort of makes up for making me go to REI for nothing.

JOKING!

Wow, I just get luckier and luckier. www.goinggear.com is located just about 20 minutes from where I live. Hallelujah! They even have everything on their site, in the store, out and available for demo by the customer. SWEET!

It just so happens they carry the full line of Fenix lights too. I'll be paying them a visit this Friday. Woot Woot!