what's to hate about Mags?

what\'s to hate about Mags?

There seems to be alot of people who don't like the Maggies,.... but before most of us heard of SF and the other 'better' flashlights, we all started with the Maglites as our first 'real' flashlights.

besides that, if it wasn't for the mag, we wouldn't have the highly praised SNII!

fair enough, the beam is not as smooth as we would like.. but are there any other reasons why it's so disliked?

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

**DELETED**

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

I agree. One of the first things I noticed about this forum was the pure, seething Mag hate. As a matter of fact, most won't even deign to spell it, and instead, it comes out M@G or M*G or some other goofy thing. I've heard people say its an innovation issue for them - that mag is too commercial, Like we're talking about a sell-out punk rock band or something. I'd say with a machined alum body, sealed switch and adjustable beam that they "innovated" quite nicely. Dang it's not like they're Micros*ft /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I tell you what, I've got a 3D maglite that is half as old as I am that I got for X-mas I can't even remember how far back -and it won't die. It's just like those commercials that pop up around x-mas with the 18 wheeler running one over and it still shines.

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

I have an almost 30 year old mag 3D that won't die - switch is still working fine and it still has the same ugly beam it had when new (except I didn't realize it was ugly back then).

But right now I hate mag because of their legal dept. and the upper management that t_i_n ref'd to.

*boys, before you were registered at CPF mag did some things many of us here strongly resent but should not - and will not - discuss in public.

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

I think M#g really ticked us off when they sued Arc. Just like TIN said, they try to squash competion instead of pursuing innovation. I was also going to mention Micro$oft but got beaten to it.

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

This is pretty much /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dedhorse.gif, there's been many other threads discussing this same matter, and I think more of the dissent was caused by the lawsuits that they brought up against other flashlight companies than anything. I don't think I should mention any in particular here, as its been discussed thoroughly in other threads which you can find if you do a quick search through here, but suffice to say that they would probably be doing better if they concentrate and direct their efforts elsewhere instead...

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

Oh, ok. i wasn't aware of the lawsuit they had against other companies.

i am seeing the light now /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


speaking of Microsoft.....guess who i work for? LOL
JK

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it is more of Maglite the company and their actions/philosophy that we dislike, rather than the actual lights they make.

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

I am one who has developed a real distaste for the company because of their actions.

I believe that they have the right to sue a company that infringes on their patents or trademarks, but they take it quite a bit further.

They will sue companies even if there is no real infringement (as in the case with ARC, IMO), because they can.

Small companies are forced to defend themselves against false accusations and spend big dollars on corporate attorneys. Eventually, the small companies' pockets run dry and they are forced out of business because they can't afford to continue to defend themselves.

The large company doesn't win on merit; they win because they can afford to spend the dollars and know that eventually the smaller company can not.

Pretty unethical business morals in my book.

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

Aaron, I think you are right. I still buy their lights. Look at the Sandwich Shoppe, and the great sandwiches they sell for installation in MiniMags. The MiniMag is a great platform, also the C and D Mags. We would like MagLight to come up with something new and inovative, but in the meantime they make very usefull lights.

Bill

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

I don't think they are bad lights, but what gets me is that non-flashaholics have gotten the idea that they are the pinnacle of flashlight functionality. That and their smaller lights put out so little light that they are nearly useless.

For their larger lights (2D and up) the price to throw ratio is hard to beat, although they tend to lack if you want to use them for close up work as the beams have so many artifacts. If they'd just make a light that was fixed as a spotlight I'd probably buy some.

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

[ QUOTE ]
Impyboy said:
There seems to be alot of people who don't like the Maggies,....


[/ QUOTE ]

I think the problem is that Maglite is resting on their laurels! They produced an innovative product a number of years ago and are allowing their reputation carry them forward, seemingly with no effort made to design new products using the modern technologies available.

The only Mag-lite I use on a day to day basis is the rechargeable.

I keep an old AA maglite to lend to people who know I have a number of flashlights! Don't want to give out any of the good stuff! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

For me it's a combination of the fact that Mag seems unabashedly proud of it's legal conquests (going as far as bragging about them in two places on it's website like in it's corporate timeline and also on it's legal page) when all they have succeeded in doing is protecting an obsolete product based solely on shakey evidence of intellectual rights to aesthetic appearance, not the technology, and attempting to suppress the more technologically innovative products entering the marketplace, trying desperately to keep them from reaching consumers and maintaining their own proliferation, to avoid having to innovate themselves. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Let's face it, big old rusty dreadnoughts like Mag have lousy tiller response when it comes to changing direction.

*edited by request*

TSG /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

I looked at your link and I did not notice anything on that particular page that I felt was negative. As a matter of fact I saw a lot of positives from the company such as donations to various organizations such as Law Enforcement Organizations and Womans Cancer Organizations just to name a couple and there was many more. I just saw a web page that had time lines of various companies goals/achievements and contributions to society, is that so bad...? I did a search on that page using the word "Law" hoping that the words "Law Suit" would pop up, nothing came up...

Help me out, what did I miss?

Dave

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

I dislike Mag ( and I'm not afraid to spell it out /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif ) because for me beam quality is everything. Mags have a terrible beam across the whole product line. Recently on a business trip to the UK I noticed that Mag advertises all over the place. Much more than in the states. In the ads it reads "The best torch in the world". LOL now thats funny.

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

They make an excellent host for some mods, that's about it.

Another thing to consider is they are a light for the masses who wouldn't dream of spending what we spend on lights.

I don't like the fact they sit on what they've made and don't seem to want to improve. If they want to sue for what they consider infringement on their copyright/patent then more power to them. Everybody just assumes they are trying to squash cometetion, nobody knows for sure.

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

I think Mag is ok, for the price, when it is ok what you want to make with it.
Do you drive to the Baker with a Ferrari?

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

If I had a ferrari I would /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

First lets start from the normal person's view.

Maglite: A dependable flashlite that gives a bright light.

My view: A good thing to mod, A lite that compares to a E2e surefire that's half it's size.

Now to why they are so hated. M*glite is a great light. good price, good case, fair beam for what you pay. It's the problems I've had that gets me. I still buy maglite, but I wouldnt dream of using them in a life/death situation. They just arnt good enough. I use them on a everyday basis for general work and they work. thats it they work, nothing more.
I dont even bother with maglite "limited lifetime warranty" every time eve tried to take one back for some little thing they say something like, it was broken because of extreme use of force, I cant replace it because the warranty was voided by such activies. This was the only time i took a m*glite back.

Add onto the above that they sue people for no good reason and you get a pretty rotton experience.

I think the law suit part is what really gets alot of people. That instead of making something better they try to kill what was already made.

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

i think there're two common reasons why maglite is hated around here.

1. elitism - some view themselves as uniquely enlightened and view maglites as symbolic of the ignorant and unwashed masses, hence bashing maglites gives them the ego-boost they desire.

2. maglite's unethical legal practices - maglite has been harrassing arc for no good reason, and their legal practices threaten the existence of one of many CPF'ers favourite flashlight companies. hence, maglite as a company is hated. bashing their products is an unfortunate side-effect.

i liked maglite up till the point they started harrassing arc. i hold arc, both their products and as a company in high regard, and maglite's attack on arc was as good as a personal attack on me.

prior to that, i always thought maglites were good value for money, being tough and reliable. no doubt their products are well-designed, and that is why they are frequently used as hosts for mods. one of my favourite lights, a space needle II uses a 2C maglite as a host. i hate maglite as a company, but i like their products. at the risk of being lynched, i'd even go so far as to say maglites actually look nice in a simple and elegant way.

Re: what\'s to hate about Mags?

I have two C cell Mags. One is a 2cell and the other a 3 cell.
They both focus well, and have been perfectly reliable. I like the C better than the D as it fits my hand better.
Considering the price and reliability I think they are excellent lights for the average person.

They are too large to carry most of the time, but do well in the car or camp. C or D cells are easily found if one runs out.

No they do not have the brightness or the small size of the modern lights like all of us have, but the average person has no interest in his flashlight except that it turn on and give a decent light when he needs it. The Mags do that.

I do agree with the premise that Lithium lights are more reliable and are better for leaving in the car.

But I know of few people, personally, who are willing to pay the price for most Surefires or similar lights. The plastic Walmart type lights do them OK, and the Mags are the elite.

Jerry