Maglite Pro Plus or ...?

Looking online at the Maglite 2xAA Pro Plus and Black, I'm seeing a lot of different specifications. Is the Maglite Pro Plus a good double AA cell LED light? I specifically want something of reasonable beam and overall construction quality for $30~$50. I need enough fill to be useful for walking in a dark parking lot on a moonless night with enough hot spot to hopefully dazzle someone if I need to get away from them.

I'm not really interested in a ~$300 SureFire or ~$350 Modlite but, if there is a real difference for a light a bit above $50 I'm interested.

TIA,
Sid

The Pro Plus is good, but if you don't mind a chunkier light, the 2C ML25 is better....more throw, better beam pattern and brighter (don't let the lower lumens fool you – look at the cd which is more important than lumens). The ML25 is a twisty just like the Mini Mags and works the same way. The latest 192 lumen two mode 2C has a low mode much like the Pro Plus except that is activated by a quick double twist of the head instead of pointing the light straight down while twisting on as with the Pro Plus.


The ML25 can be run on AA Eneloops or even protected 18650's or 21700's in adapters.


If you do go with the Pro Plus, I would get the older 281 lumen version rather than the current 351 lumen version which has a very bluish tint.

Maglite products are very reliable so long as their alkaline fuel sources don't leak. If you choose a Maglite product it is best to fuel it with a lithium battery or rechargeable like eneloops that have a very similar to alkaline voltage output.
Hard to go wrong with a Maglite product. I like the ML25 over the Pro Plus minimag because the minimag is more of a wide angled beam, which is great for lighting up a dark garage or den in power outage. The ML25 is more suited for lighting up the distance and seeing is believing how well it does that without a lot of lumens. So for dazzling the eyeballs at the downstream end of the beam the ML25 is better suited to dazzle theirs without dazzling yours.

But still the minimag Pro Plus is a nice flashlight.

Thanks! The beam pattern info is super helpful too.

The ML25 has a outstanding beam pattern – a big spill so you can see what's around you up close without being too bright, with a super intense hot spot for distance. The Mini Mag Pro's have a brighter but much smaller spill which gives more of a tunnel view with a large but not so intense hot spot – about as good as can be expected for it's LED and reflector size, but with it's larger reflector and smaller, lower lumen LED, the ML25 blows it away. Maglite really got the beam pattern dialed in with the ML25.

Yup, the spill keeps you from tripping over cracks in a sidewalk or tree roots while being gentle enough to allow your peripherals (ie adapted night vision) to remain largely intact very much like those 6D Maglites of yesteryear. The 177 lumen was outstanding but the new one is even better with much better run time than the 177 model.

If you want a portable thrower the 100 lumen minimag aaa is a good matchup with the ML25. Plus it's like carrying a nice inkpen pocket-carry-wise.

The AAA LED Mini Mag has a nice spill almost as big as the ML25's, though the hot spot is not as intense. It's a great little light out to about 100 ft/30M – very light and compact.

I purchased a bunch of maglite pro plus lights for around $12 each on the maglite website, not sure if black was a color option on sale. The Ml 25s are also excellent i purchased a few sets at home depot a few years ago on sale for $20 for a set of 2. Cant go wrong with either but as stated above they are for different applications.

What is the lumen spec on the newest gen Pro+ ?

I see a lot of body colors marked 225, but a Pro says 332.

I don't understand why the Pro+ always has a lower output.

Nobody has mentioned that the Pro+ has a high and lower output; all the others are fixed output.

Why this weirdness? And why is the fact so difficult to find? The statement is not in ASCI text, but in a graphic. So you will never find this information by any SEARCH function ! Also spelled out "plus" instead of the "+" makes it less likely to be discovered even if it were displayed in proper ASCI.

https://maglite.com/search?page=3&q=green&type=product,article,page

mini maglite pro plus
performance varies by color
351 Lm black & red
281 Lm silver & camo & dark green
245 Lm grey & blue

clicking on the above graphic leads to the spec page:
https://maglite.com/pages/performance-mini-maglite-pro-plus-aa-1?_pos=28&_sid=84eff348e&_ss=r

EDIT: seeing a 332 Lm green "Pro" so I guess all the colors of Pro's are the same Lm.

sidpost said:

Looking online at the Maglite 2xAA Pro Plus and Black, I'm seeing a lot of different specifications. Is the Maglite Pro Plus a good double AA cell LED light? I specifically want something of reasonable beam and overall construction quality for $30~$50. I need enough fill to be useful for walking in a dark parking lot on a moonless night with enough hot spot to hopefully dazzle someone if I need to get away from them.

I'm not really interested in a ~$300 SureFire or ~$350 Modlite but, if there is a real difference for a light a bit above $50 I'm interested.

TIA,
Sid

Click to expand...

The Mini Mag is a reasonable torch still. Although IMO they aren't so "mini" these days. They are quite long, which mean they aren't the most pocket friendly. The C-cell powered ML25 Maglite is significantly bigger and heavier. And would be quite a lump even in a coat pocket.

For me one of the biggest issues are the alkaleak batteries. The Mini Mag you can run alternatives, but the torch is engineered not to make use of the better batteries. The ML25 doesn't really have any better battery options.

Both torches are good off the shelf lights, that will work well with alkaleak batteries however.

In terms of beam, the Mags all have a focused and intense hot spot and somewhat dullish spill beam. Very traditional. This gives both of them good "throw", i.e. long distance beam for their relative size. But makes them less good close up or if you ever want to use them to look at a map or something very close to you.

I also find when walking, a bright hot spot tends to wobble about all over the show as you move. But they will let you see further down range. If you don't need to see as far away, a floody light with an even beam might be more pleasant, although you might not be able to see quite as far.


Generally the market has a bit of a lack of good 2xAA lights. But I'm sure the big players probably offer something if you want more modes and an advanced UI. The Mags are all pretty simple on/off type of lights.


That said, IMO there are way better lights out there for very similar money. If you are prepared to look at Li-ion power.

For example, this $20 flashlight is much more compact than a Mini Mag, better runtimes, more modes, choice of LED tint (for better colour rendition) and much higher lumen output, but will still offer a good throwy beam for a small light:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32887037637.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.6.7a5f121eAZOFZU

Convoy S2+ with XP-L HI emitter.


If you decide you want floody, you can get the same light with a different LED for a completely different beam profile.


If you want something bigger, this $28 C8 would massively out perform the Maglites, even the ML25 and is still a lot more compact too.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33035996609.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.16.4ed66d6co4jzXy

Convoy C8+ with XP-L HI emitter.



There really is great choice these days. With an 18650 light you'll need a charger and at least one battery (the C8 above comes with one). But these are cheap too.


If you want to spend a bit more money, there are some really nice lights out there.

For example, $50 will get you a Noctigon KR1. Much shorter than a Mini Mag but way more powerful. And way more throw than the ML25.



https://intl-outdoor.com/led-flashlights/noctigon-kr1-tail-e-switch-pocket-thrower.html

lumen aeternum said:

Why this weirdness? And why is the fact so difficult to find? The statement is not in ASCI text, but in a graphic. So you will never find this information by any SEARCH function ! Also spelled out "plus" instead of the "+" makes it less likely to be discovered even if it were displayed in proper ASCI.

https://maglite.com/search?page=3&q=green&type=product,article,page

mini maglite pro plus
performance varies by color
351 Lm black & red
281 Lm silver & camo & dark green
245 Lm grey & blue

clicking on the above graphic leads to the spec page:
https://maglite.com/pages/performance-mini-maglite-pro-plus-aa-1?_pos=28&_sid=84eff348e&_ss=r

EDIT: seeing a 332 Lm green "Pro" so I guess all the colors of Pro's are the same Lm.

Click to expand...

It looks like Mag did rolling changes with the LEDs as they sold out and made more. Keep in mind that the dual mode Pro Plus is a slow seller compared to the single mode Pro (especially in colors other than black) so it apparently takes some time before one color batch sells out and they make a new run in that color.

FWIW, I have found the Maglite ML50L (2 C-cell) version to be an awesome choice after some use of the ML25LT and the 2 or 3 cell ML50L options.

The button click output option of the ML50L works well and the 2-cell size is not nearly as bulky as a D-cell equivalent with minor added bulk from overly built 2xAA flashlights. The ML25LT is certainly cheap, think mine ran ~$13 but, the twist head beam pattern is terrible. Works fine though as a pickup glove box flashlight that doesn't see much use.

The ML50L with its good beam pattern, flood and, throw with easily adjustable output levels is a real winner IMHO. On sale for ~$25, they are a real bargain and should not be missed. I got a red one on sale from Maglite's website with a further email discount code and think I ended up at ~$22 at my door! SCORE!

sidpost said:

FWIW, I have found the Maglite ML50L (2 C-cell) version to be an awesome choice after some use of the ML25LT and the 2 or 3 cell ML50L options.

The button click output option of the ML50L works well and the 2-cell size is not nearly as bulky as a D-cell equivalent with minor added bulk from overly built 2xAA flashlights. The ML25LT is certainly cheap, think mine ran ~$13 but, the twist head beam pattern is terrible. Works fine though as a pickup glove box flashlight that doesn't see much use.

The ML50L with its good beam pattern, flood and, throw with easily adjustable output levels is a real winner IMHO. On sale for ~$25, they are a real bargain and should not be missed. I got a red one on sale from Maglite's website with a further email discount code and think I ended up at ~$22 at my door! SCORE!

Click to expand...

I agree about the 2C ML50 - another great light! But I would say that the ML25's beam is just as good when the focus is dialed in and both have better beams than the typical 2AA Mini Mag Pro.

Maglite sells a kit called city life that pairs a 331 lumen minimag pro and 47 lumen solitaire for $38. Choices of colors include old favorites like dark green, gold or rose gold plus the usual colors.

xxo said:

I agree about the 2C ML50 - another great light! But I would say that the ML25's beam is just as good when the focus is dialed in and both have better beams than the typical 2AA Mini Mag Pro.

Click to expand...

Beam artifacts and focus on my examples show a distinct advantage in the ML50. YMMV Yes, focus can make it worse but, the 25LT is not nearly as good IMHO, even with a good focus.

bykfixer said:

Maglite sells a kit called city life that pairs a 331 lumen minimag pro and 47 lumen solitaire for $38. Choices of colors include old favorites like dark green, gold or rose gold plus the usual colors.

Click to expand...

The only AAA I find useful, is the UV version Olight. It certainly is worlds better than the button cell options and isn't big enough to be noticeable in a pocket. Even though I'm not looking for Scorpions in the house (Tucson) these days, UV comes in handy especially if you travel or work outdoors.