MXDL junk!

I just received my 3W MXDL light today. Seller sent wrong item as I got the 1W instead of the 3W like I ordered (although there may not be much of a difference from what I have read in previous posts). The switch on the back isn't really a switch at all but it doesn't really work anyway! The beam is horrible dull purple/pink color with a ringy output. Also it doesn't even work half the time I try and use it!

IMHO - Avoid this piece of junk even if it seems to be a good price!

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Donovan said: I just received my 3W MXDL light today.

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Sorry to hear this.

Be grateful if you could please tell us who the eBay seller was?

Have you registered your complaint on eBay?

Thanks

In all seriousness, if I paid for a 3W and it was a purple ringy beam, non switch working POS, I'd at least want it to be a 3W purple ringy beam, non switch working POS!

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

But better purple than green! Of the two 1W MXDLs I had, one was just a few nms whiter than my new custom cyan Lux 1 light!

Donovan,

You need to speed up your posts. I made the mistake of ordering one the day before your post. I'll report back when the POS or rather fine lighting instrument arrives.

At least it might do well for a mod such as a 3W royal blue.

I think MXDL is a low grade of luxeon clone. It is ver dim and purple tint. There are a lot of good luxeon clone which is very white. I have some for use and go on very well. Possible to try before buy.

A follow up on my original post.
I never could get in touch with the seller. I even tried his business email to no avail. (Won't mention names but my eBay item number was: 5156752656). Finally filed a complaint with Paypal and got a partial (for now) refund. I don't think Paypal could even reach him!

On the light itself. I completely disassembled it since it wasn't working but for a few seconds at a time. I unsoldered the led and cleaned up everything, then resoldered it back perfectly centered. Still a strong purple tint but at least now it works and the beam is halfway decent! Still couldn't get the "switch" on the back to work reliably. The so called switch is nothing but a way to push the whole rear section forward to complete the circuit.

On the same note:
Was on eBay tonight and noticed that a lot of the new MXDL listings do not (falsely) claim to contain "Luxeon Stars" anymore! I think Paypal/eBay finally received enough complaints on these to force the sellers to stop lying about these lights! I don't mind cheap knockoffs, but I do mind very much them lying and trying to pass it off as the real thing!

hmm.. the MXDL i got is quite white with the slightest green.
beam was quite good for the price i paid..
the only problem bothering me, is that it flickers all the time, probably due to the flimsy 3AAA adapter...

you guys think it can fit in a rechargeable 123 without blowing?

It will blow on LiIon. I blew mine - two of them. Without a resistor and enough contact for heat sinking, don't try that.

I would bet the flickering is due to poor grounding at the led. Try taking the front of the light off and checking out the led. The soldering job on mine was terrible!

I've run mine on a PILA 150A in direct drive without any problems.

All of the contact surfaces in the MXDL suck, a little CAIG can help a bit, but the twist on/off is not very smooth. Maybe some hand-lapping of the threads can improve that.

[ QUOTE ]
Donovan said: I never could get in touch with the seller. (Won't mention names but my eBay item number was: 5156752656). Finally filed a complaint with Paypal
On the same note:
Was on eBay tonight and noticed that a lot of the new MXDL listings do not (falsely) claim to contain "Luxeon Stars" anymore! I think Paypal/eBay finally received enough complaints on these to force the sellers to stop lying about these lights! I don't mind cheap knockoffs, but I do mind very much them lying and trying to pass it off as the real thing!

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Many thanks for the reference - I looked at the item and the photo shown was this style -


which I believe has had some negative views - especially the 1 watt versions.

The style that seems to get better feedback here are the "fluted" head versions - ala -


and the two vendors that seem to have gotten more positive feedback here are: TradeDigit and twpower1688

Cheap knock-offs are obviously a cr*p-shoot to get a good one -
but at minimum one should expect them at least to work....

The one I got still seems to work fine - it has a real clickie - albeit the typical Chinese reverse clickie (ie: not momentary ON but when on a momemtary OFF) - so leaving one's thumb pressure on the clickie can cause inadvertant flickering.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Here's my comparison -

MXDL 3Watt "Luxeon" 3AAA from eBay

Since I've read enough negatives about the MXDL brand I intend to note a severe warning/caveat about its "bargain" status in this thread -
Bargain LEDs
... unless one get a good one /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

I guess my order got mixed with Donovans since I ordered a 1 watt and got a 3 watt (not really I ordered mine over 2 months ago). It didn't work either and required disassembly and resoldering - still terrible looking output with dark half moon in center. Lousy AAA holder needed to tape batteries in place. Junkola ...

I've posted my comments on these before, but I would like to add that I have bought one of these and am really happy with it - nice beam and good colour, and the batteries have lasted well too. Its the best value light I have bought.

It may be a lottery as to what you get, but they certainly not all bad.

I was going to link to the seller, but it appears he's not selling anything at the moment!

I purchased one also, it is like the one in the second pic, however mine was black. I was very disatisified with the purchase like many of you. The light really did seem like trash as it was when i got it. So i promptly notified the seller whom i believe to be ecpowers or something along those lines.. i'm going by memory here. Anyhow after notifying him of my disatisfaction and the fact that the light he sold me did not contain a Luxeon LED as was claimed he promptly refunded my my money and allowed me to keep the light. That was rather nice of him and i do appreciate his kindness in that regard, however i do not aprove of anyone who makes false claims in the hopes of suckering money out of the ignorant and less informed individual who wouldn't know the difference between a real luxeon and a clone. I however am lucky enought to be a part of a rather large group of wonderful people here at CPF who have shown me the light. Pun intended! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Anyhow the light works just fine now and is actually rather nice after modifying it with an orginal LuxIII. Besides that some work needs to be done to the body to ensure proper contact throughout the light to get rid of the horrible flickering and spontaneous outages of the light as is most often the case with this light.

Does anyone own the "new" MXDL? It now features a button switch.....you can see it @ http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5163391018&ssPageName=MERC_VI_RSCC_Pr4_PcN__Stores

no one?

My 1W is like the pic at the top of the page.

The beam has more rings than the planet Saturn.

The LED has a blank hole in the LED where there is no phosphor(?).

Shipping costs more than the light itself. Packaging is poor with a plain manila envelope. I feel more was charged for shipping than actually applied. They will not combine shipping for more than one order - shame.

I ordered it and another cheapo and two LED button cell lights were thrown in to the order. Also, a holster for one light.

I knew it was cheap when I ordered it, but I think this would make a great mod light. Maybe scrathcing the lens would resolve the ring problem of the reflector.

The LED does not seem to be close enough to the reflector base. There is a limit to how far the LED may be moved forward due to the design of the LED holder.

The link posted above still claims "Luxeon LED".

I would offer that people order the 1W and add your own LED replacement. I have a certain LED from a LED newcomer that I think will be interesting.

Fin

I just received one of the MXDL 3W flashlights. Mine has a bright, mostly white output. It has a bright center with good throw, and enough (dimmer) flood to make it useful as an all around light. The bad news is that it was shipped late & there was no communication from the seller when I asked for information. The quality of the light is good on the outside, but rough on the inside where the LED is soldered into place. I'm happy with it, but will probably never deal with that dealer on Ebay again.

Thanks to you all for posting and saving me hassle/disappointment. I was tempted by the low price and the thought of getting a 3-watt Luxeon, and didn't want to apply the adage "If it sounds too good to be true..."

The back button is a MOMENTARY, there is no SWITCH, you screw the back in to turn it on premanent, which sucks.
but i dont even like back buttons they suck too, how do you get your thumb back THERE? and it sure isnt going to be my index finger.
buttons oughta be on the side.

i got five of the chrome looking ones, for xmas presents
loaded them with lithiums.
they WERE junk but the led was mounted correct, and sinks to the head. and the 3aaa adapter was junk too.
but i spent 5 minutes on each unit, and got them from factory tossed, to hand finished.
all 5 were nice bluish white like a lux white, they were all the same color, and had all the same beam pattern, it is more SPOT than i like with a long throw reflector.

NOTES: if you got a 3W untill you DRIVE it that hard (unregulated) it isnt going to look that much different than a 1W. the cool thing about them is you CAN drive it.