Hi everyone

I have been lurking for a while, and gotten a lot out of the threads. I finally decided to register. From reading posts I have started getting into LED lights.

What I currently use for lights (short list - most used)

1. White and red Photon IIIs in pockets constantly - have given them to each family member after hearing about people walking down black stairwells in the first Trade Center Bombing using Timex Indiglo watches)

2. 5 C Cell Maglights in each vehicle (prefer the C Cell because they fit the hand better for baton use in an emergency and yes I have used them this way one time and they worked VERY well indeed)

3. Half a dozen Mini-Mag AA and AAAs for personal carry and hunting use, starting to replace these with Inovas

4. Guide Gear 20 LED Lantern (manufacturer unknown sold by Sportsmans Guide, but this has been a lifesaver several times since I bought it just prior to the big blackout several years back)

5. Brinkman LED Headlamp (my first ever headlamp purchased on a whim the same day as a 12 hour blackout this summer, and it proved a great tool)

6. Inova X0, X1, X03, T4 (all purchased after reading this forum and Flashlight reviews.com)

7. Surefire 6P - My beside the .45 auto in the bed table light


I know many here do not like Maglights, and I can understand it somewhat, but I have never once had a complaint, they are I have always considered the "workhorse" of the every day flashlight user, myself included for MANY years, and they never let me down , or anyone I have ever known. They are like Timex watches to a group who are enamored with Swiss Automatics. Most people do not understand that appeal, or want to understand, the Timex works just fine. They do not see the smooth workings of the automatic, the artform in making them. They just see, what time it is, like flashlight users, they see "light".

That said, I am learning to love the attributes of the high powered LED, and what they bring to the table. Thanks to this group mostly. Before reading here, LED lights were to me, Photons, and a handful of cheap unregulated LED flashlights which were nice for real close range, but terrible for any distance.

Hello Lee,

I have a Sportman's Guide 30 LED lantern. I like it okay, it doesn't diffuse light as well as I'd hoped though. In fact, the 30 LED metal body Guide Gear flashlight is a better lantern, when positioned for ceiling bounce. It's still good to have the lantern though.

I still own stock Mags. Somewhere I've got a C cell, but most are D cell models. Nothing wrong with them, it's just that compared to newer stuff, they seem plain. They are a standard in the industry though.

The T4 was my first Luxeon, and though it seems an age ago, it was only a bit less than four months. I still like it, but don't use it much, for one I just have too many lights, and for another adjustable level has really lit my fire.

Have fun!

Mags are GREAT to drop an LED into - they just suck with incandescent bulbs in them!!

Welcome aboard!!

Welcome to CPF.

I had been using Mag for since 80'. Only problems are that batteries would leak inside the Mag and ruin the torch. The battery does not last long. Frequently, when a light is needed, the battery is already quite weak.

Enjoy the world of high end lights, get a few more flashlight and have fun.

Welcome Lee1959,

Got a 5C myself, mostly for the same reason. It's too bad the 5C and 6C have been discontinued.

I'm begining to see the real reason for the mag's existence is for modding!

Enjoy the forums and hang on to your wallet!

Lee1959 said: "...I know many here do not like Maglights...They are like Timex watches to a group who are enamored with Swiss Automatics...the Timex works just fine..."

A quartz Timex is more accurate and reliable than a Swiss automatic watch. IOW the Timex has better objective performance, but the Swiss watch LOOKS better.

By contrast a Mag-Lite may look better, but has generally worse performance than competing lights. This is more severe with smaller models such as the Solitaire and MiniMag. The big Mag Charger is still quite impressive.

You can buy a brand new LEDBeam for $25.00 (inc'l free US shipping) that has DOUBLE the output of a 3D Mag:

http://www.ledbeam.com/
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/ledbeam_3c.htm

Or the Brinkmann Maxfire LX, smaller than a MiniMag yet more output than a big 4D Mag-Lite. Only about $20.00 at Target:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/brinkmann_maxfirelx.htm

I agree the high end LED flashlights are like Swiss watches. You're paying a lot for fine machining and aesthetic beauty.

Ok, double the output

By saying double the output, how far is that double output thrown compared to the larger Maglights? Short of a spotlight, the larger Maglights throw a beam of light a fair distance. Close range, most of the LED lights I have seen are quite impressive, but fall off rapidly in distance throw. The Inovas are, at least in my limited experience some of the best at longer distances.

Personally, I want a longer throw, rather than intense close range light, if all I wanted was that I would pick up one of the huge Surefires.

Like I said in my first post, my smaller Maglights are qucikly being replaced by LED lights, especially the Inova which throws a lot more light a greater distance in my highly unscientific tests, and the batteries last much longer.

However, I have yet to find an LED light that throws a better brighter beam at any distance than the larger 5 C Cell Maglights. That is not to say they do not exist, I would be very interested if someone has an LED light that can out perform the Maglight at distances. I would be EXTREMELy interested in an LED light that can also double as an emergency baton which is another area the Maglight excelled at. Please anyone?

As far as the timex analogy I made it exactly as I wished to. I quite understand their advantages and disadvantages of both types of watch, owning more than one Timex and other quartzs, and also several swiss, and japanese automatics each also . I used the phrase, "they work just fine", in reference to the thinking process of the average watch user, they do not care what it is, as long as it tells accurate time... I did not infere that the timex was anything less than extremely accurate and rugged... As a matter of fact at this very minute I am wearing a Timex vibrating model alarm.

Re: Ok, double the output

Lee1959 said: "...By saying double the output, how far is that double output thrown compared to the larger Maglights?..."

The LEDBeam 3C has 91% of a Mag 3D's throw, and 221% of the output. I think most users would find it overall more powerful at most ranges. It is by no means a broad beam close range light.

The exact center of the LEDBeam's hotspot (a single point) will be 91% of a 3D Mag, but the LEDBeam is putting 221% more photons on target.

That said if you want max throw in the compact package, incandescent definitely has the advantage. E.g, the Streamlight TL-3 has 384% of a Mag 3D's output and 161% throw, in a much smaller package. It's more expensive than a Mag but not exorbitant -- sometimes discounted to $40-45, not exactly Rolex prices.