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1 2 3   UER Forum > Archived Rookie Forum > Maglites! (Viewed 1778 times) imprezawrxsti  Location: Portland, OR Gender: Male nothing is true; everything is permitted  |  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 20 on 10/4/2006 7:09 AM >   i carry a 2D mag everywhere. it's never failed me. sure, there's better lights out there. i'd like a surefire, but i'd also like to afford a surefire. that's the key. maglites, in my opinion, are the best bang for $20. do you know how to waltz? Boffo  Moderator Location: Smithers, BC Gender: Male HONK! HONK!  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 21 on 10/4/2006 7:38 AM >   I got my 2D maglite for like $13 at radioshack Here's a lockpick. It might be handy if you, the master of unlocking, take it with you. Chronos  Location: Phoenix, Arizona Gender: Male  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 22 on 10/4/2006 7:59 AM >   Yeah, when it comes down to it I really think that mags are well worth what you pay for them. I don't mean to keep the neverending flashlight debate going, but my opinion is as long as you can have light when you need it, what's the difference? I understand that some people like to have really dim or red LED flashlights though, and obviously a maglight wouldn't be a substitute for one of those. I've really got no complaints about my mag so I have no reason to switch. "Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more." -Mark Twain bobby bullshlt  Location: New York, NY How many black dots are there?  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 23 on 11/15/2006 9:07 AM >   As for durability, I had my 3D maglite for seven years now and I only had two problems. One, the rubber switch cover wore out and fell off while i was exploring an old hospital. Two, the batteries leaked and my spare lamp foam thingy was destroyed (duracel ultras...fluke?). The flashlight never failed me by itself and I have been abusing the thing since I was a teenager: leaving it out in the rain, dropping it down stairs, dropping on sidewalks, camping, crushed under heavy equipment in car trunk, road-side repair, smaking-up sheet rock, hammering-out rusted bolts/nails, and whatever else that doesn't come to mind. As for defects, I noticed somme people complaining about them, and yes maglite has changed their way of production. I have the "older style" with the "D3" in the begining of the serial number as well as the "patented" stampings. I guess these oldies are much better in quality or something. But i applied vasaline to the O-rings/threads every several months or so like the instructions say and it stayed totally water proof. It's also important to note that aluminum to aluminum contact develops the highest friction of all the metal alloys, so lubing with vasaline is critical for wear. As a weapon, the 4D has the best balance, but it fits in nothing for general carry (not even my tool box).But if you want a 3D maglite with the swing of a 4D, just fill the tail cap with lead-it comes to the same balance (you can get fishing weights at Model's and melt them down). I like the 3D because it fits right in my school bag and it can still hurt somebody or at least deter them if need be. I have been carring it ever since some would-be hoodlum followed me while i was going home from a late-night class, even though it was my full grain leather belt that scared the prick off. As for brightness, would you really want to carry a $100+ tactical flashlight to these nasty places? Do you really want a flashlight thats bright enough to signal down a 747 if your tresspassing? Getting the best of the best is a good motive, but towards what direction? Besides, if you think a cop or an under-paid security guard isn't going to take that gadget from you if you get caught, think again-they love those things. I will be getting a Maglite brand LED upgrade since I have seen nothing but good reviews about it. Air  Location: Canada  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 24 on 11/15/2006 7:16 PM >   Posted by Deuterium You can get a 3AA Minimag for $20 from any Home Depot. If you don't see one, they'll get some in soon enough. I have a 2C and 2AA light. The AA mini-mag has the LED upgrade in it an dits brighter then my 2C with the regular bulb. I bring it sometimes, but like my Black Diamond headlamp much more with my AA, and my bike lamp, of all things. [last edit 11/15/2006 7:17 PM by Air - edited 1 times] "The extraordinary beauty of things that fail." - Heinrich von Kleist Deuterium  Location: PNW Gender: Male  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 25 on 11/16/2006 2:34 AM >   Posted by Air 33 I have a 2C and 2AA light. The AA mini-mag has the LED upgrade in it an dits brighter then my 2C with the regular bulb. I bring it sometimes, but like my Black Diamond headlamp much more with my AA, and my bike lamp, of all things. The Minimag doesn't have "upgrade". The Nite-Ize thing doesn't even compare to the original Minimag LED. The upgrade is meant for regular minimag and has three regular LEDs. The Minimag LED(that can't be converted to use regular bulb) has one high power LED. solid mouse  Gender: Male  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 26 on 11/16/2006 2:38 AM >   if you have a maglite get one of those its a handle that screws on right by the button turning your maglite into a riot baton (pretty much useless for UE unless you encounter rabid dogs, but it still looks cool) welcome to carl's jr would you like a BIG ASS TACO? bobby bullshlt  Location: New York, NY How many black dots are there?  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 27 on 11/16/2006 8:59 AM >   Posted by solid mouse if you have a maglite get one of those its a handle that screws on right by the button turning your maglite into a riot baton (pretty much useless for UE unless you encounter rabid dogs, but it still looks cool) lol, try and explain that one to a security guard, assuming they even stick around... Russian  Location: The Sticks Gender: Female Like being friendly to the man who'd shoot you.  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 28 on 11/17/2006 7:19 AM >   I've been using the same 2D Mag since I was ten years old (I'm now twenty) and it's served me well on many a camping trip/exploration. I've also got a 2AA Mag and a headlamp that I use whenever I need my hands free, but the big Mag is always in my backpack because, as others have said, it's reliable and it makes a good weapon. "Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." ~Emerson startedsmoking  Location: Edinburgh, UK Gender: Male  |  |  |  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 29 on 11/17/2006 2:37 PM >   I love Maglites. The design is sleek and flawless, it works excellently as both a flashlight and a weapon and can be used both as a pinpoint light to dazzle your enemies or as a wide beam floodlight. I use a 2 X AA Mini Maglite as my primary and a 1 X AAA Solitaire Maglite as a backup or spare. My UE buddy uses an one of those old military flashlights that come with different filter stored in the base of the bent pipe shaped flashlight. I'm not fond of this kind though, it's not very bright and it dammed heavy. People i've been exploring with have also used really cheap flashlights they bought at the local store and they sucked. They chewed through the batteries and killed them really quickly and weren't even very bright. For the money, a Mag is probably as good as it gets, though there are plenty of much higher end flashlights now on the market for those who can afford it. "take nothing but pictures, leaving nothing but footprints...unless it would be really fun" bobby bullshlt  Location: New York, NY How many black dots are there?  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 30 on 11/20/2006 4:13 AM >   I just got a LED 4D maglite and it rocks! In comparison to my old 3D maglite, this thing leaves it in the dust. However it's also interesting to note the the new maglite does seem to feel a little gritty in the threads compared to the old one, but i fixed that with a little vasaline. (I applied it to ALL threads and o-rings like the instructions suggest) I know there hasn't been much on the new LED maglite, so thats why I posted this message. For mine it was $38.29 with NY tax and 4D cells, but I think it is worth it for sure. Buy it! Ruck  Location: Texas Gender: Male  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 31 on 11/20/2006 5:39 AM >   You can saw off a big chunk of a Mag 6D, fit it with 3 CR123As and it would be just as bright and MUCH lighter. These special batteries aren't cheap. They're around $5/ea retail and don't expect to find one at a gas station. Mag simply designed their lights around commonly available standard batteries and that's majority of the bulk. Actually you can find the batteries as cheap as $1 a piece on the internet. Maglites are heavy and underpowered, with low output and poor beam quality. Their bulbs are also notoriously fragile. Sadly, they're the most "high end" flashlights many people come into contact with, so they're what the public thinks about when it comes to flashlights. There are brighter, more durable, and lighter flashlights with longer run times available at costs barely exceeding that of a full size Maglite. And yes, they make great "clubs," but really now, it's a flashlight. If you want a defensive device then get a defensive device. Don't overlap equipment at the price of performance. "For the listener, who listens in the snow, And, nothing himself, beholds Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is." ~Wallace Stevens Soho  Location: Boston MA, USA Gender: Male paths to the center of a circle are many  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 32 on 11/21/2006 4:50 AM >   I'm not fond of maglites at all, I would much rather have an INOVA. Any product from INOVA is generally light, waterproof, long lasting, and occasionally rechargeable. The concept of using a maglite as a weapon is fun until you have to run at top speed with one in your hand or you accidentally drop one onto someone from a good distance. Soho bobby bullshlt  Location: New York, NY How many black dots are there?  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 33 on 11/21/2006 5:29 AM >   Actually my 4D maglite uses a luxeon 3 LED and can last up to fifty hours of non-stop use. My rule of thumb is "if it can lite-up a dark golf course, it can light up a dark room" Plus those $1 lithium "123" cells you are talking about my not be up to standard or even regulated. This means that if you were to use two or three in a series that have a slightly higher voltage then described on the cell, you can permanently damage your precious and sometimes expensive LED. But maybe not, because how many times do you change those cells any way? Just the same though, when it comes to cells (batteries) always stick with well known brand names that have a reasonable warranty for what product they may damage. Ruck  Location: Texas Gender: Male  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 34 on 11/21/2006 8:29 AM >   Posted by bobby bullshlt Actually my 4D maglite uses a luxeon 3 LED and can last up to fifty hours of non-stop use. My rule of thumb is "if it can lite-up a dark golf course, it can light up a dark room" Plus those $1 lithium "123" cells you are talking about my not be up to standard or even regulated. This means that if you were to use two or three in a series that have a slightly higher voltage then described on the cell, you can permanently damage your precious and sometimes expensive LED. But maybe not, because how many times do you change those cells any way? Just the same though, when it comes to cells (batteries) always stick with well known brand names that have a reasonable warranty for what product they may damage. A 4D Maglite weighs 36oz. with batteries and is nearly 15" long. You should be able to direct traffic on Mars with something that size. My Surefire E2L Outdoorsman is 5.25" long and weighs 3.5oz, and is rated at 30 lumens for six hours, three high output, three useful output. Compare that to the Maglite, even the LED versions, whose output drops significantly in the first hour--actually in the first fifteen minutes, often to about 50% of original light output. Granted, I believe the Maglite can maintain its 50% output longer than the Surefire, but I personally don't think it's worth carrying a two and a half pound flashlight that's longer than my forearm around. Your concerns about the $1 batteries are warranted, and have been addressed already. Here is the link: http://www.flashli.../titanium_123a.htm Also, you can get Pentagonlight batteries as low as $1.35 each and Surefire as low as $1.75. You are correct about sticking with known brands that back up their product. By the way, my post is not a knock against Maglites. I own several myself. They have their uses. I simply don't see them as the end-all, be-all of illumination. There's good and then there's better. I'm interested in the better. [last edit 11/21/2006 8:30 AM by Ruck - edited 1 times] "For the listener, who listens in the snow, And, nothing himself, beholds Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is." ~Wallace Stevens bobby bullshlt  Location: New York, NY How many black dots are there?  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 35 on 11/21/2006 2:31 PM >   Posted by Zero Horizon Your concerns about the $1 batteries are warranted, and have been addressed already. Here is the link: http://www.flashli.../titanium_123a.htm Also, you can get Pentagonlight batteries as low as $1.35 each and Surefire as low as $1.75. thanks for the resource! Jesus that guy does reviews on everything. By the way now you got me interested in that surefire, that is untill I saw the price (damn you =-P). $29 for my maglite and $129 for the surefire, kind of makes me reluctant to buy. I mean, if I do buy one, I would use the surefire as a back up because it would be a cry to see it get knocked around as much as my maglite (read my first post). I guess it being smaller would make it less vulnerable to rough handling, but if I drop that bad boy I'll get really pi$$ed. But it's definatly something I want now. [last edit 11/21/2006 2:43 PM by bobby bullshlt - edited 1 times] Ruck  Location: Texas Gender: Male  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 36 on 11/21/2006 11:11 PM >   Posted by bobby bullshlt thanks for the resource! Jesus that guy does reviews on everything. By the way now you got me interested in that surefire, that is untill I saw the price (damn you =-P). $29 for my maglite and $129 for the surefire, kind of makes me reluctant to buy. I mean, if I do buy one, I would use the surefire as a back up because it would be a cry to see it get knocked around as much as my maglite (read my first post). I guess it being smaller would make it less vulnerable to rough handling, but if I drop that bad boy I'll get really pi$$ed. But it's definatly something I want now. Yeah, Flashlight Reviews is a great place to find out information. Surefires are, for the most part, expensive. I found my E2L on Ebay for $98. The G2, at $36 is their bargain of the bunch, putting out 65 lumens for approximately one hour. It's light, durable, and in my experience has been very reliable (minus a few bulb problems in my first model). It's brighter than most Maglites at a size that's only a little longer than two D-cell batteries and about three-quarters of the width of them. The downside: short runtime, and when it goes out, it just goes out. It doesn't play around. For a backup light, or as a purpose specific light, the G2 is great. For prolonged use, it's a less than stellar choice. I carry two flashlights with me, and together they're still smaller and lighter than a single 2D Maglite. I use the SF E2L at 30 lumens for general/prolonged use, and an SF 9P at 105 lumens for spotlighting/distance. Soon, when I decide on one, I will include a lesser-lumen LED with a longer runtime. My theory is that if I'm in a situation where I need a flashlight, I want to make damn sure I have a light available to me. I know what you mean about spending so much on a flashlight and then beating it up. You just have to remember that it's a tool like any other. It does gets easier after the first scratch. Something else to remember: LEDs can take more abuse than incandescent bulbs. This was a major factor in my choice to make an LED my primary light. Although I prefer the output and reach of incandescent bulbs, I appreciate the strength of the LED and their ability to take abuse. Another great flashligh brand is Pentagonlights. Their website is http://www.pentagonlight.com/ [last edit 11/21/2006 11:15 PM by Ruck - edited 1 times] "For the listener, who listens in the snow, And, nothing himself, beholds Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is." ~Wallace Stevens Wes  Location: Kansas City, MO Gender: Male  |  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 37 on 11/22/2006 6:00 AM >   6D MAG!!!!!! WOO HOO just joking. i think mine is 3d, and this dick head left it at my friends house. so i "borrowed" it for all my UE expeditions, and he hasnt even noticed that he left it at my friends house. so basically a free mag light. Wes  Location: Kansas City, MO Gender: Male  |  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 38 on 11/22/2006 6:03 AM >   Posted by Zero Horizon And yes, they make great "clubs," but really now, it's a flashlight. If you want a defensive device then get a defensive device. Don't overlap equipment at the price of performance. doesnt that defeat the purpose of a multi-tool or swiss army knife? Ruck  Location: Texas Gender: Male  |  Re: Maglites! <Reply # 39 on 11/22/2006 8:05 AM >   Posted by wgross05 doesnt that defeat the purpose of a multi-tool or swiss army knife? Not at all. A multi-tool or Swiss Army knife does not give up significant performance in return for the ability to multi-task. Both are capable of performing their varied functions in an acceptable manner without any glaring drawbacks. On the other hand, using a flashlight for both illumination and self-defense is stretching things a bit. Yes, a Maglite works well as a club, but there are several problems with using it in both roles: as a flashlight it is lackluster; it's large, heavy, and cumbersome; and using it as a weapon can impair its ability to provide illumination. If there's a possibility of one role negating the other, then I'd say the overlapping doesn't work and another solution should be found. A brighter, lighter, and extremely smaller flashlight with superior illumination and a can of mace would serve a person better than a Maglite, and both objects would take up less room, weigh less, and cause less suspicion in the eyes of anyone watching. "For the listener, who listens in the snow, And, nothing himself, beholds Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is." ~Wallace Stevens UER Forum > Archived Rookie Forum > Maglites! (Viewed 1778 times)  1 2 3   All content and images copyright © 2002-2024 UER.CA and respective creators. Graphical Design by Crossfire. To contact webmaster, or click to email with problems or other questions about this site: UER CONTACT View Terms of Service | View Privacy Policy | Server colocation provided by Beanfield This page was generated for you in 171 milliseconds. Since June 23, 2002, a total of 739245102 pages have been generated.