I just received 2 of those exact blue Mini Maglites 332 Lumens flashlights. These are allmost on par with the Coast lights and other chinese brands like Fenix & Co. I went back to Maglite due to it's modularity and repairability. They are a bit on the expensive side since mine I got just under 30 $. These have more light output than my EDC Coast HX5 have and more than traditional 3D cell Maglites (those with 168 Lumens). The LED bulbs can be changed if it burns out which is a no go for all other brands. These emit lots of light for an small flashlight and I like these very much. Much more lumens MagLite can not achieve in these since these 332 Lumens get the flashlight already pretty warm. These run on NiMH rechargeable batteries on 1.2 Volts. I recommend these Pro 332 Lumens over all other brands and models. These shine to about a distance of 100 meters but effective daylight brightness you will get only within 25 meters. At 100 meters you can see if somebody is for example at the barns door at night, but not much more. Within 25 meters the environment is lit up like in bright sunshine at noon. These have an white light which is very pleasant to use. No blueish crappy LED light like the other 3D 168 Lumen MagLites had (early models). If the average consumer is not to stubborn and crazy, it will pay off for MagLite in the long run to have stuck to this design. These are simple lights which can be repairable. And the reflector is finally optimised to LED's. The "donut" is allmost gone with these 332 Lumen Pro models. I have the Pro model and it has high and low settings. High and Low are anyways only part of the LED module so it can be added easily to all models due to simplicity of functionality and construction. These have only an plastic sleeve which slides up and down which houses the LED bulb module. Thats all it has of a switch. The head then makes the contact or not and the bulb has the High and Low settings built in electronically. So an very simple, robust and easy to manufacture flashlight since it is basically only an tube, head and reflector. Very very ingenious design made by real engineers. Sad is the customes does not know to honour these old school engineers anymore but runs after any chinese crap which states a few lumen more. These get pretty hot the entire flashligh having it on high for longer time. So, for more lumen output MagLite has to step up the head size in order to allow for more air space in the head to dissipate the heat. This size is the limit for 332 Lumen light output. Just buy MagLite again instead of other chinese brands.
I mean, for the price they are actually pretty great lights. I use them for work and they are completely serviceable. Made in the USA and adorable how do people not like these??
It IS the best light ever!!! 332Lm is enough for in and around the house(I saw it lighting your yard) camping, walking the dog, daily chores etc. and like you said, these lights last for donkeys. That much fun for 30USD, they are more expensive in Europe. AA batteries can be bought at every corner for cheap. How much for an Fenix or Olight, how much for a cr123a? If I need a searchlight to light up the Atlantische ocean, I will indeed not grab an AA light. Just lost mine and buying again, saw they upped the output a little and added eco feature. Maglite AA pro for general purposes anytime.
For an apx 70 bucks difference between the mag pro and Phoenix theres it much illumi ation difference especially in real world camping hiking etc. Ive dropped an illuminated old bulb style 2 aa maglite overnoard into a lake while night fishing it hit bottom at about 16 ft and we wayched the batteries slowly die off naturally for about 2 hours. That maglite sat inderwayer til the mext aftrrnoon when we fished it out . We opened it up dry as a bone put fresh batteries and she was good to go. On fact after that we would tie a cord to one and drop it underwater to see fish once jn awhile. Their toughness and reliability is why they have been around forever. Like a tevolver, new tech evolves in firearms all the time...but the old tevolver seems to always survive because they work EVERYTIME. And thats simpmy good enough. Ill take my spare 70 bucks and out it into a better pair of boots or sleeping bag...or towards a new revolver.
I have several Coast lights as well. Those HP1 and HX5 tend to strip the threads after 3 years of daily use. I am a tester of Coast lights. Coast has fixed their switch problems the HP1/HX5 switches had. But now I have already one HP1 whose threads stripped on the back and the HX5 in use starts to do that as well. I have not seen this thread stripping problem on any MagLite ever. I own several 3D cell Maglites which are not in daily use. My emergency light is an 4D cell MagLite conversion with LiteXpress 550 Lumen german LED bulb (originally that was an Crypton bulb 4D light). I bought 5 of these crypton 4D Maglites when they where on sale at Walmart for 17 USD each. They can be all converted to LiteXpress 550 Lumen LED modules. As well I have an Mini Maglite AA LED I believe it is around 95 Lumens. It is as well my emergency nights light. Otherwise my EDC is an Coast HX5 and I have an Coast PX19R as well. Coast has an better focus system but their lights tend to strip over time the threads on the back. Most likely raw aluminum while MagLite does anodyse their lights so the threads do not strip. I used an HP1 for 3 years and it stripped the threads (about 400 unscrew/screw on cycles).
BTW, I just saw a retrofit for already manufactured LED AA Minimags on Ebay that will bring the light level up to 475 Lumens from the UK or Australia. Still using my old AA Krypton incandescent. If you were me, would you mod the old light or get a new 332 Pro model? Decisions, decisions!!
I still buy maglites. I guess there is something to be said about consistency. You know what your getting when you buy one.When I go for walks at night I bring a 3D mag. Its a good club that doubles as a mediocre flashlight. I have them in my cars also. I have been carrying a minimag in my tool bag for 20 years. I never had one fail (other then the bulb) but I have lost a few. You used to be able to go to any bigbox store and get a replacement. Now sadly only ACE hardware seems to be carrying them.
I would live Maglite to keep with Technology. I still only can get the older Maglites from the UK for a huge cost. So I agree with you, when a Maglite costing the same as a high quality 18650 torch from Olight. It is crazy. Maglite, get with the times with the larger lithium batterys. Put Glass instead of Plastic and the front. With the Torch as you can spend £30 on Rechargeables and then a charger too presently. Even offer them in Netural white, warm white. Add larger Leds of wide floods patterns, or de domed Leds for super throwers. Give us actual run times in stead of bending the truth and hint it doesn't drop down. There are loads of things people are shouting at you as they want maglite to continue to be in Business. However by giving us poor products and huge cost. What can we do, even if it was close to the quality standard but cost more must would pay as it's an icon and keeping work in the USA. However the quality and technology is years, even decades behind.
This is PRO version, but light intensity is very good almoust 8000 cd. As an example new fenix LD 22 ( 2 AA batteries) has 300 lumens but 3600 cd -(( Almost all fenix have no adjustable focus, and beam distance some time is not so great.. Also i have old minimaglite at 77 lumens ( led ) it has great focus, and peak intensity and beam distance is bigger than at fenix LD 22 ( old version at 215 lumens and 3500 cd ). But old maglite 77 lumens also have 10 hours runtime at the high mode, Fenix LD 22 just 2 hours... Fenix and other manufacturers sell " lumens " but beam distabce and runtime is not always great, these extra lumens provide wide angle of the light beam... Maglite provides often great run time ( because not much lumens) high light intensity, but their light beam is narrow.
This was not the PRO , it is the maglite mini,The Pro would say it on the top, they have some foolery going on out there by some suppliers,check for yourself they put in a pro package but its just a mini
