List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $27.32
Today's Bonus: 9% Off
I like this XL50 flashlight very much. It is well made and functional.
This Maglite XL50 is a new sister of the older XL100. They are the same size and have some interchangeable parts. The older XL100 has more functions, and a lot of people say it has TOO many functions to the point of being complex. A complex flashlight? Maybe not something you need when you are half asleep at 2AM. So this XL50 is a nice pare down to what you need most.
This XL50 has a quick-click multifunction switch; this quick click to different modes actually seems to work very well (I was skeptical at first):
a) One click and it is on full, and that's what you'd use the most.
b) Two quick clicks and it is dim (25% full), logical that you'd use it next most often. This can be very nice. Sometimes the light is too bright at full and it glares off of surfaces you're trying to see clearly.
c) Three clicks and it is strobe. Strobe can be extremely obnoxious, but sometimes that is exactly what you want. Like when I'm walking in the dark and my crazy driving neighbor goes rocketing towards me, I can go to strobe mode to alert him that I'm walking on the side of the road (I shine it AWAY from him obviously).
d) You don't have to cycle through all the modes to turn it off. Whatever mode you're on, the next click (after about a half a second) will turn the light off.
Pros:
a) Incredibly bright for its size (advertized at 104 or 139 lumens, depending what packaging it came in). It is brighter than the 2AA Maglite LED flashlight.
b) Uses 3 standard and easy to find AAA batteries.
c) The battery compartment is ingeniously labeled for + and on each battery end, at the end of the compartment. Frustrating if you don't see it, but then voila! Once you see it, it's easy and smart!
d) Maglite has dummy proofed the problem of accidentally inserting the battery compartment backwards and frying the LED. While it physically fits backwards, it doesn't connect electrically to short out your LED, so it doesn't ruin your light.
e) Tail cap switch is pretty well protected to avoid accidental "on", while remaining easily accessible. I really like the tail cap switch for one-handed operation.
f) It can rest on tail cap and aim straight up, to light a room.
g) Has an adjustable LED beam, but only moderately adjustable.
h) From the limited research I've done, it appears Maglites are the only flashlights made 100% in the USA.
However, there are limitations of this XL50. If these were "corrected" I would consider this a near perfect flashlight:
a) I would like the tail cap switch to have "momentary on". That is: press switch slightly and the light comes on, but release and it goes off. Ideally you wouldn't have to press entirely to turn it on and entirely to turn it off. There are times when I want to turn it on and off quickly and I didn't want the switch to be a hindrance. On the XL50 you must click the button entirely for the light to come on.
b) No lanyard hole. Rumor has it that Novatac makes a lanyard ring that fits. I haven't tried this yet.
c) There is no pocket clip available for this Maglite XL50. This might also solve the lanyard issue.
d) Rolls easily when horizontal. Maglite sells an accessory rubber hex-shaped piece for their 2xAA light to hinder rolling and it also fits on this XL50. I've posted a picture under customer images of it on this XL50 light. However, it seems to come off far too easily in general use.
e) No tail cap switch lockout (to prevent turning accidentally "on" in coat or bag).
f) The electronic tail cap switch consumes a very small but constant amount of current even when the light is off. I found this out from the clever folks at the website candlepowerforums. Google that word to find the website. They have measured the current and it will drain your batteries in approx 3 years without use. Maybe not a huge deal to you, but just so you know it won't last forever on the shelf.
e) It has a plastic lens that is not removable. Glass would be preferable.
Below are 2 other LED flashlights I also like.
1) A comparable size to this above Maglite XL50, the Energizer LED 2AA Flashlight is very bright (130 lumens), has a removable lanyard and doesn't roll when horizontal. My review is also under the pseudonym "Spiced Rum":
Energizer High Intensity LED Flashlight with 2AA Battery
2) An excellent pocket or keychain flashlight, the Maglite Solitaire LED 1AAA. Bright and affordable. Look for my review is also under the pseudonym "Spiced Rum".
Maglite Solitaire Led 1AAA Black Han SJ3A016
.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I recently compared three compact LED flashlights available in the same price range: Maglite XL50-S3016, Rayovac Roughneck RNT3AAA-B and Mini-Maglite SP22017. Here are my findings:[Batteries]
Both Maglite XL50 and Rayovac Roughneck are powered by three AAA cells, while the Maglite Mini uses two AA cells. In term of battery cost, the Maglite mini is more economical to operate. This is because each AA cell contains about 3x more energy than AAA cell, yet they cost the same to buy.
Point: Maglite Mini
[Size]
See the photos I uploaded to 'Customer Image' sections for size comparison. The XL50 is more compact than the Roughneck. Both are shorter and thicker than the Maglite Mini, making them easier to hold.
Point: Maglite XL50
[LED Light Output]
On paper the Roughneck is rated at an impressive '200 lumen', while the Maglte XL50 is only '104 lumen' and the Maglite Mini is '69 lumen'. In actual side-by-side comparison, however, the beam from XL50 is brighter and whiter than that of Roughneck. See my beam shot comparison photos in Customer Images section.
Point: XL50
[Electronic Switch]
All three flashlights offer multi-function electronic switch to turn the LED on at high power/low power or blinking mode.
The Maglite Mini's electronic switch is activated by twisting its reflector, which is not easy for one-hand operation. It you twist the LED off and then back on within 3 seconds, it advances to the next mode (High/Low/Blink/S.O.S)
The Roughneck's electronic switch is poorly designed. It forces you to cycle through all three modes (Low/High/Blink) before turning the LED off again.
The XL50's electronic switch is much better designed:
-First click for High Power, second click to turn off
-Two rapid clicks (within 0.5 second) for Low power, next click to turn off
-Three rapid clicks for Blinking mode, next click to turn off
Point: XL50
[Runtime]
According to manufacturer data: the MagLite Mini is supposed to have a runtime of 18 hours, the Maglite XL50: 8 hours 45 minutes, the Roughneck: 2 hours (all at High power). In reality, all those numbers are highly exaggerated because they measure the runtime until the LED brightness drops to 10% of original brightness.
In my actual experiments, the Maglite Mini (powered by eneloop rechargeable cells) provided a runtime of about 7 hours, while the Roughneck only 1.5 hours. I cannot measure the runtime of XL50 at High power, because it kept dropping back to Low power after about 7-10 minutes, presumably because the LED was overheated.
Point: Maglite Mini
[Power Management]
All three did poorly in this aspect. Both XL50 and Roughneck are really bad because they have zero power regulation. That means the LED is being driven directly from three AAA batteries. The LED current (hence brightness) is completely at the mercy of battery voltage and internal resistance. The Maglite Mini at least made some attempt in power regulation, but the LED power still drops rapidly with lower battery voltage.
Point: Maglite Mini
[Adjustable Beam]
Both Maglite mini and Roughneck advertise adjustable beams, but they both have very limited variation between 'spot' and 'flood' mode. The beam from XL50 is not adjustable.
On the Maglite Mini, you can remove its reflector use it in 'candle mode'. The Maglite XL50's reflector can also be removed, but the resulted beam is more like a flood light. The Roughneck's reflector cannot be removed.
Point: Maglite Mini
[Ruggedness]
Both Maglite Mini and XL50 are rated for 1-meter drop on the package. The Roughneck's package does not contain a drop-rating. Its product description claims '5-foot drop' (1.5 meter) at one place and '7-10 foot drop' (2-3 meter) at another place. I did not try any drop test intentionally, but I have dropped my Mini several times from higher distance and it survived
Point: Rayovac Roughneck (?)
[Conclusion]
If you're looking for a compact LED flashlight that is super-bright and easy to operate, then Maglite XL50 is the obvious choice. But in terms of overall design (considering runtime and battery cost), I have to give Maglite Mini the edge. The Rayovac Roughneck is not worth considering unless you can get it at much lower cost.
Best Deals for MAGLITE XL50-S3016 LED Flashlight, Black
I've used my Maglite XL-50 for just 6 months. I carry it with me daily, as I mostly wear cargo pants with many pockets. Being an older person, I find occasions where this helps me in situations of low ambient light. It gives a strong light--104 lumens--and I have no complaints there. However, I find the battery life to be disappointingly short. I only use the light for short periods occasionally. The specs say it should run 8h 45 mins on a set of batts. I'd say it's more like 4 or 5 hours at best. I'm on my 4th set of batts in 6 months.The switch on mine is very sensitive, and on two occasions, it went on by itself in my pocket, just from my moving around. I now put it back lens side down and that has prevented that. Costco sells a set of three similar pocket-sized LED lights for $20--less than the cost of a single XL-50. I have a set and they are very comparable, but slightly thicker.
Would I buy another XL-50? No. I'd look at other options. It seems that more and more high quality, high-tech, tactical LED lights are coming on the market, and the prices are coming down. Look for at least 90 lumens. I've also noted that the LED flashlights that do not state the power in lumens generally are very low-powered.
Honest reviews on MAGLITE XL50-S3016 LED Flashlight, Black
MAGLITE XL50-S3016 LED Flashlight, BlackThis is a great flashlight. It is small enough to carry in a pocket, but much much more powerful than the old 2AA cell Maglites with krypton bulbs. I usually steer clear of LED flashlights because I hate the high color temperature (extreme blue cast) of the light they usually produce. This flashlight has a very comfortable color temperature, just a little bluer than most fluorescent lights in an office building.
As for power, it has plenty! It is painful to look into, even from 25 feet away. The light is mostly concentrated into about a 10° beam with a larger flood area about 45°. The description says the beam pattern is adjustable, but this is pretty ineffective in actual use. I don't find that I need to adjust as much with this as with the old krypton lamp type flashlights, so it doesn't really matter.
One improvement could be made: 1) include a wrist strap (or at least give me a hole to add my own)
I haven't had it long enough to run through a set of batteries yet (about 2 hours use to this point) so I can't comment on battery life.
The good:
small
powerful light
good color light
decent beam spread
The indifferent:
beam focus adjustment
The bad:
no wrist strap
won't fit in 2AA minimag holster
Gets 5 stars and a recommendation.
Update: after having my flashlight for about 4 months I thought it was broken every time I turned it on, after about 5 seconds it would automatically dim to the 50% level. Turned out that changing the batteries solved the issue. May be that's the low battery indicator? Still love the flashlight and wont trade it for any others.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for MAGLITE XL50-S3016 LED Flashlight, Black
I needed a replacement to my Streamlight that I had for about 10-years, the 123A batteries were way too expensive and I wanted to move to a LED for longer battery life as well. This light is as bright as the old light, and the AAA batteries are great for convience. I also looked at the XL100, but the additional features were none that I needed. I also am a fan that this was made in the US and that was a deciding point in my purchase.
0 comments:
Post a Comment