Maglite 6D killed by battery leak, New Torch time!

[cbr6fs]

I haven't seen one that will; at least not without burning the battery down in an hour or so.

6D maglite is around 160 lumens
Zebralight SC600 is 750 lumens

To give an idea of the difference in light output take a gander at this vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e8Nim8CTqE&feature=plcp

Skip through to around 3:31 for the comparison.

That there is a 4D maglite, but there is only 40 lumens difference between the 4D and 6D maglite.

I used to get just over a shift out of my 6D batteries so say 9 hours at 160 lumens
The SC600 runs around 6 hours at 200 lumens.

To give you some idea of size the 6D ML is, 495mm long and weighs 1417 grams (with battery).
The SC600 is 107mm long and weighs 132 grams (with battery).

If you really want to go all out and fancy sticking with D cells then there is the Fenix TK70
2200 lumens, 4 x D cells, 405mm long and 769 grams (without batteries though).
That runs 15 hours at 300 lumens.

Skip to 6:14 for the light comparison to a 4D maglite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzffVli7TMo&feature=plcp

Not really a recommendation as it's outside the ops price range at 140 quid, but it does show that maglite make exceedingly poor torches and are 10 years behind at best.

 

[santaman2000]

Maybe your right, although sometimes I get the impression some cops get disappointed when a hunch doesn't pay off and they look for something to get you on anyway, just to make it worth the trouble they'd gone to.

In any case, I was looking at the newer Maglite 3D-Cell LED Torches - they look pretty good. They'd make a great just-heard-breaking-glass-in-the-middle-of-the-night torch. You could use it to find the burglars and then club them with it

According to Maglite it puts out about 130 lumens, about the same as that Fenix I linked to earlier. Costs about the same too.

If you really like your Maglite, maybe an LED equipped model would be a good buy.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Maglite-ST3D016-Cell-LED-Torch/dp/B000IXAJVY/ref=pd_cp_sg_1

Thanks. My current truck light is a 3D maglite LED. Quite pleased with it. But whatever the advertising specs say, it's not quite as btight as the original incandescent. However it does maintain a constant brightness unlike the original that faded as the batteries drained.

 

[santaman2000]

6D maglite is around 160 lumens
Zebralight SC600 is 750 lumens

To give an idea of the difference in light output take a gander at this vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e8Nim8CTqE&feature=plcp

Skip through to around 3:31 for the comparison.

That there is a 4D maglite, but there is only 40 lumens difference between the 4D and 6D maglite.

I used to get just over a shift out of my 6D batteries so say 9 hours at 160 lumens
The SC600 runs around 6 hours at 200 lumens.

To give you some idea of size the 6D ML is, 495mm long and weighs 1417 grams (with battery).
The SC600 is 107mm long and weighs 132 grams (with battery).

If you really want to go all out and fancy sticking with D cells then there is the Fenix TK70
2200 lumens, 4 x D cells, 405mm long and 769 grams (without batteries though).
That runs 15 hours at 300 lumens.

Skip to 6:14 for the light comparison to a 4D maglite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzffVli7TMo&feature=plcp

Not really a recommendation as it's outside the ops price range at 140 quid, but it does show that maglite make exceedingly poor torches and are 10 years behind at best.

Difficult to say how one would have lasted on duty as all duty lights were rechargeable. My issue in the patrol car was always Maglite (rechargeable) but my personal light on my duty belt was Streamlight Stinger (rechargeable) Much more compact and lighter for constant carry but that's not an issue for a vehicle light.

As for Mag being exceedingly poor; well their still the flashlight of choice for well over 95% of the ploice agencies for good reason; and it's NOT as an impact weapon as most agencies prohibit such use due to liability issues and proper impact weapons were provided. Rather it's due to the combination of value for price, reliability, warranty, and the UL listing as safe in explosive/hazardous environments. And it doesn't hurt that that 30 odd years of service have produced a good track record (the polar opposite of being the latest and greatest)

 

[cbr6fs]

As for Mag being exceedingly poor; well their still the flashlight of choice for well over 95% of the ploice agencies for good reason; and it's NOT as an impact weapon as most agencies prohibit such use due to liability issues and proper impact weapons were provided. Rather it's due to the combination of value for price, reliability, warranty, and the UL listing as safe in explosive/hazardous environments. And it doesn't hurt that that 30 odd years of service have produced a good track record (the polar opposite of being the latest and greatest)

I disagree, i'd say the reason most keep using them is 100% ignorance.

For many years it was though maglites were the best torches, it's simply not the case though.



Take a look at the vids i posted, the difference in usable beam and brightness to even the tiny SC600 is astonishing, the difference to the TK70 is pretty dramatic.

 

[santaman2000]

I disagree, i'd say the reason most keep using them is 100% ignorance.

For many years it was though maglites were the best torches, it's simply not the case though.



Take a look at the vids i posted, the difference in usable beam and brightness to even the tiny SC600 is astonishing, the difference to the TK70 is pretty dramatic.

I'll take a look at the videos when I get a chance. However in the meantime I've already seen many of the duty lights offered to departments demonstarted in person during bidding proceedings. Brightness is beginning (in general, not just police circles) beginning to be a secondary aspect after battery drain; at least once a minimum acceptable brightness is achieved. Liability is and always will be a PRIME concern before and above anything else. That's where that 30 year track record applies in more ways than one; first the Mag is a proven design but secondly (and probably even more importantly) it's THE accepted industry standard. To stray from that would invite lawsuits in the event of any accident whereas it's a defense if you stay with the standard.

Whether or not that standard is the best or not may well be a different matter as you suggest. I'll be the first to agree that there are better lights on the market, but few offer the same quality and value for price. Especially if you don't really need all the bells and whistles or the staus of having "THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT MADE!" or a super compact backpacking light.

 

[cbr6fs]

Don't really understand what point your making with regards to Liability.

Obviously the TK70 is not a direct comparison as it's 4 times the price BUT it's 4 x D cells batteries, 2 switches and 1 LED with controller.
There's really not a lot to go wrong, a incandescent bulb is going to be a LOT more unreliable if that's what you mean by liability.

Not only are modern LED's markedly more reliable than incandescent bulbs they are also dramatically more efficient.
The only downside for some is the tint, but gradually this is getting better and better is LED's.

If i had been thrown from my car in a RTA then i would prefer the search parties to be issued with a TK70 rather than a 6D maglite.
In beam strength and projection something like the TK70 is THAT superior there really is no comparison.

As both use d Cell batteries there is no more liability from cell damage than the other either.


So i'm a little confused by how liability comes into it.

 

[santaman2000]

First the"liability": Any number of things CAN go wrong though most are only remote possibilities with modern flashlights. An officer might drop a light and be injured as a result of a fall in the sudden dark; or by the an assailant taking advantage of the sudden darkness (regardless of whether said dropping is caused by a design flaw) Another improbable scenario is if the seals fail and allow a spark to ignite a hazardous atnosphere. ALL of these scenarios are improbable at best and unlikely with ant modern flashlight. A more likely (although still not especially probable) scenario is simply if the issue light fails and as a result any member of the public is harmed (or even a suspect) Deviation from an industry standard invites a lawsuit that will undoutedly be expensive to the department even if successfully defended against.

Second, the LED comments: I agree wholeheartedly.

Third, the importance of brightness: Most search and rescue organizations are issued hand held search lights rather than flashlights; and use dogs when available. Police departments rarely (if ever) man searches and brightness is more for weaponization (blinding and intimidating an assailant) than visibility.

 

[cbr6fs]

First the"liability": Any number of things CAN go wrong though most are only remote possibilities with modern flashlights. An officer might drop a light and be injured as a result of a fall in the sudden dark; or by the an assailant taking advantage of the sudden darkness (regardless of whether said dropping is caused by a design flaw) Another improbable scenario is if the seals fail and allow a spark to ignite a hazardous atnosphere. ALL of these scenarios are improbable at best and unlikely with ant modern flashlight. A more likely (although still not especially probable) scenario is simply if the issue light fails and as a result any member of the public is harmed (or even a suspect) Deviation from an industry standard invites a lawsuit that will undoutedly be expensive to the department even if successfully defended against.

Second, the LED comments: I agree wholeheartedly.

Third, the importance of brightness: Most search and rescue organizations are issued hand held search lights rather than flashlights; and use dogs when available. Police departments rarely (if ever) man searches and brightness is more for weaponization (blinding and intimidating an assailant) than visibility.

Ahhh i see, i understand what your saying now, thanks.

If we were talking about lithium based lights then i could see that a case might be put forward by a lawyer who did not understand that chemistry and modern improvements in cell design and charging.
Only real shot against that is the cops will be carrying mobile phones that will have lithium chemistry cells, and possibly even radio's or if they driving/riding hybrid electric cars/bikes they may well be powered by lithium based cells.

Many decent LED based torches do run on D cells though, so any battery chemistry concerns could be easily avoided.

With regards to damage when dropped, an incandescent bulb is more susceptible to failure if dropped compared to a LED based light.
With the TK70 it runs 3 LED's so even if 1 fails you still have 2 others working.

I do have to admit i am a bit of a nerd when it comes to torches
As a result i do tend to spend a bit of time on various torch forums like cpf, as a result i do know that many LEO's do use modern lights (as opposed to maglites) and from their posts as soon as 1 cop has moved away from maglites a tide of others follow as soon as they see the advantages.

I know speaking from personal experience, if i'm searching anything 160 lumens is barely acceptable in a closed environment like a car.
Throw in an open environment like say a suspect has ditched a firearm while running and you would be a hell of a lot more efficient with a decent torch.

Speaking from experience it seems that whenever i need a torch a really NEED it, so for me i prefer to spend a bit more money and have something that offers a decent build quality as well as enough output to do whatever i need it to do.
I have had and still do have some maglites, but compared to modern torches they're very very poor choices.

 

[cave_dweller]

I really like Tesco's own 2AA LED Cree torch. Very well built and at £11 a massive bargain. It has 2 modes, on or off, so nothing fancy just a very bright, rugged torch with a decent battery life.

Fully agree. One of those, a decent charger and 4 good rechargeable AA cells (try 7dayshop) and you're sorted, probably for only a bit over £20.

That said, I still own Zebralight, Solarforce and a bunch of others... another kit addiction!

 

[santaman2000]

...With regards to damage when dropped, an incandescent bulb is more susceptible to failure if dropped compared to a LED based light.
With the TK70 it runs 3 LED's so even if 1 fails you still have 2 others working.

...i do tend to spend a bit of time on various torch forums like cpf, as a result i do know that many LEO's do use modern lights (as opposed to maglites) and from their posts as soon as 1 cop has moved away from maglites a tide of others follow as soon as they see the advantages...

True although in a solid light such as any of the aluminum body flashlights damage is unlikely. however I was referring to the darkness caused by simply dropping it (losing control of where it's aimed) and the distraction of having to recover it. A lawsuit COULD arise disputing the ergonomics of the newer light.

Also true. Even back when I was began working LE few cops bought maglites. They were the issue light but individual cops were more willing to take the liability ris (especially as we each carried our own insurance cover in addition to whatever was provided by membership in various professional associations) Back then the favorite was the Streamlight Stinger I mentioned earlier. Lithium is making large inroads into that market, but moreso into the military market as police still generally prefer rechargeable lights. However a current disadvantage for lithium ones (among individual military members) is the inability to get replacement batteries; there is currently a ban on air shipment of lithium batteries so it's impossible to get replacements while deployed.

 

[jediknightofthewoods]

I have a P14 for sale if you might be interested. Almost brand new, no dings, chips or scratches, perfect sheath, fresh batteries included. As it was the day I bought it. PM me if you are interested.

 

[Vulpes]

Not a big fan of the fancy pants brands like LED Lenser, Fenix, Zebralight, 4sevens, etc. They're the brightest and have the most features, but there's more to go wrong with them and when something does go wrong, you suddenly realise the warranty has run out. I prefer to stick to tried and tested designs, with good warranties and reliable customer service.

There's always the Maglite LED D cell range - http://www.mindyourfingers.co.uk/Maglite.html MYF do free delivery and they're the cheapest I've found out there. I've got the 3D LED and it's great at 137 lumens. Lasts for ages battery wise.

Terralux also do a drop in upgrade for D cell Maglites if you happen to find a cheap one or have another laying around - http://www.terralux.com/ You'll find them all over the place, even on Amazon.

Peli are quite backwards in terms of tech, but they're really solid, affordable, come with lifetime warranty and their customer service is brilliant! They do quite a wide range of industrial grade lights and some are even submersible. http://www.peliproducts.co.uk/All_Torches.html I've got an L1 and a 1920. The 1920, I love! It's just simple and reliable.

Petzl headlamps would be a thought if you want something lightweight and hand's free. You can get them anywhere from millets, etc to Amazon. I've been using them for years. I've had 3 of them over the past 7 years and they're all still going strong. http://www.petzl.com/us/outdoor/headlamps/allheadlamps Wouldn't buy anything else other than a Petzl with headlamps.

Some people I know are fans of the not very well known Tektite - http://www.tek-tite.com/home/index.php They were quite popular with divers at one point I believe and came with the lifetime warranty...as were...

UK (underwater kinetics) have good warranties and seem to be quite popular too - http://www.uwkinetics.com/

Get the research in and you won't be disappointed! Good luck to you, sir!

 

[LibbyShepard]

Thanks. My current truck light is a 3D maglite LED. Quite pleased with it. But whatever the advertising specs say, it's not quite as btight as the original incandescent. However it does maintain a constant brightness unlike the original that faded as the batteries drained.

I too have a 3D maglite LED and as you said it works pretty well. I recently purchased it and also for the power source I used some deep cycle batteries and they did serve the purpose that I was looking for very well. Got great deal from this website. Try it.