Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Power, robustness, battery life |
| Disadvantages: |
Price . No lanyard loop or belt clip |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
There are some manufacturers such as Hoover and Sellotape, whose name is synonymous with an entire type of product. Since the late 1980s however, the humble torch or flashlight has gradually acquired a new name. Maglite.
However, since the late 1980s, the torch world moved on, and Maglite didn't. Many other manufacturers copied Maglite and, when new LED technology overtook the humble lightbulb, Maglite got left behind by the new generation of "tactical" LED lights. LED lights are inherently more robust, don't fade over time like the filament bulb and are much more efficient in terms of light output, which means a set of batteries lasts a lot longer.
Fortunately, in late 2006, Maglite finally realised it was missing out on a huge market segment and announced it's new totally re-engineered LED range. This has now made it's way to the UK.
This review is of the Mini-Maglite LED, the most popular in the range. The big D-Cell Maglites are great, but too big to keep in a pocket, handbag, toolbox, glovebox etc. Having seen how the Mini Maglite LED performs, I'm not sure I will be using my old 3xD-Cell Maglite much anyway!
So, here are the basics:
Performance: Do *not* stare into the lens when you turn it on. It is unlikely to blind you, but having been used to my old bulb torch, I just wasn't expecting the sheer power this thing kicks out. Many LED torches use 1 Watt LED modules. This wee beastie uses a 3W and, because they are so much more efficient than conventional bulbs, it is the equivalent of something approaching the 10W mark. Brightness is comparable to my 3 D-Cell Maglite. The light is a much whiter light than you get from conventional bulbs, very similar to the quality of light you get from HID headlights in expensive cars. The LED *looks* like the much-lauded Luxeon unit, but without taking the torch apart, I can't say for sure.
Usability: Twist the top section to turn it on, keep twisting to focus the beam to either a floodlight or a spotlight. Twist the other way to turn it off. It takes 2 replaceable AA cells, which so far have lasted around 5 hours without any sign of dimming. I think the batteries in my old Mini Mag lasted about 2 hours. Thanks to the built-in electronic trickery, it really squeezes the max out of your batteries. I haven't tried using rechargeables yet, but as it uses a modern switched mode power regulator, they will probably work fine.
Durable? Oh yeah. Just a bit. The case of my old Mini-Mag is battered but still working after many years use and abuse, including being dropped onto concrete/brick/stone/tarmac more times than I can remember. Still the same high quality aircraft grade machined alloy case with polycarbonate lens. The old filament bulb lasted 10 hours or so, LEDs are supposedly good for umpty thousand hours, and, unlike filament bulbs, don't gradually reduce in output over time due to fogging. This thing is built to work for a living.
Style? Slim yet robust, in scratch-resistant
black anodised alloy. You may have noticed that all the premium products now (HDTV, Ipod Video etc) are available in "piano black". This fits right in. Then again it always did, the Mini-Mag was an elegant timeless
design right from the start.
Comfort? Well, it fits nicely into the hand, whether you are a dainty little old lady, or a bloke with spades for hands.
Value For Money? Tricky this. The high street price is £40, which quite frankly is a lot of money for a torch. Fortunately if you buy it online, you are looking at £30 or less. I got mine online with a £10-off Google Checkout offer, which quite frankly was an utter steal.
Disadvantages:
1) Unlike the old model, there isn't a loop on the base to fit a lanyard or belt clip. It does come with a nylon webbing pouch to fit on your belt, but it's no replacement.
2) Because it is round (duh-it's a torch) it tends to roll off your desk or whatever. Invest in a Nite-Ize magnet clip. That gives it a flat base so it doesn't roll around, plus you can clamp it to any nearby steel object when using it.
3) Too bright? For some work, it would be nice to be able to reduce the brightness. Some other torches incorporate a half-power mode which has the benefit of doubling the life of your batteries. You would still have a torch which was brighter than a standard one!
In summary, it's far brighter than the old model, the batteries last a lot longer, and it is even more durable than it's predecessor.
Would I buy one for £30? Yes, without hesitation.
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
