Mag-Lite ST3D016 3-D Cell LED Flashlight, Black Review. ...
"Best LED Flashlight for the Price" 2008-01-05
By K. Romeo (Springfield, VA)
After doing exhaustive research on the web for LED flashlights, I decided to give this one a try. I have owned other LED flashlights and have NOT always been happy with these products. Some reasons why I like this one more than the others include: 1) price, 2) quality, 3) adjustability of the beam (small bright dense center or wider softer light), 4) includes an extra bulb in the base just in case the first one breaks, 5) you can purchase other types of bulbs, like Xenon, separately if you need them, 5) has good battery life (some lose brightness intensity very fast after a few minute of continuous use. Other LED flashlights have smaller multiple light bulbs and you can't adjust the beam intensity as you sometimes need to do on search and rescue missions. Of the 4 LED flashlights I own, this one is my favorite. It works great in a power outage, for hiking/backpacking (only when using out of the car, a little too heavy for a few night loop), and for search a rescue missions. For the price and quality you can't beat this powerhouse flashlight.
I bought 2 and use one for a polyanna gift exchange we do a Christmas with my husband's family this one was stolen the maximum number of times per our rules (3 times) early on in the game.
"Maglite second-gen LED flashlight deserves a second chance" 2010-09-11
By NLee the Engineer (Nashua, NH)
This Mag-Lite ST3D016 3-D Cell LED Flashlight features the second-generation LED technology by Maglite. You may be alarmed that many of the older Amazon reviews are highly critical about this product. However, please note that the 2nd-gen LED Maglite was not even available before May 2009. That means earlier reviews were all based on the inferior first-gen Maglite LED flashlight.
The 2nd-gen Maglite LED flashlight offers many improvements over the first-generation version:
1. Brighter LED:
The new Maglite uses a Luxeon 'Rebel ES' 3-Watt LED as light source (check my Customer Image to see how it looks like). This LED is significantly brighter, whiter and more energy-efficient than the previous 'Lux III' LED used in 1st-gen Maglite.
2. Improved Heat Sink:
The overheating problem found in 1st-gen LED modules has been solved. That is, the light no longer dims down after just a few minutes of operation.
3. Better Power Management:
The new Maglite maintains constant power consumption of 2W as long as battery voltage is above 3.5V. That means it produces the same brightness whether powered by 3x NiMH cells (3.75V), or 3x alkaline cells (4.5V). When battery voltage drops below 3.5V, the light dims down gradually to conserve power, instead of abruptly drops dead like in 1st-gen. (See my Customer Image for chart of Input Power vs. Battery Voltage)
4. Sharper Focusing:
The 'Spot' mode is now very tight, with hardly any spill over. The 'Wide' mode is more even, without an ugly black hole in the middle. (See my Customer Image for beam shots)
Some other observations:
- Light output of this Maglite 3-D LED flashlight is rated at '104-lumen'. I have no reason to doubt this number, because it is significantly brighter than the Maglite 2-AA mini LED, which is rated at 69-lumen. This claim is also consistent with the spec sheet of Luxeon Rebel ES LED, with the input power at 2W.
- The battery life is rated at '72-hour'. Based on my calculation, a set of three alkaline D-cells should be able to power the light at full power (2W) for 30-40 hours. After that, the light will start to dim down gradually over the course of next 30-40 hours.
The only 'shortcoming' of this 3xD-cell Maglite is its size and weight. It is true that you can find other LED flashlights that also advertise '100-lumen', but powered by just 2xAA or even 3xAAA cells. However, the total energy stored in each D-size alkaline cell is about 7x greater than that in one AA cell. So by using three D-cells instead of two AA cells, this Maglite is able to burn at full brightness for 10 times longer. Most other LED flashlights only provide full brightness initially, when batteries are fresh. Physics don't lie. Marketing people do.
Bottom line:
Don't be discouraged by outdated negative reviews! This 2nd-gen Maglite LED flashlight is a very capable, rugged workhorse. Of course, if you need a more compact unit, then consider the MAGLITE 2-AA Cell Mini-Maglite LED Flashlight instead. It offers the 2nd-gen LED technology, too.
"Great Mag Lite quality, now with an LED" 2008-10-21
By Dragon Speak (USA)
This is the same high quality Mag Lite that has been around for so long, but with a 3 watt led to replace the incandescent bulb.
One would expect a bright white or bluish led light, but a pleasant surprise is that Mag selected slightly yellow LEDs and so there is not an overly blue beam.
The beam throws well, and is a bit brighter than the incandescent.
The battery run time is 5 times as long than before, and while the incandescent gets to half brightness in 90 minutes, it takes 6 hours to 50 percent brightness with this flashlight, with the remainder of the life about 20 hours with usable brightness.
The led is rated at 50,000 hours of life.
Recently my 3 D Mag Lite slipped and fell on concrete head first, with no noticeable damage.
This light is still focusable as before, via turning the head which contains the usual parabolic reflector.
The 4 D Mag Lite seems a bit large and clumsy, but this 3 D is just right. And I have noticed, quite by accident, that no one seems to argue with me when I am holding this particular size light.
To sum up, much longer batter life, brighter, durable, high Mag quality.
A great light.
Shop for price, it can vary from 20 dollars on up.
"For reliability and Peace of mind, this is it!" 2008-02-25
By W. Hill (New England)
My Mom is getting old and lives alone. We live in rural Maine, and the power goes out at least a few times each year. She's willing to spend about 99 cents on a flashlight, and then won't change batteries when the beam gets dim. Since I'm an active guy who loves cool stuff, I know the value of this $25 light beats those cheap junk ones. I bought this one for her so she'll be safer. With LED, the batteries last so long, she'll be able to see whenever she needs it. If she drops it, it will still work. AND the light is powerful white, so it will likely save her an accidental fall or two. What a simple way to lessen risk for an elderly parent on a budget. If you ever NEED a flashlight, you might as well have one that will last, be super bright, and save you money in batteries over its lifetime as well. Considering everything, the price is a great deal!
"MAG Instruments still produce quality." 2008-06-01
By Kyle Weiss (Reno, NV)
I'm not a flashlight expert.
I wouldn't claim to be quite as bright as any products MAG Instruments can produce, either.
What I wanted was a flashlight that didn't cost $150, took standard batteries that didn't cost half as much as the flashlight, a bright LED bulb, and wouldn't break inherently or other silly things, like switches.
MAG Instruments has been making flashlights that have been helping cops and security for years, doubling as a nice skull-cracker and eye-blinder. It's saved countless motorists, bikers and truckers from nights of dead car batteries and flat tires under the crappiest and cuss-induced conditions imaginable.
It's the proper tool for the job, as far as I'm concerned. You can't beat a classic, that is, unless it's an improved classic with an unbelievably bright LED bulb.
Well done, MAG.
Oh and consider getting the 4D model for this reason: "D" sized batteries get sold in 4's. Makes sense, right?
The 3D model is just easier to pocket and stash in the car without sacrificing too much balance and power capacity, if you ask me. Just some ideas, get the right tool for what you need, obviously.
KW
By K. Romeo (Springfield, VA)
After doing exhaustive research on the web for LED flashlights, I decided to give this one a try. I have owned other LED flashlights and have NOT always been happy with these products. Some reasons why I like this one more than the others include: 1) price, 2) quality, 3) adjustability of the beam (small bright dense center or wider softer light), 4) includes an extra bulb in the base just in case the first one breaks, 5) you can purchase other types of bulbs, like Xenon, separately if you need them, 5) has good battery life (some lose brightness intensity very fast after a few minute of continuous use. Other LED flashlights have smaller multiple light bulbs and you can't adjust the beam intensity as you sometimes need to do on search and rescue missions. Of the 4 LED flashlights I own, this one is my favorite. It works great in a power outage, for hiking/backpacking (only when using out of the car, a little too heavy for a few night loop), and for search a rescue missions. For the price and quality you can't beat this powerhouse flashlight.
I bought 2 and use one for a polyanna gift exchange we do a Christmas with my husband's family this one was stolen the maximum number of times per our rules (3 times) early on in the game.
By NLee the Engineer (Nashua, NH)
This Mag-Lite ST3D016 3-D Cell LED Flashlight features the second-generation LED technology by Maglite. You may be alarmed that many of the older Amazon reviews are highly critical about this product. However, please note that the 2nd-gen LED Maglite was not even available before May 2009. That means earlier reviews were all based on the inferior first-gen Maglite LED flashlight.
The 2nd-gen Maglite LED flashlight offers many improvements over the first-generation version:
1. Brighter LED:
The new Maglite uses a Luxeon 'Rebel ES' 3-Watt LED as light source (check my Customer Image to see how it looks like). This LED is significantly brighter, whiter and more energy-efficient than the previous 'Lux III' LED used in 1st-gen Maglite.
2. Improved Heat Sink:
The overheating problem found in 1st-gen LED modules has been solved. That is, the light no longer dims down after just a few minutes of operation.
3. Better Power Management:
The new Maglite maintains constant power consumption of 2W as long as battery voltage is above 3.5V. That means it produces the same brightness whether powered by 3x NiMH cells (3.75V), or 3x alkaline cells (4.5V). When battery voltage drops below 3.5V, the light dims down gradually to conserve power, instead of abruptly drops dead like in 1st-gen. (See my Customer Image for chart of Input Power vs. Battery Voltage)
4. Sharper Focusing:
The 'Spot' mode is now very tight, with hardly any spill over. The 'Wide' mode is more even, without an ugly black hole in the middle. (See my Customer Image for beam shots)
Some other observations:
- Light output of this Maglite 3-D LED flashlight is rated at '104-lumen'. I have no reason to doubt this number, because it is significantly brighter than the Maglite 2-AA mini LED, which is rated at 69-lumen. This claim is also consistent with the spec sheet of Luxeon Rebel ES LED, with the input power at 2W.
- The battery life is rated at '72-hour'. Based on my calculation, a set of three alkaline D-cells should be able to power the light at full power (2W) for 30-40 hours. After that, the light will start to dim down gradually over the course of next 30-40 hours.
The only 'shortcoming' of this 3xD-cell Maglite is its size and weight. It is true that you can find other LED flashlights that also advertise '100-lumen', but powered by just 2xAA or even 3xAAA cells. However, the total energy stored in each D-size alkaline cell is about 7x greater than that in one AA cell. So by using three D-cells instead of two AA cells, this Maglite is able to burn at full brightness for 10 times longer. Most other LED flashlights only provide full brightness initially, when batteries are fresh. Physics don't lie. Marketing people do.
Bottom line:
Don't be discouraged by outdated negative reviews! This 2nd-gen Maglite LED flashlight is a very capable, rugged workhorse. Of course, if you need a more compact unit, then consider the MAGLITE 2-AA Cell Mini-Maglite LED Flashlight instead. It offers the 2nd-gen LED technology, too.
By Dragon Speak (USA)
This is the same high quality Mag Lite that has been around for so long, but with a 3 watt led to replace the incandescent bulb.
One would expect a bright white or bluish led light, but a pleasant surprise is that Mag selected slightly yellow LEDs and so there is not an overly blue beam.
The beam throws well, and is a bit brighter than the incandescent.
The battery run time is 5 times as long than before, and while the incandescent gets to half brightness in 90 minutes, it takes 6 hours to 50 percent brightness with this flashlight, with the remainder of the life about 20 hours with usable brightness.
The led is rated at 50,000 hours of life.
Recently my 3 D Mag Lite slipped and fell on concrete head first, with no noticeable damage.
This light is still focusable as before, via turning the head which contains the usual parabolic reflector.
The 4 D Mag Lite seems a bit large and clumsy, but this 3 D is just right. And I have noticed, quite by accident, that no one seems to argue with me when I am holding this particular size light.
To sum up, much longer batter life, brighter, durable, high Mag quality.
A great light.
Shop for price, it can vary from 20 dollars on up.
By W. Hill (New England)
My Mom is getting old and lives alone. We live in rural Maine, and the power goes out at least a few times each year. She's willing to spend about 99 cents on a flashlight, and then won't change batteries when the beam gets dim. Since I'm an active guy who loves cool stuff, I know the value of this $25 light beats those cheap junk ones. I bought this one for her so she'll be safer. With LED, the batteries last so long, she'll be able to see whenever she needs it. If she drops it, it will still work. AND the light is powerful white, so it will likely save her an accidental fall or two. What a simple way to lessen risk for an elderly parent on a budget. If you ever NEED a flashlight, you might as well have one that will last, be super bright, and save you money in batteries over its lifetime as well. Considering everything, the price is a great deal!
By Kyle Weiss (Reno, NV)
I'm not a flashlight expert.
I wouldn't claim to be quite as bright as any products MAG Instruments can produce, either.
What I wanted was a flashlight that didn't cost $150, took standard batteries that didn't cost half as much as the flashlight, a bright LED bulb, and wouldn't break inherently or other silly things, like switches.
MAG Instruments has been making flashlights that have been helping cops and security for years, doubling as a nice skull-cracker and eye-blinder. It's saved countless motorists, bikers and truckers from nights of dead car batteries and flat tires under the crappiest and cuss-induced conditions imaginable.
It's the proper tool for the job, as far as I'm concerned. You can't beat a classic, that is, unless it's an improved classic with an unbelievably bright LED bulb.
Well done, MAG.
Oh and consider getting the 4D model for this reason: "D" sized batteries get sold in 4's. Makes sense, right?
The 3D model is just easier to pocket and stash in the car without sacrificing too much balance and power capacity, if you ask me. Just some ideas, get the right tool for what you need, obviously.
KW
