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Product Description
[Remark on Nov 27, 2011]
Amazon has combined the 2-D and 3-D cell versions of Maglite LED flashlights into one product page. The following review was original written for the 3-D cell version. See my other review if you are looking for the 2-D Cell version.==== Original Review follows ====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'. This number seems a bit optimistic to me. Based on energy calculation, a set of three alkaline D-cells should be able to power the light at full power (2W) for about 20 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.[Update on Feb 23, 2011]
I did a comparison between this 3-D Maglite and its 2-D cousin (ST2D096), and found them to be identical in terms of brightness and beam shape. The only difference is in runtime (about 20 hours for 3-D, 12 hours for 2-D). So just pick one depending on your preference in size.[Update on Oct 26, 2011]
A reader informed me that the latest 3-D Maglite is using 3rd-generation LED, possibly Cree XP-E. I just confirmed this at my local Costco. The new package says '131 lumens' (previous one says '104 lumens'), and the LED inside has a square green base (previous one has a rectangular white base).
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