Mag Instrument's top of the range model. (Magcharger Maglite Rechargeable Flashlight System)

Member Name: myonlinestuff

Product:	Magcharger Maglite Rechargeable Flashlight System
Date:	11/06/09 (111 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Brightness, reliability and quality.

Disadvantages: Price and on time, it only lasts two hours per charge.

I had to get this added to the catalogue to tell you all about it! I could be wrong but if you have ended up here reading a review about this Maglite the chances are you already know what a Maglite is and are wondering how to justify the price of this one.

Maglite is an American company (We won't hold that against them!) and they manufacture what is in my opinion the best flashlights in the world. They are used by security personnel and police officers worldwide.

All flashlights in the Maglite range are manufactured from aircraft aluminium, anodized inside and out and are very durable. The MagCharger is only available in black, is the same diameter as a "D" cell Maglite and is more or less the same length as a 3D Maglite. It is distinguished by the two silver rings below the switch which are for connecting to the charging cradle and allow the torch to be inserted in any orientation with the connection still being made.

Charging time is sixteen hours from flat, the battery is 2.5 "D" cells in length and is a NiCad battery. I can't help but think that the charge time and on time of up to two hours could be improved by the use of newer battery technologies. The charging cradle comes with two fixing brackets and is easily removed, it also comes with both a mains charger and a car cigarette lighter connection.

Unlike all the other flashlights in the Maglite range this one uses a halogen lamp which is very bright, the largest Maglite available is the 6D which is almost half a meter long and outputs 30k candle power.... the Magcharger has an output of 40k candle power and is the brightest in the range by some way. As with all Maglites there is a spare lamp in the tail cap underneath the spring.

The beam from the torch can be adjusted from spot to flood with a quarter turn of the head, I'm not sure how far the beam reaches but set on spot it is clearly visible from a long way and set on flood it lights up my entire back garden!

When you get your Magcharger make sure you have a read through the manual.... I know you don't want to but it has some important information about how to get the best from your flashlight and it's battery like how to protect from battery conditioning. It also suggests that you use some petroleum jelly (Vasaline) on the O rings to stop them from drying out as if they do they will crack and your Maglite will no longer be waterproof. I find that applying a small amount to the threads also helps keep them turning freely.

To finish this review there are two things left to mention, the first is that the Magcharger has a ten year warranty, excluding battery and lamps. The second is the price... it is on sale around the £100 mark which is a lot of cash but when you weigh up the cost of a cheaper torch every few years and the batteries it will go through I think it works out at more than reasonable.

Summary: Bite the bullet, it's worth the money.