My Maglite
Torches have always been one product my house has been increasingly short of, in that desperate time of need, when the fuses cut, or when I need a trip to the garage at night a torch is never there. I have a few torches none seem to work, all are old and rusty and seem to take some industrial size impossible to find battery. I have always viewed a Maglite as a professional well-built torch. If one was alone in the woods, this is the torch you?d want. One major factor which had always put me off maglite was the price almost £15 for an AA battery torch a medium size. Browsing a local discount chain store, I was shocked at a maglite set for sale, £15 for the medium maglite and its bigger brother the massive 3D battery maglite. The set included a set of good quality batteries (Duracell?s) and a spare bulb for each. I had always fancied a maglite and this offer was too good to pass up. I later saw the same available set on and Internet site for £47.99 and with no mention of batteries. A whole product range can be found at http://www.maglite.com/productline.asp. Mine are the third one down and the fifth one down.

As I arrived home I placed the batteries in the bigger torch and pressed the button. Instantly a dark room was illuminated, the beam was bright and powerful, brilliant white lite (sorry bad pun!). Compared to other torches it is brilliant. Others I have tried fail to even match this, they are weak and limp failing to provide a decent light. If you twist the dial at the front end of the torch the beam will change from wide to concentrated all are brilliant. Even when I shone it through my windows at night it still provides a powerful beam over 100yds up the road

The smaller AA torch
This comes with what?s known and a diamond knurl design. The beam ranges from a spot to a floodlight. The smaller employs a slightly different system you change the beam, this time you have to unscrew the whole head. As you twist it slowly begins to
change the beam?until you screw off the whole head, this can be placed at the bottom of the torch leaving just the bulb, the torch is now in candle mode. In my experiences this can be quite dangerous, for the torch that is, the bulb is attached by two thin pieces of metal, which can bend, however with basic care it shouldn?t pose much of a problem. In the easily unscrew able talecap is stored the second bulb, this is great and saves having to trek out specially to buy one, it is stored in the unit which means it always with the torch if you need to change it when out an about.

Design/Ergonomics/Does it look da business
My medium sized Maglite came in a red and the larger in a black, both look sleek and well built in their metals cases. The red gleams in the lights and the shine of the surface gives a nice feel. The grip strip on each is laser engraved in the metal and does stop it slipping, this was discovered after extensive testing by myself. The torches are made of a tough aluminium composite, and the front and back end use o-ring sealant technology (o-rings are used in NASA Shuttles) this renders the maglite waterproof and truly a piece for the outdoors. All the units are anodised inside and out which improves the corrosion resistance.

Maglite is synonymous with being the in the elite of torches, durable, professional and well built, this was an all American superhero. It is the supplier to many American Special Forces and companies. Also to emergency services around the world and to global names such as Motorola. You can visit the maglite website, for more products, such as personal engraved and different body colours and styles.

The American Dream
To cut a long story short: In the 1970?s Anthony Maglica and Croatian emigrant to America saw a niche in the market. From his own personal experiences he had found that the torches in America at the time simply did perform, so weak and unreliable Anthony Maglica felt the torches w
ere he took it on his own to improve this. His company Mag Instruments was founded from a Los Angeles garage in 1955. Mr. Maglica provided the initial capital for his dream with a personal investment of $125. This was over 20 years before he made his first torch. In 1979, the new Mag-Lite torch was initially aimed at professionals such as police and fire fighters, whose lives and livelihood could often depended on the reliability of their tools. Soon, these servicemen began only using Mag-Lite. Consumers, too, found that for all purposes Maglite was beating the rest

Worth A Buy
I mentioned earlier I used to be put of by the price of these units, however even if you do not find it at the price I did, it is worth buying Even if your existing torch works break it, throw it away anything for such a good piece of kit. As mentioned the light is superb, the units are sturdy and well built with USA workmanship, I think they are guaranteed, maybe for life, but even if they are not this will rarely fail you.
If you visit the maglite website you will find a section devoted to stories of how people have survived with maglites, form the floods in USA to a touching story of how a maglite stopped people in the WTO on 9/11 being buried alive. Will not let you down.

Move over Fido, mans new best friend the MAGLITE.

Ohh! Quite pleased with myself after that who could have thought I could have written so much on a torch, I think I deserve a glass of something.

Thanks For Reading =) :o) ;-)

NB. My review is split between both torches I purchased