Xenon vs. LED?

J

jaymeister99

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Sep 14, 2010
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I was about to upgrade my old Maglite to LED when I considered going to Xenon.

Everything I've read says Xenon are generally brighter than LED. But I can't find any lumen ratings on the Xenon bulbs for the Maglite. The LED's claim 140 lumens. I can't imagine a Xenon being any brighter!

Anybody know which is brighter (on the Maglite)?
 
The xenons are pathetic compared to LED. Then there's the burn out and the battery life. Swerve them.
 
The newer gen LED's are as bright or brighter as Xenon.. Head over to the lighthound and look at what they have. Ditto on what BDII said about batteries.........LED sip the power compared to the Xenon, LED's are also cooler that Xenon when run for the same period of time.

Cerberus
 
2 Brands in particular you should check out:
- 4 Sevens
- Fenix
A Google search will turn both up.
I believe both are Chinese made, but the quality is outstanding, price is great, and they put out a butt load of light for their size.
And what was already said is very true; Xenon lights aren't in the same league as LED's. LED's can be regulated for different modes, run more efficiently for extended battery life, and they never burn out.
Lenny
 
I upgraded my 2D cell Maglight to the Mag LED and it's great! Isn't as bright as my iTP E50, but it sure runs for ever! Still has the same batteries it's had since 2006 or 7 when I got the LED upgrade. I can't seem to find the Mag LED upgrades in stores any more so I'll probably get a Terralux LED upgrade for my mom's 3C Mag. She loves the size and feel of that light so I figure why not make it even brighter and longer lasting.
 
Lenny said:
2 Brands in particular you should check out:
- 4 Sevens
- Fenix
A Google search will turn both up.
I believe both are Chinese made, but the quality is outstanding, price is great, and they put out a butt load of light for their size.
And what was already said is very true; Xenon lights aren't in the same league as LED's. LED's can be regulated for different modes, run more efficiently for extended battery life, and they never burn out.
Lenny
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I must be old school.:eek: Ive been going with Maglites for the last 25 years. After I upgrade what I have now to LED I'm gunna get the XL50 and maybe another couple of AA LED Minimags.
 
jaymeister99 said:
I must be old school.:eek: Ive been going with Maglites for the last 25 years. After I upgrade what I have now to LED I'm gunna get the XL50 and maybe another couple of AA LED Minimags.
Click to expand...

The little modern lights with Cree LED's should be leaps and bounds ahead of maglights. The AA LED maglights are nice for the price, but I think they're somewhere around 60 lumens.

Companies like Nitecore, Fenix, and 4Sevens have great offerings. For about $50 you will get a much more output in a VERY small size. While they are likely made in China, the quality is outstanding. I've carried a Nitecore D10 with a single AA for about 2 years. It has 120 lumen output and is adjustable anywhere between there and maybe 10 lumens. With a lithium battery, it is great.
It's fun to light up a ton of woods with such a tiny light. It really puts the old huge d-cell maglights to shame.


Check out goinggear.com or 4sevens.com for details on the various models, then go to youtube for reviews and comparisons. You really can't go wrong with any of the companies listed above.

I prefer AA because they're widely available. However, I ended up stocking up on lithiums, so I might as well have stocked up on cr123's. With the cr123 lights you get a little fatter diameter and much more light output. If you plan on stocking up on batteries or using rechargeables anyway, these will give you the most bang-for-the-buck.
 
Not even close. The LED i have on my keychain is brighter than my old 2-D incandescent maglite.
 
Those single AAA Preons look like something I've been looking for. I just ordered one with a clicky tail cap. Cool. :thumbup:
 
jaymeister99 said:
I was about to upgrade my old Maglite to LED when I considered going to Xenon.

Everything I've read says Xenon are generally brighter than LED. But I can't find any lumen ratings on the Xenon bulbs for the Maglite. The LED's claim 140 lumens. I can't imagine a Xenon being any brighter!

Anybody know which is brighter (on the Maglite)?
Click to expand...

If you want to stay with M@g just buy a new LED model and forget about the old one. Sometimes these are on sale for 11 bucks. Get the 3D over the 2D and the 2AA is nice as well. I prefer Fenix but when on sale it is hard to beat the M@g. The newer ones come with either a Rebel 90 (I think) LED or Cree XP-E (guessing Q5 bin but who knows). The 3D Rebel/Cree M@g is very bright and throws a beam very far.
 
The Fenix I checked out has a lot of output but they don't last long (at higher power). For an "EDC" carry flashlight that might be great. But I don't "EDC" a flashlight.

The Mini Maglites are for the kitchen draw, My 2D is for the garage. I have no idea where the 6D Mag is! The XL50 will be for backpacking/camping, I need something that will last more than a few hours.

The Maglites have been doing me well for about 25 years. What can I say, they have earned my loyalty. And Maglites are made in the USA. If I can get a quality product made in the USA thats comparable to the foreign, I'll go American (even if it costs a bit more).
 
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Runtimes will probably be in the 1.5-2.5 hour range AT full blast. Most are adjustable. The tricky bit comes with the "interface". There are different ways the light will adjust. My Nitecore is very simple. It turns on where you last left it. I leave it on full blast. If you want it lower, you turn it on and then press and hold the button. Now it starts gradually fading all the way down to very dim. You can stop anywhere in there by just letting go of the button. When you want it back to bright, you do the same push and hold and it will jump back to bright.

I think a flashlight is just as useful as a knife for EDC. Mine goes everywhere. I think maybe you've chosen not to carry one as a flashlight to you is a huge maglight. The little things I'm talking about are not too much bigger than their battery. Not too mention LED's are about impossible to break. Most are very shock resistant, water resistant, etc. I've dropped mine more times than I can remember. It's just fine.

I'd say to give one a shot. Keep in mind the interface/adjustment system. Some seem a little complex, others much simpler.
I got my Dad a Fenix AA model that is TINY and has 2 settings. Turn it on, get something like 120 lumens. Turn it off and on again, get a very usable low setting. It just alternates between those 2. Something like that could go on a keychain even; and be more powerful than a huge maglight.
 
crktm1612m said:
I think a flashlight is just as useful as a knife for EDC. Mine goes everywhere. I think maybe you've chosen not to carry one as a flashlight to you is a huge maglight. The little things I'm talking about are not too much bigger than their battery. Not too mention LED's are about impossible to break. Most are very shock resistant, water resistant, etc. I've dropped mine more times than I can remember. It's just fine.
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Nah, I used to carry a Mag Solitaire on a keychain. Before that I had a Tekna Monolith. IMO it just finally got annoying after about 10 years of carrying it. In that time there was never a single time I absolutely needed it. So no more EDC.

I got a Minimag in the glove box, thats about as close to EDC I'll get.
 
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