Belated Rant - Maglite over heated!

I don't know why I didn't contact them right after it happened but I finally contacted Maglite about my overheating flash light.
If you want to see what happen read what I sent them below.

I still own and use a MINIMAGLITE (odd that the spelling is red lined on a MAGLITE WEBSITE!) as well as the 2-Cell AA version. As a security guard I owned and frequently used several versions of your product. Other than the rubber cap that fit onto the on/off button coming off I found no defects. I had this http://maglite.com/shop/flashlights...maglite-4-cell-d-flashlight.html#.VWdua0a31rk version of your product. After I became disabled I needed to use this flashlight. Since it had sat for so long the batteries were weak. I changed the batteries and turned it on. Instead of the flashlight coming on it became hotter and hotter to the point where I honestly thought it would explode. Thinking it would explode I hurried through my house as fast as I could in my disabled condition, intending to throw it out in my yard before it could explode. As I was moving through my house I was also attempting to unscrew the cap and remove the batteries. Fortunately I did get them out. I was very concerned and never used that flashlight again.
I thought you should be aware of this.
Unless you give me a really good reason too I believe my next flashlight purchase may be a Streamlight.

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I was surprised they did email me back but they wanted to know the serial number and what kind of batteries I used. I got rid of it. Who pays attention. Do you?

Honestly I've owned a couple Maglites but they have never really impressed me as being much better than RayOVac flashlights. Prettier, maybe. But not better.

I have a couple of them I don't use anymore. Everything is now LED and better for it. I carry a penlite Mag lite with a single LED in my shirt daily. With fresh batteries it more than an equal to my 2 cell Maglite or even the three D cell one... with only 2 AA batteries. And it will last for many hours longer too..

Someone needs to come up with a conversion to LED for the older ones.. IMHO

Regards, Kirk

300 H and H said:

I have a couple of them I don't use anymore. Everything is now LED and better for it. I carry a penlite Mag lite with a single LED in my shirt daily. With fresh batteries it more than an equal to my 2 cell Maglite or even the three D cell one... with only 2 AA batteries. And it will last for many hours longer too..

Someone needs to come up with a conversion to LED for the older ones.. IMHO

Regards, Kirk

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Could you let me know about the LED lights? I'm ignorant of them.
Yes sounds like a good idea.

But just now looked them up on Wikipedia they do seem the thing to buy.

When I was an unarmed security guard (even pepper spray wasn't allowed) practically all the guards I knew carried Maglites. They are long and they are heavy and made out of metal. You can guess what (besides a flashlight) they can be used for.
Somewhere I picked up a cheap rechargeable spotlight it was much brighter and since it was rechargeable, I didn't have to keep buying batteries, much cheaper to use.
I don't know why I say "was" I think I still have it somewhere.

I have thought of buying a Streamlight but they are very expensive. Usually all I need is the Mini-Maglite.
I also have a small silver flashlight. It is powered by 4 AAA batteries held side by side in a clip. It is very bright. I can't remember when or where I got it or what brand it is. It doesn't say on it. The cats love it because it also is combined with a laser pointer. My youngest cat knows this and wants to play when I get it out.
It maybe be an LED
The front of it looks much like this picture from Wikipedia.



It has multiple lights in front. It's very bright so maybe it is an LED. From it's looks it may be a brand called "Nebo."
I was surprised how inexpensive the LED flashlights are.

I'm with Kirk!!!!

I have probably half a dozen Maglites around the house and in the vehicles but as they peg out I'm replacing them with LEDs of various sizes. LED flashlights used to be pretty expensive but have got really reasonable over the past couple of years and the batteries last a long time. I especially like the LED headlights.

I have a rechargeable LED searchlight that is really impressive. It's very bright; it'll reach out a couple of hundred yards and it'll easily go a month without needing charged.

Cat, what you pictured is a LED and they are the way to go in the future.

I've converted several AA maglites to led. I think I got the kits from Grainger.

Don't remember how much I paid though. A new light might be cheaper

Jim

Hey Cat, I have a E2D Executive Defender (M413920) that actually did blow up. (Or it came as close to blowing up as it could without actually rupturing the framework.) I had turned it on and it didn't light so I clicked the button a few more times and still nothing. Thinking the battery was dead I tossed the light on the couch and started fiddling with the TV remote.

I heard a high pitched squeal that got louder and louder. I looked aver on the couch and the light had smoke coming out of it. I ran over and swung my hand at it as to knock it off the couch onto the ground. Then in the same motion I kicked it down the hall just in time to have it go POP! And the POP was so loud that my wife ran down the stairs to see what had happened.

The light was so hot that we left it on the floor for about 15 minutes to cool off. The metal didn't rupture but the battery welded itself inside the cylinder and is there to this day. I never bitched to the company although I probably should have. Just never bought anymore of their products.

I have quiet a few flashlights around because we seem to get a lot of black outs around where I live. I have several Maglites and never had a problem with any of them. I lost my penlight maglite a long time ago and never got a new one. I have several small LED lights too, and I do like them better when it is dark, they provide more light than the conventional flashlight.

I've had the 2 AA maglites in all our vehicles for over 20 yrs and have had no problems. I've always changed batts on a regular basis. I do have a 2 AA LED mag in the shop a friend gave me because it wouldn't work. I swapped the LED into an old incandescent style and it works great now.
Mike

squerly said:

Hey Cat, I have a E2D Executive Defender (M413920) that actually did blow up. (Or it came as close to blowing up as it could without actually rupturing the framework.) I had turned it on and it didn't light so I clicked the button a few more times and still nothing. Thinking the battery was dead I tossed the light on the couch and started fiddling with the TV remote.

I heard a high pitched squeal that got louder and louder. I looked aver on the couch and the light had smoke coming out of it. I ran over and swung my hand at it as to knock it off the couch onto the ground. Then in the same motion I kicked it down the hall just in time to have it go POP! And the POP was so loud that my wife ran down the stairs to see what had happened.

The light was so hot that we left it on the floor for about 15 minutes to cool off. The metal didn't rupture but the battery welded itself inside the cylinder and is there to this day. I never bitched to the company although I probably should have. Just never bought anymore of their products.

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That's scary Squerly .
I called Maglite today and told the guy that I wasn't trying to score money from them but thought they should be aware of it.
I also said that I didn't care if they were cheapo batteries, something like that should not happen in a quality product (hey with as much as they cost they should be) and he said he said he would pass it on to the engineering department. He might just have been giving me a line of B.S. but who knows? I did what I could.

300 H and H said:

I have a couple of them I don't use anymore. Everything is now LED and better for it. I carry a penlite Mag lite with a single LED in my shirt daily. With fresh batteries it more than an equal to my 2 cell Maglite or even the three D cell one... with only 2 AA batteries. And it will last for many hours longer too..

Someone needs to come up with a conversion to LED for the older ones.. IMHO

Regards, Kirk

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schazaam

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83ZIa1xHM64"]How to change MagLite Bulb (Or convert to LED!) - YouTube[/ame]

Thanks for the info. I see they even have them for mini-Maglites. I still have one of those I think I will get the LED conversion bulb.