G'day All,

At work we're using the rechargeable 1/2 D-Cell Maglites. They give off a reasonable beam (adjustable but usually tightly focussed) and have a convenient cradle for recharging - but the more I think about them the more hopeless they seem to be. I've been using them for nigh on 10 years but only about half work at any one time and down here in Oz getting them repaired or getting spare parts is a nightmare. I've no idea how many lumens they emit.

Would any knowledgeable listers care to suggest what might be the most suitable replacement(s) for that size torch. The replacement must be rechargeable, robust and give off a comparable (or better) amount of light.

Looking forward to your comments.

All the best,

---

Hi there imageo. I could think of some good replacements but what sort of discharge length do you require and how much you want to spend. The wolf R50 is a good gas tight rechargeable 3watt LED
torch which comes straight or angled.I think the standerd maglite is around 60Lumins. check out the link

http://www.wolf-safety.co.uk/torches/rechargeable_torch/ 

---

Thanks for that James,

I might try and get one of those for a trial when I'm in the UK in July. There's also a German brand out which looks half handy:

http://www.ledlenser.com/ 

Has anyone come across these yet ?

All the best

Imageo

---

Hi Imageo

That Wolf lamp James posted the link to is a good lamp, with a decent output (80lm) with the benefit of ATEX approval.

I don't think the LED Lensers are ATEX certified (please somebody correct me on this if I'm wrong), but this may or may not be an issue for you. They are extremely well made. But also rather pricey. I know a few people who've used the LED Lenser P7 (which doesn't imply a P7 emitter 😉 it's about 200 lumen), and they do a 915 lumen one called the X21 which retails in the UK between £200 and £250. Which is a lot of money for 900lm when you can pick things up on eBay with the same claimed output for a fraction of that. But the build quality is way off the mark, and if you're used to Maglite build quality you'll not want to compromise too much I guess.

A little lower down the price scale you'll find Fenix, which I'll admit to selling to am a little biased 😉 However Fenix/Lenser etc., you'll probably find lack the ability to plug in and charge as you do with the rechargeable Maglite, and as the Wolf offers.

---

Thanks for that James,

I might try and get one of those for a trial when I'm in the UK in July. There's also a German brand out which looks half handy:

http://www.ledlenser.com/ 

Has anyone come across these yet ?

All the best

Imageo

Hi Imageo,
I've had one of those since Christmas. I've got a 'T' series 'Hocus Focus' torch. Yep, that's actually what it's called! 😞

It uses 3 x AAA cells. It has a strong beam, much brighter than the Tesco 3W torches we have all been talking about. It states 105lm and I agree with it. I haven't run the batteries down yet so I can't advise the burn time but I don't believe the 120hr burn time it states, the maths simply don't work.
The focus is good, from flood to spot. The spot goes for ever, very tight but the flood has a number of visible rings and a dark shaddow in the centre. It feels very rugged, you could drop it or stand on it without too much worry.
The problem is you have to remove the cells to recharge them like with any normal torch, I don't know if that would be am issue for your purposes.
The beam is slightly yellow compared to the white light of a high power LED like a Q5 or R2, it's actually close to a filament bulb colour.
A down side is the buttom (on the bottom cap) sticks out enough that if you place it end down on a surface, it will come on. I found it a problem when I wedged it into the side pocket of my ruc-sac, it pushed down onto other items and I saw a glow from the pocket and had to carefully re-arrage it.
Hope this helps.

Edit: I think you can pick these up for £20-£25.

Speedy.