Customer Reviews

MAGLITE SP2209H 2-AA Cell Mini LED Flashlight with Holster, Gray

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I'm am very happy to report on the next generation of the 2 AA Mini Maglite LED flashlight. Mine is gray, model #SP2209HJ.

Where the older style of the Mini Maglite LED has a larger head than the incandescent version and no hole on the tail cap to attach a lanyard, with the next generation Mini Maglite LED, we see the return of the smaller head so the rubber rim for the face cap fits as well as the lenses of the accessories pack. The hole to attach a lanyard is back in the tail cap.

It measures 1/2" longer than the incandescent version.

The holster still doesn't have the Velcro flap and is a tighter fit than my Velcro-flapped holster, but then, that applies to the current incandescent Mini Maglite's holster, too. I guess Mag changed the design to save on production costs.

Although the corona isn't quite as bright or quite as white as the 80 lumens Duracell Daylite 2 AA LED flashlight that I bought at Walmart for $5 more at the same time, the hotspot is brighter and the overall diameter of the beam is broader than the Daylite's. I like the Mini Maglite LED much better, not only because the beam is broader, but also because it weighs less, is narrower and shorter, and doesn't have a push-button on the tail cap.

I'm VERY pleased with the Mini Maglite LED because it has settings for 100% power, 25% power, blink, and SOS that is definitely good for signaling for help whether by a lost hiker or a survivor of a natural disaster or other emergency situation. Just twist as usual to turn on, then twist off & on again to sequence to the other modes.

What that does to those who prefer one of the tail cap push button modifications, I don't know. I prefer to twist it and can do it easily with one hand.

At the 25% power level, designed for reading at night or saving the batteries during prolonged emergency use, instead of lasting for hours of continuous use as on the 100% setting, the package says that fresh batteries will last for days. I haven't tried to run down a pair of batteries through it to see how long they'll last, but it makes sense because any of the brighter LED flashlights go through batteries faster than those producing fewer lumens.

All in all, I think Mag did this version of the Mini Maglite LED right and hope they do as well when they upgrade the Solitaire to LED.

[Updated on 8/31/09 - I tested the battery life with a pair of fresh alkaline batteries at 100% power and a second pair of fresh alkaline batteries at 25% power.

Continuously on at 100% power, it dimmed and started flickering at 116 hours (4 days, 20 hours) until it went out at 117 hours.

Continuously on at 25% power, it started flickering at 192 hours (8 days) and went out sometime during the next 6.5 hours while I was asleep.]

I have the 2 cell AA LED Mini Maglite, and I love it. But let's clear up some misconceptions about what this little gem is and isn't. In the dark, this is a bright, capable flashlight that illuminates a wide area. Unlike Maglites you may be used to, the beam can't really be focused. Yes, if you point it towards the ground at your feet, you can see the beam converge. At five yards out, it doesn't really matter, it's an area light no matter what.

If you are looking for a solid area light that doesn't take up a lot of room and has long-lasting battery life - wait no more, this is your flashlight! Go buy it right now.

If you are looking for something to replace a SureFire or StreamLight, keep looking. This flashlight just isn't in the same league of brightness. Yes, it's rough and tough and for a small flashlight it is very bright for close tasks. If you are looking to light up chunks of real estate at night, then you are better off with a SureFire.

A couple of words of warning about this light compared to the "regular" halogen - it is a larger flashlight. In diameter it is the same, but in length it is about one inch longer. And since the LED is supposed to be indestructible, there is no spare in the cap.

I carry this on my belt with the included holster, though I pray to God Maglite wakes up and gives us a holster that LOCKS closed. Would it kill ya to give us six inches of nylon and velcro to hold the blessed thing in place, Maglite?

BOTTOM LINE : A solid, dependable light that is excellent for small areas or enclosed spaces. After all, it is a Maglite. Only six inches of fabric and velcro keeps this from being the best LED flashlight for any amount of money.

I repair industrial equipment in a large production facility, and I use this light several times a day. This lamp is the best combination of power, size, price, and strength out there. It puts out a powerful pure white light, and can be focused! When the batteries start to run down, the lamp starts going off and on to remind you to change them. The color is a real pretty silver gray.

I have been a converting Maglites to LED flashlights for a couple of years. Mainly it was to have a working flashlight when I needed it, but the savings on bulbs and batteries was a nice bonus. The conversion kit was usualy more than the cost of the original Maglite. This Mag Instrument LED flashlight is about twice as bright as the Maglite/conversion kit and allows me to focus the beam.

This is a very bright light, much brighter than the older incandescent Mini Maglite and very much brighter than a single-LED flashlight I have from Brinkmann and a 9-LED light from Harbor Freight Tools. The illumination pattern is also much smoother, and I like that you can adjust it by rotating the head of the flashlight (although the range of adjustment is fairly limited compared to the incandescent version). I also like the cool white color of this flashlight.

It is advertised as being a 3 watt LED, so being an engineer, I had to measure it. It draws 370mA of current at 3 volts, so that's more like 1 watt of actual power dissipation. I guess they rate it compared to the amount of light that would be put out by a 3 watt incandescent bulb. By the way, my old incandescent bulb version of the same Mini Maglite draws 300mA of current, so don't expect more battery life from the LED version. My Brinkmann and Harbor Freight Tools flashlights draw around 50-60mA, so their batteries will last a lot longer at the expense of much less illumination. If you're concerned about going through batteries, you can use NiMH rechargeable batteries.

Overall I'm very impressed with this little light. It's a bit longer than the incandescent version but I haven't found that to be a problem.

UPDATE 1/11/09: As expected, my first set of batteries lasted about 8 hours. There is no warning when they go. The light just suddenly goes out. It might go off and on several times as the battery voltage hovers around the minimum necessary to keep it lit. At first I thought there was a loose connection. I was out hiking on a cold night when this happened, and I was able to get another 20 minutes of life by warming the flashlight inside my pocket for a few minutes. I still stick by my 5-star rating as you get a much brighter light with batteries that still last as long as in the older incandescent version of this flashlight.
Comment

While MagLite has a long history and a storied reputation for its lights, it was slow to convert to LED lights and the performance of some of its early models was not exemplary. MagLite has updated its 2 AA SP2209H light with two very important features, which make this light a very good choice for many users:

- It now has multiple "modes" - standard brightness, 25% brightness (for long battery life), flashing blink-mode and SOS. This gives a lot of flexibility in using the light in situations where you don't need (or want) the full brightness, or want to extend the battery life.

- An improved LED, reportedly a Luxeon.

The packaging for this light emphasizes the new features - "New Performance Enhanced LED", and "New Multi-Mode Electronic Switch" - so be sure to look for that when you buy a light to be sure you get the current version. (The Amazon product image shows this text if you zoom in.)

A couple of other positive points:

- The 2 AA size gives a good combination of portability and relatively long life (as AAs have much more capacity than AAAs, enough for most uses with the more efficient LED bulb).

- Like most MagLites, there is some ability to focus the beam, which adds to the flexibility of this light.

This isn't, perhaps, the ultimate flashlight There are lights with LEDs that a more efficient or a lot brighter. Hardcore flashlight aficionados will want to do the research to get that increment of performance from a light. But for most people, this is a very good choice and the fact that it's widely available is a big plus.

Finally, MagLite made these changes about a year ago. So reviews here that are more than a year old won't completely reflect the current version of this light. Focus on the comments in more recent reviews.

This flashlight is well made and a definite upgrade over incandescent flashlights. However, as far as LED lights go, this isn't very bright. The Duracell Daylite flashlights seem like they put out almost twice the brightness, and its flood beam is way brighter than the Mag's.

Mag has been traditionally a reliable tool, however, they're definitely losing their edge with the introduction of the LED.

Are you listening Maglite? I want you to do well since you're Made in USA and China is beating you at your own game. This Maglite with LED blows away the ones with conventional bulbs - don't even bother with the old school bulbs. This model lacks the power of the Fenix LD20 but does come close, but then, the Fenix is about $55 vs this Maglite which is under $20, and I think I got mine for $12 during a Christmas sale at a box store. Cons: It has no clicky ON button, you have to turn the head. In practical terms, this means you need two hands to operate it. Not always feasible. The tube/grip is incised for a better grip, but these incisions are so shallow they are just for show. The incisions should be deeper to afford a better grip, like on an olympic barbell, or like on the Fenix. Maglite needs to add some ribbing or something to give a better grip. I tightly wrap some rubber bands around mine for something to hold onto. The grip on the turning head can be improved as well. It has no hole for a lanyard which I find annoying and could have been engineered in for about 5 cents per unit. The head is cylindrical, which means it can easily roll away from you (I think they sell a plastic octagonal shaped edge that can go over the head and fix this problem). The beam is not as smoothly graduated as the Fenix, and the Maglite has more artifacts than the Fenix. However you only really notice this when shining it against a white wall for test purposes. The head comes off to expose the lit bulb at its brightest for use as a lamp of sorts. The strobe feature is a slow strobe better to attract help and the slower strobe ostensibly lasts longer, whereas the Fenix is a rapid disorienting strobe better for shining in an intruder's eyes. All in all, when cost is taken into consideration, this light is a great value compared to the Chinese made Fenix. I prefer the Fenix but I would rather have 3 of these Maglites than 1 Fenix at the same cost.

Maglite is finally catching up with other flashlight manufacturers with these new LED lights. This is a very bright flashlight and when you use it in the darkness it shines like a reflector and you feel like there must be a much bigger powerplant hidden somewhere in that small package. The light can't be perfectly 100% focused like the other regular Maglite flashlights, but I'm still amazed how close they got, which makes this stick out from other LED flashlights which usually don't have any focusing options. To do this they increased the reflector (head) size so this feels just a bit bigger in your hands than it's older AA brother. Still, with the amount of light it sheds, it is a top performer.

Five stars for the 2nd gen. 3 stars for the 1st gen. However, when buying at Amazon, right now you don't know which you will get.

On the same day, I put in an order for a red mini-mag (for my wife) and a blue mini-mag (for me). Hers is 2nd gen -- dim light, blinking light if you off/on fast plus a lanyard connector on the end cap. Mine i sa 1st gen -- just a light.

I was planning for mine to go sailing but without the lanyard strap it's a no go. I do have it in my tool box as it is great when working in dim-lit space.

Still -- I'd love to know how to buy one at Amazon that I could be sure was 2nd gen.