ML300L 6-Cell D Flashlight

This is a beast of a flashlight! Measuring in at 19 inches long with 6 D cells in it, not only is it Super bright, it is one heck of a good baton for clubbing an intruder. In the picture is the 6 D cell on the right, the newer 3 D cell Maglite Ml-300l in the center, measuring 12 inches and very bright as well, and in the far left of the picture is a Grey color older model Maglite that uses 3 D cells and an led, but it is not near as bright as these newer models. This one is brighter and much more of a good self-defense flashlight than the others, and this one also adjusts from high to medium to eco power with a quick tap of the power on/off button. It is a great light; I keep it by the bed for protection and it will certainly come in handy if the power goes out because the light will shine for a week on the 6 D cell batteries! Maglite is awesome! The light seems very solid in construction and water-resistant as well. I have always wanted one of these big 6 D cell lights and I love it! Highly recommended!!!

Note first of all that there is significant potential for confusion with respect to the different versions of Maglite LED flashlights with two D-cell batteries. To be certain that you know which version you are getting, it is best to go by the lumen rating, which is 524 lumens for this flashlight, the 3rd generation, ML300L.This is an excellent flashlight. There are "tactical" flashlights that use AA or AA cells, that are as bright, possibly brighter. The advantages of the traditional 2D style flashlight are that (1.) the batteries don't run down as quickly while you use the flashlight compared to AA flashlights (2.) the total cost of batteries is only a fraction of what it is for AA flashlights, (3) the flashlight does not get hot like the tactical flashlights, (4.) the 2D size of flashlight is not so large as to be cumbersome. The 3D and larger lights are cumbersome and heavy in my opinion.(REGARDING THE SMALLER, 2-AA MINI MAGLITE PRO AND PRO+ The 2D 524 lumen flashlight is noticeably brighter than the Mini Maglite Pro - 272 lumens - that I also recently purchased, but the difference is not as great as I anticipated. Part of what motivated me to buy the 2D ML300L was the amazing brightness of that Mini Maglite Pro. I recommend either it or the similar Mini Maglite Pro+, for anyone wanting a smaller, 2AA flashlight that is still amazingly bright. The Pro+ provides two settings so that you can select between max brightness vs. longer battery life, which you cannot do with the Pro. But the Pro+ is ever so slightly less bright than the Pro. Not so much that you would likely even notice.)One potential quibble with the ML300L is the sensitivity of the switch/button, which is more of an electronic switch as compared the heavier electrical switch of the old Maglites. But there is a reason for the switch to be this sensitive: it is needed in order for the flashlight to have the different settings that you select by how many times you rapidly click the button. Nevertheless, it is very easy for the ML300L to turn on accidentally, in the glove box or wherever. This leads me to another notable difference between the new and old Maglites. The cap at the base of the older lights is difficult to screw back on once removed, owing to the stiffness of the steel spring. The spring is not nearly so stiff in the newer ML300L, which is good from several standpoints. For one thing, it is not the least bit of a hassle to simply turn one of the two batteries around the other direction, to prevent the flashlight from coming on accidentally. This is something that I've always done with flashlights, and is one reason that I will not buy any flashlight with 3 cells. When there are an even number of cells and half of them are turned the opposite direction, the voltages cancel and no current flows.There are three brightness settings that you control via the number times you quickly tap the button. If you tap it once and release, you get full brightness; two quick taps gives low, and three gives "eco". But no matter how many times you tap, the light comes on instantly, so you always get the brightest setting for the first fraction of a second. This is a bit annoying, because if you aren't careful you can temporarily blind yourself. This is probably my only significant quibble: it would be better if you had to tap three times to get the brightest setting.Additionally there are four separate modes, one of which is the mode I just described, where you get three brightness settings. The other two modes offer other combinations of functions, i.e., functions associated with single-tap, double-tap and triple-tap. To change the mode, you unscrew the base far enough so that the flashlight does not come on (less than 1/4 turn), then, while holding down the button, you screw the cap back in fully and continue to hold down the button. While you hold it down, the flashlight blinks once then pauses for a few seconds, then blinks twice then pauses for a few seconds, then does this again with three blinks and finally with four blinks. You release the button during one of the pauses, and thereby select one of the four modes. The default mode, Home, gives you the three power settings. In the Outdoor mode, the eco power setting is replaced by the strobe setting, where the led flashes at a rate of 12 blinks per second. In Law Enforcement mode and also Tactical mode, the 1-click operation is replaced by momentary operation, i.e., the light is on only while you hold down the button. The 2-click operation in Law Enforcement and Tactical is the full power setting. In Law Enforcement mode, the 3-click operation is the eco power setting, while in Tactical mode, the 3-click operation is the strobe.All in all, this is an excellent flashlight, with a lot to like and very little to grip about. Without question it is one of the best flashlights you can purchase today. You can go spend a hundred dollars or even two hundred dollars on a little 2AA or 4AA tactical flashlight, but if you actually use it, you are going to be buying a lot of AA batteries. I spent some time researching the other lights, including the other Maglites, and I concluded that this is best all around. After playing around with the flashlight, I went back and read up more on "tactical" flashlights, and I am even more convinced that the 2D ML300L was the best choice. Just be careful about the potential to blind yourself when you first turn it on. And when leaving the flashlight in the glove box or trunk or wherever, either remove the batteries, or turn one of them around, or put a piece of cardboard or plastic between the battery and the spring. (Don't use tape for this - the glue will leave a residue.)

Good all-around flashlight. Runs a lot of hours even on the brightest setting. Brightest setting lights up the whole back yard. Can be pointed at a white ceiling during a power outage to act as a lantern. Can run an hour or two with NiMh rechargeable AA's in AA to D adaptors. I use the Panasonic eneloop as they can be charged a lot of times and hold their charge extremely well. They are good for everyday use, which is usually only a minute or two, and after a month or two they would need recharging. In case of camping, hiking, caving, hurricanes and other extended usage, it would be time to break out the D-cells.Also, this is not your grand-daddy's Maglite. The walls are thinner, the flashlight weighs less (doesn't make as good a club though!), the spring is shorter on the tail piece (a big improvement - a pet peeve with the old Maglites was trying to get the end of flashlight back on after changing batteries - the pressure on the spring was overkill by about a factor of 10 or 20 - this one is just right). The head rotates only a quarter turn, but makes a range of patterns. There is no 'hole' when the light is spread out, and it does not focus into as tight a spot as the old ones, but as it is so much brighter, it doesn't matter. This 3-D cell on the medium setting is about equal to an older 6-D cell Maglite with a Xenon or halogen bulb!If you shine this on something white from a couple of inches away, on the highest setting, and look at the brightness for a second or two, you can see the after image when you blink for about four or five minutes, like having looked at a camera flash when it went off!Best Maglite ever!

Maglite have always made great products, and this one falls in line with all others. Very sturdy, bright, well balanced, simply just a great flashlight. My wife loves this flashlight due to the fact that if she was to use it as a blunt instrument while she takes her walks, it would do some damage.

The old spring-loaded clink-clack of the older Maglite models is gone. This model has a refined button that feels less clunky, and quite good. The quality is still there, and it the brightness is good for indoor use. After three decades of buying 3-Cell models, I got priced out of the market and tried a 2-Cell.My only complaint, and the reason it lost a star, is that all of the proclaimed functions/modes really aren't useful, and I couldn't even figure out how to go through them all. It seems like unnecessary fluff. What little computer chip is controlling that, and will it be the thing that fails over the long run? Keep it simple, Maglite. No one needs 12 modes for a flashlight.Also, it really has only two beam types. You give it a little quarter-turn of the head, and the beam widens slightly. It doesn't have the variety of beam that you have come to know from other Maglite products.