MAGLITE ST2D016 2-D Cell LED Flashlight, Black

Product Details

Product Reviews

(5 stars) - Big Improvment from Icandescent!
I have a 4D incandescent Mag Lite and I have used it dependably for years. I have always been happy with its performance and durability. I bought this flashlight because I was looking for something smaller with class Mag dependability. Man I love this thing! It is super bright and has the same rugged design. I use it regularly and I am not only enjoying the ease of carry as compared to my 4D but the increased visibility it provides me with. I highly recommend this light.

(5 stars) - The Standard for Flashlights
Flashlights have some die hard enthusiasts, and I do not count myself among their ranks. I purchased this flashlight knowing that Maglite is generally the standard for powerful and rugged flashlights. This was my first LED flashlight and I am very impressed by the intensity of the light that it throws and the distance that it can throw it. I did notice that when you adjust the beam you do get some "rings" in the light, but they did not have any effect on the satisfaction I have with the light. It isn't anything much worse than the old bulb-based light I upgraded from. The unit is very solid and has some heft in it just like all Maglites do, which is something that I appreciate. I am very happy with this purchase and would recommend this light to anyone who wants a good, solid flashlight and doesn't really care about spending a lot of money to get the best that money can buy.

(5 stars) - Great flashlight
I've owned a number of Maglite products. This one is by far the best with it's LED light source.

(5 stars) - Gift to my parents
I've always loved Maglite flashlights, more so because I am an avid trekker. But this one was a small gift for my parents back in India. With frequent power cuts, we've always scampered around for batteries or a good flashlight - right when we needed it the most. With this maglight - we have 1 less thing to worry about. Sturdy design, good angle of light, simple to use. My dad is happy to use it.

(4 stars) - Mystery of "DL" Models Solved (Almost)
This is a follow-up to the issues raised in the review by Diemaker67 ("Yes but") posted on March 21, 2009, concerning US/non-US models and models with serial numbers starting with "DL". I've had many exchanges of e-mail with Maglite customer service. With the exception of one issue, I now have solid information which should clear things up a lot. Here goes.

(1) US/non-US Models. Units for US/non-US distribution are identical.

(2) Warranty. Units sold in the US, and in other countries, are covered by a "limited lifetime warranty". Units sold in *some* countries are sold with a *10 year limited warranty*. Maglite says that's only because business regulations in some countries do not permit a "limited lifetime warranty" to be offerred. Units being sold in the US with a "10 year limited warranty" are not grey market goods. Apparently some units are packaged with the incorrect inserts. Maglite will honor the "limited lifetime warranty". Since 10 years is a long time, this is really an academic issue. If you read the warranty, the LED is not covered, and that's the part that's most likely to go (except for the switch, maybe).

(3) "DL" models. "DL" does NOT indicate non-US models. Turns out there are two generations of LED models. The first gen ("D" models) have a replaceable LED. It has a spare krypton bulb in the tail cap. The second gen ("DL" models) have a non-replaceable LED and therefore does NOT have a spare bulb in the cap.

(4) Brightness. Maglite says there is no difference in brightness between first gen and second gen. However, if you Google "Maglite LED DL", you will find different information. Turns out there are geeky forums and blogs dedicated to flashlights. They call themselves "flashaholics". According to a couple of detailed posts, the second gen LED is much brighter than the first gen LED. In fact, there are a couple of posts that says a second gen light running on 2-D cell batteries (Sorry about all these D's, but bear with me. I'll also refrain from making wisecracks about DD's :-)) is much brighter than a first gen light running on 3-D cell batteries. Besides the improved LED, the reflector bowl has been redesigned. I can personally vouch for this. I was impressed enough with this light that I decided to order another. Amazon was selling the 3-D cell model for $6 less than the 2-D cell model, so I bought the larger one. Surprise, surprise, it's dimmer. Turns out it's a first gen model. Maglite says this should NOT be dimmer, and, if I mail it to them, they will check it out. But I need to pay to ship it out. There's no point in paying almost $10 to ship out a $21 unit.

Note added: The first gen is the same as the incandescent, except it has a removable LED module which can be swapped with the standard bulb. But this means that the light is not optimized for an LED, which has different optical properties. The second gen has been redesigned specifically for an integrated LED. That probably explains the improved performance, even though they are both rated for 3 watts.

5) How do you know what you are getting. Not easily. The only way to tell for sure if you have a second gen vs first gen is by looking at the serial number. First gen starts with "D"; second gen starts with "DL". However, if you order by mail, you obviously can't do that. Also, since they are blister packed, it's hard to do that in a store as well.

If you read some of the geek posts, there are some subtle differences in size and packaging. Note added: Compared side-by-side, the second gen has a deeper and shiner reflector bowl. If you look at the LED (turned off of course!) there also is a difference. All this is moot, of course, if you are ordering online. Even in a store, it's hard to tell because they are blister packed. And you have to know in advance what you look for.

But Maglite decided not to make an announcement of "New, improved, second gen" or anything of the sort. No explicit label on the package. I asked Maglite when second gen was introduced. No answer. From a web search, it appears to be recent, last two months or so. Second gen 2-D cell is definitely out. Not sure of availability of second gen 3-D cell and 4-D cell sizes. So there will be mixed inventory on store shelves and online warehouses. I think this is a mistake on Maglite's part. Customers like to know what they are getting. I guess this avoids clearance sales on first gen units. But remember, they insist there is no difference in brightness,so there is no need for an announcement. I think though that people would still want to know about the non-replaceable LED. And, if second gen does in fact have improved performance, I would think that would be a great selling point. But I'm an engineer, not a marketing guy.

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