MagLite - ST3D016 Maglite LED 3-Cell D Flashlight, Black

I really like this line of Maglites, with the black being the ST3D016 model. I bought 4 of them in 2019, with the average price being $26 at the time (black, silver, gray, and camo). I came back today to buy one as a gift and it's $50, so has nearly doubled in price in 2 years! I bought my first Maglite in 1982, 39 years ago, a 4D, incandescent of course, and it's still going strong, upgraded in the '90's to a krypton bulb, then later to LED module. These are 168 lumens, and are simple and reliable. I haven't had any issue with the button covers, but based on other reviews am keeping an eye on that. I considered the ML300L line at a big increase in lumens, but didn't like the form factor, the lighter construction, the finicky multi-button push sequence, the failure rate, or the overall lower ratings. I already have a couple "fry your eyeballs" Surefire combat lights, but just wanted general purpose reliable very bright flashlights for the garage, shed, and bedrooms. I already had two 20 year-old incandescent 3D maglites, which I retrofitted with Maglite LED bulbs about 10 years ago, one of which has already failed, which is irritating, but in fairness it may have been dropped by the person I loaned it to. Those LED upgrades are big improvements over the Krypton bulbs, but not quite as bright as these units. I was amazed at the brightness and throw of these lights. I can easily light up a rooftop or treetop over 150 yards away, plus don't suck up battery life with a bunch of unnecessary brightness. To me these 3D Maglights at 168 lumens are the perfect compromise between long battery life, durability, a light you can maintain yourself without sending back to the factory, and something you can use as an attitude adjuster in a pinch. For the ones I carry in the thug infested part of town when I walk the dog I added a Weltool strike bezel just in case, but ML300L or not, the light is bright enough on it's own to blind anyone. Hopefully the price will go back down after this inflationary craziness dies down (IF it dies down), but even at $50 I can enthusiastically recommend this model. The sole concern I have is if the LED ever fails, because you can't go back to a krypton bulb like you can with the incandescent conversions, so I'll have to pay Mag to have it fixed. That's not likely though I don't think.The other Amazon extras I can recommend are the Weltool hard glass lens (comes with the strike bezel, or you can buy separately and keep the factory bezel), and an Uncle Mikes belt hanger, which is especially useful if you're a cop or security guard or just might need your hands free. Finally, depending on the size of your hands, wrap the beginning and ending of the knurling with about a 1.5" -2" width of hockey tape, which will help you hang onto the light, and is nicer to have under your palm on a cold night. Get one, I don't think you'll regret it.(P.S. To the people that see a black circle at the center of the beam, turn the bezel! These are adjustable from a wide to spot beam, and only the spot and wide spot doesn't have the black center circle. I index mine so that when turned as far as I can to the left, it's a spot. You can tweak that by taking off the head of the light and turning the reflector a quarter turn in the housing then trying again. Repeat until you get it the way you want it.

I have owned many MagLites, beginning years ago when all that MagLite made was incandescent bulb flashlights. I got my first LED MagLite because I had bought another new MagLite 2D Incandescent bulb flashlight shortly before they came out with their 1st Generation LED flashlights.The new LED flashlights were very expensive then, compared to the incandescent bulb flashlights. Since I had just bought a new MagLite, I did not want to spend the money for another flashlight, especially since it was a new, and relatively untried technology. So I bought a Maglite LED Drop-In module (no longer made, but still working great) for my 2D Maglite, at about half the cost of a new LED flashlight. I figured that in doing it that way, I wouldn't be out too much money if I did not like it. Compared to current LED technology, it is pretty dim, and does not have nearly as much flood-to-spot adjustability as the incandescent bulb flashlights, mainly because of the reflector differences between the LED and Incandescent bulbs. And the light color is bluish, rather than yellowish-white like the incandescent bulb light. But, it is noticeably brighter and has a longer "throw" than the incandescent bulb, and the batteries do last quite a bit longer. After using it for a while I was pleased with my purchase.Then a year or so later I bought a 1st Gen. Mini MagLite 2AA LED flashlight, which compared to the 2AA Mini MagLite incandescent bulb like the 2D LED flashlight module compared to the 2D incandescent bulb.Since then I have had at least one of each generation of the MagLite 2D LED flashlights, and the Mini MagLite 2AA LED flashlights. Each new generation is an (overall) improvement in some way over the previous generation, but Mag Industries is still learning how to combine all of the positive advances into just ONE flashlight, IMHO.This is the first 3D Maglite I have owned, and it is an LED Maglite. I hadn't bought 3D MagLites previously because, well, batteries come in even number quantity packs and 3 was an odd number. I bought this 3D MagLite LED flashlight because, while the FL-1 test results were about equal between the current 2D LED (which I have) and the 3D LED MagLite in all other respects, the 3D Maglite LED flashlight is rated at 79 HOURS runtime on alkaline batteries! MUCH more than any other MagLite or Mini Maglite LED flashlight. And in real world usage at the max distances I usually encounter (100-125 meters), the 3D is seemingly brighter than the 2D, even though the FL-1 specs would lead me to think otherwise. The FL-1 tests/specs are a great way to compare flashlights before you buy one, providing you understand what the test results mean, but real world usage is still the final determining factor. So, while the 3D LED MagLite is bigger and heavier than the 2D LED MagLite, and takes an odd number of batteries, it seems to me to be an ideal flashlight for any emergency or unexpected situation, since it provides over 3 DAYS of CONTINUOUS light. And, it could be used as club, as well as to (temporarily?!) blind an assailant. It is an INTENSELY bright, white light, and it has a good spot-to-flood focus range.I would definitely recommend this to others! And, I guess I'll be buying another one, just so I can use an even number of batteries ;-)