Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

first off lets start buy stating the most important fact about these first gen mags...people who know maglites do not buy them for their "brightness" but rather there outstanding durability to cost ratio.Mags have earned this reputation since day one thus for this reason alone they have still not changed...why change something that isnt broke?they are built like tanks,waterproof,drop resitant,shock resistant and parts are readly available all over the net.upgrade bulbs,lens,seals,switches...you name it.now another very very important fact that i do not see written about or even mentioned.in the event of a long term power outage these D batteries will prove to be more vital...why? beacause when your batteries die simply replace and you are good to go.if your light sources are rechargable you are screwed unless you have a generator.this was proven in 2008 when hurricane ike made its way to ohio with sustained wind gust of 40-50mph winds,knocking out power for 3 days in my kneck of the woods.not only did i have to replace my D's in my 2 cell and 4 cell but if it wasnt for long term stash of batteries i would of been screwed.my Brothers rechargables went bad after two night,caught off gaurd by the winds he only had half a charge on his tactical super bright pieces of trash...no power to recharge.so my point is if you do not need a super bright rechargable,expensive flashlight dont waste your money.i change the batteries in mine every 6-12 months and they are fine.these are lifetime flashlights.both my 2 cell D's are 18 and 19 years old,sharing vehicle duties,hunting,fishing,dog finding and all around general pupose.they are scratched up and look like they been through heck!that is because they have! over the past 3 years i replaced the old krypton bulbls with LED's and made them virtually new and 3 times more bright.they will never be replaced as there is simply no reason to with parts all over amazon.now my 4 cell first generation was upgraded withn LED and a nice new glass lens and it literally illuminates my whole yard.its a beast,heavy,solid and more light than most any person will ever realisticaly ever need.in fact its so bright and useful it acompanis me on all of my hunting trips for the simple reason of long rang beam and excellent flood illumination in the appalachian foot hills were we roam.let me say this again...the 4 cell even with the old fashion krypton bulb is more than most anyone will ever need! if you live in a city with small lots its will illuminate not only your lot but a four lot area.so the two cells being less light and flood illumination is adequate for 99.9% of the general population.right now we live in a time of excess...people always have to have the latest and greates everything...from new phones,cars,computers...maglite still stays true to the old ways of adequate needs that are durable for a lifetime...thus all these review you are reading.so in short mags are realistic in terms of durability and price.