1. Maglite was and is still late to the LED revolution. Even today, LED-powered Maglites are the minority.
2. Maglite still hasn’t upgraded their light sources even on the non-LED models. They’re using old, old Krypton-filled bulbs when even cheap Brinkmann models have powerful Xenon light bulbs.
3. He continues to manufacture in CA, the MOST expensive state in the US to do manufacturing in.
4. You pay a premium for the Maglite name even over other US made lights.
I don’t feel sorry for him; all of his problems appear to be self-induced.
Streamlight and many other companies make a better light, but I have a great fondness for the 4 cell Maglight I carried when working corrections. You could pop a crazed miscreant in the bean with that sucker and it would really get their attention.
I am in agreement.
Maglites needed to move in a major direction. Either by producing a top of the line high intensity light or moving in the direction of “illuminated weaponry”.
They could have made a flashlight that would have a literal flash mode: generating temporarily blinding pulses of light at night. Or maybe combine their light with a less than lethal weapon.
LED lights suck!