Smitty Two wrote:
clifto wrote:
Even when my latest was one week old, the light would go on and off
when I loosened the end cap.

OK, finally got back to this. I have four AA mini-mags and one AAA
mini-mag. None of them exhibit this symptom. They all stay lit
consistently until the very last thread disengages. I rely on these
flashlights frequently and have never, ever, had any kind of reliability
issue, and have never had to do any maintenance to them.

Haven't had much experience with that size. I have one somewhere, I bet
it works passably well (*possibly* after messing with the end cap).

I also checked my two 3-cell D-cell mags. They have anodized threads and
a non-anodized contact circle between the end cap and the body, so they
*do* need to be snug to work.

Those are the ones we used most often. There was the occasional 3C or 4D
or 2D, but the 3D were the workhorses.

Apparently you and your colleagues are working in some sort of corrosive
environment, or perhaps the lube you're using is corrosive to aluminum?

No to both. As I mentioned, even the factory-new lights were intermittent
in a week or so. I've tried Singer Sewing Machine Lubricant (light grease)
and DeOxit pretty much exclusively.

None of this is to imply that I would ever stop being a repeat purchaser
of MagLite. But I buy 'em warts and all.

--
If you really believe carbon dioxide causes global warming,
you should stop exhaling.