My New Mag-Lite LED XL100 Dayshift and Swing Shift Friendly

A long time ago I did a post on my trusty 3D cell LED Mag-Lite. Anyone who remembers that post can recall how much I endorse the Mag-Lite line of tools. Tough as nails, reliable and of course able to be used as a whacker (hammer). I still use my 3D Mag-Lite almost every day I'm at work and certainly every time I work midnight shift. The light works great but recently I have been looking for something smaller to carry when I'm on day shift or swings and certainly when I'm on a road trip. Ideally something that I could place in my pocket but still throw out some good light.

I started looking at all those little LED lights that you can find at the gas station or Wal-mart etc. As a matter of fact my buddy, Maybe-Maybe< carries one of those little lights and it works fine for him. I could not bring myself to using one of those cheapies at work. I own one that I keep in my car and another as a back-up light, but as a primary light I just can't do it. Maybe-Maybe has told me that he is at a point in his career in that he does not wish to buy any new tools. He claims to be about five years from retirement (yeah right). I am no spring chicken but I also have about another twenty years before retirement so I still want to buy some quality tools.

I like most Aircraft Mechanics am broke!!! So when I got a Home Depot gift card a while back I knew I would waste it all on tools and such. Today while picking up a hose for my refrigerator (it was on MEL), I looked around and saw the Mag-Lite LED XL100. Small, compact, water and drop resistant (hey it is a Mag-Lite!) and its an LED.

The XL100 is 4 3/4" long with a diameter of a quarter. Once I got it unpacked and loaded with the batteries (they came with the thing) I tried it out. To say it is bright is an understatement. The XL100 puts out a nice focused beam which is fully adjustable like any larger Mag-Lite. The light is turned on by a thumb switch on the butt end, sealed of course.

One of the kind of gimmicky things that I don't really approve of is the way the light swithces between "modes". Yes Mag-Lite has jumped on the different modes band wagon, which is kind of sad but I know they have to appeal to more folks than just Old School Aircraft Mechanics. There are 5 modes: DIM (normal), STROBE, NITELIGHT, SIGNAL, and SOS. That would be ok but to switch between the modes you don't turn the little knob/button/switchy/red thing in the photo above like I thought. That thing may look like it is movable but it is not. I had to break open the included written directions to figure this thing out. Basically it is a motion sensitive switch, you hold the light so that the mode you want is at the twelve o'clock position, press the on/off switch and hold it down, in the DIM mode you can adjust the brightness by then twisting your wrist in a counter clock wise or clock wise direction. Ridiculous!!

I'm pretty sure I will never use any mode besides the normal one (DIM??).  Anyway the thing is pretty bright and for that it is doing it's job. I hope to never have to test it's drop test toughability but I'm sure it will happen sooner or later.

I will let you guys know how well it holds up. I hope to never have to read an instruction manual to figure out how to use what is supposed to be a simple tool but I fear the days of simple tools are over. Ahh another post subject....

Happy fixing!!