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Magicshine Lights
Hi all, anyone out there using the above mentioned lights ? Any feed back would be most appreciated. Thank you.
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I've got 2 of them. Both been working great for over 2 years. I done a couple of night races with them and heaps of night rides. I rate them really well for the price. But, others have had problems with the batteries and it seems very common. I know of at least 4 that have died (batteries that is).
They are a bit heavy running on a helmet and the mount is quite tall. I keep one light and battery permanently fixed to my old helmet and just wear that for night rides. I just charge the battery while its still zip tied to the helmet. For the bar light I have a different mount that clamps up instead of the rubber o-ring and I have taped the battery to the mount. Its much more stable than the o-ring mount.
Magicshine are cheap for a reason though - they are not as light or a bright as more expensive lights and the beam pattern is not as good (tend to have hot spots).
If its your first light purchase and you're not sure whether you need to spend huge amounts on lights, get the magic shines - for $70-80 each, they are good for spares or for mates to borrow when you do upgrade.
I bought some no name ones, same as Magicshine from China 1600lumes for $30. Have had them for about two years without a drama, worth every cent. Dont use them all the time, about once a month in summer.
sadly to say i have china , ride 2-3 times a week all night riding , still going strong after 8-9 months .. buy 4, $30 each . cant go wrong
I have had the Magicshine branded ones plus some other (almost identical) units.
At $50 to $80 they are Good value but not good enough if you're a regular night rider.
Not bad lamp units but I know at least 5 riders plus myself that have had the batteries (sometimes a few) fail within a year.
Reading up on this it's very common.
Mine lamps are now used with quality li ion cells with independent charge circuitry & are charged with a smart charger.
My headlamp is a 1000 lumen HidTech Pygmy Max that has been faultless for three years now.
For fuss free riding go for something proven like that or Ay Ups.
You takes yer pick!
Thank's for your comment's everyone, good advice. I see in the classifieds a set of AY UPs for sale, I've tried to make contact with seller, no luck yet.
Brett
My cheap china light lasted about 20 rides. The light was nowhere near as bright as the supposed 1600lm, and the battery life was okay. For $39, you can't expect too much. I have however spent extra on better quality lights & never regretted it.
Far better quality mounts, beam spread, brightness, battery life, & follow up service. (email responses from manufacturer, unlike China lights)