I had to replace at least two due to this fact: the battery compartment hopper is the part of the light that's attatched to the keychain. It's so easy to unwind and open, that after all that jiggling your keychain does, it comes off very soon. Sometimes I'd remember to check it, and sometimes, I'd be left with just the cap and no light in sight. Also, this light is a battery thirsty little devil. After a good half hour of on/off use here and there, that little light becomes a pale friend. Terrific.

So, that said, is this light recommended? Yes-if you have a fresh new extra battery on you (in the car, or your purses...ladies), and if you check the battery knob every few days and tighten it regularily. Mean it.

Take care of your Solitare, or it's lights out.

Fragile and dim (Rating: 1.00)
Review : These are cheap, but the bulbs are very dim and prone to breaking. I'd carry one in my pocket, but every time I came to use it I'd find that the bulb had gone. There are much better lights out there - some of the best are made by ARC.

Not easily improved upon! (Rating: 4.00)
Review : I bought a MagLite solitaire and a 2 D-cell (both black) for my dorm room in college, last september. Both flashlights are running on the original batteries, although the D-cell has seen more use and needs a change :-D This flashlight is wonderful for the price, bright, waterproof and tougher than heck! The anodized aluminum body resists chipping and rust.. which is your humble reviewer's only gripe. The small size of the flashlight may tempt a user to put it in his mouth for hands-free operation. While this works wonderfully (though may taste a bit odd) I would recommend putting a piece of tubing over the body of the flashlight to prevent wearing down or chipping the teeth. My only other advice is, you get what you pay for in batteries too, so feed your maglite good ones and you will see the difference. Beyond that I'd say this light is just about perfect in terms of small flashlights.

Well built, but useless (Rating: 1.00)
Review : The Solitaire is relatively well built, but the poor beam makes it useless. Its not bright even with fresh batteries, and it QUICKLY dims. There is almost no sidespill, even when adjusted to wide beam. It eats up batteries, and has very poor beam quality.

This is the only Maglite model that I rate as below satisfactory. It flat out fails.

There are better options out there. Arc flashlights are very bright for their size, reliable, and have a good beam. They use LED bulbs that never burn out. Plus, they are semi-regulated so that they maintain their brightness for longer periods than the Solitaire. Other pocket lights worth looking at are Photon Microlights and the CMG Sonic (both use LED bulbs). Shop around, decide what works best for you and is in your price range.

That said, I cannot recommend the Mag Solitaire regardless of price. Its poor beam and dim output make it all but useless.

If you buy, hope like hell yours doesn't break! (Rating: 1.00)
Review : 3 weeks ago, I contacted Maglite for a replacement switch for my 4-D flashlight, in which the switch failed. The customer service rep asked me for my serial number, which I gave her and she assured me that I could get a replacement switch. I gave her my name and address and she said that a shipment had just gone out, and it would be in the next shipment. That was fine with me. Days turned into weeks. Still no part. More days went by. STILL no part in the mail.

Hmmmm. Is this how long time customers are treated? I previous owned a variety of their flashlights, from an AAA Solitaire to a 5-D flashlight, at least 5 in total. My dad has purchased in the neighborhood of 15 or more himself, starting in about '86 when someone else turned him onto Maglites.

Customer support is as important to me as the product itself. Has customer support become a casualty of a tough economy?

This long-time customer will have to look at alternatives the next time he's buying a flashlight.