16 out of 16 people found this review helpful.
Maglite Solitaire - still a great product
Date of Review: Jan 21, 2004
The Bottom Line: I would buy the Solitaire again. It is a great tool and well worth the price if the Photon II is too small or not durable enough for your needs.
I know, I know - this is 2004, for Pete's sake. The Maglite Solitaire is obsolete, out of date, too large, too clumsy, too dim. The only "mini" or "keychain" flashlight for people in the know these days is a Photon II Microlight - right? Smaller, brighter, longer battery and bulb life - what's not to love?
Answer - absolutely nothing. The Photon II Microlight is a great product. I owned an original Photon, bought it from an "impulse buy" counter display. I played with and and loved it as a toy - I got a kick out of amazing people with the brilliant, bright white light it produced. But as long as it only had a momentary contact switch, it was just a toy to me, I left my Maglite Solitaire on my keychain. Of course, I searched the web on a regular basis, and when the Photon II came out with a "real" slide switch option, I didn't wait to find a local store. I immediately ordered a Photon II for myself, my wife, my mother-in-law and a couple of close good friends. (I palmed my original Photon off on a slightly less close good friend...)
I still have my Photon II on my keychain, and I insist that my wife keeps hers on her keychain, and I still absoltely love the Photon II. It is an incredible product, a GREAT value, and certainly the preferred "keychain" flashlight for most people. It's tiny size and tiny weight are a real benefit in the pocket (or purse) - and given the cost and complexity of replacing the ignition switch in your car, you really want to limit the amount of weight you have hanging on your ignition key all of the time. Add to that the incredible brightness of the light and the durability and longevity of the bulb and battery, and it becomes clear that the Photon II was a revolutionary flashlight.
So why am I writing a positive review of the Maglite Solitaire in these "enlightened" days? Well, I just needed a flashlight for some "midnight" prowling of the bedroom without waking my wife. I needed a light that was "small" enough and "directed" enough that it wouldn't bother her - but was bright enough so that I could find some fairly small objects. My Photon II was a flight of stairs away, hanging on my keychain. My "emergency" light was too big for the job. Then I remembered my Solitaire - dropped in a drawer years back when I took it off the keychain in favor of the Photon II.
I pulled the Solitaire out of the drawer and turned it on. The light came on immediately, albeit a little dim. After a couple of seconds the alkaline battery seemed to wake up. The beam got stronger, brighter and whiter. I focused it to a "narrow" beam and proceded to search for (and find) the parts I needed.
Using the Solitaire again reminded me of all the reasons I enjoyed owning it - reminded me of what a useful, well-crafted tool it is. Well worth the $9.95 I paid for it years and years ago.
I bought my Solitaire years before the Photon II was available. Back when I bought my Solitaire, LED meant red or green and (relatively) dim.
My Solitaire immediately went on my keychain and stayed there for years. It was not treated gently or kindly, as is obvious when you look closely at the anodized aluminum body. It rattled around in my pocket, in toolboxes, or any place I happened to toss my keys.
That's right - toss. My keys were tossed, thrown, dropped, kicked, stepped on, etc. I am not a graceful or delicate person. I like things that don't require me to treat them carefully. I fidget - I play with things. My Solitaire has been pulled apart and put back together over and over again, strictly for my own amusement. I would sit in meetings or presentations and play wiht my Solitaire - something to fiddle with as a speaker would drone on, and on, and on, and on...
My Solitaire has been dropped in water. It has been covered with gear oil. It has been used, misused and abused beyond any reasonable - or unreasonable - expectation. I think I have changed the AAA battery a total of five times over the years. The original bulb is still installed and working great - the original spare bulb is still tucked away in its hiding place under the battery contact spring - still unused.
Another reviewer complained that the Solitaire beam was not very bright even with a new fresh alkaline battery - and that it quickly dimmed even further to a weak, yellowish, virtually worthless beam. That has NOT been my experience. While my Solitaire is not as bright as larger Maglites - or a Photon - it is still plenty bright enough for most "emergency" or small minilight jobs.
I have, as previously mentioned, used the Solitaire to find things in a dark room where someone was sleeping. I have used it to find things under our waterbed. I have used it to read the tiny part numbers or serial numbers on chips on the motherboard of a PC - in a dark case, under a desk. I have used it to follow unfamialiar paths through the woods on dark nights. I have used it countless times to find elusive car door locks, or house locks.
One memorable dark and stormy night, I used the Solitaire to change a tire on a road that has since been frequently in my nightmares. This particular road leads up to Hat Point (7000 feet up) and overlooks Hell's Canyon (7900 feet down) for a combined drop of almost three miles. The road is laughing called gravel - it is actually covered with "pit run" - rocks the the size of your fist with many sharp edges. The road is about one and a quarter lanes wide with NO shoulders - on one side it is straight up and on the other side it is straight DOWN.
The person I was riding with was much less prepared for an emergency than I might have hoped. They hovered and fluttered usefully around the perimeter (unfortunately, never stepping too close to the edge) while I used my Solitaire to first find and then use their previously untouched lug wrench and jack to change the tire. This was way before everyone and their chihuahua carried a cell phone. I can honestly say that I think the Solitaire saved my life that night.
But why would anyone buy a Solitaire instead of a Photon II today? Well, despite my love for the Photon II, I think there are still reasons some folks might chose a Solitaire instead.
First, durability. My Photon II has been dropped many times and still works fine. However, I'm pretty sure the first time I accidentally step on it, it will be a small pile composed primarily of "watch batteries" and worthless plastic fragments. My Solitaire has been stepped on and driven over - the case shows some wear, but otherwise there is absolutely NO damage to the flashlight.
Secondly, water-tightness. The Photon II claims to be "splash resistant" - I doubt it would survive being dropped in a puddle - a least not without being disassembled and carefully dried. Like all other Maglites, the Solitaire has o-ring seals to prevent water from getting in. My Solitaire, as I mentioned previously, has been dunked in water - and other fluids - and all I ever needed to do was simply wipe it off.
Thirdly, function. The Photon II throws a nice bright beam - but what you see is what you get. With the Solitaire the beam can be focused - a broad diffuse beam or a tighter, brighter "spotlight". Or you can remove the lens/reflector assembly completely and use the Solitaire as a "candle". It's not quite as nice or bright a candle as its larger cousins, the two AAA cell or two AA cell Mini Maglites - but I have used my Solitaire as a candle on more than one occasion.
Fourthly, serviceableness. Some folks might want to avoid the "watch" style batteries used in the Photon II - even though many Photon II owners will simply never have to change the batteries due to the incredible battery life the Photon II provides.
Last, size. For some folks, the Photon II will simply be too small. They will want a pocket light - or even a keychain light - that is larger, easier to find and easier to handle. I can easily see that if someone has impaired dexterity, say from arthritis or whatever reason, the tiny slide switch on the Photon II might be very difficult to use. Trying to keep the light on steadily by squeezing the Photon or Photon II can become painful even for someone with no joint, nerve or muscle problems. For these folks, the Solitaire is a great alternative to Photon II. The light will not come on accidentally in your purse or pocket - but the rotating lens/reflector assembly that controls both the focus and the on/off function is extremely smooth and easy to use. It is MUCH larger and easier to manipulate than the switch on the Photon II.
So there you have it. The Maglite Solitaire is still a well-built, long-lasting tool that is enjoyable to own and use, and certainly well worth the $9.95 purchase price I have seen in local stores recently.
