I'm in total agreement with the previous reviewer. Put it in a shell casing, load it in a rifle, and knock down a Cape buffalo at 75 yards, but don't try to actually see anything with it. The light is weak and inconsistant. You always have to play with the twist setting to get it to work at all. Most of the time if you jiggle or bump it, the light dims or goes out altogether. New batteries do not help. Go buy a Photon II LED light instead.

The lifespan of this poor thing as the companion to the spare house keys can be measured in decades. True, it is durable and tough. Recently, my LED keychain light died, so I decided to take up this poor, taken-for-granted thing on my keychain to take to work daily.

What a piece of junk. The light it gives is truly weak and pathetic, even with a brand new battery; there was not one task I gave it that it did even passably well at. After a few uses, I felt like throwing it onto the freeway for many cars and trucks and big rigs to run over and gloriously destroy.

Do not buy this thing for any use under any circumstances.

very awesome little light, it's on my keyring, which still fits easily into my pocket (and is very light weight).

no, it won't get you thru the forest at night in a rain storm; but it will do fine getting around your house or in your car at night.

great stocking stuffer at holidays too.

I was a little disappointed when I received the Mag-Lite. It s very small, I probably didn't read the complete description. I connected it to my key ring. In addition, I found it for a couple of dollars less at Home Depot.

This rugged little light can, like other Mag-lites withstand a beating. I keep mine on my keychain and after several years and a battery replacement or two its still working fine. The lens cover does get scratched up over time, but it doesn't affect its ability to illuminate very much. This light is small, so it won't light up an aircraft hangar. It's made to light up small spaces and it does that very well. It uses a normal light bulb, and in my opinion they should have used a LED. Otherwise it is a very good tool to have on your keychain for those random moments.

My The Solitaire held up for several years on my keychain but I have recently replaced it with a Fenix L0P. The Fenix L0P is smaller and an order of magnitude brighter at 30 lumens. The Solitaire is only around 3-5 lumens depending on battery strength. The Solitaire can take a beating, but it is a dated design that can not compete with newer LED competition.

Yes, there is a spare lamp in the tail cap. Actually, one has to remove (gently) the battery spring then turn the cap down and let the spare lamp fall into your palm or on something soft.

I've had one of these lying around in my pocket or behind my ear for close to eight months. It's just the perfect little light for looking in small places, without blinding some one with the LED Mini Mag I also carry. That's right, I actually like that it's not LED, it's nice to have both kinds of lights for different situations. In the eight months of casual to daily use I've put it through, I've had to change the battery three times, but the bulb is still like new. This is very unusual, considering how Mag bulbs usually last a couple months at most.
But I have to agree with the other reviewers, if you do keep it on a keychain or the larnyard it comes with, keep an eye on the battery cover. I personally passed over the keychain and just carry and use it without my mess of keys jingling and pulling the thing apart entirely. This is a decent keychain light, but it won't fall apart on you if just carry it in the change pocket of your jeans, a shirt pocket, without the keychain this light is small enough to fit in a larger wallet if it had to.
And one little not to Mag, they should start advertising the 'candle mode' on this thing as well as their other lights. When you keep twisting the head after turning it on anf focusing, the cap comes off and leaves the small, candle-like but exposed in a miniature lantern effect. Just set the flat end down on a table, rock, floor, any little situation where you need a small area light, and don't lose the cap. And if you really want to use the larnyard, I've also had this thing hang from zippers in tents and from bathroom mirrors in a power outage.
I would have written this sooner, after a few months of using this thing, but yesterday I went out and bought about ten of these in assorted colors. For five bucks, this fine product must have been designed to fill stockings and pad out smaller gift purchases. Sure, they may not wear the sweater you give them, but a tiny flashlight is a tiny flashlight. It's just dang cool.

The construction of this Mag-Lite Solitaire is really quite good. It's very sturdy and I've had one run over by my truck and had a 150 pound (68kg) Television drop on another without much visible damage (scratches).

I have received this as a gift and as a corporate tchotchke as well as having bought one and they do come in handy. The problem is that it runs through batteries pretty quickly if you use this for anything more than looking for your keys on the ground or the deadbolt on your door when you forgot to leave on the porch light. The lens cap tends to turn itself on in your pocket or bag... draining away the power. I haven't ever used it as a keychain device as I don't like a lot of bulk.

I haven't ever experienced the reported problem with the end cap loosening. The best task I've found for this light is to hang it on the keyring holder in my laptop bag. It's simply not well suited to a pocket or to a keychain, and I believe that was its intended purpose.

I found the light, itself, to be fairly bright at full power, but with a more robust LED, it would probably be a better unit. It does have a better light distance than an LED would produce, though. All-in-all, a bit of a miss, but I'm a flashlight hound, so I still like it. If you are looking for a good keyring light, get a smaller LED with an on/off switch. This would probably make a good light for a purse or in a glove compartment. I would recommend pairing it with a Lithium Battery (Technuity L92BP4 Battery, Lithium Aaa Photo Battery for example) - especially if storing in car or bag for long periods. Make sure you tighten the lenscap well so it doesn't accidentally turn on.

The Mag-Lite Solitaire is well designed and well made but simply isn't bright enough. However, if all you use a flashlight for is looking for your keys under the seat of your car or assisting with reading menus, it may be OK. It has a sleek design, and it's appeareance won't draw attention on a keychain. It functions like any other (large) mini mag light, by twisting the end where the light comes out to turn it on and off. Change the battery by unscrewing the other end. A spare bulb is concealed within the end cap.

Pros:
-It's small.
-it's well made, with all components fitting together smoothly, and a clean simple appearence.

Cons:
-it's just not that bright. Some of the newer LED flashlights are of a similar size but much brighter.

Overall, I'd have to give this one a pass, unless I developed a fetish for small, well designed gadgets (like watches, watches are SOOO cool! and miniature sextents, those things are SOOO neat!). OK, so I have this fetish, and this would explain why I have a Solitaire in my toolbox.

This little flashlight is indispensable. I have lost count of how many times it has proven itself useful. It is very small and works well as a keychain. We trust our eyes above all senses and are the most awkward when that sense is taken away. Having a compact and powerful flashlight with you is a big help. You never know when you will be left in the dark but at least with this you can always be prepared.

This is perfect for reading menus in dark restaurants. Compact and light weight--fits in the smallest evening purse.

This is easily the worst product Maglite has ever produced. It's bright allright -- right out of the package. Carry it a few days on your keychain, and the output is dim and flickery. Reseating the tail cap gets rid of the flicker, but you have to do it every time you want to use it. And it stays dim. My advice: Go to the nearest Wal-Mart and get a Dorcy 1-AAA LED. It's slightly larger than the Mag Solitaire, but for $4.99 you'll get a light that's more reliable, brighter and has longer battery life. And you'll never have to change a bulb, too.

This light is decent for the cost and what it does. I keep mine in the car in case I need to fumble around in the seat looking for something.

Beyond that, the light is really limited though.

I have 2 of these and dont like them.
you have to turn the head too many times to get to the proper beam for general lighting.
I highly recommend you get the next model up.
"Mini Maglite" that takes 2 AAA's is the best, best lighting and not too big or small.
I have 3 of them, love them.
ran over one and it still works great.
I have 1 of the 2 AA model which is the next size up.
Just like the next size smaller its horrible.
Good luck!
Also, Maglite is the best you can buy period, do not be cheap and try other brands you'll be let down, soon!

I had one of these on my keychain with car keys for several years. Every once in a while, it would unscrew and the battery section would fall off. It usually ended up in bottom of my purse and I would put it back together. One day, I never found it and had to throw it away.
I plan to buy another to keep in my briefcase. It's a great flashlight and was handy.

I paid full price for this little flashlight and I couldn't do without it! It is always handy on my keyring and has just the right amount of power for it's intended purpose...it's not meant to light up the block; it's a personal light for seeing your car or door locks in the dark; or, (for us chickens), it's a relief to have when going through DARK funhouses with the kids. Claustrophobics (like me!) will love it, too!

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.

The Mag Solitare is definitely a recommendation for a present to anyone, especially loved ones who need a handy little light for any reason (from finding keys to somehow ending up in the forest behind their house looking for Fizgig the lost family cat and didn't bring a regular flashlight but have their keychain on them). It's a bright sucker and has a spot to flood beam. For a small flashlight, that's a generous feature. It comes with a spare bulb in the cap (nice) and a carrying strap / loop for your keychain (of course). It also comes in, I believe five shades too. Now...for the annoying parts.

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.

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.

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.

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.

These lights are nice in that they fit in your pocket easily, however I've found some bad things too. First, they aren't all that bright to begin with, but over time the contacts inside the light get messed up (perhaps from rubbing against the battery) and they are even dimmer. I periodically have to disassemble mine and clean it up with a pencil eraser.

I've finally switched to a 2 AAA battery light.

This key-chain mag lite is the best gift, not just for Father's Day, but for anyone. I keep one on my key chain so I can get into my car or into the house when it's dark out. My girlfriend has one and swears by it, and I'm buying another one for Father's Day.

It has all the benefits of the mini-mag lite - adjustable beam, extra bulb, candle feature - but it's tiny. I can't tell you how many times this has come in handy...

Not to mention, it's also very inexpensive.