I do have one of the Wal-Marts 3 cell AA LED Maglites.
It is better than any other smallish LED light I have. I like it but feel uncomfortable with the on/off twist switch.
It has more than enough light for any purpose I have.

The E2L is at least 50% brighter especially at distance (scanning the brush for critters 20 30 yards away).
I was happy with the Maglite until I got the surefire. I am spoiled (ruined) now for any other light.

But.... I shouldn't have paid that much money for a light, the MagLight would have more than sufficed.

Jon

I?ve had two E2es (one for the wife), a C2 (hard finish <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />) and a G2 (I made a leather holster for it <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />) for several years now. I EDC one of them at all times. The unexpected dead battery is a problem. If I am going on an outing I will swap out to new batteries. For everyday use I keep a mental note of how long the batteries have been in my SureFire and how much I have used it. I start expecting the batteries to go dead before they do. You will also notice that the light does not seem as bright as normal. That is a clue the batteries are about to go dead. I have not had to replace the bulb on any of my SureFires. I use my SureFire almost daily. StreamLite 123 batteries can be had for as little as $1.50 each.

Two sites that may be of interest to you guys:

Flashlight reviews:
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/index1.html

Candlepower forums:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/

I am NOT responsible for what will probably happen to your wallet if you visit either site! <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Take a look at the Fenix L1T & L2T. They use AA's & have two brightness levels. I switched to the L2T from a Surefire E1L for EDC.

You'll be interested in Maglite's LED flashlights and conversion kits. Apparently with some of the multi D cell flashlights you can run an LED for a couple of months continuously!

I bought a 3-watt no name flashlight off E-Bay last week. It's brighter (60+ lumens) than my 2-D cell Maglite. Great deal - I only paid 11 cents for it. <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> It's maybe 20% of the size and weight for more light. EGGCELLENT! The one downside - since it is a no name flashlight, it doesn't appear to have a regulating circuit so the light output will fall off fairly quickly after the first couple of uses. It has a very bright spot and a secondary wider cone of light that is very white and much more useful than the variable bulb of the Maglites I own. (One 2-D cell, two 2-AA cell lights)

Jon, http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/tools/852c/ Sells a End cap switch for the AA MINI-MAG. I don't personally have one but have thought about getting it a few times.

I've had an L2 for a couple of years and I love it. I always have it in my backpack when hiking and close by at home and work. It's fun to see the reaction from friends when they see it for the first time. Usually, it's "I got to have one of those."

As mentioned, the batteries are available at low cost online.

I think the reason that the LED Surefires go out without warning is because of the power regulator. It's a circuit that prolongs the usable light at the expensive of the negligible light that occurs toward the end of a battery's life.

Cheers.

I recently put a bulb from a Surefire G2 into a 4D cell Mag light. To do that, yank the reflector out of the maglight, stick a brass tack into the center spring of the Surefire bulb to contact the postitive terminal, stick it into the bulb holder and put the head back on, letting the bulb press against the glass to hold it in place.

If you use the P61 bulb, you get about 120 lumens. It's in a much larger package than the tiny G2, but you get very long run time on cheap D cells. It's no Surefire, but it really upgrades a Mag.

Nels

A good alternative to Surefires for everyday use, which uses 4 AA batteries, is the streamlight luxeon propolymer, not to be confused with the other streamlight propolymer, which is the same flashlight but with several dimmer leds. The luxeon propolymer is very bright, fully regulated, and can be found online for as little as $25(fox-international.com). I've had one for over a month and have yet to change the batteries, though I admit I've only used it for short periods. It's too big to EDC, but smaller than a C or D cell light, and a good size for general use.