...it should come as no surprise that a small Maglight was a defective product. Of course, it was a surprise to me, because I want everything to work. I have two Maglights, a big and small. The small one was powered by two AA batteries. Within six months of using it, it wouldn't come on, and I couldn't get the batteries out. These were Duracell alkaline. My neighbor, who has a degree in chemistry and runs a metal shop, told me he has had the same problem with small Maglights, compelling him to throw them away.
I've got a 2 x AA Maglite that I"ve been using for maybe 15-20 years with no issues; I've used only Duracell alkalines with it and never had a problem with either the light or the batteries.
A 1 x AAA Maglite that I bought for my keychain was a piece of garbage...close to non-functional.
I've got two grooming appliances that I keep in my bathroom, which gets extremely humid from lack of ventilation when I shower; I've used a Duracell AA in one and a AAA in the other, and while the sealed (AA) one has never given me a problem, the battery in the unsealed (AAA) one leaked and ruined it. I now take the battery out between uses. (I must admit that I allow years to pass without checking their batteries.)
As for Duracell AAs, I noticed a while back that they not only weren't lasting as long as they had under identical use conditions, but that they no longer fit snugly in my Maglite, rather they rattle around audibly.
Talk about product degradation!A professional photographer I know told me that Duracells weren't giving him as much life as they used to, and that he's switched to Energizers, which he's found to last longer. I bought Energizer AAA Industrials, but they pose a judging problem, because they last so long in the devices in which I use them that record-keeping would be almost meaningless. When I run out of Duracell AAs I'll replace them with Energizers, maybe the Ultimate Lithiums you mentioned, and will then be able to judge performance.
I don't recall the last time I saw Ray-O-Vacs, which may very well be on the wall right next to the Duracells and Energizers in the store, but I've never noticed them, and I've never even heard of Jon's Vartas.
