Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

After a few months of running both lights side by side. I decided to write a comparison review between my MagicShine MJ-808E 1000 lumen bike light and the CREE T6 1200 lumen bike light. Most of the field testing was conducted on Minnesota single-track trails with both lights being operated at the same time. Duration: MagicShine owned for about 14 months CREE T6 owned for about 3 months 1st Impressions - Lighthead: Comparing the two light heads: +The physical size and weight were similar +Both lights use the same CREE XM-L T6 LED +No idea about the drivers, didn't want to rip either light apart since they are both working well +Overheat protection is sensitive on the MagicShine, when the light gets hot it dims to the Low setting, the overheat protection on the CREE T6 never kicked in on a 2 hour battery run on high with indoor tempertaures of about 70F degrees, I was unable to determine if there is active overheat protection on the CREE T6 +The quality of the light head construction was nearly equal both use high quality aluminum and are light-weight with cooling fins for heat dissipation +The light refractors are different, the MagicShine has a texture to the refractor, the refractor on CREE T6 is a smooth mirrored surface +The light beam color on the CREE T6 is really white, I thought that about the MagicShine at first, but the CREE T6 is whiter yet +Lens size is equal, but the CREE has a glowing Green Ring near the lens, so if it was in a gear bag with other equipment it would be easier to spot in the dark +Modes, the CREE has H, M, L and Strobe (Long button press) the MagicShine has H, L, Strobe the Strobe on the CREE T6 has considerably faster light pulses 1st Impressions - Battery/Mounting case: +This is where the MagicShine is better, the MJ-808E battery pack has much better construction +CREE T6 is cheaply shrink wrapped 4 battery pack, with plastic shrinkwrap +MagicShine is more of a rubber coated 4 battery pack with better quality construction +Batteries - both use Li-Ion packs, but I did not dissaembly to determine the actual brand of battery in each pack +CREE T6 has a carrying case with a single Velcro strap to mount to your bike's frame +MagicShine has heavier construction/quality to the case and two Velcro straps to mount to your frame. Mounting Options / Cord Length: +CREE T6 has a longer default cord than the MagicShine, I had to buy the helmet mounting kit for the MagicShine which came with a cord extender +With cord extender the MagicShine is longer, but without the extender it's not long enough to mount to my helmet and route down to my jersey pocket +The CREE T6 without the extender is just barely long enough to mount to the helmet and run down to the jersey pocket (I am 6') I would recommend a cord extender for the CREE T6 if helmet mounting, especially for anyone over 6' or that wants to route the wire through their helmet in a way that would use up more cord Trail Testing: The typical configuration I would run for Night-time single track riding is to have the CREE T6 mounted on my handlebars and the MagicShine on my helmet. I bought a special lens for the CREE T6 to spread the light pattern for more of a flood effect and the helmet light is my spot light. Without the spread/flood lens the CREE acts as a spot light as effectively as the MagicShine. The mounting system is the same for either light, it uses the O-ring system and comes with 2 size O-rings for both standard handlebar diameters. On one of my mountain bikes I use the smaller ring, the other bike has the bigger bar so I use the larger ring. When using the MagicShine helmet mount accessory, you must use the came mounting system. As a bonus, the CREE light came with a camping headband mount, this is not very good as a helmet mount, so I would recommend a helmet specific mount. The headband mount is great for head usage besides when wearing a helmet and uses the O-ring mount system as well. For single-track usage, I run both lights on "Medium" or "Low" during Dusk, and as it gets darker I switch both lights to "High". It seems to conserve some of the battery by operating them in this matter. On either light, the strobe mode is not ideal for riding, but could be a good "SOS" mode to get someone's attention or signal for help from a long distance away. One thing to note: During one of my rides, I loaned the CREE T6 to my brother and during the ride he fell off the bike and landed on the battery pack which he had placed in his cycling jersey. He landed on it in such a way that the shrink-wrap around the batteries split open a bit. Somehow this did not affect the functionality, but I can see where the rubber surround of the MagicShine would have some advantages during falls/accidental drops. Head to Head Battery Testing: The CREE T6 and the MagicShine have never run out of juice for me with a full charge and running on high. The longest ride I have done is about 2 hours and they both handled it with power to spare. For fun, I ran a full battery drain test to see how long they both would last. Keep in mind I have used the MagicShine for an entire year longer so there may be some battery life wear down. Both batteries lasted about 3 hours and 15 minutes on high. The CREE T6 migt have outlasted the MagicShine by about 5 minutes or so, but that could have something to do with owning the MagicShine for about a year longer. Conclusions: The one thing about the MagicShine is that it does have a more sensitive overheat protection mode, this may extend the life of the product, but it would seem that these LEDs are rates at 100,000 hours so I believe something else will break before I need a new LED. It would seem feasible that the battery pack is the one thing that would be replaced over time, as the battery cell life on this Li-Ion battery packs is yet to be determined. Also the build quality on the battery pack is nicer on the MagicShine, but you could always buy the CREE and get a better battery pack. Thus giving you 2 packs for longer rides or hikes. For all intents and purposes, this CREE T6 light is 85-90% of the quality of the MagicShine but 50% of the price. I think I would rather have 2 of the CREE T6 lights than just one MagicShine for the cost, the advantage is that you would start with 2 battery packs and two light heads, one could mount to your bars and one to your helmet. Or if either component (light head or battery pack) wears out you already have a back-up. It's never good if a light fails in the woods in pitch dark conditions! Finally with two lights, you can always loan one to your buddy so you have another person out riding with you in case something unexpected happens(always best to ride using the buddy system :) ). Thank you for reading this, I hope it helps with your considerations! If money is not an object for you, and you want the best, I suggect buying 2 of these instead, but don't forget to buy the helmet mounting kit! MagicShine MJ-808E 1000 Lumen LED Bike Light 2011 version with improved battery and charger Brian Lambertz Saint Michael, MN