# MAGICSHINE MONTEER 8000 REVIEW (lighthead only)



## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

Monteer 8000S light head only, 8000 lumens max, spot/food beams

I've posted that the Monteer models are available available as a "lighthead only" option on the Magicshine US site before and since this is the way I purchased mine figured I'd review it this way to show a less exensive and lighter way to buy one of these excellent lights.

There's been sooo many reviews of the 8000 version (saying it's one of, if not the best light they've ever used) so I won't go into too much detail other than to agree and touch on a couple of things I haven't seen mentioned in the other reviews and clarify performance expectations.

*Everyday + ride to trail use:* Floody super powerful beams are not the best for this usage and in the hybrid mode (flood + spot) it's not going to be a popular light with approaching traffic but with careful aiming and in the lower output settings is not too bad in the spot only mode. For road/path situations the extra wide beam is less important and the reduced top spill makes it easier to aim below oncoming eyes while still maintaining reasonable throw for your visibility.

*Runtimes/Intensity/Efficiency:* Runtimes are probably going to be more than Magicshine's claims unless the light is operated in very cold temperatures! I was shocked when my Monteer 8000 ran slightly over 2.5 hrs in the highest hybrid mode with and equal capacity rated FMA/Hunk Lee ebay battery while doing output testing. The lights output degraded quite a bit (not so much visibly) and I would have been shocked if it hadn't considering the lights overall mass/surface area compared to its output (very close to the 8000 lumen claim @ startup). I wasn't too disappointed that the light stabilized @ about 3600 lumens (81°F ambient) since that's still way more light than I normally run on the bars in any off road situation but was happy to note the linear thermal protection regulation worked smoothly and the stable output level lasted so long. I did play around with cooling the light by holding an ice pack on it for a minute or so and gained almost 1500 lumens so the light should definitely run stronger in cooler temps (and probably weaker when hotter). I also did a full high beam test (fan cooled 81° ambient) with a Vancbiker finned Gopro adapter and bar clamp and saw an increase of over 400 lumens when the light stabilized so excellent accessory for this light. The added output because of the additional cooling increased the current drawn so resulted in shorter runtimes which should continue to get shorter in colder temps.










 *Worth noting that vertualy all high output lights will lose some output when heating up to operating temperature. Considering the very high initial output of this light it's to be expected losses will be higher as the light is limited by its heat-sink mass and surface area. While realistic stable output of the 8000 may not be all that much greater than other lower output rated lights of similar size the runtimes of the Monteer 8000 are notably better at similar output levels indicating better efficiency.*










This is what the Vancbiker Gopro adapter and bar mount look like (Monteer 3500 pictured). This is the Lopro version and the rear facing interface allows for lower mounting which is a benefit for helmet use. Considering the hot blooded nature of this light it's worth considering since with the "lighthead only" option you don't get a mount.










Here's the 5000/10000 mAh 21700 FMA/Hunk Lee ebay batteries I've been using. At 165g/310g with my old battery bags they're considerably lighter than similar capacity MS packs (290g/422g) thou they do lack some of the nice extra features.
Protected Li-Ion Battery 7.2v 10Ah for Magicshine Bike Light Flashlight 50E2S2P | eBay

So I hope this adds something to all the many other reviews out there. I wouldn't stress too much on the lumen chart as this is still the most powerful light I've used with an excellent beam and out-performs the others with efficiency too. I used a discount code I got from one of "thesweetcyclist" reviews for 15% off the MS parts so spent $218 for my 8000 lighthead and ebay battery since I already the battery bag and mounts.
Mole

https://thesweetcyclists.com/magicshine-monteer-8000s/


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

Excellent information, thanks much!

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk


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## bergsnj (Oct 2, 2018)

What are your thoughts on using the 8000S head with the magic shine 7.2V 7.0 Ah battery that I already have? Would this be a good match andhave similar run times to the bigger battery that comes with the complete kit?

here's the battery that I already have for my mj-906: Magicshine® MJ-6116C 7.2V 7.0Ah USB Battery Pack --Round Plug


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

Since your battery is 30% lower capacity than the kit battery, you should expect runtimes to be >35% shorter too. It wont be a direct comparison because the lower overall capacity is less capable of maintaining a current draw without significant voltage drop.


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

bergsnj said:


> What are your thoughts on using the 8000S head with the magic shine 7.2V 7.0 Ah battery that I already have? Would this be a good match andhave similar run times to the bigger battery that comes with the complete kit?
> 
> here's the battery that I already have for my mj-906: Magicshine® MJ-6116C 7.2V 7.0Ah USB Battery Pack --Round Plug


After playing around with a few different batteries (5200mAh Magicshine that came with my Monteer 3500, 6800mAh Ituo, 8000mAh Mtiger 6 cell, 10,000mAh FMA/HunkLee ebay battery) my recommendation is to stick with a battery similar in capacity to what comes in the 8000's kit. The two smaller capacity batteries only ran for a few seconds before flashing a couple of times and reducing output to under 5000 lumens. The 8000mAh 6 cell actually had considerably higher initial lux readings but shut down after less than a minute and wouldn't restart till it had sat for a few minutes, leaving the 10,000mAh FMA battery the only one that performed normally. Your existing battery may work fine but couldn't say for sure without testing it.
Mole


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## Gummy Gloworm (May 9, 2021)

Will the light head run a higher voltage pack or will it only handle 7.2v packs?


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

Gummy Gloworm said:


> Will the light head run a higher voltage pack or will it only handle 7.2v packs?


The website only says compatible with all Magicshine round plug batteries for the Monteer 8000 which are all 7.2v. The new MJ906 which uses the same battery that comes with the Monteer 8000 lists 6-12v compatibility so I'd think if that were the case for the Monteer they would have listed similarly. 
Mole


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## ledoman (Apr 17, 2012)

bergsnj said:


> What are your thoughts on using the 8000S head with the magic shine 7.2V 7.0 Ah battery that I already have? Would this be a good match andhave similar run times to the bigger battery that comes with the complete kit?
> 
> here's the battery that I already have for my mj-906: Magicshine® MJ-6116C 7.2V 7.0Ah USB Battery Pack --Round Plug


Late answer, Anyway, I think with such powerful light and high current flow the problem is voltage sag more than capacity itself. With more cells or bigger cells in parallel voltage sag is smaller while with ordinary 2S2P 18650 sag is significantly bigger. Then protection circuit either in light or in battery pack trip in and cut off power or downgrade output. In some older packs protection circuit the current protection has low treshold and can cut off power, too.

So yes, MrMole is right, 2S2P 21700 cells is way to go with those powerful lights. Or good 2S3P pack with 18650 cells.


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## mastakilla (Sep 3, 2005)

Is there a reasonably easy way for me to shorten the cable on this light? I really wanna go with this light cause I'm looking for brightness, but I dont like that goofy long cable, really annoys me.


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## bergsnj (Oct 2, 2018)

mastakilla said:


> Is there a reasonably easy way for me to shorten the cable on this light? I really wanna go with this light cause I'm looking for brightness, but I dont like that goofy long cable, really annoys me.


I just double up the slack in the wire and hold it in place in the velcro straps that are used to mount the battery to the top tube. Neat and clean and no excess wire. Having the cable length is good so you can run it on your helmet/backpack if you needed to or if you wanted to mount the battery on the down tube.

This light is so ridiculously bright, it really makes night riding more fun


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## bikedrd (Jul 8, 2004)

Has any one successfully attached the remote next to their grip with this light? The new remote uses Velcro so it doesn't stick to the bar like the old rubber bands. The shape of the back of the remote has way too large of a radius to match that of a handlebar. Long story short I can't keep it from moving. Ideas?


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

bikedrd said:


> Has any one successfully attached the remote next to their grip with this light? The new remote uses Velcro so it doesn't stick to the bar like the old rubber bands. The shape of the back of the remote has way too large of a radius to match that of a handlebar. Long story short I can't keep it from moving. Ideas?












I've never had my hands on this particular remote so can only offer generic suggestions. The above mount came off some old lighthead (Yinding, Magicshine, Gemini?) but offers a flat area to stabilize the remote. This has worked on some of my larger remotes by just mounting this on the bars and wrapping the velcro strap around the whole setup. Building the bar up with some sort of friction tape to make its OD larger than the ID on the mount or a thick rubber shim between the bar and mount might also work to stop the remote from rocking on the bars. Most multi-button remotes I've tried have required some sort of improvised solution to stable mounting so hope this gave you some ideas. Pictures of you end solution would be appreciated!
Mole


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## bikedrd (Jul 8, 2004)

Thanks for the idea. I 3d printed something that may help.


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## A.Argo (6 mo ago)

Thank you for this review.


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

Sadly Magicshine no longer lists the lighthead only option. I've contacted them and they seemed willing to accommodate getting me one on and individual basis so suggest trying to work something out with their customer service if your interested in sourcing your own battery.
Mole


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## mastakilla (Sep 3, 2005)

First ride out on the Monteer 8000s. Last season I tried an Outbound but I didnt find it to be bright enough for me and less bright than my 8 year old gemini duo.

I could only run the Monteer 8000 1 step below high. High is too bright too much blow back was bothering my eyes.

Long cable situation is a bit annoying but i knew that going in and i will figure something out.

I dont like the mount. It has micro jiggles due to minor play at the Garmin Mount interface. Does anyone know how to fix that??

But other than those 2 thiings, I am very satisfied with it. With the stock battery looks like I will be getting more burn time than I can ever use not being at full brightness. Spread is great as well.

I almost wonder if I should have gone for the 6500 or 5000 since im never gonna be able go to run this thing at full output.


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## bergsnj (Oct 2, 2018)

mastakilla said:


> Long cable situation is a bit annoying but i knew that going in and i will figure something out.
> 
> I dont like the mount. It has micro jiggles due to minor play at the Garmin Mount interface. Does anyone know how to fix that??


Tighten the screw that holds the garmin mount to the bottom of the light-head. Mine was loose when i got it too so i tightened it and never had that issue again. As for the long cord, I use the velcro straps that hold the battery to the top tube to hold the extra length of cord. It makes for a neat and tidy installation

Pretty awesome how bright this light is right? I had the same experience with other lights not being as bright as I thought they would be. This one is just so much fun when it lights up the entire forest like daylight


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## mastakilla (Sep 3, 2005)

No its not a loose screw. There is an very minor play between the 2 halves of the mount which seems inherent in the design to me. I dunno I have not ever used a garmin style mount before. Anyways it translates into a subtle light flutter on the trail that I didnt have with my previous light on a gopro mount


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## bergsnj (Oct 2, 2018)

mastakilla said:


> No its not a loose screw. There is an very minor play between the 2 halves of the mount which seems inherent in the design to me. I dunno I have not ever used a garmin style mount before. Anyways it translates into a subtle light flutter on the trail that I didnt have with my previous light on a gopro mount


hmmmm. I have 2 magicshine lights with the garmin mount and have zero issues. Could be the tolerances of your garmin mount have opened up slightly. try a different garmin mount if you have another to try


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

I currently have 6 MS lights with the Garmin interface and recently re-homed 4 others and also have had zero fit issues. If my close to 300g RN3000 fits securely you shouldn't have any issues but I have herd a similar complaint (road.cc RN3000 review) and also of damaged mounts so checking your mount for damage is advisable. Curious if the Gopro adapter you should have gotten with your light fits snugly? There are other reasonably priced mount options that provide some performance advantages (cooler running/higher sustainable output) you might also consider (pic below).
Mole


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## mastakilla (Sep 3, 2005)

MRMOLE this is what it looks like. A microplay in the mount. It didnt come with a gopro mount only the garmin style mount. Can you look at your garmin mount and tell me does it have the same micro play?

i guess i could go to the gopro mount but im not too keen on messing with it anymore. to me it honestly seems like the play is an inherent feature of the design, but i like i said its my first garmin style mount so im not certain









magicshine monteer 8000s wobbly mount







www.youtube.com


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

mastakilla said:


> Can you look at your garmin mount and tell me does it have the same micro play?


Yes my mount will do that. It's plastic so enough force will make it flex but I've never noticed any bounce in the beam even with my much heavier RN300. If your riding hard enough this is an issue a metal Gopro system should help.
Mole


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## bergsnj (Oct 2, 2018)

mastakilla said:


> MRMOLE this is what it looks like. A microplay in the mount. It didnt come with a gopro mount only the garmin style mount. Can you look at your garmin mount and tell me does it have the same micro play?
> 
> i guess i could go to the gopro mount but im not too keen on messing with it anymore. to me it honestly seems like the play is an inherent feature of the design, but i like i said its my first garmin style mount so im not certain
> 
> ...


are there screws that hold the plastic part to the metal part of the mount? i dont think mine moves like yours is doing. Maybe whatever holds the plastic part to the metal part is loose.

by the way, nice videos on your youtube channel!


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

I don't have this exact mount but do have the longer MS "out front mount" (that I've never actually used) that has the identical Garmin interface. Examining the mount I noticed the retention screws are placed at the top and bottom stabilizing any fore and aft movement (what I think would be the likely forces responsible for beam bounce) but (with considerable force) still allowing the flex shown in the video. Since the side to side twisting forces acting on the light while riding should be very low I'm wondering if the rubber shimmed mount to bar interface might be where your beam bounce is originating? 
Mole


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## mastakilla (Sep 3, 2005)

MRMOLE said:


> I don't have this exact mount but do have the longer MS "out front mount" (that I've never actually used) that has the identical Garmin interface. Examining the mount I noticed the retention screws are placed at the top and bottom stabilizing any fore and aft movement (what I think would be the likely forces responsible for beam bounce) but (with considerable force) still allowing the flex shown in the video. Since the side to side twisting forces acting on the light while riding should be very low I'm wondering if the rubber shimmed mount to bar interface might be where your beam bounce is originating?
> Mole


There was a small rubber o ring that came in the package in a plastic bag. Does that go into the mount, on the light part or the handlebar bracket? I didnt know what that was for looked to small to fit anything?


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

mastakilla said:


> There was a small rubber o ring that came in the package in a plastic bag. Does that go into the mount, on the light part or the handlebar bracket? I didnt know what that was for looked to small to fit anything?


What I was talking about is a shim similar in width to the bar clamp that allows the mount to be used with different diameter handlebars. If your running no shim pretty much 0% chance of any play there. 
Mole


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