Convert Maglites to LED or just buy new ones?

Woodtroll

Woodtroll

Basic Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2001
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193
Hello, folks,

Now that I've finally used some decent LED flashlights (I've got several of the FourSevens products now), I'd like to convert my existing Maglites to LEDs. I'm stuck, though, at whether it is better to use a drop-in conversion such as the TerraLUX TLE-6EXB for about $17 for my 2D and 3D lights, or would I be better off just replacing them with the factory LED lights from Maglite? The new 2D LED Pro is about $30 or so on sale.

Has anyone done a direct comparison of these options anywhere? Or am I missing a bet on another LED, 2C or 2D light or conversion kit? I really like the adjustable beam and full size of the Maglites I have now, but could be swayed by a good deal on something similar. I have to replace several of these eventually (I have three in the house and one in each vehicle), so cost is an issue, but I would rather buy the new lights as I can if there is a big difference in reach with the new lights, as compared to the drop-in conversions "bulbs". I've read quite a bit on forums such as the Candlepower forums, but a lot of that is way over my head and I'm not looking to spend $40 each and still have to assemble each conversion myself, even if it is a lot better ;) .

Thanks very much!
Regan
 
Great post. I've actually tossed out all of my larger (and once prized) Maglites already (ain't LEDs great?) but still have a couple of air force versions (AAA and AA) that were really handy back in the 1980s. The lamps themselves are super sturdy without question but changing those idiot bulbs in the middle of the night, and regularly, never did not endear Maglites to me. If swap over to LED is a simple thing and cheap I'll reconsider but otherwise they've lost me, and when you think of it, they already did 10 years ago.
This may in fact be deemed a derogatory comment on 'made in USA' and 'built to last' but whatever proprietary bulb technology Maglite used downright sucked an egg. Was tolerable until there was competition.
 
I had a 3 cell Maglite with a Terralux drop in which rode in my truck until the batteries leaked and ruined the light. I have since changed all my lights to cr123 batteries. I have several now which are much smaller than the Mag, but way brighter.
 
I just upgraded my 3 C Mag Lights with these Malkoff drop-ins.
They're not the cheapest, but they're definitely the brightest.
300 Out the Front Lumens, awesome!
The only half way difficult part of installation is that you have to cut the tail part off the reflector.
If I could do it, so can you.
The Malkoff replaced my Terralux drop-ins.
Absolutely no comparison.
http://www.malkoffdevices.com/drop-in-mod/dropin-for-maglite-streamlight
 
Custom maglites where people like jayrob use the or modify host & replace the drivers, lights & batts. Are currently the state of the art in User flashlight world. More efficient 56 hr runtimes, 1000+ lumen, built too last a lifetime. Jayrob is like working w a master knife maker. Makes some of the best handheld lasers in the biz as well.
 
qwt55 said:
Custom maglites where people like jayrob use the or modify host & replace the drivers, lights & batts. Are currently the state of the art in User flashlight world. More efficient 56 hr runtimes, 1000+ lumen, built too last a lifetime. Jayrob is like working w a master knife maker. Makes some of the best handheld lasers in the biz as well.
Click to expand...
Jayrob does really nice work, and he also will work with other older hosts as well (Rayovac - not the plastic ones ;)) but cost is probably a bit more than OP is looking to spend.

Check out malkoffdevices. Gene offers a 2C Cell Drop-In or 3D Cell Drop-in that is at that price (before shipping though) and both he and his wife are good people too!
 
I've got a few Maglites sitting around from years past, but with lights being so much better now I doubt I'll ever use them again.

High end lights now are far smaller, more rugged, efficient, and user friendly than Maglights. Multiple levels, lithium cells, and small size are most welcome.

For me, being able to choose how much light my flashlight puts out is very important. I recently bought a Sunwayman VR11, and love it. It can use CR123 for a maximum output of 190 lumens, or rechargeable 16340's (which I have in it) for a max of 500 lumens. I can dial it down to a dim glow, or enough to light my way around the house to check on my kids, or up to a level that will light up the countryside.

Another advantage of today's higher end lights is regulation: now your light doesn't start dimming as soon as you turn it on. Keeping a steady output of light is very nice.

qv5l.jpg
 
I like my Maglites enough I have upgraded them multiple times with AR lens, medium orange peel texture reflectors and yes one got a Terralux LED mod. Due to alkalines nasty habit of puking its life juices I just replace the D calls on a regular cycle to hopefully delay them vomiting in the lights.
 
I may be worth the upgrade if the light have some sedimental value. I do like having flashlights with standard batteries as they can be replaced any ware in the world when needed.
 
I have a lot of different light, both old and new. I thought the older LED's with CR123 batteries were great, but the newer ones are much better. My best ones are fairly new Fenix lights. But maglites are still useful around the house. I have a couple of them that I bought a few years ago at Lowe's black friday sale. Around the house the bigger lights are more useful partly because they have long runtime and partly because they are easier to find when you need one. For awhile after Mag first made the bigger LED lights they also sold the LED conversions separately and I bought one and put it in my old 2C light. It isn't as bright as more recent ones but is still useful around the house. I bought a Terralux conversion on ebay about 6 months ago and put it in my daughter's old maglite. It isn't as bright as the newer mags but I only paid about $15 for it. I think spending $15 is a good deal to upgrade a light that you already have instead of buying a new one for twice that, but if you want bright you should just try to find the newer ones on sale. The Malkoff devices have a good reputation but sometimes they are hard to find and they are fairly expensive.

The biggest problem I've found with LED lights is that they become obsolete pretty fast. When I first started buying them I bought a lot of different ones and I had lights spread all around my house and car. Then a few years later the newer ones were so much better that I wanted to buy new ones and not use the old ones anymore. I decided this was fine, I would buy a few and try to just use them rather than buying a lot of new ones.
 
Thanks very much for all the helpful replies, folks!

I appreciate all the specific suggestions, and especially the input from folks who have tried a variety of things with their Maglites. The Malkoff devices sure do look good, but at $50 shipped (when they are available), I'd probably rather just buy a new light. I do want to keep the D-cell maglite form for the house and vehicle lights for the same reasons some of you mentioned already, but I DO despise the D-cell's habit of leaking once they get just a little low; I am hoping changing to LED will help with this. I also just don't want to waste the lights I already have, so I am particularly curious about the converions.

I do love the FourSevens CR123 lights I have, but I don't think they would do quite as well as a club, for some reason! ;)

I'm certainly still interested in hearing from anyone else with experience to contribute! Y'all take care,
Regan
 
One area to branch out in if you wish to keep your current maglites without the worry of leaking batteries is to think about going the rechargeable battery route. I believe Tenergy has some good quality C-D LSD (low self discharge) NiHM batteries that will hold the greater majority of their charge when not in use (1-3 years or so). While it is an added expense they will pay for themselves in time.
 
FWIW The 2D Maglite LED is on sale at Lowes for $15 right now. I bought two and love them. I have also used the terralux drop in and I'd rate them on par with one another. (Maglite led vs. terralux)
 
I have two Mini-Mags with the Teralux conversion and usinf Eneloops they are pretty bright. The only thing I don't like is the head is just barely attached to the body with this unit installed. It's easy to turn it too far on and the head falls off. Does anyone have a fix for this?
 
1SHOT1KILL said:
FWIW The 2D Maglite LED is on sale at Lowes for $15 right now. I bought two and love them. I have also used the terralux drop in and I'd rate them on par with one another. (Maglite led vs. terralux)
Click to expand...

Thanks for this tip- cheaper to buy new lights at this price than the drop-ins (for my 2Ds anyway).

Moshow9, thanks for the idea about the rechargeable D cells; don't know why I didn't think of that before now! (I wish I knew how to put multiple quotes in one reply, but I can't figure that one out!)

I really do appreciate everyone's advice- very helpful!
 
I did the Nite-Ize LED II upgrade in mi Mini-Maglites in the glove boxes of out vehicles. They not super crazy upgrades, but with 20+hrs of battery life, they seem like a good deal. Got them on amazon 3 for 30 bucks.
 
I have an old 4D cell Mag Light that I converted to LED, now I have smaller, newer, brighter lights but there's something comforting about holding a 5 lb Mag Light in your hand when your checking out a suspicious noise in the yard/woods at night.

That said, for the $20 drop in the increased brightness and the increased battery life made it week worth the conversion, I change the batteries once a year where it needs it or not and with normal use even after a year is still brighter than the mag light ever was with a brand new incandescent lamp and new batteries.

It will give new life to your larger mag light, if your converting a aaa or aa buy a led model like the Fennix EO1 you'll be better off.
 
I have a 3D Maglite with the Maglite LED bulb. I've had the flashlight for ages and see no need to change it now. And I never heard of other LEDs for Maglite other than their own brand. I also have a 2AA Maglite with an LED bulb. The latter acts funny sometimes but it's better than the original bulbs. Plus, since the LEDs are nearly indestructible, I don't have to carry spares. Both have Bust-a-Caps as well. I've found other small LED lights I like, such as a small Pelican light that rights in the case for my cell phone.
 
I have an old niteize drop in in my 2D mag. Didn't get any brighter, but the runtime is amazing, and really added to the durability. It used to be my loaner light as it had well over 50 hours of runtime, and after one kid dropped it breaking both the installed and the spare bulb(!!?) its done really well. I like my other lights for what they do, but there is something to be said for big battery, long runtime lights. If you want AA or AAA lights, there are plenty on the market that can be had for the cost of a mag conversion. But it you have and like big mags, and have no need or desire for Pelicans, then I think that any of the Mag drop-in LEDs will be a good option.
 
Thanks very much for all the help, folks. I thought I would give you an update.

I bought two Terralux conversion "bulbs" and also a factory-new Maglite 3D LED light that I found on sale for a real deal. The Terraluxes were a HUGE improvement over the stock incandescent bulb, but the factory LED light was noticeably brighter with a better beam form (new batteries from same package in each light). Not overwhelmingly brighter, but enough to notice. I am definitely glad I upgraded my 3Ds, but if money were not an issue or I wanted the absolute brightest light in a Maglite I would buy the factory light instead of the conversion. Or maybe I'd get one of the Malkoff conversions when they become available!

As far as the 2D lights, I went to Lowes and bought one of the $14.97 lights they had on sale. WOW! What an improvement over my 2D incandescents! I hate to "waste" my old lights, but I stopped by Lowes again on my next rip to town and bought several more. Thanks very much for this great tip! Interestingly, these lights come with a lifetime warranty, but the new 3D I bought only has a 10-year warranty. I do not know what the difference might be, but they are still made in the USA!

Just curious, has anyone tried the 2D LED "Pro" model? It is listed on Maglite's website as being much brighter lumen-wise, but with the throw being slightly less than the existing LED models. Is the Pro worth the extra money?

Thanks again, everyone!
Regan
 
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