I'm still addicted to the old Maglites

[Guitar Guy]

Not the AAs, but the C and D incan models. I'm not sure why, and not sure how many that I even have, but I still think they're cool. Whenever I see an uncommon color, or one that has a cool logo etched into it, for a decent price, I can't help myself.

I have the 8 or 10 that I've converted to LED and/or Li-Ion and still enjoy using them at times, but for the most part, I use my small modern powerful & efficient EDC lights - the Fenixes, Malkoffs, Acebeams, etc.

Maybe it's nostalgia, since I used them for many years back in the day when there wasn't a lot else available, around here anyway. But I still think that they were very well designed, and still have a good look & usage factor to them. When they got discontinued, that seemed to up the desire a little more for me. When I see one in great condition for a relatively low price, it seems like a good "investment", so to speak. I mean for 20 or 25 bucks, I can't even get a bag of groceries or a half tank of gas, so I may as well grab the Maglite, right? I actually do have a few that are worth much more than I paid for them, like my 7C and 7D, both with stamped bezels and the "paten pending" stamp, and a like new Vari Beam, and some others, so that makes me feel better, haha.

I actually have two more that should arrive tomorrow. One day I'm hoping to get a nice display case to display them in my hobby room, along with some of the many other things that I collect.

Who else still digs the old Mags?

 

[M@elstrom]

Maglites do have a "nostalgia factor" but where amongst the best lights money could buy after their release for quite some time, I still have an unopened 3D + 2AA combo pack (close-out special).

A modified LED 3D Maglite is still amongst my brightest lights and a perfect choice for a "bump in the night" light 👍

 

[hsa]

Recently I fulfilled a promise to myself that I would do something with my 2005 2d maglite before I bought anything else.
I used a Lumencraft 800 lumen dropin with a 2 cell extension. I run 4 black eneloops in it and it does 60k cd. The whole time I was thinking this is crazy. I love it.
It's bad when your loving children tell you the VA needs to increase your PTSD. I told them I would just buy more flashlights and that is the last I heard.

 

[bykfixer]

It's hard for a stock old incan Maglite to compete with today's massive assortment of LED lights, but in their day they were an amazing invention. The way the beam could light up a kitty cat 3 doors down while providing enough spill to keep one from tripping over a raised crack on a sidewalk.

Not long ago I acquired an incan midnight blue 3D from Maglite with a serial number of over 37 million.

 

[Flynn's Arcade]

Not the AAs, but the C and D incan models. I'm not sure why, and not sure how many that I even have, but I still think they're cool. Whenever I see an uncommon color, or one that has a cool logo etched into it, for a decent price, I can't help myself.

I have the 8 or 10 that I've converted to LED and/or Li-Ion and still enjoy using them at times, but for the most part, I use my small modern powerful & efficient EDC lights - the Fenixes, Malkoffs, Acebeams, etc.

Maybe it's nostalgia, since I used them for many years back in the day when there wasn't a lot else available, around here anyway. But I still think that they were very well designed, and still have a good look & usage factor to them. When they got discontinued, that seemed to up the desire a little more for me. When I see one in great condition for a relatively low price, it seems like a good "investment", so to speak. I mean for 20 or 25 bucks, I can't even get a bag of groceries or a half tank of gas, so I may as well grab the Maglite, right? I actually do have a few that are worth much more than I paid for them, like my 7C and 7D, both with stamped bezels and the "paten pending" stamp, and a like new Vari Beam, and some others, so that makes me feel better, haha.

I actually have two more that should arrive tomorrow. One day I'm hoping to get a nice display case to display them in my hobby room, along with some of the many other things that I collect.

Who else still digs the old Mags?

I'm ok with candles, moonlight , firelight, etc.
I use a few incandescent lamps for repairing what is considered current and relevant equipment.
If it works for you, to heck with the web and external validation, and a gazillion opinions and after event expert analysis.

 

[ABTOMAT]

I don't have a huge Mag collection but I appreciate their design, and especially their place in history. Bykfixer's absolutely right, back when they came out they were lightyears ahead of the other brands. Design & quality was camera store vs. hardware store. I'll die on the hill of saying the Magcharger was one of the most advanced flashlights ever at the time of its introduction.

I like their newer LED models, too, although from 1988-2005 or whatever they didn't introduce a single new product, so they were struggling by the time they caught up.

 

[gurdygurds]

Love em'! Still can't figure out why they won't do the bigger lights with their warm spectrum led.

 

[3_gun]

Just added another to my herd. A 2D pre"D" serial number that has a LED drop-in & an original incan bulb in the tail for $2. Not beat up & not new but works great, for TWO BUCKS!

 

[AMRaider]

To this day, I still look for Maglites (incan) and when I can find them, I'll snag one for old times sake. Of course, it's true there are much brighter and more reliable options out there now, but there was something very special about them back in 80s (I think they were around before then, but 1984ish was my first introduction to them). The materials, design, and the precise manner in which they were manufactured struck me, even as a child.

As children do (or use to), I spent a fair amount of time outdoors and in the rain/water, so having an o-ring sealed light was a huge plus. Also, having a spare bulb in the tailcap was a rather nice bonus. They might have existed, but I can't think of any other manufacturer that included a spare bulb somewhere in the light. Lastly, while polymers and composites have come a long way in 40 years, there is something about metal (assuming proper heat-treat etc.) that just seems "indestructible" to me. I have broken plenty of plastic items over the years, but never a Maglite. Bulbs yes.. but never the flashlight itself. Oh, and the focusable beam? Super nice for seeing something farther away, even with limited overall light output. As folks have mentioned above, they certainly were ahead of their time.

 

[ABTOMAT]

Yeah, they'd been around since '79 but '84 was their biggest year since that's when the Mini-Mag rolled out. Even since the beginning their engineering and manufacturing quality was considerably better than other brands. In 1980 there were a half dozen major brands of police flashlights, but by 1985 there were two. People used to like to dump on Mag on CPF, but I don't think they appreciated how Mag basically popularized the "good flashlight" with consumers.

Spare bulbs go back a long ways, but in police lights I'd say 1972-era Kel-Lites were the first. Of course they may have been the only brand, period, at that time.

 

[TPA]

I'm sure I still have a few 2xAAs with LED mods in a drawer somewhere. They were good for their time and build quality was superior to the drug store 2xD flashlights. But I used to pop those incandescent bulbs way too often, sometimes at very inopportune times.

 

[this_is_nascar]

I still own several Mags. Some fitted with some of the original Malkoff drop-ins and others with Yuji 5mm.

 

[Dave D]

The first duty light I bought was an L.A. Screw 2 D Cell, when that was killed off by leaking batteries, that was replaced by a 2D Cell Maglite, which I replaced with a Surefire G2. I still have a 2D cell Maglite with the 800 lumen FireFly upgrade fitted, which is running on two 26650's. It's too throwy for my liking so I'd prefer if it had similar lumens but more flood as well, I feel a Malkoff M91 upgrade coming on!

 

[bykfixer]

I used a 2D incan Maglite to see what the dog was barking at last light. Aimed at a corner of the yard it did good but then reality kicked in when the dog triggered the 3000 lumen motion sensor spotlight. Oh well it was fun being in 1982 for a minute or so.

 

[xxo]

I still like the old Mags. I still have my 4D from 1986 and I still use it from time to time, though it has been updated to LED and runs on NiMH D cells.

There's just something about old C and D Maglites, but I do like the newer ML50. ML300 and ML25's a lot too and use them more often.

 

[letschat7]

Do they have a rehab for MagLites?

 

[Guitar Guy]

I still have a 2D cell Maglite with the 800 lumen FireFly upgrade fitted, which is running on two 26650's. It's too throwy for my liking so I'd prefer if it had similar lumens but more flood as well, I feel a Malkoff M91 upgrade coming on!

You may want to look into the 3500 lumen upgrade from Lumencraft. I got the 5000 lumen kit a couple of years ago, and am running it on two 26650s, and it is very much flood, and very bright. It is now 3500 lumens because of LED availability, but likely still a flood light. You could check with Matt to make sure. He's great to deal with.

https://lumencraft.com/led-upgrades...-charger-no/153-emitter_type-12x_cree_xte_000

 

[Guitar Guy]

The latest score. A couple of mint 3D Mags. It seems that I don't run across this camo pattern very often. The Cadillac - sometimes, but not in exc. condition. Gotta love 'em.

 

[bykfixer]

Kryptoooooooooooon!!

 

[vicv]

Do they have a rehab for MagLites?

You definitely have a problem. I'll pm you my address and you send all to me. I'll dispose of it properly. Any incan surefires and stream lights you can throw in too