Legend with two AA batteries

[KLR-Tom]

Hello everyone. Newbie here.

I have a very old Legend that says "Made in USA" and has the numbers 42331931 on it. It does not say Brinkmann anywhere. I would like to know more about this flashlite but cannot find a hit on the number. Can anyone help? Looking for a new bulb would be top priority for me.

 

[ABTOMAT]

These were made by Brinkmann but as a separate brand in the late '80s to mid '90s. Yours is a very high serial number. Designed by the father of the modern police flashlight, Don Keller. He was involved with Mag-Lite earlier and had a long-running disagreement with Tony Maglica about adding a click switch to the Mini-Maglite. As soon as he leaves Mag-Lite the next two AA flashlights he designs are basically the same thing but with clickies.

The 2AA bulbs are fully compatible with Mini-Mag bulbs as far as I know. That should get you up and running again. Although if you're actually using this flashlight pretty much any LED light made in the late 15 years is infinitely better in every way.

 

[aznsx]

Cool lights. With proper switches, I would have absolutely bought / used them back in that time, had I known of their existence. For whatever, I did not;-( DK clearly got that right IMO.

 

[KLR-Tom]

Hey thanks so much for your quick, informative reply!!!
I had read somewhere that older Legends were worth saving but I have to say that the existing bulb is so weak, I have to wonder if its the wrong bulb, or where they all so dim.

The glass of the bulb is black as if the filament is burned out, except it is not.

So I guess I should throw it out and buy a new LED light?

 

[ABTOMAT]

I wouldn't throw it out; it's a cool piece of history they don't make any more. But it's not worth much and micro incandescent flashlights have been obsolete for a long time. As far as the existing bulb, these bulbs wore out fast and would cloud up the glass with vaporized metal and get dim. New bulbs are clear. Also could be a wrong bulb--the original Legend bulb for these had a white plastic base. Red base meant 3AA. Bulb with no base is probably a Mag bulb.

At full power it won't be unusable but it will be pretty dim by modern standards. Same as a Mini-Mag. A new single AAA keychain light like an Olight i3e they give away on holidays is about five times brighter.

 

[KLR-Tom]

Thanks Abtomat. Mine has a white base, so probably the correct bulb. I guess it serves as an example of how far flashlight
technology has come.