Re: Opinions
I have a 4D Maglite that originally came with the 3 Watt Luxeon LED bulb. I also wasn't impressed with its beam output or quality, so I just recently put in a Terralux TLE-300M-EX LED drop in upgrade. It increased the light output and improved (widened) the beam's flood pattern. I like a rather floody pattern in my lights and, as with many other people, one of the things that bugged me the most about Maglites is the awful dark center donut hole pattern that results when you adjust the head to anything but the tightest pencil beam.
The Terralux drop in does not have a perfect circular beam pattern though. It gives a strange looking star pattern that is jagged around its outer edge. It does not have a dark spot in the middle though, like the stock Maglite bulb does, which was exactly what I wanted to get rid of. The Terralux beam pattern also does not have any halos like the stock Maglite when set on its tightest beam setting. The Terralux is perfect for my needs. If I want an absolute perfect (for my needs) circular beam pattern, I simply reach straight for my Fenix TK40.
I don't know how long the batteries last with the TLE-300M-EX. Terralux claims one hour on the highest setting. (Unlike the previous TLE-300M, the new 300M-EX version has high, medium, and low setings.) I haven't used my Maglite continuously since I upgraded it so I don't really have an idea of how long the batteries last.
As for the suggestions for a Malkoff Devices drop in for your Maglite, those are really wonderful suggestions as everyone raves about Gene Malkoff's products. Good luck finding one of his Maglite drop in upgrades though. They've been out of stock on his website for quite some time. A long time ago I signed up to be notified by email when the drop in for the 4-6 D cell Maglite would be in stock again and nothing has yet arrived in my inbox.
