Throw Champ - Malkoff Drop In 3D or Dereelight DBS?

Anyone have any first hand experience with these two? I am interested in a LED with some throw!

Not sure if any of you remember...but will the Malkoff drop in/DBS blow away my last led thrower the Space Needle II? (I know I know...old school...where is Mr.Bulk nowadays?)

V8TOYTRUCK said:

Anyone have any first hand experience with these two? I am interested in a LED with some throw!

Not sure if any of you remember...but will the Malkoff drop in/DBS blow away my last led thrower the Space Needle II? (I know I know...old school...where is Mr.Bulk nowadays?)

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My Malkoff drop-in could not out throw my Tiablo A9 Q5. The reflectors on these other throwers makes all the difference. As for the DBS it should out throw the Malkoff hands down.

If you do not want the Mag size light then go with a DBS, Tiablo, MRV and so on. If you like the size of the Mag then the Malkoff drop-in would be a sure thing.

EDITI re-read the original post and it is asking about the Malkoff and DBS. I compared it to the A9.


Funny this thread came up. I actually have both, just acquired the A9 from djblank87 a few weeks ago and have a Malkoff running 3C batteries with a UCL.
I was out Sunday night with my son and it was pretty dark outside without much light pollution. I had my son stand ahead and facing away from me and I asked him to tell me which light was brighter, and had the better throw. I did this a few times not allowing him to see which light I was using and every time he picked my Malkoff.
Now to me, and this is just my opinion, the A9 has a whiter, more concentrated beam whereas the Malkoff wasn't a tight as the A9 and it was just a tad bit warmer, and had better spill. Also, the batteries in the Malkoff have already been used for a few weeks with short bursts. I like both lights but if I was to settle for just one of these lights, it would be the Malkoff. I prefer the feel of a 2D Mag and the ability to get alkaline batteries anywhere.
I may put the A9 up for sale soon and try a DBS.

Thanks

Well...of course this all started with me trying to upgrade my gf's 3D mag...you know how that goes!

I do like the fact that you get several hours of runtime on D's from the Malkoff.

Interested in a trade for that Tiablo for a excellent cond L2?

V8TOYTRUCK said:

Interested in a trade for that Tiablo for a excellent cond L2?

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Thanks for the offer, but another member contacted me last week interested in a trade for a DBS 2SM. Still waiting to hear from him once he receives it.

I have a Terralux drop in in a 3D Maglite with an Aspheric lens. I would say that it competes well with my Tiablo A9 w/OP reflector. I think if I had the smooth reflector the Tiablo would win based on photo comparisons I've seen here on the forum.

The Malkoff dropin is probably brighter than the Terralux and might throw better in the 3D Mag/Aspheric but this is a guess.

BTW, I really do like the increased throw with the addition of the Aspheric lens. It has turned a boring light into a super light. Kai has a "feeler post" in CPM regarding a $14.99 lens and $? bezel for these lights. The new bezel will protect the lens. Definitely a reasonable upgrade.

The DBS will out throw the Malkoff drop-in. Different reflector geometry.

You can actually mod the 3D maglite to give you similar performance to the malkoffdevices drop-in. You will need: Heatsink, Seoul P4 U bin LED, 900-1000 mA driver, and thermal paste/epoxy.