What's the word on Factory Maglite LEDs? ...

They decent for the money? I imagine battery life is much improved?

http://www.maglite.com/AA_Cell_LED.asp
http://www.maglite.com/D_Cell_LED.asp

Its all about battery life, not output. And because there is little or no heatsinking, output falls to half in around 10 to 15 minutes of run time in the D size flashlights (still brighter than incandescents though).

Outdated emitter (bad), no heatsinking (worse).

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/maglite_mag-led.htm

Maglite MiniMag LED 2AA
http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/maglite_minimagled.htm
Maglite MiniMag LED 3AA
http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/maglite_minimagled3aa.htm

I was very happy with my magled drop in for my old 3d.

Then I found CPF and that was the end of that...

Now I'm trying to find a purple MAG 3-4D body for a ROP/Hotwire mod...

They are great for something that came from maglite, but overall, they aren't that good. Just swapping a new LED would get double the output.

Depends on your point of view the drop in output can greatly extend your battery life.

However you can buy drop in with newest generation of LED for the same money so that's kinda a moot point.

Can you swap out the LED that comes in the three cell LED mini mags?

I just get sentimental and curl up in the fetal position when I think about having NO mag lites around the house/van/garage

Marduke said:

Outdated emitter (bad), no heatsinking (worse).

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/maglite_mag-led.htm

Click to expand...

Better beam than original version (good). Longer runtime than original (better).

Tough

Cheap

American-made

Overall the C/D Mag-LEDs are, at best, mediocre. The longer runtime is the strongest selling point, particularly in the 4D Mag-LED. The output is adequate for most tasks. The most disappointing feature is (as already mentioned) the lack of heatsinking in the C/D LEDs. There are smaller, brighter lights than the Mag-LEDs and there are better things to use as impact weapons for those that see that as a secondary function of Mag-Lites. If you're going to upgrade an incan. Mag, then check out these TerraLux drop-ins:
http://www.batteryjunction.com/tle-6exb.html
http://www.batteryjunction.com/tle-6k2.html

IMHO, the 2AA & 3AA MiniMag LEDs are decent lights in their own right, and a better buy than the C/D Mag-LEDs.

I've got two Malkoffs and two Mag LED modules. Like them all. You can mod the Mag LED to be brighter or run longer.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/166999

Good review:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/119665

without all the pages:

http://www.molalla.net/~leeper/magrev.htm

Look at the composite runtime chart in this review for how the various Mag LED's compare to the original incan bulb in brightness and runtime.

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/maglite_mag-led.htm

On the 3AA LED mags, can you get a better unit in there or is there not enough room to work?

I believe you can pry out the luxeon and put in a seoul. You'll need to solder something on seoul's leg to extend the reach, as the luxeon is specially made for mag and has two legs that's about 5mm long to extend down to driver board.

cmeisenzahl said:

They decent for the money? I imagine battery life is much improved?

Click to expand...

Yes, and Yes; to both questions. I have a 2C Maglite w/ MagLED drop in. Output in my 2C Mag was improved. Not by a whole lot. But enough to be noticeable. I used the light at my last job-assignment on a nightly basis, for several months. Only changed the batteries once, and that was on me as the light was still going strong. I just felt more comfortable with fresh cells in the light.

if one is not into lights (and especially not into led light), OR needs the size/runtime of the Ds,
they are ok

If one has the very slightest bit of info about actual led lights --> screw the Mags

yellow said:

if one is not into lights (and especially not into led light), OR needs the size/runtime of the Ds,
they are ok

If one has the very slightest bit of info about actual led lights --> screw the Mags

Click to expand...

I agree with you to a point, and while you can effectively use a small light in self defense, NOTHING says "settle down" in the flashlight world like a M@g 4-6 cell being pulled from its ring.....it is a sight intimidation tool that happens to give you some light, IMHO

Unfortunately a lot of departments don't permit them anymore....