Question about owning a Malkoff dropin

Tiresius

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I can't contemplate about why so many people pick Malkoff dropin over others. To me, all the high quality drop-ins seems the same...Well, except those triple or multi-LED drop-in.

I'm in the market at looking for a decent drop-in for my 6P and keep looking at malkoff. Maybe I'll have to get one to understand how it feels? It is the same feeling I had before and after owning a custom light?

Are there benefits of owning a Malkoff drop-in over others?
 

skyfire

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broad voltage range, so you can use it with many different set ups. 3xCR123, 1 or 2x li-ion, 2xAA. the L and LL version work very well with 2xAA batteries.
great thermal management, good runtimes that give you warning as cells deplete with a tapering output.
simple 1 mode that works great with either a clicky, twisty, or momentary switch.
and of course, exceptional quality and reliability, backed by a lifetime warranty.

for me, it doesnt give me a feeling of owning a custom light. if anything its quite the opposite because its inside of a host, and isnt really seen anymore, and forgotten.
but, thats part of why i forget about it. it becomes a light that just works when i need it to, and doesnt ask for anything from me. a dependable workhorse of a light that i can count on.
 
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Norm

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To add to the above as nicely made as the triples you mentioned.

Norm
 

ScaryFatKidGT

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Sorry but, what other drop in's are as high quality as Malkoffs under $100?

I like the great brass heatsink
 

Tiresius

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broad voltage range, so you can use it with many different set ups. 3xCR123, 1 or 2x li-ion, 2xAA. the L and LL version work very well with 2xAA batteries.
great thermal management, good runtimes that give you warning as cells deplete with a tapering output.
simple 1 mode that works great with either a clicky, twisty, or momentary switch.
and of course, exceptional quality and reliability, backed by a lifetime warranty.

for me, it doesnt give me a feeling of owning a custom light. if anything its quite the opposite because its inside of a host, and isnt really seen anymore, and forgotten.
but, thats part of why i forget about it. it becomes a light that just works when i need it to, and doesnt ask for anything from me. a dependable workhorse of a light that i can count on.

Yes, we don't really see the drop-in module anymore--aside from the emitter/reflector. The triples look so aggressive and high-tech in a small package. I find it hard to forget :D

I do agree with the fact that once you own a light that's soooo reliable, we sometimes forget about it entirely. We just remember how well it served us. There are just so many custom drop-ins out there but this one has the biggest reputation. I guess I'll have to narrow it down to my personal needs first before selection one.

Thanks, guys.
 

GeoBruin

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And the beam! Don't forget the beam. A beautifully designed reflector made specifically for this drop in produces such a magnificently usable beam. Did I mention the beam?
 

twl

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There are so many reasons to buy Malkoff.

Always a great combination of output and run time. Not overdriven.
The best thermal management in the business. Large brass heat sink. While they will fit into 6P/9P type bodies and clones, they also have a perfect mating shape for the Malkoff and Elzetta hosts, which provide the most optimal thermal path for the heat to migrate out of the module into the body for dissipation.
Reliable in all conditions. Electronics are all potted for ruggedness. Can handle recoil as a weaponlight, if necessary.
Excellent regulation and driver circuit. Also very good voltage range, and they most often cruise on DD for a long time after dropping below the regulation voltage.
The tint is almost always great. I have never personally seen a bad tint in a Malkoff module that wasn't an intended tint, such as a "warm tint" module.
Beam quality is like the benchmark of the industry.
Reflectored units use McGizmo reflectors.
The re-sale value is very high, and it's not uncommon to be able to get 80%-90% of the original price on the used market. And they go fast. People want them.
On top of that, it's a US made product by a small operation in Alabama, which is Gene and Cathy's little business. Their customer service is legendary, and probably won't ever be needed.

Malkoff is essentially the "gold standard" against which all the others are judged.
You might find one brighter, but not as well regulated or overdriven or not thermally controlled as well, or whatever.
As an overall package, it's almost impossible to beat a Malkoff, with all things considered in the decision.

One thing you should know is that they are single-level output modules.
If you want other brightness modes, you do that in the flashlight, such as Malkoff's Hi/Lo switch in the MD2/3/4, or the Elzetta Hi/Lo tailswitch. There is no "click switching between modes" in these things. But they do allow Hi or Lo by a slight twist of the head in the MD2, or the tail in the Elzetta, if the bodies are equipped with that feature.
 

RI Chevy

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Rock solid dependability, durability, and it instills confidence in the user. I was a big fan of 3 mode LED's. but now I have several Malkoff's. They put out the nicest beams available today. AND the lifetime warranty. ;) They will probably outlast all of us here.
 

Kestrel

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I agree with much of the above.

Efficiency has yet to be mentioned I think? Anybody remember the days of the Malkoff M60LL competing with the SF P60LED drop-in? Comparable OTF output, but the Malkoff had 7 times the regulated runtime w/ 2xCR123's. Seriously - the runtime graphs have been posted here on CPF.

A related reason they are so popular is their compatibility with CR123's. Many of our P60 dropins can't really be operated well with CR123 primaries, but Malkoffs have always worked well with both CR123's and LiIons. When I set up non-rechargeable SF's for friends, I only source Malkoffs for them as they will be using CR123's exclusively.

The single output mode is a niche that most other builders don't really explore effectively - 'on' is on, & 'off' is off. :thumbsup: I'm happy with multiple modes on small pocket lights, but my larger P60 hosts are virtually always run at full power. As this has been the experience with my non-CPF friends, Malkoffs are a perfect choice for them IMO and is what I always set them up with.

I do confess that my Moddoo Triple (XP-G 3-mode, neutral) is the best P60 module for my uses and is the one that I use the most of by far. However they are expensive and as much as I would like to, I cannot afford to have them in all my SF's.

Malkoff & Moddoo occupy the high end for build quality and reliability (both have an excellent track record no matter the host); the edge for maximum output going to the Moddoo, while the Malkoffs are tops for simplicity and CR123 compatiblity.

I just set up a LEO friend of mine with two 9P's, both containing Malkoffs. An M91A for his close-quarters light, and a M61SHO for a distance / backup light. I expect he will be happy with them for a very long time.


Edit: My current dropin inventory:
(I have used most of these extensively and all are proving to be satisfactory in their different ways.)

  • Moddoo triple (3-mode)
  • Moddoo triple (DD)
  • Malkoff M91N
  • Malkoff M31N
  • Malkoff M61NL
  • Nailbender XM-L (DD)
  • Vinh XM-L
  • homebuilt P60 w/ 5mm LED
Seven of the 8 above dropins are single-mode only; Malkoff really does dominate this part of the market - for good reason.

In particular, my first ever P60-type Surefire is now on it's ~6th LED dropin, and three of those have been Malkoffs. This is due to 4.5 years of upgrades (i.e. no failures).
 
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