Is it worth to do a LED upgrade for Maglite 2AA and 2C?

I have two 10-15 years old Maglites (2AA and 2C). Is it worth to get a drop-in LED upgrades or should I look into buying new flashlights? I am asking because the Terralux LED upgrades are $17 each plus shipping and the new Maglite 2AA LED Pro is about $25 shipped. Not a very big difference. Not sure about the 2C though.

The 2C is on its original bulb and rarely gets any use. The 2AA has on its third bulb and gets used about once a month. They are only for a household use.

Thanks.

Yes, it is worth it. Mags are well built and I think a little LED conversion will turn them into completely different lights, especially the 2C.

:welcome:

Moved to Homemade and Modified Flashlights Discussion- Norm

What to post in the General Flashlight Discussion Sub Fourum.

So is there better option than Terralux for those flashlights? I would want to spend $20 or less on each flashlight as more than that would be too close to retail.

Thanks.

While I would say that upgrading to the Terralux LED for the Mini Mag is a good idea, the Mini Mag Pro was a big surprise to me. It's extremely bright with the XP-G that's in there, with a decently tight spot, but you don't get much in the way of beam adjustment. The Mini Mag Pro has about twice the output of the Terralux, and with a deeper reflector, a better beam.

For the 2C Mag, the drop ins will be a great upgrade, but DIY is where you will see the most gains, if you want to get nutty

Personally i would not bother treat yourself to something decent,i have a few Maglites knocking about but i am leaving them in the original state.

Upgrading the MiniMag: No, any drop-in you could get for it would be too near the price of the ubiquitous PRO model, which would not only be brighter than your incan unit, but would last longer by addressing the shortcoming you're now familiar with - blown bulbs.

Upgrading the 2C: Yes, with the caveat that you'll have to put some money into it - the problem here is that once you have a 225 lumen MiniMag PRO, then your 2C will have to be a lot brighter to justify its existence. A ~150 lumen drop-in won't cut it if the light in your pocket is much brighter.

Thanks again for all the replies. After reading your recommendations, I think I am going to go with a brand new flashlights. The reason why 2C is not used much is because of its big size and type of cells it uses. The 2AA is much more convenient. I guess I am better off with 2AA MagMini Pro LED plus some other flashlight that it is a bit bigger but still uses AA cells.

I have several of the AA MiniMags. About 8 of them. I bought several of the Nite Ize LED drop-ins to replace the old bulbs. The ones I got back then had 3 LEDs in the head that put out a broad spread beam. They were around $5 I believe. I use them to this day and really like them. Sometimes you don't need a fire hose when a garden hose will do just fine. I like a broad beam to look at stuff in the workshop and walking the trails at night. It was a good buy for me.

Looking on their website, they have the newer single LED's and are about $10. I don't know, for $10 it may be OK to save a light from the trash. I hate throwing things away that still work...

drabina said:

I have two 10-15 years old Maglites (2AA and 2C). Is it worth to get a drop-in LED upgrades or should I look into buying new flashlights? I am asking because the Terralux LED upgrades are $17 each plus shipping and the new Maglite 2AA LED Pro is about $25 shipped. Not a very big difference. Not sure about the 2C though.

The 2C is on its original bulb and rarely gets any use. The 2AA has on its third bulb and gets used about once a month. They are only for a household use.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

It's worth it. Why not give a couple of good-quality lights new life?

Monocrom said:

It's worth it. Why not give a couple of good-quality lights new life?

Click to expand...

It looks like it is down to the cost of upgrades. Here is what my options are for the 2AA flashlight:

Nite Ize 40 lumens $7
Terralux 140 lumens $20
New 2AA LED MagMini Pro 226 lumens $25

I am not sure how accurate the lumens specs are but new MagMini Pro looks like a no brainer. Honestly, I hate throwing working things are but I can always donate them.

I bought the low-output TerraLux drop-in for my 3D Mag for <$8 (works fine in my 2C too) a year or two ago. If you're not in a rush, just check the price from time to time. It goes on sale, sometimes 10-20%, sometimes 50%.

There's also a Ray-O-Vac drop-in that's supposed to be around $5 at Wal-Mart, but the last time I looked, it was sold out.

Don't forget to check the discount codes at cpfmarketplace.com.

I wouldn't bother with a drop in but $20 and some mod work can seriously upgrade a AA MiniMag.

If your handy, you can bore out the head of the AA and put a P60 xml low voltage pill in it, then get a niteize tail clicky and get a real sleeper light. As for the 2C I put a fusion 36 drop in in mine from ebay, and love it for walking the dog, and when I need good flood.

I have decided to get rid of the 2C Maglite and buy new 2AA Pro+ one. This plus the Terralux LED upgrade for my other 2AA Maglite and I am all set. Same type of batteries and small size. I am actually impressed by the LED Maglite Pro+. It is very bright. The Terralux LED upgrade is pretty good as well. Overall, I am very happy with the setup.

drabina said:

I have decided to get rid of the 2C Maglite and buy new 2AA Pro+ one. This plus the Terralux LED upgrade for my other 2AA Maglite and I am all set. Same type of batteries and small size. I am actually impressed by the LED Maglite Pro+. It is very bright. The Terralux LED upgrade is pretty good as well. Overall, I am very happy with the setup.

Click to expand...

I would buy a decent light from Fenix myself,Maglites are best used as a flower holder these days but only my opinion.

mcnair55 said:

I would buy a decent light from Fenix myself,Maglites are best used as a flower holder these days but only my opinion.

Click to expand...

Well, I was wondering what to do with my 2D M@glite.

Honestly, not a bad idea. LOL !

Monocrom said:

Well, I was wondering what to do with my 2D M@glite.

Click to expand...

3C Li-ion + 3 XM-L..

StarHalo said:

3C Li-ion + 3 XM-L..

Click to expand...

Thanks for the assist, but I really do prefer the C series over the D series. Am having some thoughts what to with that $100, instead.

I own both Fenix and Maglites and whilst having the greatest respect for Fenix, there ain't nothing quite like a Maglite. IMHO it is more than worthwhile upgrading your Mini Maglite AA and 2C's. I have a TerraLux module for both my 2 AA and my 6D. The latter module is probably the most cost-effective upgrade for a torch I've ever encountered. If you were buying new then it would be rather foolish as both Mag and Fenix provide better options.