is it worth it to upgrade the maglites i have to led or not?

949 · Oct 11, 2014

hey guys, this is a question for those who have done the upgrade to their maglights already.

is it worth the upgrade to the $20-$60 led drop in's to the maglights I currently own?
I have a few different sizes. the brightness is so useless to me that I have not been using them at all for a few years. they are in great shape that I don't think I want to just toss them. they are now super cheap so they aren't really worth selling. my mag's are still in great shape with no physical damage.

I have seen different versions led drop in's for the different sizes of maglights I have.

will it be worth making the life of the current maglights I have in my possession last a little longer?
I know this is a little bit of personal preference but I wanted to get the input from those who actually have done it.
since I have never done one, I wonder if the use would outweigh the cost and effort.

StarHalo · Oct 11, 2014

So long as you're willing to put some money into it, yes; Malkoff's drop-ins will make your Mag even more reliable than stock, with output that's on par with current models.

TEEJ · Oct 11, 2014

949 said:
hey guys, this is a question for those who have done the upgrade to their maglights already.

is it worth the upgrade to the $20-$60 led drop in's to the maglights I currently own?
I have a few different sizes. the brightness is so useless to me that I have not been using them at all for a few years. they are in great shape that I don't think I want to just toss them. they are now super cheap so they aren't really worth selling. my mag's are still in great shape with no physical damage.

I have seen different versions led drop in's for the different sizes of maglights I have.

will it be worth making the life of the current maglights I have in my possession last a little longer?
I know this is a little bit of personal preference but I wanted to get the input from those who actually have done it.
since I have never done one, I wonder if the use would outweigh the cost and effort.

There's no universally right answer.

The mags are much larger lights, so, a much smaller light can put out more light...yet fit in your pocket...so why upgrade a giant light to do the same thing, except fit in your pocket?

On the other hand, modifying something is fun, and, if you just LIKE them, there's no harm in modifying them to at least work as flashlights. They DO have a lot of room for batteries, and potential for long run times, they tend to be sturdy, etc.

Its a 100% personal choice.

Timothybil · Oct 11, 2014

First question: Do you like the Maglights, not considering the brightness right now. Do you like the size, the shape, the weight? If not, there are cheaper alternatives that you would probably like better. If you do like your current Maglights, just want them to be brighter and to last longer on a set of cells, I would recommend the Malkoff (malkoffdevices.com) drop-ins. They are available for both C and D cell Maglights, and are built like brick outhouses. They are fully regulated, and will continue to shine with diminishing output once they fall out of regulation.

Poppy · Oct 12, 2014

Certainly the responses you have gotten so far are well reasoned.

Here's one more.
If you are like me, and just don't want to throw out an otherwise perfectly working tool, then you might consider a inexpensive 40 lumen LED replacement bulb. for your 3-4 cell mags, and for your 2 cell mags, there is a similar 30 lumen bulb.

For the 2 cell lights there is the 2AA rayovac 12 lumen model EVB2AALED-B flashlight, it can be had for $1.50 at walmart. The bulb can be removed and used to replace the mag incan bulb. It wouldn't be an upgrade in brightness, but it would give you a 20X increase in run-time. That would make a for a 100 hour emergency light, in a two D cell light.

949 · Oct 12, 2014

thanks guys.

i do not like to toss away good tools that just is outdated.
as for lumens i was only going to do it if it was a huge significant increase. some of the drop in's i have read about offered them at 1000+ lumens. which sounds really good.

as for the size, i dont particularly care for the large size they are but my assumption is that if they are large, they will last longer. that was the original reason why i bought them in the first place.

deeuubee · Oct 30, 2014

Just browsing thru...
Modded two 2D Mags years ago with Seoul P4's. They're still bright and going strong.
When Sandy hit NY, they ran for DAYS on one set of 2D Nimh rechargeables.
The wife and kids never leave the house at night to walk the dog without the "Club".
If there's a purpose, there's a need. Mod away :twothumbs

Icarus · Oct 30, 2014

It couldn't have been said any better! :twothumbs

NotRegulated · Oct 30, 2014

Good advice above.
I have replaced my old but in good condition incandescent Maglites with LEDs over the years. That being said I almost never use them. They are kept for loaner lights and emergency long running lights in the house. A Malkoff for a 3D was bought before there were Maglite LEDs , a Terralux Ministar 6EX for a 6D, and recently a Rayovac 3V LED bulb in an old Maglite 2D. You can get the Rayovac LED bulbs at Walmart for $4. If I was to do it again I would stick with the last two. The ministar is very good for the value. The Malkoff is very good and very bright but just too expensive for the price of an incandescent Maglite IMO. You can get Maglite LED's (2D and 3D) on sale at Lowes in recent years on Black Friday for around $15.

949 · Nov 3, 2014

well it sounds like it might still be justified to mod these mags. for now I don't know if the high output led's are going to be cheaper after a bit more time. I looked and the prices are around $50ish bucks for the led conversion.

bigchelis · Nov 4, 2014

949 said:
well it sounds like it might still be justified to mod these mags. for now I don't know if the high output led's are going to be cheaper after a bit more time. I looked and the prices are around $50ish bucks for the led conversion.

LED Mags are among the easiest to mod.

Take out the switch and you cut the tower off.

You are left with 2 tabs. A pos and neg. Just solder the 2 tabs to the corresponding + & - on LED and wallah......

Get a heatsink or any piece of metal that fits the tube. Mount an XML, XPG, XPL ect.....

Direct Drive works great with 3 NiMH C or D cells depending on what you have or heck even alkalines.

You can get fancy and get a custom heatsink from various places here on CPF or even add in a driver:thumbsup:

bigC

Poppy · Nov 10, 2014

I'd like to update my earlier recommendation of using the Rayovac LED bulb.
Earlier I pointed to the 3-4 cell Rayovac bulb (40 lumens) while it'll give crazy long run-times in 3 cell lights, the output is pretty pathetic, probably not better than the incan bulb. However in a four cell light, or a 6V lantern it is a significant upgrade to the incan version.

is it worth it to upgrade the maglites i have to led or not?

949

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StarHalo

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TEEJ

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Timothybil

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Poppy

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949

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