Who uses Mag lights?

[MassMark]

Thanks for the suggestion. I just checked out this site:

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

This shows the Mag 4D LED at 50% runtime at 43 hours! Holy smokes. That is unheard of in a Mag. One of my biggest complaints has been the ultra-short runtime that I get out of the 4D. I am going to see if I can find the LED conversion for it and if it works like this guy says it does, it might just become my truck light again.

If you go over to Warrifles.com and do a search in the equipment thread, myself and another member reviewed the LED upgrades. I seem to remember he left his on for many days and I used mine 2-hours a night for a couple of months without changing batteries...It really is worth it and puts out some nice light for the dough..Just stay away from Nite Eyez - they suck - get the genuine MagLite LED upgrade and be sure to buy the model appropriate for the number of batteries on deck, (in your case 4)...

 

[trophygrl]

the LED mags are awesome.... we bought one to keep in our truck

 

[PaulD]

Thanks for the suggestion. I just checked out this site:

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

This shows the Mag 4D LED at 50% runtime at 43 hours! Holy smokes. That is unheard of in a Mag. One of my biggest complaints has been the ultra-short runtime that I get out of the 4D. I am going to see if I can find the LED conversion for it and if it works like this guy says it does, it might just become my truck light again.

That site has some great reviews by the way. Everyone looking to buy a light should check that site out first.

As I said above, the Terralux upgrade is slightly better and you can buy it from that link. The Maglight upgrade is available at Home Depot.

 

[theGringo]

I was looking into some project ideas for my 5th graders, who are doing a unit on electricity, and came upon this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnkjvEdeIlc&NR=1

It describes how to turn a cheapo flashlight into a powerful tacticool "police" flashlight for under ten bucks.

I think I'll try it out with the kids.

There are some other "flashlight hacks" at instructables.com, too. Neato stuff.

 

[dwarven1]

I just picked up a Mag light to store next to my bedroom firearm.

Who else uses these?

Is there a similarly priced more preferred option?

There's a maglight in my kitchen and one in each bathroom, as well as one in each car - all upgraded with the LED package. Great lights, even if (as everyone claims) they're outdated. So's a J-frame revolver... but that's what I carry. It does the job it was designed for, just like the Maglight.

I have a 4 DCell Maglite that I've had since... oh... the mid 90's. I still use it for house duty... but have upgraded it to the LED lamp. Much better on battery life... and a bit brighter as well...

I think for house duty it's fine... as it doubles as a billy club if you need one.

Friend of mine who used to be a security guard refers to his 4 cell maglight as his "goblin be cool stick". As in, *hit goblin on head with Maglight* "Be cool, Goblin!"

I have a 6D that I've had for years, but it rarely gets used.

So Karma it away - I'd take it.

I have a bunch of the nice inexpensive flashlights with push button on-off by Brinkmann that I picked up at Wal-Mart.

Yup, for $20 you can't beat that light!! I have one that lives on my bedside table. I also have an LED Brinkman that I keep in my bike fairing in case I need light on the road.

 

[BOBKATT]

If you go over to Warrifles.com and do a search in the equipment thread, myself and another member reviewed the LED upgrades.

I'd like to take a look at this but can't seem to find the equipment thread or search feature. Could I bother you for the link?

 

[MassMark]

Will send it to you when I get home - WR is blocked here...

EDIT - Warrifles.com is not blocked here, but I can't figure out, (or the DSG computer won't let me), drag and drop the link. (s) There's two threads in particular, (one which I started) and a follow-up done by someone who missed it. I have a Mac at home and I know how to drag-n-drop from there, so I'll post em this afternoon...

 

[P-14]

Just bought 4 LED upgrades for my 4-D Maglites from Amazon. Shipping was free and the price was good (a little over $16 each).

I'll save the incandescent bulbs for backup. Over 40 hours of battery life is worth it to upgrade!

 

[BOBKATT]

Will send it to you when I get home - WR is blocked here...

EDIT - Warrifles.com is not blocked here, but I can't figure out, (or the DSG computer won't let me), drag and drop the link. (s) There's two threads in particular, (one which I started) and a follow-up done by someone who missed it. I have a Mac at home and I know how to drag-n-drop from there, so I'll post em this afternoon...

Don't worry about it. Just picked up an LED for my 4D. On batteries that were almost dead it is about as bright as my surefire G2 which is 80 lumens. I'm going to do a runtime test and have a look at how bright it is once I kill these batteries and get fresh ones. It's already brighter than it was with the incandescent right before I changed it out. It will hopefully make a good truck light once again. I'm happy so far with the LED upgrade.

 

[MassMark]

Don't worry about it. Just picked up an LED for my 4D. On batteries that were almost dead it is about as bright as my surefire G2 which is 80 lumens. I'm going to do a runtime test and have a look at how bright it is once I kill these batteries and get fresh ones. It's already brighter than it was with the incandescent right before I changed it out. It will hopefully make a good truck light once again. I'm happy so far with the LED upgrade.

Cool! I posted the threads anyway for those who think their old MagLites are now rendered useless. The upgrade bulbs are well worth the money. It's like having a whole new light and the beam is awesome! The first thread is the one I started. If you read the first couple of pages, you'll see folks who were reporting problems with their upgrades. It was learned that they were not MagLite upgrades, but rather the NiteEyez, (which as I said - suck). The second thread is from someone who had missed the first and has some more info in it...In my thread, a member, (Palladin) ran his light for over 120-hours, (constant) an a set of old batteries. I have upgrades in all four of my Maglites, (from C to D) and they all function flawlessly...As nice as SureFires and Liotecs are, it doesn't make sense to me to let perfectly good flashlights go to waste...

http://www.warrifles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34844&highlight=MagLite

http://www.warrifles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40787&highlight=MagLite

 

[Coyote33]

I have a 4D mag light. I thought it was awesome at the time. Then I bought a palm size surefire that seems about as heavy as one of the D cell batteries and it is just as bright as the mag light, has multiple brightness settings, longer runtime than the mag light, and the fact that it is an LED makes it infinitely tougher than the mag light as well. Also the thing is waterproof and shock proof and the beam is infinitely better than the mag light.

The catch? It was about two hundred and fifty dollars more than the mag light.

I'll never use the mag light again. It used to sit in my truck but the bulb burned out on me while I was using it and now I'll either throw it out and sell if for half the price that I bought it just to get rid of it. I've got a little Fenix that I keep in the truck that I bought for $60 bucks that can thow even more light than the surefire and has 5 or six brightness settings as well. ...

Moral of the story? Mag lights used to be the bees knees. Now surefires take the cake for quality and reliability in my opinion and the Fenix lights take it when it comes to value. There is no comparison between these lights and the older incandescent giant bodied lights. ...

Don't worry about it. Just picked up an LED for my 4D. On batteries that were almost dead it is about as bright as my surefire G2 which is 80 lumens. I'm going to do a runtime test and have a look at how bright it is once I kill these batteries and get fresh ones. It's already brighter than it was with the incandescent right before I changed it out. It will hopefully make a good truck light once again. I'm happy so far with the LED upgrade.

You sound like a product testimonial.


Isn't there a 3rd choice to the Maglight and the NiteEyes upgrade?
What is the best (cheapest) place to get these? Home Depot or online?

 

[BOBKATT]

As nice as SureFires and Liotecs are, it doesn't make sense to me to let perfectly good flashlights go to waste...

http://www.warrifles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34844&highlight=MagLite

http://www.warrifles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40787&highlight=MagLite

Exactly, and thanks for the input. I'm going to check out the reviews as well, good job. It definately has a place again whereas before it was rendered obsolete by my better lights. And one good thing is that I could care less about leaving it in my truck or in a tool box or something like that because it is inexpensive and the LED is tough compared to the incandescent bulb.

You sound like a product testimonial.


Isn't there a 3rd choice to the Maglight and the NiteEyes upgrade?
What is the best (cheapest) place to get these? Home Depot or online?

Haha, hey what can I say? I just bought the LED dropped it in and like MassMark says, it's a whole new light. There is definately a place for a big old LED mag light with an adjustable focus feature that my other lights do not have. And the best part is that it is damn cheap in comparison.

I got my LED at Home Depot. I was just anxious after what everyone was saying. I think you can order better ones online but for what it is I just wanted the instant gratification. It was $18 and change.

 

[richc]

Does anyone know if you can carry a Surefire or Fenix flashlight on an airplane? Or will the TSA confiscate your "weapon".

Rich

 

[MassMark]

You sound like a product testimonial.


Isn't there a 3rd choice to the Maglight and the NiteEyes upgrade?
What is the best (cheapest) place to get these? Home Depot or online?

I tried one put out by Dorcy and it was awful. There is another one, but I cannot remember the name. I know there are some expensive upgrades out there, but no thanks - the MagLite upgrade bulb plain works...I just used my new MagLite 3 AA MiniMag LED to walk the dog and it's great. I think they retail for about 25-bucks and are worth every cent...

 

[Coyote33]

I've got the 2C, 2D, 2AA, 2AAA ones. I wonder if LED's are available for each of these. I wish they had a bulk/multi-pack type of deal.

 

[PaulD]

I've got the 2C, 2D, 2AA, 2AAA ones. I wonder if LED's are available for each of these. I wish they had a bulk/multi-pack type of deal.

There are LED conversions for at least the first three, not sure about the 2AAA one. The 2C and 2D will use the same LED. For the 2AA, I got an LED conversion at REI. I forget the brand but it works pretty well and is almost as good as the new 2AA Maglight LED.

Here's one for the 2D and 2C: http://www.batteryjunction.com/tle-6exb.html

Also, if you want something really ridiculous for a big Maglight, try this: http://www.batteryjunction.com/tle-300.html

It's kind of expensive though.

 

[MassMark]

I've got the 2C, 2D, 2AA, 2AAA ones. I wonder if LED's are available for each of these. I wish they had a bulk/multi-pack type of deal.

I know for sure that MagLite does not make a replacement bulb for their AA and AAA lights. The ones we carry at Dicks are NiteEyez. The 2C 2D lights all have MagLite LEDs available...

 

[BOBKATT]

Anyone have any info on how the D cell alkaline batteries used in a MagLite hold up in the cold winter weather over long periods of time?

 

[PaulD]

Anyone have any info on how the D cell alkaline batteries used in a MagLite hold up in the cold winter weather over long periods of time?

Well, I'm not sure it matters since the only alternatives would be NiMH or NiCad and both suck in the cold. In fact, NiMH discharge over time regardless of temperture and arent' supposed to be stored below 32F.

Anyway, I keep a 3C Maglight in my wife's car. It had been in there for at least a year untouched. A couple of weeks ago, I got an LED conversion for it from Home Depot so I pulled it out, put the conversion in and turned it on. It worked just fine.

Modern alkaline batteries have improved a lot in their storage properties in general but I can't say exactly how the cold will affect that. It certainly won't help but they'll probably bounce back if you warm them up.

 

[dwarven1]

Anyone have any info on how the D cell alkaline batteries used in a MagLite hold up in the cold winter weather over long periods of time?

Pretty darn good, actually - I think that the current set in my car was at least two years old when I took them out and replaced them - they still lit up the old krypton bulb but they were noticibly dimming.

 

[MassMark]

Anyone have any info on how the D cell alkaline batteries used in a MagLite hold up in the cold winter weather over long periods of time?

My 3-D MagLite with LED has been in my Get Home Bag for nearly 2-years and I just used it to help a coworker jumpstart his car on Friday night - worked like a charm with the 3 Duracell alkaline batteries on deck...

 

[BOBKATT]

Thank you MassMark, Dwarven1, and PaulD for your help. I now have my 4D back in my truck and have confidence in its capabilities. Also, I turned it on last night with batteries that were almost dead with the old bulb in it around 8:00 p.m. and it was still bright this morning when I woke up. It is now finally starting to dim and it is about 13 hours later. I have good reason to believe that it will really last a good while on fresh batteries.

 

[BOBKATT]

Still running...... about the same level of brightness as yesterday. Just about pulling up on the 48 hour mark.

 

[Viper22]

Had a 3 D cell maglite for about 5 years. Worked great as a hammer to free-up the idle air controller needle on my ranger. Still worked as a flashlight too; never broke.

It got stolen from my truck amongst other things when it got broken into in Fitchburg.

 

[MassMark]

Still running...... about the same level of brightness as yesterday. Just about pulling up on the 48 hour mark.

Wow - and that's on the old batteries still?

 

[meth0d]

I've got a 4C with a LED bulb and mini mag with a regular bulb. The mini stays in the glove box and the big boy lives by my bed.

They're great but I'd like a light with a momentary/temporary pressure switch for carry purposes so I can turn it on and off more easily than the Mags.

 

[BOBKATT]

Wow - and that's on the old batteries still?

Yes, sir. Still running on the old batteries. About 50 hrs. now. Of course, it is down to about a little more than the brightness of the little Brinkman 3 cell AAA LED lights, which is not very bright. But certainly bright enough to use around the house if the power was out.

 

[Jamie]

My 3-D MagLite with LED has been in my Get Home Bag for nearly 2-years and I just used it to help a coworker jumpstart his car on Friday night - worked like a charm with the 3 Duracell alkaline batteries on deck...

I can't believe you jumped started a car with a flashlight! Awesome! You really are a god!

 

[BOBKATT]

Still running as bright as yesterday. We're on the 72 hour mark. I'd honestly like to throw some fresh batteries in there and stick it in my truck but I've got to see how long this thing runs for. It's amazing and boring at the same time.

 

[MassMark]

I can't believe you jumped started a car with a flashlight! Awesome! You really are a god!

I whacked him in the head with it, when I found out he had a standard and we roll started it. The Audi has the weirdest positioned battery and my cables could barely reach - kept slipping off...

Still running as bright as yesterday. We're on the 72 hour mark. I'd honestly like to throw some fresh batteries in there and stick it in my truck but I've got to see how long this thing runs for. It's amazing and boring at the same time.

Imagine Palladin on Warrifles - ran his for weeks.. That's pretty amazing for old batteries. That being said, my C-cell magLite gets used constantly and it's had the same batteries on deck for over a year and it's just now getting dim enough to change them....