# Surefire M3T Headed My Way



## sween1911 (Apr 30, 2015)

Hey gang,

I have a Surefire M3T on its way to me. I know they're not the latest and greatest, but I always loved the old school Millenium series lights, and was able to score one for a good price. I think everyone should have a light with a Millenium Turbohead to play with at some point. Pretty sure it just has the MN15/16 with it, but wondering what other lamp combinations would be fun and useful to play with these days (without using an extender tube). I know this is the Incan forum, but what do you guys think of the KT4 LED towers from Lumens Factory?


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## bigchelis (Apr 30, 2015)

I had those towers from Lumes Factory and Milky and some other customs ones.


First the size of heatsink or lack of heatsink keeps you limited to low or moderate current. Which means you will not have a super bright light but a lot of runtime.


2nd, I rather have a 2K lumen Incandescent in there only because I can assume you use rechargeable cells and who cares if you get short run time? 


best,
biGC


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## archimedes (Apr 30, 2015)

Malkoff MD60 [emoji106]


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## sween1911 (Apr 30, 2015)

What's the best bang for the buck with incan/rechargeables that doesn't require an extension or boring at this point? Wouldn't rule out boring down the road.

Awww man, the MD60 is so tempting. I'd liquidate every other light in the house for that combo.


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## sgt253 (Apr 30, 2015)

Lucky dog. Looking for one myself. Best of luck.


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## sween1911 (May 1, 2015)

Playing with it last night. Wow. My only two 17500's are in my M3 (hafta get more), so I dropped 3 fresh primaries into the M3T. That MN15 for "only" 125 lumens throws like a monster.

Asking Nailbender about a tower for it, we'll see what kind of setup I can get running.


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## Up All Night (May 5, 2015)

sween1911 said:


> What's the best bang for the buck with incan/rechargeables that doesn't require an extension or boring at this point? Wouldn't rule out boring down the road.
> 
> Awww man, the MD60 is so tempting. I'd liquidate every other light in the house for that combo.



I'm running a Lumens Factory HO-M3T w/ two 17500s and I'm impressed. I also have the M3T-LED and it is about what I expected, as bigC says, lotsa run-time, not a ton of light. I'd take the HO incan over the LF LED in this set-up without hesitation.

. . . . and I see you have another KT4 inbound!:thumbsup:


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## cland72 (May 5, 2015)

I used to have a M3 and M3T, and my favorite config was the MN10/MN15 on 2x17500. There's no reason to put an LED tower in it, because you're detracting from what it is - an incandescent thrower. 

For a while I used a MD10 in my M3 and a MD60 in my M3T, but ultimately went back to incandescent bulbs. The LEDs just didn't impress me like the incan did.


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## maxspeeds (May 5, 2015)

^^ I agree with Up All Night and Cland72, keep it incandescent. There are many other current offerings that utilize LED's and are up for the task. My favorite for the M3T would be Surefire's MN15 (due to low amp draw / long run time) and Lumen Factory's HO-M3T (intense hotspot and medium amp draw). Run it on two 17500's batteries and you're good to go. Even better would to bore your battery tube to handle 2x18500s or buy a Leef/Fivemega/OR 2x18650 battery tube and an AW 3 speed switch.


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## sween1911 (May 6, 2015)

Up All Night said:


> . . . . and I see you have another KT4 inbound!:thumbsup:



Yes! Yes, I do!  I have a user M3 that I've been playing with and the user KT4 is perfect for it. Maybe I'll get that M3 bored for 18500's. 

Thank you all for the recommendations for the incan light options. I think a HO-M3T is in my future. I however did already order the LF M3T LED module before re-reading this thread, just to have a base level LED option. Will compare side-by-side with the M3T's MN15 when it all comes in.


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## cland72 (May 6, 2015)

sween1911 said:


> Yes! Yes, I do!  I have a user M3 that I've been playing with and the user KT4 is perfect for it. Maybe I'll get that M3 bored for 18500's.
> 
> Thank you all for the recommendations for the incan light options. I think a HO-M3T is in my future. I however did already order the LF M3T LED module before re-reading this thread, just to have a base level LED option. Will compare side-by-side with the M3T's MN15 when it all comes in.



Once you have a chance to try them out side by side, let us know your impressions. I'm really curious to see how you feel about LED versus incan in that turbo head.


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## maxspeeds (May 6, 2015)

cland72 said:


> Once you have a chance to try them out side by side, let us know your impressions. I'm really curious to see how you feel about LED versus incan in that turbo head.



I keep a custom XM-L tower in my 3" surefire turbohead and a HO-M3T in another 3" turbohead. They both serve their purposes, but I find myself reaching for the XM-L more often. In an M3T turbohead, there's no question I would keep it incan as the 2.5" turbohead with the led tower isn't as useful as a KL6 or KL5 with an XM-L upgrade. These are just my personal preferences


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## sween1911 (May 11, 2015)

I dunno guys, I like the XP-G2 in the Lumens Factory unit. I got the single-level unit. The perfectly round hotspot is pretty sweet with decent spill. Not a huge output monster, but not too shabby. Didn't get the second turbohead yet (I think it's coming today) so I didn't run them side by side, but I did swap the MN15/LED units in the one I have and shine it around in my yard last night and annoy the neighbors. The MN15 is very bright with a laser focus at close to medium range, color rendition is incandelicious, but that squashed football beam at distance outside doesn't do it for me. I'll try to get some side-by-side beamshots at some point.

Funny thing, is having finally experienced it firsthand and gotten the chance to play with it, I understand the limitations of the turbohead. It's really for reaching far out there and you lose a little close range utility. Makes me appreciate the standard M3 head more with its ability to put out a lot of usable light at close to medium-long range and everything in between. 

I still want a Malkoff MD60, though. 

PS: Unless your coworkers are flashaholics, don't say you're going home to get your turbohead. You get looks.


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## ampdude (May 16, 2015)

You might be able to try an MN20 on three IMR16340's. It's been awhile, but I think that combo normally works. Don't get angry with me if the bulb insta-flashes though.

I've heard people say that combo works with the MN60, but I had one flash. Might have just been a bad bulb though.


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## sween1911 (May 19, 2015)

ampdude said:


> You might be able to try an MN20 on three IMR16340's. It's been awhile, but I think that combo normally works. Don't get angry with me if the bulb insta-flashes though.
> 
> I've heard people say that combo works with the MN60, but I had one flash. Might have just been a bad bulb though.



That would be cool to get M6 and M4 lamps in there. I'll look into that. Thanks.


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## archimedes (May 19, 2015)

This thread is great !

Haven't seen much discussion of incandescent lamps for quite a while, except right here ... 

Someone already mentioned this, but you should really try to find an AW Softstart switch, if you don't already have one.


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## sween1911 (May 19, 2015)

archimedes said:


> ...Haven't seen much discussion of incandescent lamps for quite a while...



Thanks for chiming in! I've always been a fan of the tried-and-true classics even if they're considered trailing-edge technology today. Always thought the Surefire Turboheads were cool regardless.


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## scout24 (May 19, 2015)

MN15 or HO-M3T are the limit on 17500's as per mdocod's compatability thread. An extender allowing 17670's or boring to allow 18500's opens the door for the MN20 or more runtime. Boring, and a bored extender or both and a Z46... down the rabbit hole you go. See you there!


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## sween1911 (May 26, 2015)

Scout, thanks for mentioning mdocod's thread, that's a great resource there! 

Love the lego appeal of using different heads, batteries and light modules. Since I scored a nice user Millenium Turbohead for my M3, the actual M3T is up in WTS.


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## Brigadier (May 26, 2015)

cland72 said:


> I used to have a M3 and M3T, and my favorite config was the MN10/MN15 on 2x17500. There's no reason to put an LED tower in it, because you're detracting from what it is - an incandescent thrower.
> 
> For a while I used a MD10 in my M3 and a MD60 in my M3T, but ultimately went back to incandescent bulbs. The LEDs just didn't impress me like the incan did.



^^ This. Although, since I have another M3 running an MN10/17500 combo and a 9ANT, I load my M3T with the MN15 and primaries for a gr8 tactical light.


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## BenChiew (Aug 17, 2015)

Will the M3 body take the 17500 without boring?


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## sween1911 (Aug 17, 2015)

BenChiew said:


> Will the M3 body take the 17500 without boring?



Yes. I've run 17500's in my unbored Z3 and M3 with no problem.


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## BenChiew (Aug 19, 2015)

Can a M3 head be adapted to take a P60 Malkoff drop in?


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## cland72 (Aug 19, 2015)

BenChiew said:


> Can a M3 head be adapted to take a P60 Malkoff drop in?



Negative


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## BenChiew (Aug 19, 2015)

cland72 said:


> Negative



[emoji106] thanks

Does anyone make a 2AA LED drop in for the M3 head. Would be cool to have a long runtime setup in a classic surefire.


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## cland72 (Aug 19, 2015)

BenChiew said:


> [emoji106] thanks
> 
> Does anyone make a 2AA LED drop in for the M3 head. Would be cool to have a long runtime setup in a classic surefire.



Maybe you could talk to Dave/Nailbender. Perhaps he has a low voltage driver he can use for a special order D36 drop in.


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## BenChiew (Aug 19, 2015)

Cool. Anyone have any experience using them?


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## Brigadier (Aug 19, 2015)

BenChiew said:


> Cool. Anyone have any experience using them?




Yep. Had two. Tried them, sold them. It just isn't an M3 if it is LED.


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## cland72 (Aug 19, 2015)

Brigadier said:


> Yep. Had two. Tried them, sold them. It just isn't an M3 if it is LED.



Very well said. Before I sold my M3, I tried a MD10 and went back to the MN10. Like you said, the incandescent output is part of what makes the light so great. 2x17500 batteries is really all you need with a M3.


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## sween1911 (Aug 19, 2015)

cland72 said:


> Very well said. Before I sold my M3, I tried a MD10 and went back to the MN10. Like you said, the incandescent output is part of what makes the light so great. 2x17500 batteries is really all you need with a M3.



I gotta say, even though this is in the incan section and we're talking about an incan light, I'm very happy with my Nailbender D36 unit that I have in my stock M3 head. After some trial and error of getting the unit fitted in the bezel, the tint is just beautiful and it works like a champ. After going back and forth with Dave, I got the Nichia 4500k 92Cri. It's a nice warm brilliant white, like the MN11 I had in it when I got it, just with a perfectly round hotspot. I never warmed up to the football shaped hotspot.


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