# What did you do with your old Maglights?



## smooth2o (Feb 9, 2015)

This thread http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ts-What-to-do-with-them&p=4601845#post4601845 gave me the idea for this one.


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## Grijon (Feb 9, 2015)

Right now I have a 2D LED sitting in a drawer with no plans outside of the zombie apocalypse.

I have a 2D incan that I use at night when I'm also using candles for lighting - the tints match beautifully. Once the batteries in this one are done, it, too, will go in the drawer.

I traded my 2C incan.

I have two 2AAA LED MiniMaglites that I use as mood lighting to burn a stash of unwanted alkaline AAAs; their flickering and unregulation mean that I don't use them seriously. I will probably gift them.

I gifted my 2AA LED MiniMag.

I really do like Maglite, but I will almost certainly never buy another one (even though I irrationally WANT one of every model! LOL).


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## wjv (Feb 9, 2015)

Tossed some cheap LED bulbs in them. Still have a HORRIBLE ringy beam. Actually one is a Brinkman 4x'D' and the other is a Mag 3x'C'. I really should do a reflector/bulb upgrade as it would be worth it to do it right!


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## onetrickpony (Feb 9, 2015)

Built a 4d direct drive xml for a family member a few years ago, 2d 2x26650 mtg2 currently direct drive, that light is awesome, 2xaa that has a boost driver and an xre twist on, 3xaa p60 mutant that I used an old Solarforce head . I have a few others in various stages of completion. I like em, but I kind of wonder if I should have just bought complete modern lights a long time ago sometimes...


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## dss_777 (Feb 9, 2015)

onetrickpony said:


> Built a 4d direct drive xml for a family member a few years ago, 2d 2x26650 mtg2 currently direct drive, that light is awesome, 2xaa that has a boost driver and an xre twist on, 3xaa p60 mutant that I used an old Solarforce head . I have a few others in various stages of completion. I like em, but I kind of wonder if I should have just bought complete modern lights a long time ago sometimes...



If you enjoyed the process, why not?

The only thing you can't do by modding that Maglight is make it smaller. I think one of the major benefits of modern lights is how dang little they are for what they do.


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## besafe2 (Feb 9, 2015)

Still using all of mine.


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## trubltmols (Feb 10, 2015)

Car lights now, nothing more. Sad really, they used to be the lights to have.


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## StorminMatt (Feb 10, 2015)

Malkoff drop-ins. Maybe my Zebralights can kick out just as much light while being EDC-able. But the Mags have the advantage of being able to produce sustained high lumens for extended times due to the high capacity NiMH C and D cells. Also, their large size means they can dissipate heat well, and don't need to step down like the smaller lights. Although many here might disagree, I still believe larger lights like Mags have their place.


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## parnass (Feb 10, 2015)

I converted a 2C Maglite to LED and run it from 2AA Energizer Ultimate Lithium primary batteries using PVC pipe as a battery tube shim.

I made pill fobs from a 1AAA Solitaire and a 2AA Mini Maglite.

Some of my other Maglites are essentially collecting dust.


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## nbp (Feb 10, 2015)

A 2D was turned into a a ROP mod. The rest were sold cheap on the MP.


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## Mr Floppy (Feb 10, 2015)

StorminMatt said:


> Malkoff drop-ins.



That is a dangerous path to take. I bought one drop-in for an old Maglight, ended buying three more Mags and three more drop-ins, reflectors, lenses ...


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## smokinbasser (Feb 10, 2015)

sitting on my kitchen counter, one hot wire and one LED conversion both with AR lens and MOP reflectors just waiting to be used for what ever.


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## 1DaveN (Feb 10, 2015)

I have 2xAA incans all over the place - in my car, on the desk, in the basement. At some point I realized these were not the lights I wanted in an emergency, so I bought appropriate replacements, but the old Mags work fine. They're at least good for checking the thermostat, reading the electric meter, or whatever, and despite being over 30 years old, they work like new. I also have a 3xD that I keep for the zombie apocalypse, as Grijon said (but I doubt there are three D cells in the house).


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## ronniepudding (Feb 10, 2015)

My 2D and 5D have battery adapters fitted so that they run on AA NiMH (with a box of D cells in the basement as insurance against an extended power outage), the reflectors have been upgraded to aluminum Kaidomain MOP, the Incan bulbs replaced with Nite Ize LED PR 'bulbs', and the lenses replaced with glass. It was fun doing those light mods, but they will not receive any further investment. The 2D lives in the garage, and the 5D is in the house... Neither sees much use, but in a pinch I know where I can find a bunch of Eneloops  They are both glorified battery caddies.

Speaking of which, I do have a few 2xAA incan minimags lying around... It would be fun to turn one into a battery case along the lines of the Solitaire pill fob posted earlier.


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## leon2245 (Feb 11, 2015)

smooth2o said:


> What did you do with your old maglites?



Left them in a closet until the alkaleaks made a corroded mess, trashed them, then bought new ones.


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## MidnightDistortions (Feb 11, 2015)

I only have 2 older incan MiniMaglites, one of them still gets use while the other lays dead in my closet due to broken lamp parts. Upgrading the good one (AA model) to LED. I also have some of the newer LED Mags. I like using them as candles when there is power outages. .


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## DaveG (Feb 11, 2015)

Still use them,led upgrade for some for power outage use.


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## HotWire (Feb 13, 2015)

My old Maglights are all ROPs. Bright! No use for a stock Maglight....


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## broadgage (Feb 13, 2015)

I have a couple of D cell Maglights with LED drop ins that are still in regular use.
Numerous others are in working order and stored without batteries for use or to loan or sell in case of any extended power outage. I still keep spare incandescent bulbs and 100 D cells in case of emergency. A 7D is kept to hand for things that go bump in the night.
EDC is a 2AA min mag with LED drop in.


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## Drclaw (Feb 13, 2015)

put them in the trash after I compared them to lights 1/2 the size with only one battery


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## Echo63 (Feb 13, 2015)

Magcharger lives beside the bed 
the others are stored in a box somewhere 
the 3D my grandparents gave me when i was 14ish and the Minimag i bought when i was 12ish are in my display cabinet, with all my Spydercos


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## smooth2o (Feb 13, 2015)

Hey, great idea! I never thought about that, I'll bet they'll look great in my gun cabinet. Sans batteries, of course.



Echo63 said:


> Magcharger lives beside the bed
> the others are stored in a box somewhere
> the 3D my grandparents gave me when i was 14ish and the Minimag i bought when i was 12ish are in my display cabinet, with all my Spydercos


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## smooth2o (Feb 13, 2015)

Drclaw said:


> put them in the trash after I compared them to lights 1/2 the size with only one battery



LOL. That's something my wife would do if she knew I hadn't touched the damn light in 6 months....


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## Grijon (Feb 13, 2015)

Echo63 said:


> ...in my display cabinet...



That is cool.

I'm wanting to build a display cabinet for my lights - the Mags will definitely move there! I think they'd look good with one on each side, like bookends, lol!

And I love that signature, Echo63! "flashlight collector by day / flashlight user by night"


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## Runt (Feb 13, 2015)

Went the Malkoff route with my 3D. New aluminum reflector from KD and new lens. The thing will run for ever and will even eat up C cells with a pvc tube to space. Was thinking about one of those glass breaker tail caps but then I wouldn't be able to tailstand. Plus I figure the thing is heavy enough as is to bash my way through pretty much anything. 

All this may have cost more than buying something new but I still find it to be a very useful light. 

Thinking about some of the p60 hacks that I have seen on here for the 2xaas lying in the drawer. 


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


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## more_vampires (Feb 13, 2015)

Drclaw said:


> put them in the trash after I compared them to lights 1/2 the size with only one battery





smooth2o said:


> LOL. That's something my wife would do if she knew I hadn't touched the damn light in 6 months....



...and that, my friends, is why you don't let her see you dust them and THEN you ask HER to dust them!


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## jjp888 (Feb 16, 2015)

Had a mini mag, battery leaked and got trashed.Have 2-4d's and 1-6D.Now only the 1 out of two 4D is working.Both the other 4D and 6-D act as a spare shop for the working 4d.
Custom moded the 4-D cheaply by acree q5 and dedomed it.Now has a slightly greenish neutral tint, but runtime has improved greatly.Throw have been significantly increased, but spill is not that great .Pretty happy with it.It has taken quite large falls and hitting, but these Maglites never dies.The only silent killer is the battery leak.Now plan to upgrade it with anXml t6,but I think when using d-cells q5-brightness and runtime is fair enough.(but all the rubber switches are worn out now using without it, not a big deal).


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## Pete4638 (Feb 19, 2015)

I have two of the 3D models sitting in the garage, in pristine condition, attracting dust. I have heard that some people are converting them to LED's, using new reflectors and even changing the battery configurations. Maybe in time I will do that to these dinosaurs. 

Does anyone have any recommendations on the best way to convert these flashlights to LED's - preferably not using D cells?

Pete


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## Norm (Feb 19, 2015)

Pete4638 said:


> Does anyone have any recommendations on the best way to convert these flashlights to LED's - preferably not using D cells?
> 
> Pete



:welcome:
There are many existing threads.


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## fresh eddie fresh (Feb 19, 2015)

I threw them all away when the Duracells that they came with leaked and corroded the insides of them. 

I really miss the days of bringing home a different colored 2xAA every time I went to Target! I had those things in every drawer of my house and every coat pocket in my closet. I only wish I knew about Lithium AAs back then.


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## Throwjunkie (Feb 20, 2015)

I've seen many converted into firearms suppressors. C and D size used from 22 up to 308 Cal. and pretty effective. It costs 200 Tax stamp for the attempt so Id personally prefer to just turn out the components on my lathe and make something nice, but the Mag light housings are a good cheap alternative for those without a lathe. I converted my 3D cell to a hobo fishing kit all hooks weights and such store inside. 

Joe


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## Monocrom (Feb 20, 2015)

Honestly, I've put mine away in storage.


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## maro69camaro (Feb 21, 2015)

I went with a JayRob kit with voltage monitoring. Couldn't be happier with the old maglite


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## ro63rto (Feb 21, 2015)

I bought a Gene Malkoff drop-in, new reflector and glass lens for my 5D Maglite. The increase in brightness is amazing. Lives in the car now.


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## välineurheilija (Feb 21, 2015)

One 3D with Maglite led conversion.
Two 2D with Maglite led conversion.
One 6D with fusion 36 conversion.
One ML100.
Honestly i haven't used any of them in at least 3 months


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## Shaifnan (Feb 21, 2015)

I got the biggist one beside my bed. But not to use it for its light


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## Flying Turtle (Feb 21, 2015)

My old Mags went missing somewhere around here years ago. I've not really missed them.

Geoff


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## blah9 (Feb 22, 2015)

I have one 2AA incandescent left. I converted it to a really dim, blue LED a while back and haven't used it much in years. I did decide to put AA lithium batteries in it and leave it in my Jeep though just in case. I EDC two lights on my belt at all times so don't expect to ever use it, but I figured it's better than having nothing in the car for emergencies. I put a better light (Fenix E21) in my wife's car, but for mine I decided to just save money since I always have lights with me.


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## mbw_151 (Feb 23, 2015)

I upgraded all my Mini-Mags with inexpensive Nite-Ize LED conversions. These are the perfect loaner; you don't have to explain it and you don't care much if it doesn't come back. I also let my grandkids play with them, it keeps them away from the HDS and Surefire lights.


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## more_vampires (Feb 23, 2015)

maro69camaro said:


> I went with a JayRob kit with voltage monitoring. Could be happier with the old maglite



LOL! Nanometers, not lumens, amirite?


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## davehutch (Feb 27, 2015)

My AA mini got an Opalec LED years ago and my wife has that one.
funnily enough I took the batteries out of the 2D incan at the weekend and stashed in a drawer with an unopened 3D with LED upgrade. I've never opened it because I ordered one and two arrived.
alway intended to give it to someone as a present but never got around to it...you know how it is...good to have a spare


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## Monocrom (Feb 27, 2015)

Well.... Yesterday, for other reasons than just its output, I bought one of the advertised 272 lumens, 2AA Mini-Mag Pro LED models. It's going to be a back-up EDC light for awhile. So, at least I'm using one of the newer Mag models that's technically old due to its design.


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## CelticCross74 (Mar 4, 2015)

My first Mag is a black 4D incan I bought around 1995. It sat in a closet for over a decade before I discovered Malkoff. Today that same black 4D old Mag has the 700 lumen Malkoff XM-L2 drop in, a glare coated UCL lens and is powered by 4 11000mah Powerex D NiMHs. I swear candela went from 40000 to 75000 just by sheer output alone. It throws like a laser and has the widest beam profile I have ever seen. Also runs at full blast for over 2 hours before stepping down then runs for several more hours. It is the best LED investment I have ever made, expensive in the end but more than worth it.


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## Monocrom (Mar 5, 2015)

Speaking of LED investments, a few years back I bought a black 2C Mag along with a pewter one based on the advice from one of the first topics I ever read on CPF. (Basically a glowing recommendation of the C-series over the D.) 

Immediately afterwards I bought a few of Mag's very first LED upgrades available for their full-sized inca. models. Nothing spectacular. But still a nice improvement. Used the black one as a work light at my security job inside the S&P building during the night shift. (BTW, security at that place was a joke. Incompetent in-house security manager who couldn't even talk to employees without becoming flustered. Assistant in-house security manager who took 7 or 8 vacations a year and was a nervous wreck that his boss might find out. A certain anthrax scare illustrated how incompetent both are due to the ridiculous way they handled it.)

Still have that black one. Never let me down. Actually still have the pewter one too. Never actually ever used it. Both would be useful today. (Glad I no longer have that position at S&P though.)


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## GasganoFJ60 (Mar 6, 2015)

I've got 3 D-cell Mags.
3-D non-D serial number
5-D I saved from the trash cause the PO was gonna can it after a battery leak.
6-D I recently got from the Local Ace for cheaper than Amazon Prime prices. 
I'm thinking the 6D is getting a Malkoff drop-in in the next week or so. Possibly an aluminum reflector since it'll need to be replaced anyhow.

The 3 and 5 got NiteIze drop-ins. They're OK but I'm having my doubts about the 80hr run times.


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## ZMZ67 (Mar 7, 2015)

I don't use my Mag lights that often but I still have a few that I like.The 2Cs with either a Terralux or Malkoff drop in and 2 lithium AAs or 3 CR123s are my favorites.Most of my Maglites have been "retired" to my collection or put in storage as potential hosts for LED mods.If I see the older Mags at reasonable prices I still pick them up, especially the C-cell models.Incan Mags with LED drop-ins are more or less modular with replaceable parts,something that can't be said for most other LED lights.


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## maro69camaro (Mar 7, 2015)

more_vampires said:


> LOL! Nanometers, not lumens, amirite?



?


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## edpmis02 (Mar 8, 2015)

Minimags - 1 lux III and 2 XPe versions are sitting without batteries. they work great on fresh cells (except for low PWM flicker) but unreliable on non-fresh or NiMh cells.
2D - 1 Lux III (trashed after battery leak and took apart to clean switch).
2D - 1 XPE - sitting in car. like the big size and dead simple switch (got it at HD for $15.


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## more_vampires (Mar 9, 2015)

more_vampires said:


> LOL! Nanometers, not lumens, amirite?





maro69camaro said:


> I went with a JayRob kit with voltage monitoring. Couldn't be happier with the old maglite





maro69camaro said:


> ?



There's a guy who goes by JayRob who's a gigantic laser freak. Figured for a second it might be the same guy. He's all over the net.


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## chip100t (Oct 26, 2021)

In 2017 I put new batteries in all of mine and took them to the rspca charity shop.


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## this_is_nascar (Oct 27, 2021)

All of mine have a Malkoff drop-in device installed.


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