LED Upgrades for Maglite (Top 5 Best) 

New Cree XP-L HI Version added here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8JEA0XoGeDA.html

Dude.....you are an EXPERT level flashlight geek, i used to think i was an experienced flashlight geek, but in ''light'' of this video......i concede to your superiority....

As a 60+ year old and queer for flashlights (377 at last count) , your compilation and editing is top notch ! Thanks .

Friend, please let me congratulate you on making this video, you took a complex problem ( trust me I surfed all over to find the correct upgrade for my Maglite) and made a great no nonse comparison. Thank you , thank you, please keep these videos coming.. !!!

I bought the Terralux after watching this video and I absolutely love it. It’s gave my old 4 D cell Maglite a new lease of life. So amazing and bright. Great video 👍😊 thank you

Excellent video. I've not seen these "hi-end" replacement options. All I was aware of was the $15 drop-in replacement types. The outdoor shots really showed which was suitable for searches. Thanks again.

I have two 3 D cell maglite's , one is 33 years old, the other is 15 years old. This is an AWESOME upgrade. I have no more leaking D cell batteries to deal with. I bought the Firefly 800 Lumen 3-6 D Cell LED as well as the smaller end cap spring, battery sleeve to install two 26650 batteries, Scratch Resistant glass lens, I made a fake battery spacer to take up the room that was left where the 3rd battery went, and it all works FANTASTIC!! Now it's like the SUPER MAG-LITE FROM HELL!!! The old halogen bulb that was in it, is somewhere in the Tacoma Wa Landfill. :-D :-D :-D

I went with the Terralux 1000 lumen drop in bulb and it works great for my needs working a graveyard security shift. This really helps me bring light into peoples lives lol.

Would like to know the estimated battery life for each of the upgrades.

Thanks, once again for the informative video on MAGLITE modification. Before watching this video, I modified an old 4D MAGLITE torch, bought from flea market for $3.75. I used 4 LG 18650/3500 maH, in 2P2S configuration. My total output being 8.4V@7000maH I bought TERRALUX

One of the best informational instructional videos I’ve seen. Nice job!

Thanks for taking the time and effort to produce a very useful and fair comparison video of several LED replacement bulbs for the Maglite.

I don’t know how I ever missed this video I have been subscribed for over 2 years. I have a huge Maglite collection having one or more of each size and battery type. I even have a few 7 cell d size and most of my collection haven’t even used still in the box. I used to use them on the job as a Leo like so many others did. Thanks

Darn good video Sir...... straight and clear explanation , wish others would do the same WELL FRIGGIN DONE .

Superb video, excellent analysis on the greatest flashlights ever made. Not because thier the brightest, and certainly not the cheapest. I have many maglites, and many flashlights. If I need to grab a light for a sticky, risky or down right dirty situation, I grab a D or C cell maglite. Because I know it's the best chance I have for dependable light. Anything you add to a mag is a risk. Sure they can be brighter, they can eat up a D or C battery a lot faster. All things to consider. I have the terralux in my 4 D. Incredibly bright, going strong 8 years now.

We all want Maglite to do well, however the upgrades are left to 3rd partys making you think Maglite is crazy not to offer these upgrades.

Excellent video there bud, just watched it again. I purchased a malkoff bulb 8 months ago after watching your video very pleased with it. While it may not be the best flashlight on the market Maglite is virtually indestructible and the mount off bulb is held up to a lot of dropping and banging around. Excellent video keep up the good work

glad you did this. kill the music, annoying

These are great representations of these bulbs and retrofits for heirloom flashlights. Dude this is awesome. The battery life on these is exactly what I was thinking about.

Very Good video, Very Good documentary on how to upgrade Magnlite's. Your advice was very helpful.........

Hi guys, I know this video is 3 years old and maybe a lot of you know this already, but Torchupgrades has a 1000 lumen drop in type for the 2 D Cell Mag...yes the 2 D Cell. By the way, thanks for this video. I hope to be a flashlight guru like you someday.

excellent video - thanks

9 years you've been on youtube and they just recommended you today 😒 I like your channel , informative to the point and presented well . youtube can be quite annoying , you should have more subs by now and would if youtube didn't play around . you got one more today .

Nice video. I have a 4 D cell that I bought in ‘82 when I was working in the projects in Chicago. I moved over to an LED bulb years ago, but nice to see modern alternates.

After finding fresh Eveready D-cells alkaline that claim to have a 10 year shelf life I decided to put my Maglites back into service after around 10 years of using those single AA LEDs that sell for around $5-10. I ordered from Matt two (2) Firefly 280 lumen direct screw-on upgrades and the Firefly 800 lumen drop-in. I also got his single cell extender for my D-3 to make it a D-4 since D-cell batteries are sold in packages of even numbers. I have two D-3's one is thicker than the other the extender fits flush on the thinner one with a "D3" at the start of the 11 digit serial number. The thicker one has no "D" in the 8 digit serial number, it does screw-on and is flush on the inside but the outside is noticeably not flush. The Firefly 280 screw-on has an approximate run time of 15 hours on 4 D-cells. It is way brighter about twice as bright as the original. The Maglite incandescent exnon bulb run-time on 4-D cells is approximately 4 hours with 105 lumens output on fresh batteries, lumens drop as batteries weaken. The Firefly LED's dim less as batteries weaken. This screw-on upgrade is more than enough light that would be practically needed in a flash light, and is uncomfortable if shined at eyes. When adjusting spot to flood a dark spot forms in the center, the same as with the original bulb. I placed a spare Firefly 280 in the tail-cap, it fits just as well as the original spare bulb behind the spring. All these run-time estimates are not "continuous" run-times, continuous running will drain batteries faster, and could present overheating issues. A realistic run-time would be about half of these high estimates. When batteries die off running LEDs the light is still somewhat bright and just shuts off. When it is off for a while alkaline batteries can rejuvenate enough to light up the LED again only intermittently. Banging it around could cause it to light up again momentarily, but does not work as well as cleaning all the connections and replacing the batteries... The Firefly 800 drop-in has 3 ideal modes; High 100%, Medium 30%, and Low 5%, powered with 4 D-cells approximate run-times are H 5, M 90, L 400 hours. Would be even better to have another setting of something around 10-15% along with strobe. The focus is fixed to a hot spot with large bright spill. there is no spot to flood adjusting. Low mode is comfortable to the eye and is plenty of light to see your way around in the dark. Low is not as bright as the original bulb with fresh batteries but it will outshine incandescent bulbs as those batteries will weaken in a sort period of time. Low is a great battery conservation mode. Medium is close to the 280 bulb just ever so slightly less bright, but much brighter than the exnon incandescent, also uncomfortable when shined at the eye. High mode is for showing-off, it really lights up a large area and is most uncomfortable when shined in the eyes. High will drain the batteries the quickest so High should be used sparingly. If you shine these Firefly LED bulbs in anyone's eyes they will hate you, it's just rude to do so. If you are in a confrontational situation it could give you a situational advantage over some aggressive attackers. What I now have are two D-4 LED Maglites with options the screw-on 280 Firefly gives me the ability to carry a spare just like the original configuration. I just do not trust any claim that LEDs have amazingly long expected run life, I have been disappointed with most of them. The Drop-in 800 Firefly really is the better option as long as it works as no spare drop-in can be configured inside the Maglite. While LEDs have no filament to burn out, the drivers behind the LED fail to sustain the diode emitting light. The test of time takes time, for me so many LEDs have failed their advertised running life. 10 years of modest use is what I am expecting, 5 years or less would be another disappointment... I compared the Firefly 800 lumens with 4 fresh D-cells to my 2,000,000 candlepower 12 volt spotlight with a 55 watt halogen type bulb. This spotlight had a rechargeable lead battery that did not last a year. I modified it by taking out the battery and wiring a 6' foot cord that plugs into the cigarette lighter. It shines with plenty of juice from a running car, I can use it out of the window or I can stand next to the window to have a better 360 degree angle. It takes 12.57 lumens to equal 1 candlepower so this spotlight claims to be 25,140,000 lumens. It is bright but not no 25M+ lumen bright. So the 800 lumen Firefly is 63.6 candlepower. The 10 year old 12 volt 55 watt halogen bulb did outshine the new 6 volt Firefly LED 800 lumen but not by no millions of lumens. It might of beat it by maybe something like 400 lumens... also found a glass 50mm aspheric lens for Maglite D size for $3.78 free shipping from Hong Kong. I will update this comment when it arrives and tell how it all fits and focuses... www.dx.com/p/50mm-optical-glass-lens-for-flashlight-spot-light-2008380#.XQ2OXIhKiUk Still waiting for the Hong Kong lenses but I found and got a glass 50mm aspheric form a Stateside source. If the Hong Kong lenses work as well as the one I now have, I might order 2 dozen more. These lenses do little that would benefit the beam of drop-in upgrades Firefly 800 lumen that have a fixed focus. It does provide more throw but the spill changed to many dim rings kind of like the rings of Saturn. I do not recommend use, maybe improvements with an engineered bezel that could move the lens back an forth. The aspheric lens does provide massive noticeable improvements with the screw-on up-grade that allow the spot to flood function, I used with the Firefly 280 lumen. The 50mm lens fit is ok, 51mm would fit better 52mm might be tight. These lenses are glass, so better to be looser than tighter because of expansion and contraction cracking threats. The focus to spot gets tight, near crisp to a square LED shape with little to no spill. A smaller intense spot than with the flat lens and brighter with more throw than the 800 lumen Firefly drop-in. When adjusting to flood the center remains a bright spot, there is no dark spot forming a doughnut shaped light as with a flat lens. The flood looks like a large spot with less throw, and little to no spill. More than doubling the light intensity, I highly recommend for the serious flashlight user. Modifications are needed to have it all tricked out. The closer the bulb is to the lens the larger the flood area will be. I filed a small amount off of the cam "short" end of the reflector to allow the bulb to spring closer to the lens. The lens does need to be centered as it is tighten. The bezel needs a thin flat rubber washer or thicker o-ring to form a better seal, or replace the bezel with one that has a deep hood to protect the protruding lens. The many weaponized crown bezels I found are not deep enough to protect the lens and do nothing to control spill. Today I have failed at this point to locate a decent hooded bezel for Maglite upgrades, all searches result in 10 year old discontinued bezels for aspheric lenses. I am not sure if a 58mm camera hood can be modified to fit? I found one more D3 in my shed, the rubber parts are dried out, it's the thick tube so no cell extender will work well. Still looking great for over 20 years old, thinking of up-grading with the 2,000 lumen drop-in. Powering it with two (2) 26650 KeepPower 5200mAh wired in parallel instead of stacking in series. Plenty of room in the tube for wiring a slide-in insert in parallel to give it a stronger longer run-time, looking at achieving something over 10 hours in 25% mode. Then I will need to get a job as a Georgia prison guard so I can chase escapees through swamp all night long. Just stick some reflector tape on the tail of the Bluetick hounds... As I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for the Lord is with me; my rod and my Maglite, they comfort me.

The 2 C Cell incandescent Maglite is ideal for me. I replaced the stock bulb with a Cree bulb. Then replaced the plastic lens with a glass one. Works way better than stock, and I'm happy. It's also referred to as the "Usher Flashlight". Great video!

Awesome job ! Now I can up grade my 3 and 4 D 32 year old mag lights. Thank you.

Great video. Cheers! Been using a Terralux 6cell maglite since 2013, thing is a beast. Never a concern, no matter the conditions from Nevada desert heat to frigid Alaskan overnights

My best upgrade is some glow in the dark tape on the handle by the cap. In the dark its easier to find when you hear something.

A flashlight 101 video would be awesome! Great video thx!

Absolutely excellent video. You have my modification juices flowing. Never realized you could modify a flashlight. The only concern I have is you never mentioned changing the plastic lense. I see some people mentioning they change the plastic sense to a glass one because of the heat given off by the higher output bulbs.

I have used a fusion bulb set like this one for about 5 years it works great especially considering it only cost $25 plus shipping: FUSION 36 LED POWER MODULE FOR 2 3 4 5 & 6 C or D Cell MAGLITE 1100 lumens

I'm looking forward to the battery video. I own a "firefly" type drop-in I got from ebay and it's been working awesomely in my old maglite

You just saved my Maglites. I was about to chuckem

Firefly looks sweet, good mid range

i got like 10 years ago also some sort of LED Bulb upgrade. I think it was a 3W bulb, and it made my old 3D mag still useful for some years.

Thanks for the description and comparison of different types of LED drop-ins and current consumptions. Very educative , indeed. My 4D cell has Terralux 1000Lm. that's blazing. But, I'm surprised that you recorded 854Lm /910Lm. Thanks once again. Cheers.

nice one. thanks. glad to see i'm not the only maglite freak ;)

I used a TLE 5ex conversion in my AA Mini mag Lights. Pretty good,actually. TerraLux.

Tq friend for the most helpful information for a newbie like me

Great Video, excellent content ! Gotta say, I’m pretty SHOCKED at prices for upgrading a BULB

I love my old 6 cell monster, it deserves a new light after what it has been through. I have many newer fancier lights but the old Maglite I have had for over 25 years now.

Great video, love all the options you give

Def. want to know about batt. cells. Everything from normal C/D, Lithium, Li-Ion.. I have been really surprised, I have a 3 C cell mag that I have had the same batteries in for 5+ years, no leaking and they are general duracell, but other devices leak after sitting for a few mos. (I'm looking at you AA/AAA maglights..) I am all for a geek out session.

Excellent vid mate, you answered many questions for me.

Fingers crossed for a Black Friday sale at Adventure Sport Flashlight! ;)

Thanks for filming, loved my mag lights

Great video! A $100 Maglight is a little much. Thinking I could find something better with rechargable batteries for less. What you showed was impressive, just a little rich for me.

Planning to upgrade my collectors item 1980's maglite...Regarding ur bulb upgrades - The more expensive it is - the better it will perform...

Good video and man you could fry someone's retinas with those 2000 or 5000 lumen bulbs. I just retrofitted a 4' florescent light fixture with two tubes and their combined light output is only 3200 lumens!

Firefly 800 lumen bulbs are also now in stock ready to ship.

I have a terralux along with several of the simple bulb replacements. My favorite is my heavily modified C cell. I use a 2-3 cell rated bulb drop-in, and I’ve replaced the 2 C cells with one 18650 with a 3D printed spacer ring to prevent rattling and a piece of a large bolt with the same diameter as the 18650 to make it long enough. This way I can take out the spacer and metal bolt and still use C cells if I wanted. Next I sprayed the reflector with a light coating of clear coat spray paint to eliminate the “halo” effect of the standard reflector. To refocus the beam after the acrylic, I used a convex lens. This makes the beam extremely even in its distribution so there is no real spot with spill. It also allows for a reasonable amount of quick focus (although not as drastic as the standard reflector/lens). Finally, because the lens poked out so much further then the standard bezel, I added one of the longer, sharpened ones that goes past the lens to protect it from scratches. The 18650 I have right now is some used random from a laptop battery and has roughly 1300 mah of capacity, but the light still lasts hours, roughly 3/4 of what the C cells lasted with the same bulb.

Great video, just what I need to know, I went with Rapid To You to upgrade 4 of my D cell Maglites.

Awesome video, thanks for reviewing these. I wish there were this many upgrades for the old fulton anglehead flashlights. Could you do a video on that?

looking forward to follow up vid! nice job here.

Great video, I've thought about upgrading my old mag light but for the price I can buy a much smaller light.

Someone get this man a beer.. Epic video!

I love your fuckin channel man! Last summer an old lady sold me one of those old maglights 2 cell with incandescent bulb for 2 buks at a garage sale! & i found an led bulb upgrade for like 7$ at home depot! Now thats upgrade! 10 $ Maggie! I already had rachargable d batteries from harbor freight, Wish i had one of yours though, looks like you can cook a rotating chicken with those things!

Your voice is amazing !

Matt I have the terralux. Set up with 26650's. Not satisfied with the color output, it's too blue for my taste. All flood, but a good light at an affordable price... Thanks for your info and I enjoy your content...

Trust him! He is a professional!

Very well done that was a good comparison video

Great job, very pricey options.

Nice video, sir

My idea for a video. I'm always looking for used MagLight. How about a video showing the best Mag-series light to look for. Plus, I'd love to find a way to add a Strobe to a Mag-Light. Stay with it, kudos good Vid.

Great video!

I wish there was a silicone slip-on grip for maglite. Idk maybe there is such a thing. But they get cold in the winter, and a better grip in the summer would be appreciated.

The prices on the Adventure Sport are just ridiculous unless you're a police dept.

great video Matt, I've been losing my mind on researching what bulb led to put in my old maglite. Thought about building my own to save money, but I don't have the time for it all. So I'm back to just biting the bullet and getting a drop in. I have a very old maglite. No " D " in serial number. Not sure if they all fit. I did see your video on measuring down the head. I think I like the firefly drop in for the value. The ASF 2000lm drop in is impressive. Cost is the hang up for that one. Like lots have said you can buy a cheaper flashlight with comparable LM for cheaper so hard to sink in that kind of cash. Your idea on explaining about the flashlights and batteries would be awesome. Amp, current, voltage, drivers, heatsinks, overdriving, best battery, best led for application has left me asking myself more questions than answers. A month ago I knew nothing about flashlights and now with all my research I feel I know more, but has left me more confused....lol Help....lol....please. p.s. liked and subscribed. Thanks for all of your videos.

Excellent video 👍👍thanks man!

Great video man!

Great video. Thanks for the 411.

Can we talk about the jacket? That’s one sweet puffy jacket Matt.

Was about to sell my torch on gumtree. Lucky I checked. Let the mods begin 😏

I loved you in Mobius

thanks buddy good vid

When he was talking about the last few bulbs and said 2000 and 5000 lumens I was like geez???!!??!?!?! Who needs a bulb that bright in a Maglite. At the price point some of these were at i agree with people commenting you might as well get a cheap tactical flashlight. But then again I enjoyed this video cause im just trying to put new life into my old 2 D cell Maglite so my "SureFire E2L AA Outdoorsman LED Flashlight" can have a friend. (Sadly to the best of my knowledge they don't make those anymore). So I understand both sides of the convo. All i was looking for was 200-300 lumens then this mofo tells me I can upgrade to 1000 lumens lol. While i wont do that, it was informative and thank you for this video and providing the links below. Now i have a better idea of what im going to do for my old Mag.

OMG i never knew there where people with flashlight fetish other than myself. Love your vids man. I didnt hate the music but something a bit more pace

Great video, very informative.

Great tips on upgrade!

Great job Matt. I'm looking for the another EDC light with the output of 4000Lm or better. The less complicated controls the better. What ever happened to using a flashlight as a simple quality tool to work at night with? Thanks again Matt, you have a great channel.

Very helpful! Thank you sir!

I'm running a TerraLux MiniStar31M-EX in a 2 D cell host, with 2 KeepPower 26650's. I absolutely love it. The looks on peoples faces when you turn on an average looking Maglite and light up a city block are priceless. I have a couple questions I was hoping you could answer. Is the TerraLux MiniStar31M-EX the same as the TLE310-M? They look identical and are rated the same in all categories. Was the MiniStar/TLE discontinued? Amazon has the Mini listed at $195.58 for some ungodly reason, and I cant find them in stock anywhere, I run a security company and was planning on outfitting my guys with TerraLux's on sites that could use the extra power like construction sites or mines, the rest are just gonna get cheap L.E.D. upgrades. (i won 45 old Maglites in an auction for 2.75 each, some working some not. Perfect for our needs after upgrade.) Do you know of any products with similar capabilities at a comparable price? I really like the way the beam throws from the TerraLux. Would have sent this via private message, but i figure this info could be useful to someone else as well. This video is what peaked my interest in the TerraLux, your content is fantastic!!! Thanks for what your doing!

I like the battery 101 idea, I would be curious how my Kirkland batteries rate vs my Duracell

Great video, I just subscribed!🤙

4 Cell MAGNUM STAR II Xenon Bulb overdriven with 2x 18650s. Beats all LEDs ;) Jokes aside, it certainly throws more than the 6 cell on 2x 18650s though bulb life is severely reduced.

Why would you spend 60 or 100$ on and maglite upgrade, when you can get a olight or Sofirn etc for the same price??

I have your 800 lumen bulb. Its works great even on 4 AA batteries. But im not too sure if it gose thru the different cycles. Which i perfer just on and off. Dont like having to cycle it to go on high every time i turn off and on. Awsome bulb.

Hello, I love your videos but what happened with the led xhp90.2 has disappeared from the market, would you know how to tell me why it has failed or ...

I got the 3-6 D cell drop in for my mag. 285 lumens? I put fresh D cells in my Malkoff Mag and it is night and day. With fresh cells and a trick low impendence switch the light is easily pushing 450 lumens. The beam profile is bigger than my house.

Thank You, but 7 years later, it is largely out-dated information, but Thank You. Maybe do a 2024 version of this ?

I forgot one thing that 3D Maglite makes a darn good attitude adjuster

Your a smart dude, live your videos! 👍🏼

Please do the same tests on the 2AA Mini Maglite. The bulbs in your tests are too big for my Mini.

My dad died this summer and my brother gave his 3d maglites for Christmas. He Put an led bulb and is powered by 2 1865 batteries. With a few more mods, i could add a 3rd cell. He made a pvc sleeve for the batteries and i want to replace it with something heavy, maybe just at the bottom for the "thwap!" Factor. Also considering having it cerakoted but worried that'll change it too much bc its my dead fathers. Has anyone used 3 1865 cells in a 3d? Has anyone intentionally put a heavy sleeve in it to maintain mass?

Good information. Show the build

excelente video, gracias capo

Good video!

Once again...another great and very informative video. I've modded many lights...never a maglite though. I really like the idea of your dropins but I don't like the honeycomb on the optic. Whenever I build X6 triples...I always sand the honeycomb off. Have you made any dropins without the honeycomb on the optic to see what the beam pattern looks like?

Info idea, talk about batteries and Battery spacers for flashlight upgrades i.e maglight where the tube is made for d cells, c cells, etc..