I remember as a kid growing up in the late 70's/early 80's, and even into the new millennium, driving around our ranch with my dad basically the only choices were a big bulky Maglite, a 90deg angled neck military light, a cheap, cheesy aluminum ribbed body Sportsman saber, or a huge 12 volt Q-Beam that we'd plug into a cigarette lighter. The older flashlights may be outdated and obsolete, but they have a place in memory lane for many.
We had few Maglites at home back in late 90s when I was a kid. Those are my buddy when I walk my dogs during the night time. But I remember the time my father bought a small tiny LED flashlight and it was waay brighter than maglite and I was really disappointed with this big heavy maglite. Now I'm almost 30, and I really love the design of maglite I love it.
I did overnight security in downtown Seattle for a few years. We weren't even allowed to carry stuff that civilians were allowed to carry, like pepper spray, so I carried a big D cell LED maglite. You can understand why.
I love the old Vietnam era angled flashlights the tunnel rats carried. My way of honoring that kind of guts and bravery. So, have you had any luck upgrading the angled lights, because so far I have not. Thanks.
Great vid Jb. I upgraded my two D cell and 4D cell maglites but with niteize LED upgrade. Each at 55 lumens for 11.99 + tax. And yes these have been brought back to life. Thanks
I have upgrade all my Maglite's my with led blubs or dropins. Just did the 26650 conversion on one Maglite and it's great. Running 2 26650's with pvc adapters. Changed the tail spring also. Putting out over 3000 lumens. Going to do the 6 D cell Maglite when I can afford it. Great video!!!
I got my Maglight with the LED upgrade and it was great. I have had it for many years and never have had any issues. I've never changed the batteries either. Great flashlight all around if you can deal with it being all big and bulky.
Those LED drop ins (and the ones from Terralux) were surpassed in around 2008 when Seoul Semi Conducters P7 quad emitters (capable of approximately 900lm) arrived on the modding scene, Maglites make excellent hosts for such DIY modifications and the light I built way back in 2010 is still working great (and in use) in 2023 👍
Maglites maybe not the latest fashion, but they got style. You can convert them up to 5000 (real!) lumens, which turns them to a non lethal weapon. Flash an opponent in the face, walk away, have a coffee, stroll back and see him still stagger around in circles, blindly.
I have a 2 D cell Maglite that I want to upgrade to a led light. Now I know where to get one. There's a Harbor Freight near by my house. Thanks for the info.
They USED to may a 7 cell "C" cell yrs ago. Loved it but you cannot find them anymore. They fit your hand better and you could use them as a defensive weapon (baton) as well. Sad they stopped making those models
i may try and do that, my mini mag pro says 272 lumins but i think its closer to 325. and the battery life is shorter than any of my flashlights. have to run duracell rechargables or it doesnt work right and the thing gets hot.
Good Video!!!!! Looks like a good cheap up-grade for the old Maglite's.I have 3,never up-graded because of the newer smaller ones with a lot more Lumens.I might go looking for some bulbs.I do love the old school,Belly-Club Maglites!!!!!
Tip for these D cell mags - check your batteries often! If they happen to leak and get stuck in there, its a PITA to get them out. I have a 3 cell model that its happened to me twice, and its still working!
In my anecdotal experience, avoid Duracell batteries. I feel like they leak/burst at a far greater rate than comparable brands. They just have/had a great PR team.
In all seriousness, A serious comment about Maglites: UNTIL you can find a LED that runs 170+ Hours non stop, and be useful for self defense... Maglites also provide a "warmer" light, If I honesty wanted to blind someone I'd get a fucking LED, and I do carry a LED for investigating... my Maglite is just for general purpose, I can spot someone with a maglite just like with a LED, but my Maglite runs longer, Holds up generally better, doesn't burn my eyes out, and if I need to bust asses I can. It's generally just good for security work, I keep 2 rolls of batteries in the office, and one on the otherside of the facility in case I run out mid walk or it starts to die, 3 packs in total, in one night- I'm not running out of light. I also keep some cheap LED flashlights tucked away in a first-aid kit box, just in case. Mid patrol and the light dies, I'm going to need something to keep my going until I can replace my Maglite. Hands down, Maglite will always have a place in my heart... and car, and my belt. I keep one under the register aswell incase of a jackass coming in late at night, Part-time job, but still...
As a young cop in the 1970s, I have many memories of 3, 4 & 5 cell Mag-Lites but as I maturated, my flashlight got shorter and shorter until I finally retired.
Mag light may be dim.....happy to have them in the pitch black! Main reason i keep em along with some high output lights, is they run along time compared to my lights running cr123 batteries....
I got a 15000 lumen bushnell light for around i think 70$ its bad ass you can even charge a cell phone off it i love it highly recommended it. Wal mart gots it but thank you for the video awesome man
TerraLUX Version www.amazon.com/TerraLUX-TLE-6EXB-MiniStar5-Conversion-MagLites/dp/B001I9TI4Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477150085&sr=8-1&keywords=terralux%2B3d&th=1 Nite Ize www.amazon.com/Nite-Ize-Upgrade-Flashlights-Lumen/dp/B00HF8IR8W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1477150132&sr=8-2&keywords=nite+ize+maglite The TerraLUX is much brighter (at least according to the advertised lumens)
Great video... I always knew the old Maglites were outdated, but I never realised just how dim the beam is... on the other hand, there's no point trying to hit a burglar with the NanoStream :-)
I would be interested and seeing a comparison between the classic Maglite with an LED upgrade against a new Maglite originally equipped with the LED. The upgrade doesn't seem to have a very good lighted area when you zoom out for a wide beam it's not really any better than the original bulb although with whiter light and possibly brighter.
That's not a halogen. That's a krypton bulb. Later models had xenon bulbs. These bulbs are slot tougher than you think. I've used these for years, dropped and thrown about and can take it. Led is better but, can be problematic more than bulbs as LEDs need to stay cool to live longer
I’m 64 years old and I have the 6 D cell model. It weighs about 1350lbs and gives of the same amount of light as a firefly. Try to find the UV diode upgrade. I did buy the regular diode upgrade, no big deal. I also own an Olight m2r. And a Pelican 7600. Those old mag lights are real ankors.
I have the 6 D cell also, totally impractical...but were SO cool back in the late 80's into the 90's......and it saved my ass one day when i got into a confrontation where i was outnumbered 2 to one......the flashlight evened the odds and they backed down.....i still have it today....will never give up my MAGlite....
I Just Got My Maglight In The Mail. I Didn't Open It Yet But I Will Tomorrow I Also Have AN OLD,Army Green Rayovac Flashlight. I Also Have A Led Bulb Waiting To Be Installed After The Old Incandescent Bulb Goes Out. So If That Old Bulb Burns Out I'll Have The Led On Standby.
Ha! I have the Maglite 4-Cell D Flashlight with the incandescent bulb and I'd like upgrade to LED! It's a beast that is more than a flashlight, if you know what I mean!
Mongo L It’s a nice upgrade/replacement as long as you can get em for $3 or less. It’s not a lot brighter than the old krypton bulbs, but I think it’s a bit whiter and mine had less “artifacts” in the beam. If it’s more than a few $, you might as well just get a led replacement or a whole new light altogether.
Obsolete? Doubt that. I carry mine at night, has range and doubles as weapon on the docks where I work. I have I 140 lumen insert - bright. Gives new life to an old light.
Finding an upgrade lamp for a maglight is ridiculous. As far as I can tell, the company is standing in the way. Maglight owners would pay a premium for a conversion kit but they only want to sell new flashlights and xenon lamps. I really like my good ol' maglight. I'll never buy another one. They made these tough "lifetime" flashlights that got outdated. I got a third party lamp from Batteries Plus and today you can't find 'maglight' on their website.
I like the overlall ook of the classic MAGLIGHT...Yes Conversion to a led is Excellent then incandescent type Bulb...But still I would buy a Classic MAGLIGHT anytime of day ...
My screw on bulb retainer wouldn't screw back on. I think it's because I ordered the bulbs from a Chinese vendor. Maybe led bulbs from a american vendor that said mag lights right on the package will fit.
I wish I still had mine that we got in 2004 (when I was 8). They were very bright for the time. This was the only option then. The only other were cheap Chinese weak plastic ones with like 10 lumens and would break the second you dropped it. Maglites were so tough. Now I have a little aluminum bushnell (it’s chinese but very tough) that’s 1,550 lumens, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and has a high, low, and strobe setting. Heavy enough to hurt someone if you need to, and to be durable, but light enough to carry for hours, with no problems.
rich5817 I frickin love Olights. My S1 Baton has been a dream for almost a year, love it, and looking to get more. I have about 3 nitecores though, and I have had a few problems. I will look into mecarmy, among others. still have yet to buy a thrunite, just dont like the twist head operation of most
Mag-Lites website still has all the incandescent models listed on their website, did you even bother to look it's easy to find. The halogen and xenon models will provide illumination for 10 hours, I don't see how that's outdated. And if you really needed light in an emergency you certainly wouldn't call it obsolete.
They aren't bright, but maglights are durable, and reliable, I can not tell you how many led lights I have had break on me, and when a mag light runs out of power, it stops, or noticably dims, but led lights tease you buy acting broken, when they just neeed a new battery.
You might want to have one or two old school incandescent bulb flashlights. If we get hit with an electromagnetic pulse, LEDs might not survive. Nobody knows for sure.
Myth, in order for EMP to affect something it has to have enough wiring to act as an antenna to grab enough of the magnetic pulse to damage any circuitry, even cars don't have enough, the electrical grid would be affected because the transmission lines that criss cross the countryside are a massive antenna, but between all the more wiring in one and the fact that it's shielded by the body a car and things like a flashlight with modern LED bulbs in them would have to be so close to the blast to be affected by EMP that the blast would just vaporize it anyways.
@@dukecraig2402 Well, since high altitude EMP is generated by a nuclear detonation hundreds of kilometers above the earths surface, I don't think my flashlight is in danger of melting. Just how large an antenna is required to induce a damaging current in electronics? The agreed value of a typical EMP electric field strength is 50,000 volts per meter. A conductor 1 mm in length would therefore induce a current of 50 volts in the circuit. That's more than enough to fry an IC that runs on 3 volts. But this is all theoretical, of course. That's my point, no one knows for sure.
@@rpbajb Just read an article a few months ago dispelling myths about EMP, as explained by an authority on the matter enough wiring is needed to act as an antenna to grab enough pulse to send enough juice through chips to damage them, and the chips aren't sitting out in the wide open, neither is the wiring in a car, they're shielded by everything from a car body to the very case's that they're inside of like the ECU of an automobile or motorcycle. The information came from a man who works in the field, so I'm gonna go with what he says.
I just ran across this I was just messing with my Maglite the other day and mine is just like that to doll no shine I'm going out to Harbor Freight and buy me a new bulb
Halogen is also incandescent. Halogen, Xenon and Krypton are type of gas used in the bulb and all of them are incandescent. BTW, only MagCharger used to come with Halogen bulb.
@@fivegiga5523 Yes, you are not wrong. Although when most people say "incandescent", it's understood to mean the older, regular type, not a specialty subset.
Now for something not nasty..thinking of upgrading mine but not sure in uk a Cree 2 or three hundred lumins not sure or exact number bulb is £12 ish and adding a lithium battery I have from old battery packs. You can buy new ones with beams like ww2 search light over 1000 lumins. For same cost .But maglite too good to bin .might just have as a third of forth spare till led bulbs drop in cost .
And yet you can't buy then @ Home Depot or Lowes anymore ...You have to go online to order one ...I think personally that when the atomic Beam FlashLight came out ..MAGLIGHT was Doom ...
