Author Topic: Flashlight conversion ? (Read 1140 times)

DEACONLLB · « **on:** August 14, 2020, 11:24:23 AM »

With all the experience that there is on this site someone will have the answer to this Question. I have one of the original 4 cell D battery Mag. flashlight and was thinking of converting it to Led bulb so my question is is there any real difference or advantage in doing this those with first hand Experience please.

Deaconllb

Graybeard · « **Reply #1 on:** August 14, 2020, 11:39:46 AM »

You better betcha, much brighter light and much longer battery life.

But it may be hard to find these days. Brinkman the company that made Mag-Lites went out of business. So dunno if you can find the LED conversions any longer. I wish I had them for all of my old Mag lights. I do have them in some of them.

DEACONLLB · « **Reply #2 on:** August 14, 2020, 11:48:26 AM »

Bill they have them on EBay from what I see you get a new holder and bulb they are listed listed from 7.00 up depending on who has them listed The one I looked at was about 12.00 shipped free.

Deaconllb

ironglows · « **Reply #3 on:** August 14, 2020, 01:50:33 PM »

From Bill..
" You better betcha, much brighter light and much longer battery life."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DITTO !

oldandslow · « **Reply #4 on:** August 15, 2020, 02:49:59 AM »

Amazon has a bunch of conversion kits. It is up to you as which one you will need. They have plenty of brand new mag light also and it's about as cheap to buy a new light as a conversion. I received a 3 D cell and a 2 c cell set of led mag lights last Christmas. These things are much brighter than the old version. I keep a 1 3a led maglight on my work bench for looking in the innards of things and it amazes me how much light this little thing puts out.

Argent 88 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 15, 2020, 03:43:32 AM »

The Snap On trucks used to sell just a conversion bulb,it would fit in the old housing.

Dee · « **Reply #6 on:** August 15, 2020, 03:49:13 AM »

We used mag lights until "Streamlight" came out with a far better police flashlight that could be dash mounted in a charger.

About 6 months ago my youngest sent me a Streamlight about 6 inches long, have 3 mondes of light, and will put the old mag lights and stream lights to shame

Takes 2 double A batteries and lasts for hours. Even comes with a pocket clip like a ballpoint pen.

Can't imagine carrying one of those old d cell lights anymore.

oldandslow · « **Reply #7 on:** August 15, 2020, 06:36:46 AM »

I was a construction foreman for a time before retiring and had one of the big rechargeable Streamlight flashlights. It was an extremely bright light for that era.

Ranger99 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 15, 2020, 01:42:49 PM »

At one time, maglite and a couple
of other companies like niteize
offered LED conversions and I
bought some for my mini mags
and the larger mag lights I had.
I was getting sick of the mini
mags going through the bulbs
like candy. I don't know who
made them, but they wouldn't
outlast the batteries. The LED
conversions I bought were
pathetic at best.
I now have a really bright LED
small light my BIL gave me that
recharges, and use all lights
from HF got for free with coupons.

Long way from those old chrome
plated brass barrel D cell jobs
you'd have to shake to get any light
from or the bulb would crap out at
the worse possible time

Ranger99 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 15, 2020, 01:46:48 PM »

Sad part is that you can buy a $1.00
flashlight at wally world that's 10
times better than what I used in the
1970's and 1980's for not even a
tenth of the price, and they're ready
to use

ironglows · « **Reply #10 on:** August 15, 2020, 01:59:11 PM »

My grandson used the Surefire, attached to his M4 or Mossy 500, when going into the dark, poorly lit "safe houses", to root out terrorists.
That Surefire shot around the room before entering, often temporarily blinded the bad guys hiding therein.

DEACONLLB · « **Reply #11 on:** August 24, 2020, 12:33:28 PM »

Got my kit in today what a difference it made in my flashlight took all of 5 minutes or less to install.

Deaconllb

Land_Owner · « **Reply #12 on:** August 24, 2020, 10:17:56 PM »

You need to share what it was that you bought and installed. I'm interested, if the price is right.

I've got lots of Mag lights and not once have I thought to put in an LED, but I'm "trainable". Must not be a simple bulb replacement if it took "5 minutes or less" to install.

I guess there is some additional homework in this for me now. I had thought those days were over. Guess not.

School is back in session. Watch out for kids and stopped busses.

DEACONLLB · « **Reply #13 on:** August 25, 2020, 08:50:00 AM »

It is just a bulb that screws on in place of the regular bulb you take out, prices are all over the place but I liked this one with free shipping
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mag-Lite-LED-Bulb-Maglight-LED-Conversion-Kit-3-6-C-and-D-Cells-DS3209MG-3WPG/233214534727?hash=item364cab6447:g:jWcAAOSwHwZcyhdz now I have a nice 4 cell mag light that I can see with a very bright light not the very dull one with reg. bulb.

Deaconllb

ironglows · « **Reply #14 on:** September 21, 2020, 05:23:26 AM »

NRA just sent me a small hand light. Probably a Chinese knockoff, but just about the size of my surefire light that is used on the troops AR M4 rifles.

It has a magnifying lens. Just grasp the front portion of the light..pull it back and you have a flood..push it forward..and you have a spot, not too bad !

Doubt it is as good quality as the Surefire, but with the flood and zoom-to-spot, it would make a great light, if I were still coon hunting!

Like this one, but without case or batteries included.
https://www.amazon.com/PeakPlus-Flashlight-Adjustable-Resistant-Rechargeable/dp/B01ECVB6P0

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #15 on:** September 22, 2020, 01:08:01 AM »

ive went to the 16850 battery lights. a 100 times brighter then a mag light and batterys can be charged over and over. the 26650s are a bit bigger but last longer and are brighter yet and you can get an adapter to convert one battery to 3 AAAs so in a pinch you can use regular batterys. I have one TORCH that uses 3 26550s. It will burn a hole through appolstry if you sit it on a chair turned on. Ask me how i know. i still have my 2 c 2d and 4 d maglites. They all have been converted to led but still dont hold a candle to these new lights. I keep them mostly for in case shtf and i couldnt charge rechargeable batterys. But a single 16850 will absolutely put my 3 d coverted mag light to shame. Only thing its better for is it could be used as a club if you didnt have a gun. My nephew came to camp with a pack of about 10 led small plastic lights he bought at fleet farm for 15 bucks and they even came with aa batterys. Heck at that price you could use one till the battery went flat and toss it. Even they were suprisingly bright.

ironglows · « **Reply #16 on:** September 22, 2020, 03:50:38 AM »

Correction; my good flashlight is a Surefire, and it uses 2 @ #123A batteries. The batteries are a bit harder to find, being lithium, but they are very powerful.

DEACONLLB · « **Reply #17 on:** March 09, 2021, 04:40:40 PM »

Since I did this conversion it is like having a spotlight in your hand I now have a flashlight I can see with. Glad I did it

Deaconllb

BUGEYE · « **Reply #18 on:** March 09, 2021, 04:47:06 PM »

Quote from: Dee on August 15, 2020, 03:49:13 AM

.

Can't imagine carrying one of those old d cell lights anymore.

I thought you used those to bonk people over the head.

Graybeard · « **Reply #19 on:** March 09, 2021, 05:38:20 PM »

That too.

Doublebass73 · « **Reply #20 on:** March 10, 2021, 02:19:39 AM »

I converted a 3 C cell Maglite to LED a couple years ago. It gets used to daily when I take my dogs out at night and I have yet to have to change the batteries. It's very bright too. I used the Amazon bulb.

BUGEYE · « **Reply #21 on:** March 10, 2021, 04:45:10 AM »

After reading through this thread, and having taken my $1.00 Walmart flashlight to look for one of my wife's dogs last night, I ordered myself a rechargeable LED flashlight.
Those Walmart lights are really good if you only need to see 10 feet.

powderman · « **Reply #22 on:** March 10, 2021, 10:35:33 AM »

Quote from: BUGEYE on March 10, 2021, 04:45:10 AM

After reading through this thread, and having taken my $1.00 Walmart flashlight to look for one of my wife's dogs last night, I ordered myself a rechargeable LED flashlight.
Those Walmart lights are really good if you only need to see 10 feet.

WM has replaced the $ flashlights 9 bulb light with a sgl bulb light. Brightest small light I've ever had. It blinked a couple of times when I first got it. I stretched the spring a bit and that stopped it.
Anybody buying them you have to take off the endcap and remove a thin clear piece of plastic that protects the battery. CHARLIE.

BUGEYE · « **Reply #23 on:** March 12, 2021, 08:07:27 AM »

Well, I ordered one and it came yesterday.
After dark I went to the backyard and pointed it at Nancy’s she shed and on flood the paint started to bubble and when I put it on spot it caught fire. This from 50 yards away.

Well, maybe I exaggerated a little, but that is an amazing flashlight.
It has 3 power settings and a fast strobe and slow strobe and of course zoom from flood to spot.

What took me so long to get one??