MAG lites

[Beerman]

I find used Mag lite flashlights so cheap at the local flea market that I'm beginning to become overrun.

I TYPICALLY find the two AA size for $1 or less. Just last Wed. I bought a 2 D size in new condition for $2. Still had the spare bulb in the foam in the tail cap.

Does anyone else find these used lights, this cheap on a regular basis? I realize that if you're a flashlight geek, that Mags are pretty middle-of-the-road, but for $1-2 I can't pass them up.

Thoughts????

 

[jt777]

I don't go to flea markets but mag lites are my favorite. My personal favorite is a single AAA solitaire LED one. I carry it and use it every day. Absolutley best small light i have ever owned. I carry it on the side pockets/slots of my leatherman sheath.

 

[southalabama]

I'm a flashlight junkie.

If I found them at that price I'd buy them too.

A couple years ago I found them new in the package for $6-8 at Walmart on a closeout.

 

[Stevenn1]

The ML300L 3D-cell rules!

 

[cgrutt]

Mag lites rock!

 

[theoldwizard1]

Okay, so what is the best way to clean corrosion off of the contacts after the batteries leak !

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

Brass wire brush will clean up the corrosion. I picked up a 2D Maglite at a thrift store a couple weeks ago for $3, with leaky batteries stuck inside. Got the old batteries out, and planning on picking up an led bulb next time I make an amazon order, just to keep it in the car.

 

[Beerman]

Brass wire brush will clean up the corrosion. I picked up a 2D Maglite at a thrift store a couple weeks ago for $3, with leaky batteries stuck inside. Got the old batteries out, and planning on picking up an led bulb next time I make an amazon order, just to keep it in the car.

Ok, I'll ask-what's the secret to getting old batteries out??

I have SEVERAL that I bought for next to nothing either because the tail cap was stuck on or the old batteries were swollen in place.

Any tips you can share???

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

What I did was used a pick around the edges of the batteries to get as much corrosion and label adhesive out as I could then whacked the tube against a 2x4 a couple times to jostle the batteries loose. Eventually the cells were able to slide around inside the tube but got stuck at the end. I just shook them up and down until one cell was out far enough to grab with a pair of pliers.

 

[Wamsutta]

Just last Wed. I bought a 2 D size in new condition for $2. Still had the spare bulb in the foam in the tail cap.

Man you **** big time; that's a sweet deal.

 

[dumper]

I figured the HF free flashlights killed the market on the smaller Mag lights.

 

[theoldwizard1]

... planning on picking up an led bulb next time I make an amazon order, just to keep it in the car.

I will be interested to hear what you have to say about the LED replacement bulb.

My grandkids LOVE the HF miniature LED flashlights and the cheap zinc carbon batteries seem to last forever.

 

[AirJunky]

My old D cell Mag Lite corroded so bad I couldn't get the battery cap off. The last 2 AA lights I owned I converted to LED. They still don't come close to the brightness of the cheap Amazon Cree AA flashlights.

 

[crguy]

LED flashlights have kicked the old regular Mag Lites to the curb. Go buy a good quality - not cheap - LED flashlight and you Will be impressed.

 

[Farmall450]

Drywall screw in to the end of the stuck battery, wd 40,pull it out with the drywall screw.
Whole towns have been flattened by using this dangerous and irresponsible method.

I pass on maglights even if for free.
Weak beam battery hogs.

What else(that we can freely talk about on GJ) can you make from a maglight?

A baton.

 

[bonneyman]

Surprisingly, I've only had the D version lights get ruptured batteries and all gooked up inside. Have several of the 2 AA lights - never have any trouble with those.

Can't pass up dollar maglites.

 

[Citation]

The older Maglites make me a bit sad simply because I know they used to be great but compared to just about any LED light they aren't very good. However, I like a number of the newer LED Maglites.

The ML300L and ML50L are great lights. Few lights at a reasonable price will have better throw. A number of lights using 18650 cells will have more output but you have to get 18650 batteries and they still generally are more about total output vs throw. Of course that might be your thing. Anyway, at $33 (Walmart) for an ML50L few will touch it. Note that many of the Defiant and other cheap but bright LED lights are unregulated or poorly regulated. Yes, they are brighter for a bit but they constantly dim over time.

The Solitaire LED light is great and has more reach than my 120 Lumen 1AAA light. Really for ~$10 the Solitaire is a very good light.

Anyway, the current generation of Mags are actually quite good and have a nice balance between output and commonly available batteries. The older Mag LED stuff is generally outclassed. The incandecent stuff is hardly worth it in my view.

As for getting batteries out, if you can get the tail cap out try a screw into the back of the battery and pull. Also, common vinegar dissolves the corrosion but you need to keep it off circuit boards. If you can't get the tail cap off a D cell maglight, pull the rubber button cover off. There is an allen screw in the center of the button. That will let you pull the switch and bulb assembly out. After that you can see the cells. Try the screw trick from the front or vinegar poured in from the front. Of course taping the tube on a wood bock can also help get the batteries free.

 

[bmxdad]

Okay, so what is the best way to clean corrosion off of the contacts after the batteries leak !

Clean with a baking soda and water mix, make a paste from it, then brush with a stiff copper wire brush ... the kind that look like a tooth brush work good. If you had some bad batteries in it, fill the body with a watery mixture and rinse well.

Old 3-D size with retro fitted LED light is awesome.

 

[ZRX61]

What else(that we can freely talk about on GJ) can you make from a maglight?

There's a company that converts the 6D cell to fire .22LR
I have a couple of the 4D's & a few 2AA's, & a 5 or 6D with batteries corroded inside it.

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

I kinda want to get one of the 6D Maglites to keep next to the driver's seat just in case of an accident. Getting out with a flashlight to inspect damage is perfectly reasonable, but nobody is going to try to take a swing at a big dude carrying a flashlight the size of a baseball bat...

 

[bluebolt]

I kinda want to get one of the 6D Maglites to keep next to the driver's seat just in case of an accident. Getting out with a flashlight to inspect damage is perfectly reasonable, but nobody is going to try to take a swing at a big dude carrying a flashlight the size of a baseball bat...

And unlike carrying a baseball bat in car which can be viewed as a weapon it's just a flashlight!

 

[Stevenn1]

The old incondescent D-cell Mags can be upgraded with the 1000+ Lumen kits. Those basic LED drop in bulbs are only 2x brighter then the incondescent (approx. 100 Lumen) bulbs. The ML300L 3D & Mini Mag 2AA LED Pro are good to go!

 

[RedneckWelder]

Been let down far too much by Maglites (especially Minimags)...Ill never buy another one.

 

[GirchyGirchy]

I will be interested to hear what you have to say about the LED replacement bulb.

I've had decent luck with TerraLux bulbs:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001I9TI4Q/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Have one in a AA and two in a 2D and a 3D.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I still have a few Maglites of varying sizes around here. Are there better flashlights out there today ? Sure are but you have to remember the Maglite design is somewhere around 30 years old, if not older. They were a lot better design that the cheap plastic flash lights they replaced with Eveready batteries you used while camping or during a power outage. I'd bet there have been a few thousand windows knocked out by fire figters using maglites over the years.

 

[jimindm]

Mag lites used to be great lights. I have many, but there are others on the market that are much better.

I think the problem with Mag lights is they made a name out of a great flash light, then let every body sell it. It is not that they still do not make a great light, it is that retailers choose to sell their old perfected lights.

About the battery corrosion. Not that long ago, mag light had a program that would replace the flashlight for you, because of battery leakage. I just looked on their website and it looks like maybe the program has been discontinued. There is links to battery manufacturers about the issue.

Over the years I have sent several back to Mag because of this. They used to figure out what batteries were in them and had a deal with the battery guys themselves, to get you a replacement flashlight. I would guess that there are just so many battery manufacturers now, that would be hard to do.

Seeing the links on Mags website, I would guess that it is possible that if you have name brand batteries, you may have some luck doing this.

 

[nh_yota]

Maglites have always been my go-to flashlight but as others have said, there are much better flashlights available now thanks to constantly improving LED technology.

I have a small assortment of the various sizes and I've always liked the 4D size the best. I keep one in my truck and another next to my workbench. I converted both of them to LED bulbs mainly because of better vibration resistance. I have a 2D size but the batteries leaked once and it hasn't worked right since, despite cleaning. I have a couple of the 2AA size and I keep one of them in my tool bag but I never use it. I don't find the 2AA size particularly useful because I have LED flashlights the same size that are much brighter.

 

[Davefr]

I keep a 6D Maglite in the truck that I converted to LED.

It's so large it's easy to find, Duracell alkaline batteries have a shelf life of 10+ years and I suppose you could use it for self defense.

With the LED conversion it would probably run several weeks continuous given the 6D battery capacity. And unlike modern flashlights, there is no quiescent current draw when off.

There's still a place for these old Mag Lites. They're great hosts for LED conversion.

 

[neoOberon]

Maglites can't be beat (LED version that is)...

You can always upgrade the old Mag's to either LED or do a Roar of the Pelican mod...

http://edcfeatures.blogspot.ca/2007/01/do-it-yourself-roar-of-pelican-rop.html

 

[Citation]

If run time is important, the 3+ D cell alkaline lights with LEDs are very good. At lower discharge rates a D cell has more capacity than the 18650s used in many li-ion setups. The ML300L set to its mid power level can produce something like 150 lumens for a day and a half. That isn't 150 at first then a drop for hours, that is 150 the whole time.

For those that want the latest and greatest in small size or super power Maglite is no longer number one but with the latest lights its very easy to recommend a Maglite to anyone who figures they will pickup something from Walmart.

 

[Wakefield]

The batteries are not to be trusted. Sometimes you can get them out from the D cell lights by skewering with a screw but the AA are mostly lethal to the flashlights.
Need to see if the newer red looking Duracells are any less leak prone than the previous ones
it is really safer to keep the batteries out of the flashlights until they are used. The old flashlights are like 1950 Plymouth technology and performance but sturdy. The flashlights made up until about 10 years ago seem to have slightly heavier thickness of the body and the tailcaps don't seem to be identical with the newer ones
New electronic 3 D cell model has 3 brightness settings and can be made to blink to scare rabbits. It might not be as heavy as the regular bulb ones and its reflector and focus mechanism is different.

The batteries seem to leak more quickly if they get hot such as the flashlight having been left in a closed car during the summer the batteries can still have been working and have destroyed the flashlight a couple weeks later
I wish the flashlights could be lined with plastic or something to stop the batteries from eating the aluminum

 

[Wakefield]

If run time is important, the 3+ D cell alkaline lights with LEDs are very good. At lower discharge rates a D cell has more capacity than the 18650s used in many li-ion setups. The ML300L set to its mid power level can produce something like 150 lumens for a day and a half. That isn't 150 at first then a drop for hours, that is 150 the whole time.

For those that want the latest and greatest in small size or super power Maglite is no longer number one but with the latest lights its very easy to recommend a Maglite to anyone who figures they will pickup something from Walmart.

I have not used or handled it but the super bright Chinese Fenix that uses minuscule tiny lithium batteries,Doesn't it dim very quickly if you tried to use it for,say,a whole night?

 

[Stevenn1]

Maglites can't be beat (LED version that is)...

You can always upgrade the old Mag's to either LED or do a Roar of the Pelican mod...

http://edcfeatures.blogspot.ca/2007/01/do-it-yourself-roar-of-pelican-rop.html

Spend $100 and modify old incandescent Maglite D-cell to only 1000 Lumen?
No no no no no.....

If your willing to spend that much money then just get a 5,000 lumen 3x XHP50 or 2,000 lumen 3x XML2. Just don't expect batteries to last long.
Just drop it in. No modifying, If you don't like the new LED conversion then you can switch it back to incandescent.

 

[Bagherra]

When I lived in Germany, I never saw so many different colors of Maglights....and when I got back to the USA..only colors I could find were the basics...black, silver, red, etc.

 

[stikman56]

Been let down far too much by Maglites (especially Minimags)...Ill never buy another one.

Same for me. I have several that don't work reliably, big and small. Dropped them once and they never worked right again. Only flashlight I've been able to keep working for years and use every day at work is Streamlight.

 

[dclassical]

I don't go to flea markets but mag lites are my favorite. My personal favorite is a single AAA solitaire LED one. I carry it and use it every day. Absolutley best small light i have ever owned. I carry it on the side pockets/slots of my leatherman sheath.

I love that tiny flashlight. I carry it in all my travels and I am amazed at the beam it projects. I need to call the company for warranty as it must have a bad contact or something, light goes out when I move it a little and comes back when I tap it slightly.

 

[Citation]

I have not used or handled it but the super bright Chinese Fenix that uses minuscule tiny lithium batteries,Doesn't it dim very quickly if you tried to use it for,say,a whole night?

Sadly without output vs run time plots it's hard to know what you are getting. Consider this Maglite ML300L 3D run time plot:
http://www.led-resource.com/2015/04/maglite-ml300lx-review/

On high you see the light drops "relatively" quickly. After 1 hour you are at 70% of full power. Note that with Mags if you turn it off then back on the power typically goes back to full. Here is a Magtac being turned on and off for example:
http://www.led-resource.com/2012/10/maglite-mag-tac-led-flashlight-review/

Some lights have very flat outputs but then they just fall off (note that these plots are all relative so 100% below doesn't equal 100% above):
http://www.led-resource.com/2014/01/inova-t4-2013-version-review/

Others are more like the Maglites
http://www.led-resource.com/2015/09/surefire-p2x-fury-with-intellibeam-review/

The new 2C Maglite ML25__ looks like a nice light. It produces ~180 lumens of output which doesn't seem like much given 2AA battery lights do as much. But the ML25's output is basically flat. It also has very good reach (Maglites are typically good in that regard) and costs about $20.

Having looked at this a bit I've found that the more compact lights that claim over ~300 lumens typically can not sustain that output for any length of time. I think it can be handy to have a very bright initial output then a lower (but hardly dim) long run time. I've found my ML50L (3C light) to be a great balance between output, throw and cost. D cell NiMH cells are available and have very good capacity (10,000 mAh vs ~2000 for a AA. Toyota used D-cell NiMH cells in the Prius), C cell rechargeables typically have no more capacity than a AA. I run AA's in my light because I have them. While the decent run time on 3C would be nice, I picked up my ML50 because the output and reach were great for the $33 Walmart price. I use a 1" diameter tube drilled out to ~.6" ID as a spacer then drop in 3AA cells. The light is a bit long but not at all heavy or large in diameter compared to some of the 1x 18650 lights I was considering. For example, compared to the Inova with the flat run time graph above the ML50L is ~1" longer. The head diameter is 2 vs 1.4" while the body is 1.2" vs 1.1". So larger but not radically so. Anyway, for the price and given I have AA rechargeables this seemed like a great way to get a good light.

 

[Citation]

I love that tiny flashlight. I carry it in all my travels and I am amazed at the beam it projects. I need to call the company for warranty as it must have a bad contact or something, light goes out when I move it a little and comes back when I tap it slightly.

This is unfortunately related to how the contact is made. I've thought about spraying just a bit of contact cleaner into previous mags that did this. You can also rotate the LED assembly just a bit (the contacts hit a different part of the can) and stretch the battery spring just a bit. This is one of the big drawbacks to the way the twist on Maglites work.

 

[Roobaix]

I haven't tried any of their LED offerings but their incandescent stuff is pretty lame in comparison to almost any other light that I own.

 

[Citation]

That's a little unfair given that their incandescent stuff is, like almost all incandescent stuff, obsolete. This includes when compared to Maglite's LED offerings.