TerraLUX LED Light Bulb Upgrade
Refurb Those Trusty Old Maglite Flashlights
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Many of you Gear Patrol readers probably have an incandescent version of a Maglite, but since the LED flashlight revolution has taken hold, it has most likely been banished to the back of a drawer, or maybe put into service as a gate-weight.
Yet, there is light at the end of the tunnel…
TerraLUX LED upgrades are an inexpensive way to get brilliant light out of those sturdy, anodized aluminum Maglites. TerraLUX makes 140-lumen upgrade kits for the small AA Maglites (TerraLUX MiniStar2 Extreme), as well as for the 6-cell models (TerraLUX MiniStar5 Extreme), and every version in between. It’s an easy fix; simply unscrew the flashlight head, remove the bulb, and then insert the LED unit. Now you are ready to search for that TV remote behind the sofa that your girlfriend hurled at you.
Benefits of the upgrade:
- Extended Battery Life: LEDs are much more efficient than incandescent bulbs; you will get approximately 15 hours of runtime on a Maglite with 3 D-size batteries, and even more with 4, 5, or 6 cell models. These larger Maglites are heavier than many LED flashlights, but the incredible runtime may be worth it for certain applications.
- Focusability: The LED upgrade maintains a great feature of the Maglite: the ability to focus its beam.
- Durability: These LED bulbs are virtually indestructible and are rated at 100,000 hours. They are electronically regulated for consistent light output over time, and do not dim as batteries drain. The intensity of light will fall only at the very end of battery life, signaling the need for a fresh set of cells.
- Intensity: Bright, white light. A huge improvement over the original incandescent bulbs.
- Inexpensive: Many LED flashlights are upwards of $100; the TerraLUX upgrade is cheap and easy and it really makes sense if you have more than one old Maglite lying around.
Cost: $20+
Great find! I recently changed out my stock lightbulbs in my truck to LED lights.
I think the best use of LED lights are in the Audi A5. The LED daytime running lights are aggressive and makes your road presence known.
This post rips the scab off an old wound for me. I left my 4D Maglite in an Army tent in Italy 3 years ago when a flash flood/lightning storm hit. I've never forgiven myself.
These are a nice alternative, definitely much better than stock. There are some other drop ins that are way more powerful though. Even just doing a simple bulb switch and using a bunch of AA's instead of D's can make a massive difference in brightness, anywhere from 500 lumen to 7,000 lumen(more than just a drop in solution though).