# Quick tip for the mini mag LED users.



## gafftapegreenia (Jul 11, 2008)

A couple months ago I purchased a mini mag LED. I was immediately impressed by it's output, being brighter than the single cell Nite Ize retrofit, but the slightly additional length made it get in the way when I sat down or drove my car. A few weeks ago I was just playing around, and found out that the mini mag LED fits perfectly in the sheath for the original mini mag. Upon discovering this, the mini mag LED has become my everyday light, brighter than the original and with none of the inconvenience of the longer sheath.


----------



## lieperjp (Jul 11, 2008)

gafftapegreenia said:


> A couple months ago I purchased a mini mag LED. I was immediately impressed by it's output, being brighter than the single cell Nite Ize retrofit, but the slightly additional length made it get in the way when I sat down or drove my car. A few weeks ago I was just playing around, and found out that the mini mag LED fits perfectly in the sheath for the original mini mag. Upon discovering this, the mini mag LED has become my everyday light, brighter than the original and with none of the inconvenience of the longer sheath.



I too, have been impressed by the miniMag LED. My friends complain that I blind them each time I _accidentally_ shine it in their eyes.

Is the sheath that comes with the miniMag LED different from the regular miniMag?


----------



## gafftapegreenia (Jul 12, 2008)

The sheath that comes with the mini mag LED is indeed a bit longer than the sheath that comes with the regular mag. This was giving me some issues, until I made my discovery.


----------



## philhaney (Aug 28, 2008)

gafftapegreenia said:


> ... A few weeks ago I was just playing around, and found out that the mini mag LED fits perfectly in the sheath for the original mini mag. Upon discovering this, the mini mag LED has become my everyday light, brighter than the original and with none of the inconvenience of the longer sheath.



I got an LED retrofit for my incandescent Mini-Mag, and the output is brighter and the batteries do last longer, but I prefer the ability to focus the beam over the aforementioned benefits...


----------



## gafftapegreenia (Aug 28, 2008)

The retrofit is nice, but MAG makes a model that comes LED from the factory. It's worlds better.


----------



## cdub260 (Aug 28, 2008)

gafftapegreenia said:


> The retrofit is nice, but MAG makes a model that comes LED from the factory. It's worlds better.



That wasn't my impression when I did a side by side comparison of the two lights a year or two ago. I found the conversion kit to be better than the official mini-mag version. That having been said, I will concede that they may have made improvements to the design since then.


----------



## gafftapegreenia (Aug 28, 2008)

Well, my side by side was with the Nite Ize one watt upgrade purchased Jan 2008, and an LED mag I bought around MAY 2008.


----------



## cdub260 (Aug 29, 2008)

gafftapegreenia said:


> Well, my side by side was with the Nite Ize one watt upgrade purchased Jan 2008, and an LED mag I bought around MAY 2008.



Wow! You actually remember when you bought these things? I'm lucky if I can remember what I had for breakfast.

Seriously though, I'll give some thought to the LED Mag when it comes time to buy my next flashlight. It sounds like it might be worth a second look.


----------



## Lightingguy32 (Aug 29, 2008)

An alternative to the Minimag LED is the Streamlight Jr LED. I too own a minimaglite LED but I like the streamlight better because it is prefocused (no need to turn the head) into a spot. The minimag LED is indeed a staple now but on a side note it is worth getting a glass lens to replace the stock plastic ones because the plastic will scratch up really fast.


----------



## Serendipity (Aug 30, 2008)

Lightingguy32 said:


> getting a glass lens to replace the stock plastic ones because the plastic will scratch up really fast.


I actually saw a plastic one fall out... It was very strange, and I'm still not sure how it happened. The tech swore it was there before he put it in his sheath, and when he took it out later to unload the second truck, the lens fell to the ground.


----------



## Andy_Leviss (Aug 30, 2008)

gafftapegreenia said:


> Well, my side by side was with the Nite Ize one watt upgrade purchased Jan 2008, and an LED mag I bought around MAY 2008.



Not at all a great comparison, LOL, the Nite Ize is the worst LED retrofit of all the ones I've tested (and, as those of you who read my site know, I've tested a lot). The TerraLux ones are amazing, and they've got ones that are significantly brighter than the last one I tested a while back.

--Andy


----------



## gafftapegreenia (Aug 31, 2008)

I'm sure you know that Nite Ize makes two retrofits, a 3 cell and a 1 cell. I have the one cell.

Now, I've seen the Terralux retrofits, and according to people on this board, they aren't worth the money. However, you seem to suggest that they are. 

So, what model do you have, because now I"m curious.


----------



## tech2000 (Aug 31, 2008)

one of my two mini-maglites died earlier this month and I still haven't bought a new led for it...


----------



## CavezziMagnum (Sep 5, 2008)

I was able to simply purcahse the LED upgrade for the MiniMag at Wal-mart for $5 last summer. So if you don't want to buy a new flashlight, an upgrade is easily available!


----------



## gafftapegreenia (Sep 5, 2008)

CavezziMagnum said:


> I was able to simply purcahse the LED upgrade for the MiniMag at Wal-mart for $5 last summer. So if you don't want to buy a new flashlight, an upgrade is easily available!



Yea thats the 3 diode version. It looses the ability to focus, but dollar for dollar considering intensity and battery life, its the best bang for the buck.


----------



## avkid (Sep 5, 2008)

My LED Mini Mag seems to have committed suicide.
Some newish batteries sort of exploded and got acid all through the light, to the point that the paint flaked out when I removed the batteries.

Time for a new light I suppose.


----------

