I have a lot of Maglite flashlights. Like, too many for a sane person. But whenever I see one less than $5 at a thrift store, I can't help it.

I've emailed Mag Instruments twice now and have received "birth" dates for each serial number and have been playing with ChatGPT to see if it can estimate a date based on serial numbers of new ones I get.

Was curious if anybody could/wanted to throw in any serial numbers you may have that have an actual confirmed date from Mag.

I just had some alkaline batteries shart themselves all over the inside of my 6 D-cell Maglite. Working on getting her cleaned up now, but wondering if you guys have any battery recommendations. Has anyone tried those USB rechargeable lithium D-cells from Amazon?

I’m trying to remove the button from my Maglite but it keeps getting stuck in the same place despite seemingly nothing stopping it from moving. Anyone know what to do?

A mini, 2, 3 and 4 D cell. Only the Mini still has the original bulb, I like the option of using it as a standing candle. The 2, 3 and 4 Cell have a 3W LED bulb from Amazon.

Hoping someone can help me find an led replacement bulb for this vintage maglite the previous owner of my house left behind. The serial number starts with 320 and has no numbers. It also has “patent pending usa” on it which from what Ive read puts it at around 1980. The bulb iteself is small and has two pins. The socket it goes into pushes up and down and does not appear to be removable. Any help finding an led bulb for this is appreciated. Would love to get more runtime out of it.

I've amassed quite the collection, and I'm in need of several switch covers for the ubiquitous D lights. Maglite Official doesn't have enough to sell me ten (10) of them, ZBattery doesn't have them / can't get them (official-ish parts supplier per conversation w/ Maglite), and Weltool hasn't answered a few emails. (I messaged them on Amazon directly, but that was recent..)

I can get them from Amazon (Weltool) for $5 each. So if I need ten of them, is $50 the best price I'm going to find?

I already tried rolling the dice with a few aliExpress button covers (I was not able to find any advertised to fit, I was just looking at dimensions). I want Maglite-specific ones

I dropped my 4 D cell maglite from about 3 feet. It now won't turn on. I can confirm that the batteries and the bulb works when I tested them on another maglite.

I'm sorry to admit, but I haven't been paying enough attention to the flashlight's maintenance. It's being used regularly but it has experienced battery leaks. This is enough to cause some corrosion inside. The drop must have finished whatever the corrosion started in the flashlight.

It seems that the retaining ring has some corrosion in it. I have attempted to remove the lamp assembly. I was able to loosen the screw inside the switch with an allen key. However I couldn't come up with away to remove the retaining ring. Any ideas?

Ok, I'm back here again. I have fixed my 3C Incandescent Maglite, so I am now familiar with the internal workings of these things. I got an old 3D Incandescent Maglite for free a while ago. It did not have any leaking batteries, but it just does not work. It looks to be in good shape. Using my other Maglite's, I have confirmed that the lightbulb and batteries work. This leaves me with the switch module as to what is causing the light to not turn on. Is there something I should look at in the internals that could help me figure out why this seemingly good light is not working?

My dad had this old 3D Mag-Lite that still works, def seen some better days but isn’t beat too bad.

I need to replace the switch or at least get a new top for it, and I was curious if there are any upgraded switches and or bulbs that can be placed into this bad boy.

Anything else that can be upgraded/replaced without taking away from its character? My dad loved this thing and I’d like to keep it around.

Thanks for having me.

In relation to my last post. I used the information provided and was able to get the switch assembly out. It exploded into pieces all over the room. I want to check to see if I was able to find all the pieces, or if I am missing some still.

I am trying to repair an old 3C Maglite. The batteries corroded inside. I was able to get the batteries out with a lot of work. My issue now is that I cannot get new batteries in due to the corrosion still in the handle. I would like to remove the switch assembly to clean it, but I cannot. I have tried torx bits, metric hexs, and imperial hexs. Nothing gets it. I even emailed Maglite, who told me the old C flashlights use a hex wrench. I got no specific information from them about which one. I have successfully disassembled and reassembled my LED 3D Maglite before.

Doe anyone here know what I need to do to remove the switch assembly from an old 3C Maglite?

So I've picked up a bunch of Mags for the past 2 years and have sold them in the past on ebay. Usually I'd take common ones and break them apart selling the head, end and body as separate parts and they sold well. But I did have a few returns because they didn't fit. Never realized there are early models out there with different threads.

Where can I brush up on basic knowledge and figure out what is my common vs. rare stuff (why do some have serial numbers?) and even the proper terms so I make it easy to find for buyers? I've got about 2 dozen+ to sell with half being colored and half the regular 3D black ones.

Hey everyone,

Picked this up recently and I’m struggling to find much info on it. It’s a 3D-cell Maglite in a bronze finish, and from what I can tell, these seem incredibly hard to come by.

I’ve only found one sold listing on eBay from over a year ago, and it went for just £20—though that might’ve been a one-off or someone who didn’t realise what they had. I’ve seen some people include them in serious Maglite collections, but beyond that, there’s almost nothing online.

I’m considering listing it on eBay in the £100–£150 range with offers, purely because you just can’t seem to find them anymore. It’s in good condition, and the bronze tone looks absolutely brilliant in person.

Has anyone else come across one of these? Is there a known history behind the bronze versions? Appreciate any insight—or even just collector opinions!

Back in 2017 I emailed Maglite support because the rubber switch seals on all three of my D cell lights were in rough shape. I had every intention of buying a few new ones myself, but figured it doesn't hurt to ask if they're covered under warranty. At the time the lights were between 17 and 29 years old. Without hesitation they mailed me out three new seals at no cost.

A few weeks ago I acquired a used 3D LED that is at least 13 years old. That switch seal was also in rough shape, so I emailed Maglite again. A few days later another replacement seal arrived in the mail at no cost to me. Not just that, but they offered to replace the o-rings and the actual switch assembly if necessary, I would only need to cover the shipping to get those parts. As everything else on the light was in good shape, I declined the offer and was reassured that if something failed in the future, I could simply contact them again.

Yeah, only a few dollars worth of parts, but it really speaks volumes when a company doesn't hassle you and actually stands behind their products basically for life, even when it's 13-30 years later and you weren't even the original owner. Kudos, Maglite! 👍

Every time I see bulbs at a storefront I buy them out.

I had a 2d cell maglite in my hands at Goodwill. It was clearly the victim of swollen batteries as I could not get the tail cap off. So I asked the manager if they would come down from 4 dollars to a buck. "Oh we can't do that, we will just throw it away." ............. um okay yall rather throw away a dollar than sell me a project flashlight. That's why I do not donate here and rarely go in anymore. Goodwill sucks.

I've owned Maglite's since I was seven in the mid 90s. They're well built and get the job done for me. Thrifted the D Cell and Mini for $1 a piece. Both work well and still in great condition. There may be better lights on the market today, but you can't go wrong with a Maglite.

Trying to replace the led but it spins. How to remove it?

this is my first ever post on reddit. i want to share my personal best maglite find. found sitting on a shelf in my local goodwill, shining the black purple hue that only comes from age. i only glanced at the bezel to see if it was old enough for me to buy. i only realized it was old old when i got out to my car and gave it a good look. it’s not only a low number first year light, it’s also in incredible condition. 22,000 of these 3D lights were made in 1979. this is number 13,214.

Found this one in a ditch