MiniStar2 Extreme LED torch bulb upgrade, Mini Maglite AA TLE-5EX

This is the third LED upgrade kit I have tried: The first one was a three LED replacement bulb which was pretty poor. The second was the type that left the torch head wobbling on too few threads. I fixed the head in place with a bit of insulation tape and it worked well enough for a couple of years of intense use. Unfortunately, I broke the LED whilst fiddling with it. ( If it ain't broke...) This model looks very similar but fits perfectly and works very well. The upgrade really transforms the torch and I hope the LED will last for years. I have an aftermarket switch on the other end but the upgrade allows the twist on/off function and focus to work perfectly. Highly recommended. Very bright

This Terralux MiniStar2 LED upgrade for the Mini Maglite is very bright indeed. Much more so than the original MiniStar but then you would expect so. I also find it much more focusable than the previous MiniStar but at immediate switch on I find there is a very obvious dark dead spot in the centre of the light it projects, which then needs further focusing to eliminate. In fact I have to turn the torch head so much to get pin point focus, the head is starting to get loose and wobbly. Having aleady bought the Ministar2 I'm now in two minds as to whether I should have just bought a dedicated LED torch from the outset rather than just try and prolong the life of something that was never designed as an LED torch and therefore shows the compromises. For the purchase price of this MiniStar2 you are already well on your way towards the purchase price of some similar sized and exceptionally good torches, such as those from LED Lenser. At least the MiniStar in it's self is a good product, it's a matter of whether it's worth spending your money to upgrade the Mini Maglite or just buy a new torch.

what can i say... previous reviewers weren't wrong. this LED upgrade for the mini maglight is amazing; a far brighter, whiter and solid light than the incandescent one of old! i also purchased the button cap but have reviewed that separately. Both together cost me just over £20 and whilst i realised i could probably have bought a decent new torch for that, my old maglight has been with me since i was a boy scout so there's great satisfaction in bringing it back to life. i just wasn't expecting how much better it is. it was also really, really simple to retrofit AND you can still focus the beam - which i gather some others do not. if you have an old maglight, you know the design is ace but believe me it's worth rejuvenating! everyone needs a top notch torch!

These are brighter than a standard bulb and clearly have the advantage of being more shock proof. However you severely lose the ability to focus the beam. It's pretty much flood light or nothing. The cheaper terralux upgrades give far more ability to make a spot light. On paper this one is brighter, but actually gives far less usable light than the cheaper upgrades which allow you to focus the beam.

didnt work,,CRAP,,,,avoid

I'm a bit disappointed with it. The upgrade is very easy to do, and the quality of materials seem ok, but a) I was expecting it to be a lot brighter than the bog standard bulb but it isn't, and b) the beam focus disappoints because it does not narrow down to a point - the centre of the beam always has a dark hole. If you continue to twist to narrow the beam, as you would normally, the torch switches off. So, would I recommend it? No, not for the money.

Thought we'd give this a go to breath some useful life into a very old Maglite mini torch. For the price was well worth it. What was, by modern standards, a pretty pathetic torch has not become a useful bedside draw torch or glovebox torch. Was very easy to fit. Can't comment on improvements to battery life yet but should render an improvement. Brightness improvement is massive and still keeps most of the focus variability by twisting the torch head. One slight disadvantage was what I think is a slight reduction in focussed light, but more spread but overall definitely worth the upgrade.

I can only echo what other reviews have said here, I am hugely impressed with this upgrade. I've got three Mini Maglites and have grown very attached to them over the years, I love the build quality and they're just great to use. Recently I found myself down to the last bulb after having burned through all the spares and the last of the replacement bulbs I bought a while ago. While I love my Maglites, I did always get a bit frustrated that the brightness of the beam seemed to go down fairly quickly, leaving me constantly replacing batteries to get that full brightness back. I purchased this upgrade on the recommendation of a torch-geek I know and he was not wrong! Couldn't have been easier to fit and the brightness is astonishing considering I'm using the same batteries that were looking tired with the normal incandescent bulb. Now I know how great this upgrade kit is I'm going to get more and do my remaining two Mini Maglites. Fantastic!