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

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!

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.

Should have bought one of these years ago. I have been using various maglites for years. The mini maglite usually living on my belt as it was useful at work and at home. I bought a box of the old bulbs many years ago because I was using so many and battery consumption was heavy, but I put up with it because of the good light given off.Anyway, I ran out of bulbs and had looked at just replacing the torch with a new LED one. While I was looking, I noticed this upgrade, Not much less than a new torch, but I had grown attached to the old thing. In was ordered.It arrived as quickly & as well packaged as you expect from Amazon. The hardest part of the upgrade was getting this out of the packet. It just drops in where the old bulb went (Just make sure it is the right way round or it won't work.) and you change the reflector for the one supplied. Put it back together & Robert is your mothers brother.The light is terrific and I am still using the batteries that were in the torch when the last bulb blew and this is 3 months later. I have read somewhere that the LEDs prefer rechargeable batteries because of the slightly lower voltage. As this unit had a voltage regulator in it, I will be trying some soon, I don't think it will make any difference to the light output.If you are looking at this, you are obviously considering upgrading an old torch. Go on, Do it. You won't regret it.

Great upgrade instead of disposing of what was still an adequate torch, not as powerful as I would have thought would probably have been better using the money against a new torch. Depends what you want out of it, good piece of kit but expected a little more, no torch expert so possibly expectations a little high.

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!

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.

Purchased this upgrade for my Maglite AA after having tried a Niteze version which I returned to the seller. Both the items were bought on Amazon. This bulb upgrade is very bright, works very well and does not come with the engineering shortcomings which were the reasons I returned the Niteze version. This fits the torch with virtually no compromise of the original Maglite system and operation. I am only giving it four stars primarily because I am bit wary having had problems with the Niteze version and wish to see how this goes. Hope this helps.