I have an old 5C Maglite which I would like to turn into a truly practical and usable light. And I’m trying to decide between the Malkoff XP-G2 and Fusion 36 drop-ins. On one hand, the Fusion 36 is nice and cheap. It also produces a floody beam right out of the box, which is good for walking at night. However, I am not sure how good the quality is on this piece. And, although it’s said to put out 400+ lumens, I have heard various rumors that this number is rather optimistic.
On the other hand, the XP-G2 Malkoff drop-in is rated at 300 lumens. This is certainly not extremely bright. But you can count on 300 true lumens from a Malkoff drop-in (too bad they don’t have an XM-L2 for a 5C). Also, I have other Malkoff drop-ins, and KNOW that the quality is pretty top-notch. And it’s actually properly heatsinked. It is more expensive, however. And I would also have to get an orange peel reflector to make it floodier.
Which of the two do you think would be a better way to go? Is the Fusion 36 really overrated as far as output?
No question at all, Malkoff! All you need to add is a can of clear spray paint and you can O/P the reflector yourself. Once done you’ll have a light that will last the rest of your life.
I have numerous Malkoff lights and drop-ins, both for Mags and Surefires, and also have a Fusion 36 model (nice neutral white tint) bought about 4 months ago … and the output and beam pattern of the Fusion 36 beats the Malkoff XP-G Mag drop-in hands down!
My Fusion 36 is brighter (definitely over 400 lumen!), nicer neutral tint, with a beautiful floody beam that is extremely useful for walking around or searching a wide area! The Malkoff is a small concentrated hotspot with fairly dim spill and ringy beam … yes you can buy an OP reflector or put diffusion film on your lens, but the beam will be in no way is bright or floody as the Fusion 36.
In all honesty I use the Fusion 36 often around the house, backyard, camping trip etc, and never touch the Malkoff drop-in for the Mag. If you’re out walking in the woods, or a large back yard for example, you will feel very comfortable with the Fusion 36 pretty much lighting everything ahead of you and out to your peripheral view … whereas the Malkoff does not light up enough of your peripheral vision, and the bright hotspot combined with dim spill makes it hard to take in your surroundings easily and accurately.
However for the best (probable) reliability, longevity and robustness of the module, I’d have to assume that the Malkoff would be the top pick due to its solid and simple design. I don’t have the XP-G2 (300 lumen), but have the XP-G (260 lumen) so it will be close.
Having said that my Fusion 36 has worked flawlessly for over 4 months now, with more than 40 hours total use and being dropped numerous times in my Mag, and hasn’t missed a beat!
If I could only choose ONE drop-in for general all-round use, it would be the Fusion 36 without doubt. BUT if my life depended on it working “no matter what” (maybe a backup LEO flashlight or something) I would logically go for the Malkoff.
Take a look here. This is the thread that kind of got me wondering about the Fusion 36 showerhead. According to the info on this thread, the Fusion 36 delivers 311 lumens on three cells and 430 lumens on six cells. Updated numbers bring these figures down to 251 and 347 lumens! These numbers are fairly respectable, especially considering the price. But they certainly fall short of the advertised minimum of 400 lumens on two cells and 900 lumens on six cells.
I ran my fusion on 2 18650’s. Mine was in an old mag and I need to wrap the base of the bulb in copper tape to get it to work. I used too much tape and when unscrewing the head I damaged the drop in- won’t work now. I should buy another one
Well, I went ahead and got the Fusion 36. I figured it was cheap, so why not? It’s certainly cheap enough that it’s not the end of the world if I don’t like it. It will also be interesting to see how it compares to my Malkoff drop-ins. I don’t imagine it will make the XM-L2 drop-in look bad. But it WILL be interesting to see how it compares to the XP-G2 2C/D drop-in, which is rated at 270 lumens. ESPECIALLY when it comes to beam quality and tint.
I finally got my Fusion 36 today. And I got to test it in a few lights. Unfortunately, I only have four Tenergy Centura C cells. So I couldn’t test it in the 5C light I plan to use it in. But I was able to test it in a 4C and 6D light. First off, it should come as no surprise that the lumen ratings of the Fusion are, well, overstated. 400-900 lumens? NO WAY! With 4 C cells, output is roughly similar to my 2C light with the XPG2 drop-in. That puts output somewhere in the 250-300 lumen range. Output with 6 cells is higher (as expected). But nowhere close to 900 lumens. It wasn’t as bright as my 550 lumen Defiant XM-L. But it was quite a bit brighter than the XPG2. I would probably put it at around 400 lumens (give or take).
So the Fusion ISN’T as bright as it’s made out to be. Does that make it worthless? Definitely not! When you consider the low $26 price tag, it’s an AWESOME deal. And the quality of the light is REALLY nice. With a very even flood beam, this light lights up an area like no single emitter light I have ever seen! Other lights may be brighter. But, compared to the Fusion, they can’t light up an area in the same way. This also makes it a great deal. The bottom line? You won’t get the lumens you’re promised. But you will get a good drop-in for the money.
I have the Fusion 36, using it in an old 2C Maglite just now. I have a question, though - when you screw the lens cap on is it supposed to be pressing on all the LEDs in the drop-in?
A very late reply. Mine does not. The edge of the drop-in aluminum cup is just high enough so that the LEDs do not quite touch the lens. Close but no cigar!