This is a KIT to change your Manfrotto Universal Mounting Arm into a Manfrotto Magic Arm. THIS IS NOT A WHOLE MAGIC ARM THAT IS BEING SOLD HERE - IT IS JUST A KIT, i.e. a knob, bolt, and some washers. In other words, you start with your own Universal Mount, the picture on the left, then add the parts from the kit that are in the middle pictures, and end up with your Magic Arm pictured on the right.

So ... if your Universal arm is slipping, will not lock in place, is falling apart, or the lever is hard to tighten, pops out of place, or makes a "cracking sound," this kit will help you. To use this kit, unscrew the one large bolt at the elbow of the Universal Arm. If the Arm is not already falling apart, you will need a 6 mm allan wrench to unscrew it. Once apart, discard (recycle) that bolt and the lever-handle that it was connected to. Then replace it with the knob and bolt from the kit, add three washers (which are included), and now you have a Magic Arm. To tighten the arm, simply tighten the knob. The Magic Arm is much more reliable and longer-lasting than the lever-type of arrangement.

By the way, international shipping can cost as much as $37 (as when shipping to Australia), so I have set this shipping cost to $30 for now.

PLEASE NOTE THAT, at present, I am not including the regular flanged hex bolt with the kit. This is because it tends to slip a little when the knob is tightened. So, I have substituted in for it a looped-head bolt, which seems to be preferred by customers. If it slips at all, simply hold the looped-head and the knob will tighten right up. Thus, slippage is eliminated (or at least compensated for). If you prefer an flanged hex bolt, let me know and I will include that in with the kit as well.

If the kit does not work satisfactorily, send it back (in the same condition it was received in, although now used) and a full refund will be issued. However, shipping costs will not be refunded, but the cost of the item itself will be refunded. So far none of these kits have been returned.

The kit includes one knob, one loop-headed bolt, two or three washers, and a hand-drawn diagram with instructions (and a flanged hex bolt upon request).

Background information: I am a technician who is retired from the local County Office of Education in which I make and repaired special education equipment. We used Universal Arms for a couple of decades to hold switches for students in wheelchairs, etc. We have dozens of these arms in various classes. The arms are very useful when they are new and in working condition. However, the parts do wear out and they then become a problem to use. It was my job to try to fix them, which I did. Then, in time, came the Magic Arms which were a big improvement over the former; but what were we to do with all the Universal Arms that we already had? I converted them to Magic Arms using a kit offered by another company, which was often less-than satisfactory. So, after retirement I developed my own version of a conversion kit, which is now available to the public. Most of my customers are professional photographers who need reliable equipment to hold their cameras steady during photographic shots.

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS -  Avoid using the "Pitney Bowes" service when buying things since this adds around $26 to the shipping charge. The same is true of other special delivery services. It is much cheaper for me to just mail this from the US Postal Service to your home country's national postal system. If uncertain, send me a message through this listing page.

All these parts cost me about $26: the knob itself comes from Europe and costs about $19.05 each (11/11/23, includes shipping cost; there are no bulk or wholesale prices; these are original Manfrotto parts); the loop or eye-headed bolt costs about $6.33 (includes shipping); the washers cost about $1.32 per kit. Then for each sale, eBay takes about $2.50. And eBay also charges about $1 for just running the ad itself. Total is about 26.70. So, I make about $7 per sale.

If you plan to buy all that is available at any one time, let me know before you do this -- otherwise, after you do this, the listing will be cancelled when all the inventory is sold out and I have to relist the item again.

Combined shipping is offered as specified below.