Liquid fuel stoves - alternatives to coleman?

[AndrewP]

I have found the simmer control on the #1 burner (the burner with the generator over it) on Coleman stoves to be excellent. Nearly as good as the gas stove at home. #2 burner is less controllable. Still, you can't beat the quality per dollar even of a newer dual fuel.

The real jewels out there are the late 50s-mid 80s stoves. There are piles of them every week on Craigslist and will work for decades with minimal effort. All parts are still available and they can be field serviced with a few simple tools. It's the best $20 you will ever spend on camp gear. There is a 1 day learning curve when using them. After that, lighting, relighting, simmering etc are all a breeze. And no bulky propane tanks.

 

[4x4BNB]

I bought an NOS via CL two years ago....it's white gas but....u can use unleaded fuel moderately then clean afterwards with no issues. I understand there's not much difference between the dual fuel white gas stoves...I got mine for $40!!!! The older ones are definitely better!

So, this year...I bot my son a brand new (NOS) as we'll via CL....$20!!!! Both in the original boxes...

U just gotta look

 

[AA1PR]

if its just me I prefer my MSR whisperlite internationale stove

it can burn anything from veggie oil to kerosene, just change the jet


I feel its the perfect cold weather stove



even ran it off this once

 

[swduncan]

Well, I just came home with a pretty well used 413G, along with a lantern and heater for $30. The larger stoves seem harder to find, so I snagged this one despite the condition.

Now I just need to find a place that sells the fuel.

 

[evaliquette]

Coleman is by far the bests liquid fuel stove i own, (4) but for backpacking usage the only other stove i use apart from the single burner coleman is a an MSR dragonfly.

X2 for the MSR dragonfly

 

[AndrewP]

Well, I just came home with a pretty well used 413G, along with a lantern and heater for $30. The larger stoves seem harder to find, so I snagged this one despite the condition.

Now I just need to find a place that sells the fuel.

You did well. Replace the cap gasket, oil the pump leather (motor oil is ok, neetsfoot is the best) and I'll bet it takes right off. Which lantern did you get with it?

 

[JackW]

I scored a Thermos brand single mantle US Military Vietnam era gas lantern circa 1963 in absolute brand new condition at a yard sale last year for $20. Its OD green and works perfectly.
According to Ebay its worth $125.00 but its too cool to sell - makes my 1973 Coleman lantern look flimsy and cheap.
It complements my 413G Coleman Stove that came with one of the travel trailers I bought a few years ago. Cooking and lighting with gas is surprisingly easy with the old stuff - it just works.

The MSR Dragonfly is my lightweight single burner stove choice. I pack one of those for quick meals.

 

[INSAYN]

X2 for the MSR dragonfly

+1 on the MSR Dragonfly.

Use it for kayak camping, and when I need to bake something in my BEMCO Backpacker Oven.
Gets up to 500 F degrees in 5 minutes on white gas and makes a wicked good set of 8" pizza twins.

 

[swduncan]

AndrewP I didn't check the lantern, but he said it needs a generator. I imagine both need some attention.

 

[Scoutn79]

Look on Craigslist. You can find older Coleman 2 burner stoves on there quite a bit...and cheap too. Also a second hand camp store or a pawn shop.
I don't know about the new ones but the old ones will run for ever with little maintenance.

I have the MSR Dragonfly and it will burn just about any flammable liquid but, like your Whisper Light, it isn't the best for large group cooking.

Darrell

 

[Martinjmpr]

Strange this thread posted just as I pulled out an old (1980s) Colman Peak 1 this morning that had been stored from about 1989 for a neighbor's daughter to use.
I checked the fuel and got a hiss from the tank (still pressurized). Pump worked great and it works fine on 25 year old fuel after sitting for 25 year.
Man am I a believer in Coleman (old school) quality !

Well, there are weirdos out there who actually collect old Coleman camping gear.



I know that because I'm one of them. :sombrero:

Got an old 413H off of CL for $25. Needs cleaned and has a leaky valve but I can fix that with a wrench. Lanterns are my real love, I have about 11- 12 of them now (not sure.) The old Coleman GPA's (<-----Gas Pressure Appliances) were very well made and will last for decades. My "Newest" lantern is a 275 (affectionately referred to as a "turd" because of it's brown color) that dates to the mid 70's.

Here's my "old coleman" story: I had a Coleman 508 single burner stove I got in 1989 when I was stationed in Washington (Fort Lewis.) I used it on and off for camping until about May of 2002. I put it into storage, moved multiple times, and honestly thought that the old stove had disappeared somewhere in one of my many moves between 2003 and 2007 (I moved 7 times in that period.)

Anyway, last year as I was digging through my hunting gear, I came across that old stove in its case. It had fuel in it, but it had been stored in an unheated garage or storage area for most of the previous 11 1/2 years since May of 2002.

So I pumped it up, held a match to it and - PRESTO! It lit up like it was brand new. Not sure if that's a testament to the quality of Coleman products or the quality of Coleman Fuel, but it was impressive either way.

 

[Herbie]

How long do the butane canisters last compared to 1lb propane canisters?

I've always managed a weekend on a single canister. That'd be 2x dinners, and 2x (coffee and breakfast). Lunches are usually "cold". I always start with a new canister, though. Typically, I then switch the used ones to "home" duty until they're empty, since I frequently use a 2nd catering burner when I'm cooking outside. (My grill doesn't have a side burner, so on the rare occasions when I need to have a pot of something going while I'm grilling, or if it's too hot to cook inside, I use the butane). Two butane canisters probably weighs about the same as a single 1lb propane tank, and doesn't take up much more room. (Slightly taller, but they're smaller diameter)

I'm packing right now for 5 days on the beach, I will bring two canisters and the propane adapter. (Bringing 5lb tank for the portable grill anyhow.) I'll report back how I do on fuel there.

 

[Ray Hyland]

OK, I have a technical question, and this seems like a thread filled with well-informed folks... sorry for the hijack.

I have three Coleman stoves, a 2-burner and two 3-burners.

I have an adaptor so I can run them on the little green propane bottles as well as on the traditional gas. It works great, easy to light, great flame control, and convenient. BUT, when I try to run three burners on the little green propane bottles the pressure is very low, so each of the flames is quite low.

The only time I run all three burners at the same time is when I have my giant cast-iron griddle on the stove.

So my question is, if I get an adaptor for a bigger (5 or 10 lb) propane bottle will I get enough pressure for all three burners to have a decent flame at the same time, or does the propane regulator have the same pressure for the small bottles as the big bottles?

Cheers

Ray

 

[AndrewP]

OK, I have a technical question, and this seems like a thread filled with well-informed folks... sorry for the hijack.

I have three Coleman stoves, a 2-burner and two 3-burners.

I have an adaptor so I can run them on the little green propane bottles as well as on the traditional gas. It works great, easy to light, great flame control, and convenient. BUT, when I try to run three burners on the little green propane bottles the pressure is very low, so each of the flames is quite low.

The only time I run all three burners at the same time is when I have my giant cast-iron griddle on the stove.

So my question is, if I get an adaptor for a bigger (5 or 10 lb) propane bottle will I get enough pressure for all three burners to have a decent flame at the same time, or does the propane regulator have the same pressure for the small bottles as the big bottles?

Cheers

Ray

Likely not. This is a fairly common problem with the propane adapters. Easy enough to try out.

For all 3, use gas. It should make enough heat. It will be a bit hard to balance the heat though as the main burner is always significantly hotter than the secondary burners.

 

[robgendreau]

I agree with AndrewP. I seem to recall having problems with mine for the same reason, although I ditched all my old Coleman liquid fuel burners a long time ago (although maybe should have kept them for sale here, given the interest. I thought they were crap and despite all my repairs over the years just weren't worth the hassle).

A factor to consider is your other uses. I use propane now for all sorts of stuff, so it's handy to have around. And if you ever plan on using a stove inside something, no way do you wanna use liquid fuel, except maybe kerosene. But even that's a hassle. The butane stoves are great inside.

And besides: one less liquid fuel stove, one picnic table spared.

Rob