I would like to know based on members experience if this stove is worth buying as I have an offer for a slightly used stove with fuel can. The pros and cons. This is before I make a final decision since he is selling it at one third off the regular price. Thanks Ron
Great stove Brilliant simmer hard to find a pot to fit it into loud easy to use The new pumps are good but the older ones are not has a kero jet and a white fuel jet I like them.
Hey, Ron, I agree with theyellowdog. As much as I sometimes harangue about how piss-poor MSR stoves are, besides the X-GK and the Firefly, I often forget to mention that the Dragonfly is also a nice stove. In my experiences with it, and I have two of them, that stove is not as powerful as either the X-GK's, or the FireFly stove. The FF also simmers better. But, overall, the DF is a good stove, easy to prime and light, and a very good range of abilities, from roaring, to simmering. If you want a good stove, and the price is acceptable to you, I'd recommend that you jump on it, and call it good! Good luck, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
have to jump in here with a caveat: bought a new Dragonfly from REI in 2003 and only used once... put it away until the start of the last hurricane season (which ended a few days ago) upon doing a good checkout, discovered the original pump (plastic) was cracked near the pump entry, making use of the stove dangerous for fuel leakage to MSR's credit, after a call to the 800 number and sending the pump back, i was sent a brand new replacement the pumps are plastic, and there may be a good reason for the easy availability of 'replacement' pumps on the market other than that, the stove works great and burns gas, naptha, and kero w/no problems YMMV - good luck!
Yellowdog, Doc, LinuxAuthor, thanks for the insight on this stove. Hopefully it will be in my possession by Friday when I pick it up. This will be my first MSR and although I shy away due to the fangled assembly before use of these types of stoves, I feel that this one may just make a good back up stove. Thank you again gentlemen! Ron
Evening, Guys, LinuxAuthor brings up a good point, as I, too, had a brand new DF on which the pump broke on the first, or second time I used it. HOWEVER, those older pumps were very fragile in the way they attached the pump rod, and the small tabs broke off with even a slight misalignment when pumping. MSR have since completely redesigned their plastic pump, and the new ones are really the best they've ever made. Stong, robustly built, and seemingly very reliable, especially when compared to all their older ones, except the yellow-bodied ones, some of which can be rebuilt to work like new. So, Ron, if your DF has a newer pump, you should have NO problems with it, at all. If you get an older one that breaks, like LA and I did, just send it in to MSR and they may well replace it with a new one. If they won't, then just go buy a new DF pump and call it good! I really think the newer MSR pumps are the DB's, compared to most of the others they have made over the years!! Ron, if you have a photo of said stove, please send it to me in a regular email, and I'll tell you which pump you're going to be receiving. In any case, I'd get the stove, no matter the pump, as you can always get a newer one. But, if it comes with one of the new pumps, hey, you're in fat city! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
MSR really needs to put more effort into naming their stoves Dragonfly sounds like something crafted by hand out of crystal or wood. Just asking to be broken. The scouts seem to enjoy the stove. And I have heard of no problems besides the pump and not folding up small. Cheers, Jeff
Hi In my opinion the Dragonfly is a great stove. I have used it on several backpacking tours in Norway. Never had any trouble with it. The pump failed once but was changed into a new one. I would buy it again!! Regards Jens
Not sure why it was called dragonfly. At full noise you will agree that dragon was a better name. I have one and with the windscreen and reflector under it it will boil a litre of water in 3 minutes then turn down till the bubbles stop. Incredibly economical on fuel as well useing about 2/3 the fuel my Coleman 533 uses for the same work. On 2 things that are not so nice is Im not sure how reliable the O rings in the pump attachment are long term. I think yellowdog had an issue with an MSR in this area and its loud. I like a roarer burner but we lit this in a concrete shelter then stood outside in the rain while the water boiled.
Again gentlemen, thank you for your comments. Although am leaning toward getting the stove, I have just now spent the money for the DF for another stove won off Ebay. I may not get a chance unless my pocket money is replenished by Friday. Too bad at the seller said its new and 2/3's the price of a brand new one. Only downside is driving 40miles (one way) to get it Ron
Ron: I inherited my father's old Dragonfly. I really like the stove although it's a little heavy for backpacking. It puts out quite a bit of heat and the pot supports are the biggest (that I know of) on any MSR stove. I'm not sure how big a pot it would support, but I can measure the radius if you like. Because of the way it's built the three pot supports really function as six pot supports. Very stable. Unlike all of the other MSR petrol type stoves on the market, it simmers very well. It's a truely lovely feature. My father used it. My sister used it. Now, I'm using it. None of us have had any problems with the stove EXCEPT (you guessed it) one pump started leaking. I bought a new one and moved on. MSR's pumps are light, but they are definitely the most vulnerable part of MSR stoves. I've often wondered if a Sigg Fire Jet pump couldn't be modified to work with an MSR stove. Sigg threads seem to in general work well with MSR threads. WARNING: Don't use thin walled Sigg fuel bottles for an MSR stove. They are not built for pressure. They will deform (bottom pops out in a dome like protrusion). Sigg bottles are generally lighter than MSR bottles and many stovies will already have a Sigg or two on hand, so they're very tempting, but I wouldn't recommend using one. HJ
Many people will not know what a "thin walled Sigg bottle" is! All but one of my six Sigg bottles were bought by me back in the 1970's. Just plain aluminium with no advertising on the bottle. I used these with all my MSR and other MF stoves (until I got shot of the lot (the "modern" stoves that is)earlier this year.
I think the stove's name owe's more to the look of the stove's legs rather than the the nature of the stove itself. Regarding folding up small: no, it does not. A two plus liter pot is needed. The fuel hose is a bit stiff too. I hesitate to bend the hose with force. I usually just keep the stove in it's stuff sack and put cutlery, cups, priming fuel, pot lifter, etc. inside my pot. HJ
The new pumps are the best? Interesting. Let me get your opinion on this: I've heard complaints that the very newest pumps a) have a rubber pump cup (instead of leather) that can seize in very hot weather and b) there is no "O" ring around the point of attachment to the fuel bottle. I can't speak to the pump cup, but I can confirm that there is no longer an "O" ring around the point of attachment to the fuel bottle. The argument that I've seen is that if your pump leaks around the attach point (a common problem), you now have to replace the whole pump rather than just the "O" ring. Is it perhaps that the pump cup and "O" ring issues are valid but that the new pumps are so solid that their sturdiness outweighs other disadvantages? I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts on this.
Light they may be but in my mind they (all of these newer stoves with fuel attached by means of a hose and seperate pump) are junk Just another reason why i think the "new" style of camping equipment to be bits of metal stamped from sheet and assembled by uneducated minions south of somebodies border to sell in the US and other western countries to equally uneducated fools for an outragious price. Junk made from oil and old cars. Junk: stuff unfit for man or beast when the chips are down. Junque: old stuff which because of newer designs have been religated to the back of the shelf until it too gets in the way of newer stuff which is not as well made. lance
The new pump does not have an oring in the cap. This is true but instead the whole cap is rubber like and seals very well. This cap is part of the maintenance kit and can be bought separatly. Unfortuanatly it also means you cant use with the old style sigg bottles as it wont go over the lip on the bottle so have to buy an msr bottle. Mine came with a 900ml bottle
Hey Lance, Why don't you quit beating around the bush and go ahead and tell us what you think. I have a dragonfly and an XG-K and find them too much hassle to deal with. Never used them other than to play with a bit just to see what the big deal was. For me, wasn't a big deal so they sit. Not a died-in-the-wool packpacker though, but canoe paddler and the weight (within reason) doesn't make that much difference to me. Bob
You can buy the new pump "cap" (collar?) separately?! Nice, although I don't know of any store in Los Angeles that sells them. I did take a look at the "annual" maintenance kit ($15 at REI); it has the collar. Kind of a waste to buy the whole kit for just the collar, but $15 is a lot cheaper than a whole new pump ($35). Thanks for the tip, HJ
Greetings, All, For those of us who still like to backpack, and especially in the cold, wet, and snow, the X-GK, and the Dragonfly, and other such stoves, are the cat's pajamas!! Even if I'm car camping, I still use them, along with everything else, including Jim's kitchen sink!! (we have photos to prove that he brings it, too!) 8) But, for those that don't use "Shank's Mare" to get from point A to points beyond, I can well understand why they might think that such stoves are a hassle, a bother, a bit of trouble, and not worth the effort. However, please keep in mind that the same has been said about the 111 series, the 8R, the 123, and all other stoves that require priming in order to function!! Don't believe me? Read almost any Backpacker Magazine stove review in the last 20 years, and all will become clear!! I have a sneaking suspicion that, if you were out and about, in the freezing cold, and carrying a pack with all your goods on your back, you might have a somewhat different, and quite a bit more "eager" viewpoint on the stoves that some of us know, love, and trust with our lives!! And, hey, if you just don't like them, no skin off my back! Go with whatever way your stick floats, sez I!! I'll continue to trust and enjoy those light, versatile, and reliable powerhouse stoves! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
