Hi folks, Last week I had a landmark birthday and Mrs Smiffy treated me to a stove. I steered her towards the 123R as it's a classic design, but still in production so she'd be able to find it from a reputable shop and have relavent purchase protection. I feel like I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth here. 1) The chain is completely unlike any I've seen on anything from the Optimus stable before. It looks like something from a cheap kit to repair a bathroon sink. 2) The classic optimus key is on one end of the chain, but the square-socket that goes over the spindle is non-symetric and barely fits the spindle. I had heard quality went down when production moved to the Far-East. Does this match anyone elses experience of a new-build SVEA?
I have no experience with any recently made, Taiwan, 123s. For the money the Optimus brand 123 (Pre 123R) is the most undervalued stove in the line. An excellent user with the basic Sievert style and design, but the Optimus brand makes it not a collectable. No engraving of the parts, a twisted chain, it still needs a pricker, but runs awesome. So for 2/3rds max of the price of a new 123R you can get one of the best of the line. The 123R made in Sweden comes up often enough to be available for less than new. Ken
Chain. Shorter coarser links than my classic 8r, also a butterfly double loop rather than that elegant twisted design on old stoves. And not quite square end on the key. (It's a lot easier to put the photos on nowadays than when I joined in 2011!)
I haven't fired it up yet. I was worried I'd have to return it under the "distance selling regulations" - I'd started on to worry some cheeky chap had taken the original chain off, replaced it with one from the plumbers shop and has returned for refund himself. Thank you Snwcmpr for confirming chain correct type. Two more questions for long standing 123 fans: 1) is the aluminium cup/pot usually a rattling loose fit? I'd imagined a fairly tight fit, but this isn't the case. 2) it turned out to have a bit of petroleum- smelling liquid in the tank, which leaked out when I showed my wife the cleaning needle. I was surprised by this as I thought the postal regulations were set hard against sending containers of flammable liquid internationally without a higher amount of safety labelling. Does anyone know if they fuel them in the factory, possibly for some sort of pressure test? Or, does this support my ideas that this stove might have gone out to another customer who is then returned it.
I have a 1970 Svea 123 [very early Optimus], and a 123R from the Eighties. Cups do not rattle. Smoother, snugger fit on the '70. Keys, chains, handles and jet pricker [123] rattle a lot, however. The two cups differ very slightly. The same size, gauge aluminum and inside/outside diameters, but the later handle is amost 1/16'' narrower in width, thinner gauge metal and is ''jimped'' with a reinforcing V down its spine. Loop on later cup is correspondingly narrower too. So that the thicker, early, handle is barely too wide to fit the later cup loop. I could make it fit with a couple of passes with a good file, but it's my way of telling them apart. Your Optimus Climber 123R may have been test fired at the factory. That would be normal, but you'd expect they would have dried out the wick before shipping. I would chat with customer service.
I would suspect a returned stove. Much more likely than a test by the factory. Call customer service and tell them before you light it. Not cool to send a stove with fuel in it. Sorry, a misunderstanding... I meant that the chain on it is not original for the new stove. It is an after market chain that is the same as the original 123 before Optimus bought Svea in 1969.
I had a 123R made in Taiwan. I thought it was a fine stove and had no trouble with it at all. I sold it for the reasons stated by @snwcmpr and replaced it with a made in Sweden 123R. Brad
The new Asian 123s are of varying quality. Why not send us some photos of the whole stove, and we'll be much better able to see what you've got. Of course, the proof will be how well it runs. Happy Birthday, by the way. It's great your wife will buy you a classic campstove for the occasion. ....Arch
You could have a look at the pictures of my Taiwan made Svea in this post: Bought myself a brand new Svea 123 The chain is the same, no one has replaced the chain. Mine function well, but I also have two Swedish made 123R (they multiply...), and even though the soldering is a little rough they are for the most part much better quality. The fit of the various parts is much better. Kind regards Tron
