Some weeks ago someone was asking about a particular stove that was being touted on Evilbay by one of the Hong Kong sellers plus2city and I intimated that I had ordered one...Well finally it landed! So what do we have well it is essentially a Coleman clone with a few major differences the main one being the burner this is a roarer type of burner of a type that is in common usage this does give it on of it's few advantages over the Coleman in that you tend to get a narower flame spread than the Coleman give which is useful for smaller kettles. It is very much a gasolene stove which will run unleaded petrol or Coleman fuel or panel wipe ...."but tonight Matthew I'm running Aspen 4T" After a small dose of meths to prime it they recommend 30seconds (and thats about right)it sparks up with a good healthy strong flame...So far so good. So waste not want not on with the kettle. The multi tool that comes with the stove can be seen by the side. Here's a comparison between the Coleman and the Chinese number. To be honest the Chinese stove is a very good little performer, but the Coleman is in may ways the better of the two as you don't have to prime the Coleman weight wise there is nothing in it as to build quality there is no a huge amount in it though the Coleman probably just wins itand of course the Coleman will have the better spares back up. The Chinese stove does come in a nice wee bag that has a pocket for the multi tool and is a nice thing I managed to get mine for £30 inc postage but I note that that has changed a tad in later adverts. I do like playing with new toys!!!
The pump is very smooth and nice to operate it's more pleasant than the Coleman one to use and is efficient it's easy to take apart and I'm sure that our brother Sefa could make a superb leather washer for it should you wish to fit one....which might be an idea!
This stove looks to be a good bit of kit. If i were to fault the Coleman stove it has to be that funky windscreen. With a roarer burner the windscreen is excess material. Yes you will need a wind screen but it will not be necessary in areas where i camp. Unless i get caught in a show storm on the top of a mountain and i'll have my M-1942 with me anyway. lance
Sorry guys the model number is TK111 Oil/Gas Multi-Use Stove built-in pump & fuel bottle I have checked both the box and the stove and there are no other markings on it to indicate who made it Cheers Alan
nice one for the pics it looks to be a fair bit of kit at the price you paid, i'll keep an eye out for one i tried a booster but the pump was leaking so it was only used on gas (not my stove btw i got it for a mate) but he was quite happy to use it just for gas and had no complaints
The crucial question about the pump, Alan, is whether it incorporates an effective copy of the Coleman's positive shut-off valve. I'm guessing by the photos it doesn't. Without that Coleman feature of an all-metal non-return valve positively shut off when the tank's been pressurised by a clockwise twist of the pump knob (operating the square-sectioned rod 'air stem') I see the Chinese clone as lacking a crucial safety feature for a gasolene stove. Ok, CCS members use Optimus 111B's safely enough with that stove's inherently kerosene technology of a non-return valve having a nitrile sealing 'pip'. Nevertheless, whereas the Optimus was a derivative of a kerosene stove so its safety shortfalls as a gasolene burner are understandable, the designer of your Chinese clone had the opportunity to copy the one crucial safety feature of the Coleman and instead he copied the 'look' of the Coleman merely, with that distinctive tank shape and the fold out legs! I'd call that inexcusably dumb of the maker. Apologies to them if I'm wrong and a positive shut-off valve is somehow incorporated! Regards, John
Without taking it apart and checking I would venture to suggest that the pump has a fairly standard NRV there is a further valve going up to the burner but yes in effect John it is probably more 111 than Coleman in that respect but you are welcome to pop over and take a more skilled lok that I would give it Cheers Alan
Well in my perspective, it would only be stupid if the maker also neglected to incorporate an airtube that moves from the pump up to the top of the tank. I know that Coleman lanterns have this feature, I reckon that stoves also have this. This is there so that IF in case of a check valve failure AND the user forgot to screw the pump rod back in, there should only escape some compressed air out of the pump shaft. Yes there will be fumes in that air, but Coleman clearly states that the stove should be used outside or in a well ventilated area. That way the fumes won't reacht the flame that easily and the pressure just drops untill the stove is off. IF this stove also doesn't have that feature, then yes, I would change the check valve or atleast the nitrile pip ounce or twice a year, or atleast before you take it with you on a vacation. gr, Arjan.
Good point about the air tube snaking up from the check valve outlet to the top of the tank, Arjan, I'd forgotten about that. Sorry, Alan, for criticising your purchase! It was just interesting to discuss its features as your post invited. I wonder, given the roarer burner with the consequent hotter focus of the heat on the vapouriser tube, whether if a primer cup could be fettled for it, it could be run effectively on paraffin. That would avoid the safety issue (if indeed there is one) associated with burning petrol in it. I know there's a topic on CCS of a Coleman 502 being adapted to burn kerosene by wrapping brass wire round the vapouriser tube to provide the necessary heat transfer. John
No problem with critisising the purchase John and your point is very valid. It was interesting to note that the ebay ad refered to the stove being an oil/gas stove however the writing on the box only refers to gasolene. Personaly I have little doubt that it would run quite happily on parafin though a jet change may be in order however when I next catch up with you we can have a trial of switching the fuels and seeing what happens and reporting back to the rest of the forum with our results. The shape and size of the vapouriser tube and the design of the burner are virtually identical to the set up on the booster stove which as you are very well aware runs superbly on parafin so I dont see there being much of an issue other than it will take a bit longer to prime.
When Andrew and Alan were first talking about this stove, I went ahead and ordered one. I was a bit edgy when Alan got his up, running and posted, but I am glad to say mine arrived today! Really not a bad commute, 10 days from auction end to New York. The box was a little dented as it was wrapped simply in brown paper and hand stamped with some beautiful bird stamps. I have not filled or lighted it yet but wanted to post 2 pictures of the instructions on the box. No others were included. My youngest son says some of it reads like a fortune cookie. Anticlockwisely? Big Sun? A quick glance shows a nice feature is the preheat pad beneath the burner.
Don't worry about anything Paul the stove is essentially a 'good un' and should give you years of happy service and at the price I paid was something of a bargain. the only drawback for me is the priming requirement and thats because I like the idea of not having to prime. The pump is nice to operate and the stove does what it says on the tin...
I will have to consider using Smilies to express my emotions better. I was only "edgy" because Alan had got his first and I didn't know how long mine would take to arrive. I am thrilled to get this and plan on playing and testing soon. The only fly in my beer is that there is a picture of an "air nozzle" on the box but no spare jet in the case. Just a really cool service tool. How about you?
Exactly the same for me as well you sort of get the impression that there should be a spare jet but there isn't so heaven knows why they put the pic of a jet on the box. the multi tool is good!
Interesting information, John. I just recently obtained a 502. I noticed that it said something about twisting the pump rod when finished pumping, but there's no apparent change on my stove; the rod continues to rotate freely. Am I sitting on a potential fireball? Something I shall at the very least have to look into. Thanks for mentioning it. HJ
