I've only been lurking here a week or two as a guest, but I picked up a bit of info and wanted to register and say thanks for the info I've already gleaned from this site. I picked up a Coleman 425E on Tuesday of this week for what I thought was a steal of a deal of $15 from Craigslist. I guess that based on the added costs of S&H on top of the eBay prices I've now seen I didn't do too bad, but based on the costs of many on this board I should have paid about a fifth of that. Regardless, I don't feel like I got ripped off. The stove I bought was in pretty good shape, with just a touch of rust on the lid near one of the hinges, but a decent amount of corrosion in the tank. Of course, when I checked out the stove with the seller the tank cap was on so tight that I wasn't able to open it until later that afternoon with the aid of a pair of Channellock™ pliers. What I saw when I opened the tank wasn't too nice, with corrosion and rust completely blocking the opening. Fortunately it wasn't too thick and I broke it up with some judicious poking with a screwdriver. Some light sanding of the fuel spout cleaned it up nicely, and the cap seal didn't look too bad after a little cleaning as well. The pump had zero resistance, but upon removing it I found it to be in good shape, just dry as a bone. A little sewing machine oil got the pump leather working well, and the cap held pressure fine. I took the regulator assembly apart and cleaned it up with some steel wool. Final cleaning of the inside of the tank was done with a bit of kerosene and a package of slingshot ammo I had. After a couple sessions of turning and tilting the tank and rinsing the kerosene out, I flushed it out with brake cleaner and let it air dry. I pumped it up on Thursday night and after I woke up on Friday morning I found the tank held pressure just fine overnight. I picked up a fresh gallon of Coleman Fuel Friday afternoon and promptly went home and tried out the stove. It fired right up and worked wonderfully. Here's the YouTube link of the first run: [media=youtube]nUmTYUyK_1M[/media] I have not dealt with the discoloration on the case, nor the little bit of rust on the lid yet, but I will shortly. I'm no expert on these, or any other camp stoves, but I seem to have a little collection started now. I have an MSR XGK II, with the original flip-out style pot stands now replaced with the latter style fixed ones. I also have an Esbit folding stove that I carried overseas with me during Desert Storm. I seem to have an affinity for flames, so I also have a small lantern collection including a few Dietz lanterns, and some various tiny backpacking lanterns, as well as a modern era propane Coleman single mantle. Anyway, thank you all for the info I've received from this site so far, and I'll be scouring the local area for more old stoves. Matthew Leland, NC
Mathew, let me be the first to welcome you to CCS. Well, the Coleman stoves will work even after years of storage (even abuse) for as long as the previous owners used the correct fuel. Surprisingly, the newer models such as the ones you have, the tank tends to rust when moisture gets into the tank but as you have read in the forums that flushing it out will clean most debris inside. I saw your video and seems to be running well. Great job and welcome to the world of pyros. I think the first one was Desert Shield. I know I have a mug but forgot where I put it. Ron
The 425 series is the cockroach of the stove world--too damn tough to die, can't kill one if you tried to, and there's just a s**tload of 'em out there! Now, having said that, the damn things always work, in spite of poor treatment, crummy fuel, about the only things that go wrong are the generator going bad due to using auto fuel, and the pump leathers going dry. It's one of those stoves you either love or hate, or love to hate, for that matter! Anyhow, welcome aboard! Murph
Mathew, Good to have another NC member. That stove looks to be in decent shape, and I think the price was good. Lots of Coleman stoves on Craigslist, but most are asking more than $15; and those that are under $15 can need some real work. I have picked up a few non-Colemans off the local CL but they are few and far between -- we probably won't be competing (geographically) for those that do show up .
I'm happy to hear that a 1968 model is considered newer! That means I am too, right? ;-) Since this stove is intended as a dual-purpose rig for both family car camping as well as for the hurricane pack (Living along the Atlantic coast one needs to be prepared.) I'm happy to hear it should be at least as reliable as my old MSR, if not more so. Not likely I'll be traveling up to your neck of the woods for a cheap stove. Now if there happened to be a nice deal on an older Ducati I would make the 2 hour trip! Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. -Matthew
I mentioned newer model is because my 425 is 1940 - 45 but the case is still very much "like new" with a difference only in the tank which as some members say was made of special alloy that is not suppose to rust. Ron
Hey, Ma2fish! Welcome to CCS, Sir!! Sweet Bride and I have relatives in NC, and think it's a great State, for sure. Your Coleman stove is a classic, and well worth owning. Just about all of us in the US have at least one version of the venerable 425, and some of us have far too many "versions"! 8-[ What MSR stove to you have? Bet it's an older X-GK, or even earlier!! Those old stoves are still workhorses, and even when they've been horribly mistreated, they can be brought back to function like new!!! Great stoves, by any definition, and one of my tried and true favorites!! I look forward to hearing what your MSR happens to be. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
My MSR XGK is from 1994. It's not old by any means, but for what I consider a binary heat source (it's roaring hot or it's off), it's never failed me yet. I used it for years with just unleaded, but once I got married and had a couple kids I just don't go backpacking anymore. My sons are 4 and 5, and a bit young for hiking, but we're planning some nice car camping for this next year with them. Cooking for a family of four on a single XGK just isn't going to be much fun, and it not exactly the most stable stove for use on a campground table around kids. I've also switched out the Gasoline jet for a Kerosene one in the XGK because I've got Dietz kerosene lanterns for lighting in the house in the event of a power outage. I've been using Kleen Heat fuel in both the lanterns and XGK with good results, but the stuff's a bit pricey for regular use.
Welcome. Nice work getting your stove up and running. I only have one newer gas Coleman which was given to me this Summer. A 425E from '73 it looks like. Used it for the first time this weekend, camping close to home. My other Colemans are a propane job from around the same year and a old #9C.
