for your needs Stan - I would go with the 111 as for backpacking there are better choices then the 550 but I would not start on that as this topic could explode
I like threads like this. I have a Coleman 442 multi-fuel set up for kero, AND an Optimus 111T silent. I love them both so I can't lose! What I like about the 442 anyway is that if you watch the Bay of Evil for sales you can pick them up for $45 or so w/ cheap shipping. Great deal for a backpacking stove. I have had finicky Colemans, but if you learn their quirks, they can be a breeze to use. The 111T however while heavier, is easy to work on, well made and designed, and a pleasure to use. Kinda like finding a great used Land Cruiser; get it in good working order and you're ready for a Safari!
Hi Stan, A lot of us bought our 9061s here- http://www.omahas.com/product_info.php?products_id=1359 Looks like they still have them for 39.50
That doesn't look like the 9061 I "almost" bought. It had a brass fuel tank that was situated at the front of the box, had a very different pot holder set-up and looked completely different. Are there different models of the 9061? Stan Tnx for your link. I've sent off an email to this place asking what their shipping costs are for shipping to Canada.
Morning, ChefBC, I'm very interested to hear why you think that Coleman stoves are "fragile" and "don't take abuse well". First, why would you want to "abuse" your stove, in any case?! What sorts of abuse did you have in mind? I think you will find that most Coleman stoves, can handle just about anything you'd like to throw at them, and will come back for more, with very little care and upkeep. Coleman stoves are, for the most part, considered the heavy duty workhorse stoves of America. Even up in Canada, Indians to the far North still use old Coleman suitcase stoves, which they toss in their canoes, and "abuse" quite a bit!! That's testimony to how well most Coleman stoves are built! Now, anyone can have a lemon of a stove, no matter what the brand name, or who built it. Maybe your own stove was one of those. I don't know. But, I do know that I've used many different Coleman stoves, for well over 30 years, and really had no problems with them. My first Model 400 Peak 1, did come to me with flaws, and would not work properly. I returned it to the place it had been purchased, and as soon as they saw it's problems, they promptly took it back and gave me another one, which is still working perfectly, with no upkeep, after all these years. I know that we all have different experiences, but mine, over a very long time using Coleman stoves, have been very good. Hey, look at the old Coleman #1 stoves that many of us have and use, now. They've been working since around 1924 and are still doing what they were designed to do!! How did you burn your hands on your Coleman stove, if I may ask? Was that the leaking Peak 1 you had? If so, how did it leak, and what did you ever do about it? Just askin'...... Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc P.S. Not trying to beat a dead horse here, nor to convince you that Coleman stoves are good "for you". Just relating my own experiences with them. Trouble-free workhorses, from my point of view.
Tnx for the reply Doc....just so you know, I wasn't insulting all Coleman products at all. I consider my 1939 Coleman 500 the most well built, well engineered stove I've ever seen. The most abuse I'd ever put a stove to is to place it in the understorage of the rear seat of a VW van. Something you van owners can appreciate, as this area accumulates a variety of stuff, including tire wrenches etc.. This little 550 however is another story from the 500 however. Just after one lighting last night, I found the upper burner sheet metal became warped and "off center". The valve body/tank joint leaked and burst into flame. The little plastic stick-on "off - open high low" sticker came off, the plastic legs wobble on a dead level surface. This is on a stove that a reliable friend says he only lit twice, and I believe him as the generator is only slightly discoloured. It could be that most other 550's don't have these problems, and are very good stoves. This one, however should have been sent back in 1995. Stan
Morning, Magikbus, Thanks for the information, Sir. Actually, my above remarks and questions were asked of ChefBC, as he had commented that he had a "seething bias against Coleman stoves in general", or something to that effect. As one who grew up on Coleman stoves, and have had wonderful trust of them for all that time, his comments made my curious. But, hey, one thing you learn here at CCS, is that one's person's stove loves, or biases against, do not necessarily mean a big rat's frosty crank to anyone else!! I've long railed on how our first MSR Whisperlite Internationale let us down, when using it with kerosene as both main fuel and priming fuel, on our big PCT backpacking trip. It failed, miserably, despite meticulous care. After my heated complaints, and the complaints of others, MSR, to their credit, redesigned the generator on that stove, and the newer ones are better. I still do not trust that particular stove, and never will, as it's failure in the field, at high elevation, and in deep cold, put my wife and in serious jeopardy! But, no matter how many times I've related that true experience, a few others totally disregard my comments and experiences, and love using that very same stove!! Again, each of us have different experiences, and have different loves, likes, hates, and preferences in stoves, which is just how it should be. So, go with what works for you, and if you feel that this little Coleman 550 is a POS, then by all means, don't use it. OR, you can do what most of us would do, and try to figure out what's wrong with it and why it doesn't work as it should. Either way, you're good to go!! 8) Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc P.S. In using the Coleman 550 over many years, I've always packed it in a small bag, which is placed inside the cook pot. Never had a problem with fragility, and the legs on all three of my own 550's are tight and very functional, level ground, or not. For what it's worth.....
Doc, I agree, if it were my stove, and I couldn't return it, I'd definetley had it torn apart by now and repairs/upgrades in progress as we speak. However it's not my stove and now I have to find a way to tell my very delicate friend that I don't want it without hurting his feelings. Stan
Hi, Stan, Completely understand. One thing to consider, however, is that, if this guy's stove is leaking, that makes it very dangerous to use. Your buddy must be apprised of this situation, so that he can take the correct action to either fix the stove, or toss it in the skip. I'd hate to read about him burning himself, or burning his house down, whilst trying to use a leaking camp stove!! Never easy to tell someone that their stove is a POS. But, it's the better part of valor, I'm thinking! Good luck, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
I have only used my Intn'l with Coleman fuel, no issues Doc, but I can see from your experience why you would doubt it or feel it was unreliable. Some things after a bad taste in the mouth don't ever get better. I have had it for over twenty years now. Just a cleaning, cable removal now and then. Did you ever mention you used Coleman fuel to see if it worked better without maintenance than the kerosene? Have a great day Doc, good to always chat with you.
Morning, Duane, Good to hear from you. Yes, I have burned Coleman fuel in that old WPLI with no problems, whatsoever. Same with the new version, the WPLI600. My complaint, which I voiced with a great deal of strength to MSR, was that they advertised that stove as being a true multifuel stove, which is is NOT by any stretch of the imagination!! The advertising made a huge deal about how you could do away with carrying a separate priming fuel, and just prime with kerosene. Since we were planning on using the stove for six months, on our PCT trip, and since kerosene is (or was) the only liquid fuel you could legally send through the US Mail, we were very happy to find and use the WPLI! However, very soon after getting out on the trail with it, we realized that all was not well and that this stove, while it "could" burn kerosene, most certainly did not like doing that, and as a result, it was plugging up and stopping, like a cheap WC (toilet!)!! So, in truth, MSR wasn't being honest in their advertising, and I finally got one of their most respected stove techs to admit that to me when he told me that the WPLI was NEVER intended to be able to use anything other than Coleman fuel on a regular basis, and that it was only supposed to burn heavier fuels, like kero, in an emergency situation!! SO MSR was telling in their advertising, and to some extent, they still do, when talking about the current WPLI600. I've found the new version to be a better stove than our old original version. But, I still wouldn't trust it to burn kero, being primed with kero, on a regular basis. That being the case, why should anyone spend the extra money to get a WPLI600, when they can have the regular WPL, which is a very good stove, for what it does, for less coin? The ONLY selling tool that makes the 600 worth more money, is that it is (was) supposed to be a true multifuel stove, which it is NOT. That's my complaint, Duane, and so it shall remain as long as MSR continues to advertise the 600 as a real multifuel stove. With Coleman fuel, it's fine. But, for my coin, I'd rather have an X-GK, as it does burn almost any fuel, and is very dependable and reliable. Doesn't simmer too well, but neither can the WPL series of stoves. Talk to you later, my Friend, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Stan, I suspect you almost bought a 9060. Do an image search if this link doesn't work. The 9061 was the military version. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...IGWsgOeguGACg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0
Yup, that looks more like it. If it's true that it only burns white gas (coleman fuel) then I didn't want it after all. I'm looking for a kerosene burning stove, so I don't have to carry white gas in the van. The idea makes me a little nervous, kerosene is much safer if you find yourself upside down in a ditch worrying about fuel leaking out somewhere. Stan
Stan, why would you want to be upside down in a ditch in your van? That's not the proper way to drive it! Cheers, Wim (getting his coat, searching for the door.... )
I know it's not the approved method but I've always been a bit of a rebel. I put an electric fuel pump on my "new" '74 along with the twin carb 2L engine. My worst fear was being in the above mentioned parking method with the fuel pump still running and me being unable to shut off the ignition. I found that old ford Taurus cars have a little black box about 2.5cm x2.5cm square in the tail end of them that contains a little steel ball in a cone shaped chamber and when anything drastic happens it jumps up and opens a microswitch that will shut off anything electical in case of an accident. I put one on my van. Stan
Doc, I remember your telling about chats with MSR about the Intn'l. I have a used XGK coming I picked up for about $30 shipped, so I'll get to test it out sometime. Still want a GK, no luck or response for that yet. I followed the link for those Enders, hesitant because of the mention they were 95% complete. Would like one, they look like workhorses. Price was great.
The Enders I got from that Omaha shop are complete but they are going to need a lot of work. Both tubes/burners are completely clogged. Looks like another complete tear-down of both. They'll be worth what I paid AFTER I'm done with them... sam
Almost everything is said already (how many more replyes may come? Alot?) The differences are great, but a lot of people use these 2 stoves for the same purpose. The question is still quit at the right place. I have more trust to my 111, but I use my 550 more often. The 550 is by my opinion not suitable as a kero stove, and will loose all kinds of comparison to the 111. But as a gasoline stove it is so easy to use, lightweight and sturdy enough. I have even used it with a 20 liter crab cooker (just half full)several times. Depending on the user my advice could be vary. dsk
Good idea, I wired the fuel pump via a relay to the oil pressure switch for the same reason (no oil pressure no fuel). The only trade off is after the winter is over I have to connect a live feed direct to the pump to fill the carbs for the first time. What you want is an Optimus 22 and chuck the profane altogether then no backup would be required. IMHO you can't beat two Discus stoves (Opti 45/48 Svea 105/106 etc.) for family camping, tent or camper it's what I've used since forgoing the gaz. I never cooked inside our westfalia anyway. Another recommendation is to fit tyres to all your wheels helps prevent them wearing out prematurely.
It´s not correct! there are 4 different 9060 stove models and 3 different 9061 models! 9060 (4 pot legs) 9060N with roar burner(3 pot legs) 9060N with silent burner(3 pot legs) 9060D with silent burner and cleaning needle(3 pot legs - tank is no fixed on the flapbox) 9061(BW/NATO) military stove - called 9061Super too(tank is fixed on the flapbox) 9061D the civil version with silent burner(tank is fixed on the flapbox) 9061D " " " with roar burner(tank is fixed on the flapbox) have a nice day Markus(RJ)
