I have recently got myself a nice example of a Coleman 442 Feather stove which I do believe is at least assembled in USA. The stove has been tested by boiling one liter of "cold" water, and it did so on 3:50minutes. To measure it's size I have compared it with the Optimus Svea 123 and the BRS-12 from China.
I also have both the Coleman and the BRS and was surpised to find that the larger Chinese stove seemed the lighter of the two. Usually lighter is preferable but in this case, it just reinforced my lack of confidence in the Chinese stove.
I have a 533 of these. From the pikky it looks very similar. But I have had lots of problems with the generator (the brass tube on top) bunging up. I am told this is because I use unleaded petrol, intead of the Coleman fuel that is hideously expensive in the UK. I have been trying to find the secret of how to use unleaded, but so far without success. Anyone able to help?
Jusat checked the cupboard. I have both a 442 and a 533. The generator tube is the same. last time one went I found one hard to locate. Eventually got one for £20 off E-bay. So at that sort of money you can see why I'm anxious to find the secret of keeping it unbunged .
I've been running my 508 for years on unleaded pump gas. The stove runs hot, never had any problems with it. All I do is take the generator apart every few months and clean it with carb cleaner. But then again I would do that even if I was using white gas.
I would go with a 442 any day of the week over one of those chinese stoves. Even if it has parts from there as at least the coleman would have some honest QC being assembled here in the good ole USA. Nice stove very nice indeed. I see them fairly often locally on craigslist but somehow I always seem to find that they stove legs look to be in rough shape and rusted? Any reason why they tend to be rusted?
Ive learned that the legs can be secured with tent pegs by setting the pegs in the holes on the legs. And if you have sandy ground, you can point them down and stick em in the ground. Would also say it is a bit odd that the Chinese BRS-12 weigh less than the 442. Would prefer the 442 because it has a silent burner, sounds a bit like a train when on full power but I guess thats normal?
i use panel wipe instead of coleman fuel a gallon cost me £10 which is far cheaper than £6.99 a ltr at go outdoors. i get it from the local motorist discount shop
£10 a gallon is a good deal. Would be happy with that. Is the "panel wipe " the same as Aspen 4T? What might be the name of one these outlets so I could track one down in my NOW?
When you say you take it apart, do you take out the internal spiral? If so how do you do that? Or do you just take out the metal wire? Also notice you are from the States, so what is "carb cleaner"? Over here we have this stuff called Redex which we put in the petrol(gas) in a car. This is supposed to keep coke from building up in the engine and carb. Is that the same stuff? I have tried putting some of that in the unleaded in the stove, but it makes no difference. It still clogs up ater about a dozen lightings and uses.
thanks Sparky makes sense. although out were I am at there is not a lot of mud but wet groin would probably be just as bad on the legs.
I have a Coleman 533 and a Chinese TK-111 (same stove as the BRS12). While the Coleman has more tradition and has a silent burner, I cannot fault the Chinese stove (except I don't expect to get spare parts for it). I run everything on white gas (Shellite as we call it here). My biggest disappointment has been an Optimus Hiker+ (greenie) and has had problems since new. I would trust the Chinese stove way more than I would trust that.
I too have 2 TK-111. Only problem I've had was that a washer in the pump assembly swelled making the pump suck as well as blow. A couple of minutes with some sandpaper fixed that. I mostly burn Paraffin (kerosene). I've never had a generator blockage. It's great to see the patriotism of Americans in sticking with the old Coleman stoves which are notorious for blocked generators. I suppose the blockage being an AMERICAN blockage is totally acceptable 8) Mind you all such stoves are dangerous. The only kind of stove that's not dangerous is one that's not lit!
Do you who own a TK-111 use a kerosene jet? I am thinking that I am missing that because kerosene does not work 100% like gasoline on the BRS-12
You're burning paraffin nowadays Gearoidmuar? Last I read one of your posts I thought turps substitute was your fuel of choice?
roat- I am using what is beinbg sold in Norway as 4-stroke cleaned gasoline. I am not quite sure what it compares to, but I think it is like unleaded but cleaned from all the other stuff than pure gasoline. I tried to burn kerosene on my BRS-12, which resulted in a small ball of fire every 5-10 second. On gasoline it burns with a strong blue flame.
