Hi gang, I have myself a most beautiful Phoebus 625P stove. Brand spanking new with all the bells n whistles etc. The manual states para/kero as the fuel but it can also run on petrol. It's fitted with a silent burner. Hmm.... Is it safe to use petrol on one of these? What do you think? Regards, Alan
Hello, Alan, Congrats on securing a fine 625! They are outstanding stoves, and once your learn it's foibles, it will never let you down. I've always run mine on Coleman fuel, so I'd think that you can run yours on gasoline/petrol. Phoebus used to recommend priming them with Meths, to keep the burner from starving out, or something like that. In any case, I've used both Coleman fuel, and Meths, to prime mine, and it's always worked a treat. "More is better" when it comes to priming a 625, I think. After a good, healthy prime, yours should fire right up. Don't burn your fingers with the windscreen tab. As Brother Ian says, "I own that T-shirt!!" How about some photos of your new Baby? Way to do, and have fun with our new Phoebus! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc Mark
Hello Doc, It's nearly 1am in London, up late listening to England v Australia playing cricket in Adelaide. Anyhow, yes photos! I shall take some on the morning. It is pristine and so lovely. Shame to fire it up but I will Do you think Coleman fuel will run hotter than kero? Just want to get maximum heat from my stove Photos tomorrow, I promise. Best wishes, Alan
I've only ever run mine on Coleman fuel. They run great -- very hot. As with any silent, if you light the burner from the primer flame (which is easy to do with Coleman fuel), watch out for underburn. Shut it down and re-light if it happens. Enjoy your 625. ....Arch
Evening, Alan, Good luck on your cricket match. We don't get much of that type of sports news, over here, so I know next to nothing about cricket. But, then again, I don't give much of a whit about any pro-sports these days. I was on the wrestling team for 4 years in high school, and had a partial wrestling scholarship to college, where I wrestled for 4 more years. Plus, I played football for a few years, and ran track for one. So, that was enough sports for me. Besides, many pro athletes today are just a bunch of babies who are not trustworthy, nor honorable. I'd rather watch college games, if I felt moved to watch any sports, at all. Back to the Phoebus: I honestly don't know if Coleman would offer more BTU's than kerosene. But, were I you, I'd try kero first, as that's easy for you to obtain. Then, just for grins, try some panel wipe, as that's what you Lads across the pond seem to burn in place of Coleman fuel, and see how it compares to kero. That would be an outstanding experiment, if you'd care to undertake it! I may just be moved to try the same thing here, with my own 625! Cool! 8) Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc Mark
My 625 is a beater, dented, spots of rust, decals peeling, and it runs like crazy once I got it speaking English. I run mine on Coleman fuel as it's about the cheapest fuel hereabouts, running about $3.00 a US gallon if you look around a bit. I've never felt curious enough to try it on anything else. I think mineral turpentine is just called paint thinner here. It's available as deodorized paint thinner too, but I suspect the commercial names have little to do with what the actual product is. If boredom sets in I'll get some of each prouict and give 'em a try in say, an Optimus 45, the Phoebus 625, and maybe a silent burner as well. No, I won't be trying coleman fuel or naptha in any keroburners. I'm crazy, not stupid. Gerry
My 625 runs perfectly well on ordinary unleaded petrol (Euro), but mind that it is set up for that. There exists also a kero set up (interchangeable nipples), which might not work (well) on petrol.
Comrades! A quick message to show you my stove. Isn't it lovely? Regards, Alan PS. I shall fire it up later today with Coleman fuel and later with para/kero.
depends on the jet. There is a kero and a coleman fuel Jet I have one of each but won't have acess to them till after Christmass In the directions If I remember corectly it tell which jet is which.
Very nice Alan, very nice. I don't have a Phoebus of any ilk, but believe its achilles heel is that meths in the depression on the tank starts to remove the paint from the first burn ! Could you slip a spirit cup on prevent this ?
Hi Alan, I hope I am not too late. The Phoebus 625 P ( Petroleum) is a Paraffin model and should not be used as-is with petrol! I have an ex-Military 625 P and there is a clear warning ( in four European languages), in the insructions not to use the stove with petrol until you have changed the nipple and cleaning needle to part nos. 2499 and 2500. If you pm me I will send you a copy of the instructions. Regards, Kerophile.
Jets for Phoebus 625 (Petrol) is marked "G" - - Phoebus 625P (Kerosene) is marked "E" You only need to change the jet !!!!!
Greetings, All, Oh, Ye of such limited scope!!! Single-faceted, Ye are!! The enjoyments of life are many, to those that are open to them! 8) 8) Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc Mark (Multi-faceted in his enjoyment of stoves, as working tools, and also as works of art!)
Well, I did go ahead and fire it up on Coleman fuel. No problems at all. Worked fine. I then emptied the tank and ran para/kero through it. No problemo. I looked at the instructions. It specifically states that you can run either fuels with no jet changing. My jets are marked with the the letter "E". So what is going on here? I must have something different from others. To avoid paint peeling on the spirit cup one can use very high melting point grease as used in steelmills on the bearings that support the giant rollers. However, I won't as it inly a small area and not worth bothering with to me. Regards, Alan
Yes the "E" for kerosene and "G" for petrol. The "G" jet has a bigger bore, and you wil get more BTU with that jet on petrol.
I got the impression that using petrol in a kero burner would be dangerous? Also, the stove boiled a pint of water in less than 3mins with a jet makrked "E" so hot hotter can it get with a "G" jet? Regards, Alan
Hey, Alan, I think the main reason that folks do not burn Coleman fuel in kero stoves, has to do with the stoves that have pressure relief vents. I'm not talking about a pressure release like petrol stoves have, but rather the vent on the cap which regulates flame strength. The 625 has a regular pressure release safety in the fuel cap, but regulates the flame strength with a spindle arrangement, like silent, regulated, kero burners do. So, you can shut the stove off without venting gasses while the flame is still going. Venting a regular kero stove, which is burning Coleman fuel, or trying to regulate the flame strength by releasing pressure, will cause a huge flare-up, fire-ball, or conflagration!!! Since the 625 can be shut down with the spindle, you don't need to vent pressure to do so, and that makes it safe to use with Coleman fuel and petrol. Hope that makes some sense, and isn't just me rambling along like the Coleman fumes have gotten to me!! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc Mark
Doc, Perfect answer! I now understand. Many thanks So to sum up, not much point in changing jets is there? Here are some pics of it burning Coleman fuel..... Regards, Alan
