Picked this Monitor 17b up from Oxfam, of all places, advertised on Gumtree, all for less than £19 delivered. The pump felt good so after a quick coat of looking at I fuelled it up & off she went. I thought I'd pit it against the Primus 96 I bought from Simes at Newark. The Monitor (right hand flame) wins hands down for me - four pumps to a roaring flame! Paul.
The Monitor 17B is my favorite small stove, and every bit as good (IMHO) as the Swedish lipstick stoves. I currently have 7 of the 17Bs (and 1 of its ancestor the 127), and I am trying to do a timeline on the 17B's manufacturing history. Even though it was not around for much more than a decade, unraveling the chronology of the different types of stoves and tins is not turning out to be as simple I thought it might be.
@Paraffinhead, neat the 96 worked, I'd done nothing since I bought it. Pricking the jet will help I think, just make sure it's a .25 pricker if you can. It should work a little better than that with some tlc.
The flame was a fairly sickly yellow. As I happened to buy a complete lipstick burner replacement kit at Newark I have fitted this for now & will try to sort out the enlarged jet at some point when the rain stops long enough for me to wade to the garage ;-) paul.
@Paraffinhead, Paul I would recommend the hypo needle fitting if you can source some, you're good for ever once done, and so simple to do. It must be a little on the damp side in your neck of the woods if the news from the Lincoln area are anything to go by.
Hi Please could you explain the hypodermic needle use mentioned above? Many thanks. Regards Jeremy @Simes @Paraffinhead
A length of hypodermic needle of the correct size is inserted into the oversized jet in the lipstick tube. This is pretty much a permanent solution as surgical stainless steel is very durable compared to brass. As my wife is a nurse I have a few sizes to pick from, from the "just a sharp scratch" to "crikey Nurse, are you harpooning a walrus?". Paul.
@Simes, I believe the Oxford Dictionary of Common Phrases defines the current climatic conditions as "wetter than an otter's pocket, m'lud"
@Jeremy Belgrave-Lock this link from the Fettlers Master Class should explain all. No-silbrazing downsizing of worn jet @Paraffinhead, hopefully Paul you're not needing a canoe to get around unlike some living not too far from you are doing I gather. Sadly the rain came too late for the allotment and the onions have bolted. My bad as I knew the ground was drying, oh well just remember next time.
@Paraffinhead @Simes Many thanks for the explanation and link. A very interesting and explanatory post by John. Regards Jeremy
