Boxed and unused, complete with accessories of kerosene burner, set of spares, tripod feet and stuff sack by maker ‘Manfield’. Box front and back Contents as boxed. Instruction sheet. ‘Things you should know’ extract from the instruction sheet, including a reference to the ‘chugging’ characteristic of these stoves. The stuff sack. The stove and date stamp. My experience of use of one of these stoves was of THIS example. That stove presented fuelling problems because of wear of the atomising hole in the plastic elbow joint of the pickup tube, which I constructed a brass replacement for in a fettling post HERE. In this unused example, the primary concern if it were to become a ‘user’ (it won’t in my hands) would be the crack at the flexi-hose connector on the fuel pump. Mike (@HunterStovie) had contributed very useful discussion in THIS thread, and it’s a well-known and regrettable phenomenon. John
@presscall That's a really cool variant. I've never come across the "E" before and it's box is definitely unique. Too bad about the pump. Mike
Very nice indeed. I have a couple af 550’s so I am wondering if its worth getting the Apex as well? I have successfully sealed pump cracks like that with this 2-Component “Chemical Metal” Chemical Metal
Hi Harder, good to hear from you. I would recommend one - pump issue aside - because they’re a very effective stove, controllable and with a wide flame pattern well dispersed like your 550 to work well as a cookstove and not just a water boiler. Kerosene generator offers another fuel option, but it robs it of the quick-start function possible with gasoline (needs an alcohol prime with kero). Thanks for the adhesive/filler tip. I’ve already got the JB Weld product Mike @HunterStovie recommended - and it’s black. Not a lot of point using it on the unused pump though, which remains as a conversation piece to illustrate a characteristic of the stove and what killed off pumps for many. John
And the same my friend @presscall The chem metal hardens up in almost the exact same grey as some of the MSR-pumps and Sigg’s. Arrgh - cursed be you John - now I feel that well known deep down desire lurking for an Apex 1. Would keep it on CF though - for the same reasons you mention. (I still have deep respect for your fantastic run-throughs and tutorials!)
I highly recommend one. Also an Apex II naturally. Really it's not a proper collection without the black, silver and the copper coloured Exponent version. Of course the 550b shares the excellent windproof burner design, and there you need the silver Peak 1 as well as the copper Exponent variant. Also these are getting old so I highly recommend getting doubles of each for spare parts.
