Hello, I am new here. I bought this camp stove NOS last year at the german ebay. I am using camp stoves for almost sixty years now, but some of the features of this one I did not understand when I had it in hands the first time. Striking is the large windshield of stainless steel whith its three supports for the pan. The stove is very reliable, rather heavy, obviously designed for durability and was certainly a distinguished product and not in reach of everybody. The stove is slightly higher than broad, so it's very steady. There is a label under the tank: "ZSS type 5 DT K", the year 1977 and a serial number. On the side another label gives a short manual in Polish. The empty weight is 1.455 kg. The tank is made of steel and holds 0.5 liters of gasoline. The diameter of the windshield is 14.9 cm and the total height is 15.7 cm. The fuel filler cap with safety valve and O-ring seal is sized for delicate hands. It has a fine-pitch thread so it can be tightened easily. To fill the tank a funnel is absolutely necessary. For preheating, denatured alcohol (5 mL) can simply be poured into the windshield. Lighting is easiest by tipping the stove slightly and light the alcohol through a hole in the windshield with a lighter. The air pump is a bit small and created for rather delicate hands. After preheating the stove burns extremly silent with a blue flame. Performance: (filled with ColemanFuel) The first liter of water was boiling after 10 ½ minutes (changed the pot afterward). The second liter of water was boiling after 7 ½ minutes. The third liter of water was boiling after 6 minutes. The fourth liter of water was boiling after 6 minutes, etc. When the stove is warmed up, it can be regulated quite well and be reduced to low heath. Initially one underestimates the heath because the burner is extremely silent. Believe it or not, it's a gasoline stove! Turning the spindle counter clockwise the jet is cleaned with a built-in needle turning right, the The two aluminum pots in which the camp stove comes in, were not convincing me much, neither as cooking pots nor as a transport container. Such a valuable stove and these poor pots? Anyone who can afford such a expensive stove will surely own pans of a similar quality and will not use makeshift pans. Of course you can boil water in the two pots, there is even a cup forceps delivered with them. But only hardened lightweight fetishists would do that and accept a taste of gasoline in their tea. This camp stove is not a lightweigth at all, much too heavy for a hiker and private cars were very rare in Poland in 1977. I think I have found the solution to this riddle: Presumably the aim of the designer was to build a high quality, durable and very safe fuel stove to be used in the "dacha" (weekend house) or in a big tent. A stove, which women will like to use and will not be afraid of. The designer has therefore primarily intended to safety and the "pots" are no pots, but a safety feature! Now it seems to me that the strange characteristics of this stove are all very plausible. Anyone who ever has experienced an overheated stove can understand the thought which has been realized here! If the stove is left in the small pot, it can be operated safely: filling the tank, preheating, pumping, lighting. Spilled fuel would be kept in the smaller pot and there will be no flame spread over the table. This "pot" was obviously dimensioned for this purpose and that's why there is a beading in the bottom. Also the pot keeps the underside relatively cool so there will be no trace left on a table after cooking. The upper and larger "pot" will then serve as extinguisher for any possible flash fire. It fits precisely for this purpose. When by overheathing, leaking gasket or faulty operation the stove should get into fire, it could be extinguished within seconds before the flames become uncontrollable. The windshield serves as a guide in passing the hood over the stove even when flames are flaring. After that, the whole thing could be brought out into the open to cool. This brilliant concept has been pursued here very consistently. I know no other camp stove with this simple and so effective safety measure realized. After some use, I feel very well while handling this stove even indoors. Fuel stoves are safe, but we all know there are always risks caused by faulty operation. With this camp stove you have a very good chance to stop a beginning disaster, should ever it happen. Greetings from Switzerland Radler
Hello Radler, and welcome to CCS! Thanks for posting this unusual and rare stove. This is my first encounter with a Polish stove. It looks well built, slightly similar to the Austrian Phoebus 625 and to its Russian clone. Could it be a civilian version of a stove that was designed for the army? Anyway, all that is needed now is a flame shot of the stove in action. Enjoy! Yonadav
Hello Radler Nice stove and in really good condition. As you say, it looks to be very stable due to the height-width ratio. Good photos and detailed description. Thanks for sharing and a sincere welcome to CCS.
hm... maybe - some Szmel 2 are red? http://www.sprint.fora.pl/pogawedki-linki,7/kuchenka-benzynowa-odra,489.html - from there
SRV pressure: 2,0 at Tank capacity: 0,7 l Max fuel capacity: 0,5 l Fuel consumpcion : ok. 0,17 l / 1h
