As always the double heat shrink strain reliefs aren't from the factory, I just have a weird thing for them. The line on the Kovea Spyder is super stiff but you can bend it and it'll keep the shape unlike the Optimus Vega. It is probably the most compact folding in flatness in my collection of dedicated gas canister only liquid/inverted feed stoves because the legs fold flat and the burner head itself isn't that big. Curiously it doesn't really surge much more than if it is run wide open when the canister is inverted. The valve really leaves a lot to be desired for because it goes from 0 to max in half (180 degree) turn. It doesn't have that much control in liquid feed but it works enough with some patience. There is also some backlash to the valve adjustment so it is kind of hard to achieve a super simmer but it is easier since the wire handle provides a lot of leverage and makes fine tuning a bit easier. Kovea is the OEM for MSR's canister stoves from what I can tell, the igniter is the same. I've included a photo of a modified MSR igniter that makes the igniter more reliable. The Kovea/MSR igniters don't really have vent holes, so the ignitable gas mixture has to build up where the spark is. Optimus has their igniters with some holes cut near the tip end and I found that the Optimus igniter always clicks the first try while the Kovea/MSR ones need patience/fiddling. After drilling two small holes into the end of the Kovea/MSR igniter, it ignites various gas stoves on the first try since the air inside can be displaced quickly. Scans of the manual which is all in Korean: Flame shots follow as: Low, medium, maximum on gas and maximum on liquid (seems to cool the burner head). Caveat as always: I run pure butane and not isobutane mixes for these shots so I'm sure there Spyder does better than this.
@Reflector Hello, in fact I don't have this compact stove but my friend had it and he thought it's pretty well made stuff. Regarding the Inverted canister mode, aka Liquid feed, is not guaranteed by the manufacturer. (Kovea didn't declared on the user-manual, but I am sure.) This model might not have any kind of Regulator, and there is no Pin niddle in order to clean the Jet nipple. So the dirty gas canister should make the Jet clogging... Thanks for your post with the HD photos thank you.
In regards to canister inversion I just assumed that it is capable of it from the loop that extends out from the base in which I assume the butane flows through or otherwise heat is conducted into the base. Once the stove is sufficiently hot I would trust it to be able to work with liquid feed. I don't think dirty gas should be a problem unless the canister is uncapped. Other remote feed stoves like the Optimus Vega or the Snow Peak Geoshield (which I have to take pictures of later, also a case of it being made in Korea I believe) don't have a self cleaning needle.
Hello, personally I do use this stove as the inverted can like you, if I were having this stove. I would like to inform that only about the 'official comment' of Kovea, the manufacturer - this stove is not designed for Inverted feeding mode. In past I've hear from a user who are using this stove, he had the clogged jet and Kovea support replied that so many users are having the same trouble because of the liquid feed. The inside of gas canister is not very clean some cases... FYI Kovea has been making the stoves/even a Lantern that are officially supporting Inverted can, they all have the Cleaning-niddle feature, even though they're designed only for LP, Isobutane, nButane so canister gases. eg., Kovea Slim twin liquid support two burner stove(this is no longer in market, Now only "Lite" version.) & Kovea 250 Liquid lantern (very strange, but it's exist...) etc... Even though LP butane user will have only the limited cases of Jet Clogging problem. Anyway I thank you for your nice threads all is very useful for me and others thanks again.
I see. It is interesting that Kovea would not officially say that this stove is liquid feed capable even if they add such features. Usually for stoves I see that aren't liquid feed capable they're closer to variants like a variant of the Fire Maple 117t where it lacks the loop. Of course it makes sense if there are bad gas canisters that aren't clean but so far I've had good luck. It is interesting that Kovea goes for the integrated shaker needle route when my other remote feed stoves with a loop all seem to lack a shaker and they definitely don't shop with a cleaning implement (like on Primus and older MSRs where you get a cleaning tool). Perhaps it is just a way to avoid dissatisfaction from an official perspective or otherwise to discourage liquid feed usage. The 250 Liquid lantern reminds me of the (now discontinued?) Jetboil Joule a little.
Only in my personal opinion, Kovea doesn't want to have further many customers' claim for the clogged jet problem, and another one reason might be a kind of legal issue. This is not for the super expert users so Kovea might think as the normal consumers don't know what liquid feed is, how it works. so maybe Kovea doesn't want to take any risk with it. So only fow a few models are officially promoted as the Liquid feed feature they have, in this case Kovea wants to attach additional feature for them: Jet orifice cleaning niddle. (Not shaker niddle like MSR, just same as very legacy method as old stoves, by hand-knob...) afaik Korean gas canister companies, two companies, have almost full worldwide market share for EN417, CB Bayonett, (but not for US Propane 1-pound, Campingaz type, some other rare standards). primus, msr, optimus, snow peak, etc etc everybody's gas canister are made in Korea, frankly I didn't see any other origin for that market. I think it's not very Yummy industry so there are no others want to be as the competitors... So the quality of Gas Canister in the world are technically same, and usually of course it's clean. There are so many cases in our society... ... so the jet could be clogged some cases I think still sales from my market and some other markets, in Korea it's approx. usd 55-60 incl. domestic shipping cost, quite cheap now. It was debut maybe around year2010 but Korean didn't react Wow so Kovea was pity with it... so it was approx usd170 but now usd55. (only my opinion) Yes, it's really similar as Jetboil Joule but I don't know Kovea 250 Liquid lantern has any kind of Regulator, I hope yes but I don't know. I know only one thing that lantern has 2 knob - one as usual knob to light it on, another one is activate to lift up the Niddle in order to clean the jet orifice. Thank you for your comments it's very glad. Yun