Hello, this is Yun who is the newbie for this web-forum. Unfortunately I'm not an English speaker so my grammars would be horrible in many cases, yet hope to be understandable... I've MSR Whisperlite Universal, Coleman 550B peak1 year1995, Some Kovea, and several recent gas stoves, and so on. Recently I've purchase the Omnilite Ti and found immediately a streak-break on the welding of brass-pipe part just before the flame spreader. You can see the video as above link which is not open in public. So, I emailed to Primus Sweden C/S with that video & the proper invoice then Primus replied as 'okay we'll manage it, we'll send a new part for the replacement' I don't know they will really dispatch it to my home Korea or not, anyway up to now Primus C/S is quite well, only one problem is that they've been replying only one time per a day. (Hmmm Koreans are super fast for everything... ...!) In fact, I don't trust EU companies' QC standard, it's really horrible anyway hope to have the properly made replacement part very soon... I'll post upon i've got the parcel from Sweden. thanks!
No classic Korean stoves? You’re probably right when they don’t keep a tight enough grip on their outsourced manufacturing in the Far East! Time difference and not responding to emails 24/7? Welcome Yun, I hope CCS doesn’t disappoint also! John
Dear Mr. John, Unfortunately I don't have any Korean domestic classics stove, but it is still not very hard to find so I could(maybe) purchase it in used condition with around usd100 - 150 per a stove. Frankly I don't know well about them... but my father and his friends they knew well about them...! EU Companies' QC, yes, I obviously do not trust it so I was worried during the parcel is being delivered to my home in Korea, from Amazon.com usa... finally I found that defect AS Expected. what a horrible matter! If I were purchasing MSR stuffs, I would NOT worry about any Quality issue! but Primus (of course Optimus as well) that i should be worried. Yes, the reply is too slowly coming, only one time per a day lol. I thank you for your reply Mr. John, I was just a watcher without ID Account for this forum, and I was hoping to have conversation with you that should be big pleasure for me, now it happens here! And I've tons of question about several matters so hope I am to be allowed for asking about them for you and for members of this forum... Thank you! B.rgds, Yun
@Yun It’s a great pleasure to speak with you. Your English is excellent. Ask anything, any time. Folks here will be happy to reply. Best wishes, John
It is a bummer getting a defective item. Have faith in Primus though, they make good stoves and stand behind their product. I just bought a used Omnifuel that had failed pump gaskets. I emailed Primus about getting replacement O-Rings and they offered to send me a brand new pump free of charge. It might take a while, but stay in communication with them and I believe they will do right by you. Also, great job communicating in a second language. Your posts are quite well written. I wish I could speak 2nd languages as well as you.
Hello 907+Nick, Pleasure to hear about your similar experience with Primus stuff. Frankly it was very nice responce from Primus (Maybe from Primus US distributor?) because as you told that stove was not a brand new. so it was great! I've personal opinion about Ergopump's leather plunger cup, in my opinion it is too much soft then Coleman's old school leather plunger cup. the size is really tiny in order to secure its strength, however finally the strength is not significantly better than bigger plunger like Coleman's or oldschool Swedish/Deutch stoves, and pressurized lanterns. It's pity. Of course if Primus supply another option for the plunger cup as like as msr's neoprene type, it would be wonderful. frankly Leather cup is not always better than neoprene. somebody only prefers a Leather instead of Neoprene, especially by the followers who are following oldschool stuffs, however technically neoprene is way better in case without negative celcius degree, mean normal uses. that's why msr still supply as a neoprene plunger cup for their pump today, but msr offers alternative pump for the cold temp. circumstances. Regarding the 2nd language, sorry in fact it's really not easy to read/understand/interpret from English articles, I just try to do... lol A thing that I can declare clearly - Speak Korean is worldwide-Easiest matter even for the English speakers like you, only IF you are living in Korea around 3-6months, then I am sure that you will speak Korean very fluently... :-) But writing, another story... Good day! and I'll post upon i've got further replies from Primus Sweden. thank you! Yun
Updated Y2020 AUG 18TH. I'm pretty disappointed, still nothing happens. In fact European companies are working too much slowly even by this kind of big firm (mean Primus Sweden, A part of Fenix). Finally she has informed the replacement part should be dispatched to Korea by Post office WITHOUT AWB/TRK N. Can you believe it? Frankly speaking I was shocked and never seen any company/firm who uses Post(Even No-registered No-Trackable!!) instead of Courier... Of course, the Registered-post would be okay, but she didn't offer it! So I asked her: In case the post is lost, I'll lose really so many days & it's impossible to prove I really do not receive the post. Furthermore, I cannot purchase even with the payment, because that brass-burner-part IS NOT the sales product...!!! so I had proposed 2 options; 1) Contact Primus USA distributor (because I've purchased from Primus USA) then Primus USA dispatches that part to my USA 3rd party freighter's address, in Delaware, with a tracking n. 2) Primus Sweden will dispatch to Korea through my own Courier(Fedex/TNT) account as the freight-collect. I'd like to pay the shipping cost by myself. I really hope I am being commonsense, however frankly I don't sure Primus Sweden HQ would accept one of above... Yun
Final update: Last week I've got the parcel via TNT/Fedex with the replacement brass part which is not having any defective crack. I paid approx. eur 50 for the shipping cost but it was no problem I was willing to pay. In any case, Primus' suggestion, the postage without the registered/tracking n., was really strange and unacceptable, it was too unreliable matter. Anyway finally all solved, however frankly I won't purchase any Primus goods anymore, because I am really disappointed with this stove, especially I was mad in case the jet hole has been clogged. MSR- just shake. PRIMUS- Kill me! *ps. I've recent primus products like Cutlery set( Alu & Stainless both) which are made in China, please do not purchase them the quality is really horrible and unacceptable to pay theirs listed price in Amazon.com Primus must consider hers Brand value and hers Supplying chains for the current productions. In fact, the clasiccal Primus goods as like as Brass stoves, Pressurized lanterns, were very fine but the recent misc. products, which are not made in EU, it's really poor quality they are. The stove itself (made in Europe, Estonia maybe?) is really good but the jet cleaning... ...!!!
i think it is not because of sth made in china that make it of bad quality,the real reason is stove companies' behavior of Pursuing high profits while reducing costs. As the biggest manufacturing country, how it is possible that China is unable to produce high-quality products？ why these classic company no longer produce stoves in their own contries? the answer is higher profit while relatively low labor cost.
You are right! Very low cost => bad quality vs. high cost => good quality. It is possible to save in labor cost when you move manufacturing to place where labor cost is lower. Often energy, tax and environmental costs on lower labor cost places are also lower. Material and quality machine cost is about the same all over the world.
Yes, basic rules are very simple. Also low cost labor makes lower quality, but when you train them to make better quality training will need money and then people are asking more salary.
Hello Mr. Lee, Yes, Almost all countries they can do production as highest quality with lots of cost. It's very simple common logic. But customers' don't care and don't need to care about that logic. The factor that I can see by my eyes - Some Primus branded products of made in China that I posted - unacceptable quality. Normal consumers don't need to consider anything else, they can see and feel just the final products' quality, nothing more. And a part of them, my personal opinion 80% of them, they don't care the country-of-origin. Good day!
I saw an interview with the boss of Trangia and he said they resisted the trend for overseas manufacturing towards the end of the last century because of the loss of proper control of quality. Both Trangia and MSR (among others of course) are showing you can have a profitable business selling quality items which you manufacture in your own country. I'm making a point of buying a small number of quality items from companies like this when I need them. I see the same with a heap of other outdoor equipment, such as tents here in Australia. We have a company called Wax Converters who make world class canvas here in Australia and a handful of local tent manufacturers who still use it. You only have to feel it to tell the difference in quality. These manufacturers make quality tents which may be light on features but last for generations. But most people buy the imported stuff, which ends up in landfill within a few years if it actually gets used. It used to be there was a big price penalty involved in buying quality, locally made gear but now, I've noticed that premium has dropped considerably as the cost of the imported, lower quality stuff has risen considerably... now the imported stuff mostly just offers more gimmicks. But so much stuff is now only made offshore and companies have lost the capability to make it locally themselves...
I think that country of manufacture is not the factor that determinates the quality. Main goal of various kinds of funds (=investment fund, trust fund, pension fund, etc.) owned company is ONLY to produce profit for the owners. They do it by avoiding taxation (Like Fenix Outroos the owner of Primus brand HQ is in Zug Switzerland where company tax in quite/very low compared to f.ex. Sweden) and by low cost manufacturing. Low cost manufacturing in ANY country produces low quality products. Primus try's to 'ride' with their long history. They use low cost manufacturing and sell products with high price to get as much profit as they can. Unfortunately with that way they destroy the reputation of their brand. I have MSR titanium pot and fork & spoon set. They are made in Thailand by Seagull Brand Seagull They are good quality products and have lasted over 10 years (as Seagull Brand wok spatula and ladle that I bought in Thailand on 95/96)
It seems that Seagull in Thailand still makes MSR products and also for Korean brand Kovea: Seagull (To think further we don't know if they are using subcontracting from other manufacturesrs/countries and/or they source pre-made parts from other manufacturers/countries)
Hey Mr.Yun Indeed,as a customer we only need to care about the product and make a decision. Personaly i also perfer goods with high quality and after-sale service.and sometimes Made in china equals lower quality contral,anf this is the necessary stage in the development of China’s manufacturing industry. BTW,im a fan of MSR^_^
Hey Afterburner~ I did’t know the quality of MSR pot is so good. Do MSR’s recent stove the best quality among the market?what’s your experient about it. Thx~
I have been happy with those Titanium pot and fork & spoon. As food cup I have had MSR Alpine Bowl for more than 15 years. That I have used also for cooking oatmeal and instant noodles. Bottom of it has some thermal expansion signs, but no effect for the use. I only have recent MSR Pocket Rocket stove that I haven't used yet. My other MSR stoves are older XGK's with stiff tube fuel line, so I don't have user experience recent MSR stoves.
Hiya Team, If you really want a high quality stove, try a Soto, excellent customer service too. Cheers Simon Foxxx
