I've got a couple of XGK II's in shaker and non-shaker jet varieties. I wanted to get a couple of spare jets so I contacted Cascade Designs. After some go-around they were able to locate only a single jet for each stove. It sounds like they are no longer keeping them in stock, which is very disappointing. So I got creative... The jets for the Dragonfly are the same thread pitch and seal on the same chamfered base as the XGK jets. I measured the orifices by threading a tapered fly fishing leader through the jets and measuring just above the top surface of the jet. Not a perfect measurement but a good comparison. The XG (short non-shaker) seem to measure around 0.33mm. The GK (long shaker) measure about 0.35mm, which I was a little surprised by; I was expecting smaller for the kerosene compatibility. The Dragonfly jets measure about 0.36mm for the DG and 0.32mm for the DK. So far, I've tried the DK jet in one of the shaker jet XGK II's. No room for the shaker needle but no big deal. It seems to burn very well. No fuel leaks at the jet. Good, typical XGK jet-engine flame, with no yellow flame tips. Boil times are as expected. Is there any issue doing this? The burning characteristics seem spot-on to me but is there anything else to look at to evaluate it? Is there any reason this is a bad idea? It would be great to be confident that we have a source of jets for these stoves going into the future. I'll try it with the DG jet and report back... Note, this doesn't apply to the XGK EX since that uses totally different jets... and they are still available. Thanks!
@rocketboy I can't see any problem. I'd be using the Dragonfly jets myself except my old X-GK won't seat them. As you say, these are essentially identical in form to the pre-shaker XGK jets. FWIW, my Dragonfly was a gift, to keep if I could fix it. I can't remove the DG jet in it, but it burns kerosene well through it. My old X-GK has an X-K jet in it but is inefficient in burning kerosene and clean with gasoline/shellite. I believe the jetting got leaner over the years: more efficient but less power.
Every post is better with a flame shot... Here's the XGK running with the Dragonfly DK jet. It looks like a happy stove to me.
This brings up a follow on question: What's the expected lifespan of a stove jet? Do they tend to last longer in a shaker jet type set-up or where an external cleaning needle is used? My understanding was the cleaning from the inside-out with a shaker or crank up needle like the 123R was less damaging but it seems like you could have the shaker needle rattling around the jet for a huge amount of time, for example with a stove in a backpack while hiking. I tend to limit use of my stoves with jets that are hard to find replacements for, like the Svea 123 (non-R) but maybe that's just silliness. I haven't actually worn out a jet myself... I have purchased used stoves with worn out jets and replaced them but haven't started with one that's working and used/cleaned it enough to wear it out. I know there are a ton of variables, but if you're starting with a brass jet in good condition would you expect weeks, months, years, or decades of use and cleaning before the jet is oversized enough to be noticeable?
