Hey,,,,,Today I was on a fleamarket in a part off the town called Lade in Trondheim, and I got this Optimus no 88, paid 100nkr about 20 dollars. Looks nearly like new No pumpstoves to find there. Have a nice Week-end VW-iking
My favorite cook set! Better than Trangia IMHO. Ditch the burner and ring and replace with Trangia items for a cooking rig second to none. With a little finesse 3 level cooking is doable, especially if your dinner plate just happens to make a good cover for the fry pan 8) You sure it's an 88? Looks like a 91Tor to me. Makes no difference, still fine unit. Later: that'll learn me to wait a million years for sloooooow oh dear god so slow dial-up to wake up and load. Of cause you are sure it an 88, says so right there... Only a single saucepan? 77's and 91's have a pair, maybe a retro fit? Lacking that, just use as is, I guess, it'll always deliver.
Hi, That is a fine set. I was lucky only enought to secure a knockoff (of &&, I think). I had to buy a Trangia Westwind, in order to cannibalize its burner, for the burner that came with the knockoff is not really good: It leaks at the top lip, for it does not meet perfectly level with the lid. I think I will have to be satisfied with a knockoff, for finding or buying one is just too difficult in the states now. This is a picture from a precious post, but I wanted to post it again, because I liked the seagull who lurked the whole time, while I was cooking. |imgRemoved| The quality is pretty good, including what appears to be a coat of some kind of anodization that makes the surface quite slick. The only thing I replaced besides the burner is the vinyl strip. I did not like its flimsy feel, although it served the function. I liked the kit so much, I bought another one for under $17, including shipping, although for the similar cost, you have an original.
What a great find. I agree about the 88/91. I thought the 88 was similar to the Sigg Tourist kit with smaller pans. May have been a marketing thing in the US.
The picture in the broshure seems to tell the story pretty well... Maybe folks at Optimus forgot about the number designation they used already, and named another cookset 88.
Hi there VW-iking Nice find. I go along with nzmike (I have the Optimus 91 purple flame) stick a Trangia burner in it, the Optimus one weighs a ton and takes a lot longer to get up to working temp, better design than the Trangia 27.It's lot quicker boil time, fry pan works better too, pans are bigger for virtually same pack size, but my 91 is flimsy compared to a Trangia but then its also lighter than Trangia - can't have it all ways I suppose. I wouldn't have said no at that price.
It was - maybe why they changed the name? Don't forget the the 77 - basically the same type of meths stove.
I have a purple flame/91. Are these the same as a 77 or was there some difference? Pan sizes perhaps?
Not sure which model alcohol stove this is but I love it. One ounce of alcohol will boil a liter of water for 10 minutes.
77A(alcohol) - similar to the original military stove, large burner, flat burner support, strictly conical shape of windshield and saucepans. 88 - updated windshield with a higher mounted burner support - early with descended large burner, later small burner in flat support. 91 - updated pressing of pans, slightly different stepping and slightly curved saucepans similar to some other stoves, small burner. This is my conclusion from comparing pictures, part lists, part numbers and my own stoves.
The pans of 77, 88, 91 and most knock offs and copies are largely same size and form and usually completely interchangeable but not always a perfect fit, some other Optimus stoves share one or more pans and windshield parts with these.
Re burners / burner sizes. focus on Lennart comment above: "88 - updated windshield with a higher mounted burner support - early with descended large burner, later small burner in flat support" OP's image (outdated image) on the "88" manual above, it seems to be of an "early 88" w/*larger burner. *This judging from the scale and top down view, i find the large burner has space/recessed ring around lid and is unmarked (vs VW's actual burner shown). What do you think, does it seem like VW-iking's 88 is a later 88 w/smaller burner, "Optimus" on lid. Above comments indicate burner is small Trangia size ------------------------ Lennart's comment makes sense to me. I tend to agree but do not (yet) have multiple sources to prove/support it. If my summations about this one hold up, this thread supports Lennart comment. I'm familiar with 77A and (unmarked) large burner No.2008 that 77A used. The 88 replaced the 77A. The 77A and 88 were civilian offerings replicating the milspec M2824 storm-cookers of the time. Open question / reminder: Is it known (or not) that the last 77A is the same as the first / *early 88? (so pretty much a name change?) Thanks PS A LOT has been posted/learned since this OP. Presuming this is a later No.88 we could probably provide an approx. year range for this later 88, aye? 4222 views @Lennart F
As I mentioned before - the pressing of lower windshield seem to be the definite difference between 77 and 88 as the later has the rim for burner support moved upwards to maintain same flame position with small burner - when it was shipped with big burner it had a special "level down" burner support as the flame otherwise would come very close to the saucepan. And the civilian 77 and 88 seem to always have a significant Optimus logo on frypan bottom aka lid top when the military ones have no logo, just the three crowns and a manufacture code.