Can you use kerosene in optimus 8/8r/hiker style stoves?

Hey, Shawn,

"Easily", no; "cheaply", absolutely! It all depends on how hard you are willing to look, and how much effort you expend in your search. The more you look, the more you will find, and the cheap prices will astound you! The problem is, that many folks are either not willing, or unable, to put in the necessary time to find what they really want, at a price that they consider a bargain. In almost 30 years of stove hunting, with well over 450 stoves found, I've done it hundreds of times!! How does a mint 199, for $40 sound to you, Sir? Found it on the hood of a guy that had his car parked outside a local swap meet, and was doing a mini-swap meet of his own. You can do that, too, IF you are prepared to spend tons of time, and tons of shoe leather in your search. Patience and perseverance are the key words. If you are lacking in either of those, then you will very probably NOT find what you seek. It's really as simple as that. Best of luck, happy hunting, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

I am not willing to spend tons of time on the search, I have other things I'd much rather spend that time on. Spending tons of time to just find a deal on a 199 isn't such a great deal to me. I have no desire to end up with 450 stoves, I just wanted a small kero burner like a 199 or #10.

So for me it isn't easy or cheap to 'get a 199.'

While OTOH it is easy and cheap to get an 8R and I spent a couple of hours to make it run on kerosene and I ended up with what I wanted.

Shawn

 

Hahaha, Hmmmmmm, Well, it was fun to try. Experimentation is the spice of life. I hope a 199 will appear before me at some random garage sale, although... this is NZ. 450 stoves... Dammm, Thats enough for a small stove museum. having just cracked the whopping 10 mark (hahaha) I am still feeling daunted by the thought of more than 50.
good times and a thought provoking thread...
What would happen if you used Meths/wood alcohol through a optimus 8????? I'm guessing a good bang and loss of eyebrow hair etc

 

I do not remember when I passed 100 mark, but it came so fast! And that was a long time ago. I never tell my wife how many I have, and I do not want to know--a plausible deniability.

 

Hey, B2M,

Well said, Mate!! Actually, Sweet Bride KNOWS how many stoves I have, as they are all around us, and everywhere in our home! In truth, I stopped counting them a long time ago. Could be more than I think, or maybe a little less. In any case, each of us has to make up our own minds about what is actually FUN in this hobby. For me, the hunt is just as much fun as the obtaining of another great stove, for very little money! I'll wager that I have more variety in my collection than many, but all those different stoves came from me having patience, and waiting for them to pop up. (How about a Swiss Borde, in it's original box, with it's regulating rod, and instructions, for $35? How about an Optimus 111B, in fine nick, with it's instructions, $15? How about an Optimus 77A, for $7? Or, most recently, how about a SVEA 123R, with a Sigg Tourist cookset + a mint Coleman 530, with original can and simmering plate + a 1964 Rogers M1950, with it's original can, unfired and absolutely mint + an Optimus 111T, new in the box, with all it's goodies: all of them for just $30 each??) Or, at least the vast majority came that way. For some, I just had to spend the big bucks, when I found what I wanted.

Shawn, by all means, do what you want to do with your little 8R. If you are happy with it, then that's all that matter, my Friend. For myself, I could probably never completely trust an 8R to burn kero when the chips were down, and would unhesitatingly take along another, more versatile stove, in those situations. But, that's just my personal choice. Whatever you decide is just perfect.... for you .... and that's the way it should always be! Have fun, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc (who has lost count of the number of 8R's he's scored for around $2, most of which were all sooty and filled with kerosene!!)

P.S. I was wrong about the price I paid for that 199. When I looked it up, just now, I see that I paid $35, instead of $40.