Hi as Keith and Arne recognize, the burner tubes on an Optimus 111B (the petrol version) do not carry fuel and play no direct part in vapourisation. That was the basis of my comment about it being a flame-plate burner masquerading as a tube burner. John says that the Op.111 will run happily without its flame ring whereas the Op 111B will not. Here is a photo of my Op. 111, running quite happily at full throttle without the benefit of a flame ring: My Op 111B will not run without its flame ring, it quickly goes from 4 tongues to two tongues of flame, then becomes rapidly unstable and goes out!!! I tried removing the flame-ring from the operating stove three times, with the same result. I have come to the conclusion that the Op 111B is a total con. It is a flame-plate burner masquerading as a tube burner! It would have been more honest and efficient to have doubled the size of the 8R burner, to increase heat output from about 1.4 Kw, to nearly 3Kw. This burner would probably be more efficient than the current 111B burner, and likely more stable in operation. Your controversially, Kerophile
And while they were at it they could have made the whole NRV/Pump Assembly more suitable/safe for use with white gas
Interesting about the flame ring especially, on the B. I've never noticed a problem with a missing flame ring on a keroburner. If one day I get a 111, it will be a keroburner. There's probably been more cyber-ink spilled about the 111 and its variants on CCS than any other type of stove, but somehow I still haven't been grabbed by the bug....
Kerophile, So other than the 111B version being a 'fraud',.......are there any drawbacks other than it doesn't burn right unless all of the parts are in place or are you just saying it's not like the others? Is the stove not worth the price of admission? And,...just so I know I'm clear, the flame ring is the small ring below the burner's top plate, correct? (I'm lacking in stove jargon)
The flame ring in the thing you drop onto the burner head, that that ring you're talking about holds....
. . .yes the flame ring is removable, and rests on the gallery ring which is brazed to the vertical tubes.
Hey, Guys, I agree with both Ed and John. The 111 is super popular, but so is the 111B. Truth be told, I could be perfectly happy with either stove, as both will do whatever needs to be done with such a stove, and do it very well, indeed! Fraud, or not, the 111B is a trusted workhorse of a stove, and super reliable, as is the 111. Ya' pays yer money, and ya' takes yer choices!! Why not buy one of each? That way, you have both bases covered!! I have two original 111's, plus a 111B that I changed into a 111 with a wonderful burner that Ian sent my way. (Thanks, Ian!) But, I have, probably 6-8 111B's, and to a stove, they are outstanding!! Yes, they are quite a bit more picky about jets. But, with a good jet, they will last you for your lifetime, me thinks! I've used them for many, many years, and think very highly of them. That having been said, I'm also in love with the 111's! For what it's worth, that one man's opinion. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
I like the 111Bs at least as much, if not more, than the 111s (own fuel priming does it for me ) They are both capable stoves and there's nine-tenths of bugger-all differnce in their output although the B will never have such a pronounced flame pattern due to the shape of the underside of the bnr crown and the absence of the two extra tubes. 111: 111B:
Hi @john watson Here is an Optimus 111 burner, courtesy of Doc Mark, : Note that there are 4 pipes between the lower part of the burner and the cross piece at the top. And here is the matching picture of an Optimus 111b burner: Note there are only 2 pipes between the base of the burner and the top piece. So now you can tell the difference between an Op.111 roarer burner and an Op.111b roarer burner. Best Regards, Kerophile.
Hi, This excellent post by @Twodogs illustrates a number of different Op.111 stove types and tries to establish a time-line for their production: Putting a date to Optimus 111 Best Regards, Kerophile.
I purchased an old 111 and after lining the spirit cup with ceramic tape, I found it primes ok with paraffin. Admittedly a bit smokey compared to priming with methylated spirit. As a long term nova and 8r user priming with main fuel siuts me ok
