Hi, I recently got myself a Coleman Centennial stove. I wanted to see what all the fuss about the 502 was, so I decided to buy myself this 2001 model stove. I do like it a lot, it does not weigh much, about 970 Gram, it needs no preheating during warm temperatures and it is made very simple. It also have a leather pump "I think". The things I dont like with it, is that there are no tools added to the stove which I can use to fix it. The tankknob is also hard to open if you tighten it a bit to hard. The jet is a bit off centered and the stove does not completely turn it self off due to a fault in the valve part. I do also think that the valve knob and generator is a bit exposed, so there is need of a cartridge for the stove. Any how, heres some pictures of the wonder: Edit- And yes, I do know that the centennial and the 502 are not 100% alike, but they are very very close relatives.
Congratulations, Kristian! Nice stove and powerful flame. I wanted to buy one of those, but the eBay seller does not want to ship to Israel. Yonadav
Are you sure? I bought it from this firm http://www.gocampingcheap.com/cole-centennial-stove.html They have Israel as an option. Think also it helps if you contact them directly, thats what I had to do to get it to Norway.
I have found that most Coleman stoves do not turn completely off when you close the valve. You must wait for all of the fuel in the vaporizer to burn off. Usually only burns an extra minute or so. I have also been sorely tempted to buy one of those Centenial stoves but I already have 3 502's and a 501.
I was thinking that was the problem to, that the vaporizer had some fuel left to burn off. No big problem any way, because it is as you said not for a long period. I took a lot of pictures around the stove so you can compare it to the 502. I know someone else on the reference gallery have taken pictures with both together also. For some reason the centennial is a bit higher and misses some parts on the generator. Edit- I cant find the pictures now, but I know I saw them somewhere on this site.
By the way, why do Coleman have a pump where you have this hole, which you have to hold your finger over?
Very nice stove Kristian and highly sought after the centenial. The centenial looks very much like the 502, which was one of the best single burner stoves coleman made. I think i have read on here the centinial is not as good as the 502,and does not operate the same. But a great stove and i would love one
The vent hole in the pump handle is required because of the NRV locking feature. Once you turn the handle clockwise and shut off the NRV, you would not be able to push the handle in if this hole was not there. Yonadav
The Coleman Centennial does have the look of a 502. The control valve knob and pan holding ring look 502 but the rest of the stove is a modified 508. It looks good and burns nice! Enjoy
Correction! I payed $49.55 for shipping and I talked to them by mail, sales@gocampingcheap.com and got in touch with a woman named Samantha Otto.
These are indeed curious stoves. But, you still need a 502 if you want to see the why some of us like it. These Centennial stoves are really just a 508A or 533 wearing a 502 hat. The 502 and even the 508 are great little stoves; the 508A and 533 are just stoves.
How is it with parts for the 502? If I am not wrong, they stopped producing the 502 in 1982 "I think". I would guess that all the washers and pump leather must be far gone if I buy a old 502? That is the reason why I bought the centennial one, so I did not have to buy new parts.
I bought three "old" 502's (1969, 1970, 1972). The 1969 was in bad shape, so I am using it for parts. The other two are in great shape - I only had to clean them, replace the tank cap seals (which is interchangeable with new stoves), and oil the pump leathers. That's all. I also have a 1947 Coleman 500, which in addition to the above "repairs" also needed some rust cleaning and repainting, and works like new. Yonadav
Coleman still supplies parts for the 502. I bought a generator, check valve and a couple pump leathers from their website earlier this year. I think what makes the 502, 400 and 508 excellent performers is they have a 2nd control lever for the cleaning needle. The needle reduces the jet aperature for a good simmer. The 508A and 533 are hot stoves that perform well at medium to high. To get a good simmer you need some type of trivet or simmering ring to raise the pot a little more off the flame.
Next to the Svea 123, the Coleman 502 is the best single burner gasoline stove ever made. It is the perfect car camping stove, not so good for backpacking because of it's weight. I have at least four 502's and see them on Craigslist very frequently. I also have a 502 fund so I have a few dollars if I see another I want. If I see one locally for less than $10USD I buy it. If I find one of the alumin(i)um cook kit/stove containers, I buy those too. I have a stockpile of 502 generators and pump leathers as well. Most Coleman appliances take a little while to "Power Down" after the valve is closed. They are burning off the fuel in the generator. It is normal and nothing to be concerned about. While I have an almost unnatural affinity for gasoline fueled stoves, for actual emergency use I keep some propane fueled stoves and lanterns. Propane is safer inside the house because it can't be spilled and turns off immediately. I really do not like the idea of gasoline inside the house. Fire, as George Washington said, "Can be a faithful servant or a fearful master." He said the same thing of Governments. Gerry
The 502 is as rugged as they come, and then some. With only a leather cup, and a O-ring in the cap, both easily replaced, your odds of ever having a problem is damn near zero. With the stove being pressurized by a pump, arctic weather is no issue, either. If you can pump it up and light it, it WILL WORK. It's as quiet as any silent, with excellent flame control, fuel consumption is reasonable, and after I attached a spark lighter, a self-contained package, ready to go at a moment's notice. https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/18783 Murph
