I was lucky enough to have both a coleman 502 and Optimus 111b in the garage. My questions are: Did I flood/ overfill the coleman 502? 10+ years of works, no problem, but this last time in the field I couldn't get it to light to save my life. Got it home and oiled the seal, it lights up fine. So frustrating eg cold coffee. Now this optimus 111b must date to the early 60s but I cant figure out when it was built, any ideas? it has a circle decal in the middle and raised 111b in the lower right corner. I figured it hadn't been used in at least 30 years so I poured some coleman fuel in the barrel and set a match to it (not exactly that reckless, but you get my jest) fires up just fine. Just a side by side comparison, the coleman takes 20+ to boil 500ml and the optimus takes 11.5 mins. I'll take the optimus anyday, especially considering a gallon of coleman fuel costs 8.22 a gallon. Last question; is removing rust with fine steel wool then coating with car wax the best way to maintain/ clean up these little beauties?
Greetings, cowgirl007, Welcome to CCS!! Actually, the 502 will be hard to light, if the pump leather is dried out, OR if you overfill it, and don't leave enough air inside the tank. The 111B also suffers from those same problems: needs an oiled pump leather, and also some air in the fuel tank. PLUS, the 111B is a VERY dangerous stove, UNLESS you service the NRV (non-return valve), and possibly the SRV (safety release valve), which is the fuel cap. The 502 is made for simmering, and more relaxed cooking, whilst the 111B was made for boiling water, melting snow, and other such tasks, and thus is more powerful. The 111B can be made to simmer, and does just fine in the cooking department, too. Just make sure that you do regular service on the 111B, and you'll be just fine! There are several of us here in So. Cal, and we do get together, now and then, to fettle stoves, cook, and camp. If you're interested, you are most welcome to join us. Families are welcome, as are couples. Let us know if you have any other questions, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc P.S. My very first Coleman 502, was bought at a Community College swap meet in Santa Ana, many years ago, and it's still going strong today! 8)
I've found the Coleman 502 is the least problematic of the Coleman single burners and there's little you can do to make it not work, but overfilling is one of those few things that will cause it to be cantankerous. It beats a Coleman 400, however. If overfilled the 400 will just sit there and do a grand imitation of a flame pot.
I have at least three 502's of sundry vintages and all work as advertised. The 502 is not a powerhouse, but is almost bulletproof. Leave a little airspace, pump it up at least 50 strokes after it is burning well and you'll not be disappointed. Something I've never paid much attention to is boiling times. Far too many uncontrollable variables. Get the 502 going, set a pot of water on it and it will boil. All my 502's have leather pump cups. I've heard that some of the late ones have neoprene cups. If they work, I have no problem with them. I've also gotten a bit leery of the 111B as it has a non fail safe nrv and could conceivably turn into a fireball if the nrv failed. When I use mine, I pump it just enough to get a useful flame level so not to stress the nrv more than necessary. Gerry
I've three of the 502's here as well, one with a custom spark lighter built into it! https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/coleman-502-with-spark-lighter.18783/ With that, I can light my 502 in total darkness, no fumbling, in fact, probably blindfolded! No priming, two fuels, waiting, light 'er up, and go cook! It's like a good dog, it's always there for you, may not be a front runner, but it'll NEVER let you down! It also has to be the MOST field serviceable stove I know of, easy to clean and replace the generator, can burn kero in a pinch, can be modified to burn butane as well!!! Add the cook pot/case for it, and the heat drum, and it just keeps getting better. Murph
