I looked into burning diesel as my main adventure vehicle is diesel. I also looked into this with regards to the No12 military cooker, which is a "diesel" stove. Looking into it more, military "diesel" is JP8..........very similar to Jet A, which is kerosene. Easier to just bring a gallon of kerosene for the kero fired stuff. In a pinch the truck can burn the kero. I gave up on the diesel experiment.
Diesel. My understanding is that diesel is different in different countries. What works in one country does not work elsewhere. USA diesel has various varieties also. Summer vs Winter.
We have summer and winter diesel in the UK. In the winter they put an anti waxing agent in but I do not know exactly what. Could just be alcohol! when I kept a spare can for the car at home, I always made sure it was winter fuel.
I didn't read all the posts, but, I have a simple question. Most of these old burners/stoves were build long time ago. What did the people use at that time ? I mean 30ies 40s 50s ?they didn't have many choices of refined kerozene I guess ? Do some of you know what was used at the time ?
I’d imagine there would be a ready supply of low odour lamp oils available as paraffin lamps & heaters were part of every day life back then.
Also it depends which country. In the US, early stoves and lanterns tended to use gasoline but it was very different back then with no additives like we have now. In the UK, domestic paraffin was sold in many corner stores under brands like Esso Blue or Pink Paraffin which were meant for use in heaters, lanterns etc.
They used kerosene. It was widely available. I used it in 1963 in my Optimus 45. Back then, it did have more pronounced kerosene smell than contemporary K-1 heater kerosene.
The old posts of this thread are worth reading. Welcome to CCS, a plentiful place full of OLD information.
Back in the time that these stoves were in common use for everyday cooking, I'd imagine kerosene was more available than it is now.
For those living in Canada looking for viable Trangia alcohol stove fuel, it would appear that the national chain store, Can. Tire, with whom I have no affiliations, is carrying a glass-fireplace (!) fuel called 'e-NRG', which is viable mostly ethanol, in Trangia-type burners. See my posts elsewhere! Enjoy!
Starting to get low on Methanol. so looked up my local source. I usually buy a 25Ltr container.Last one I bought was just short £40 only a few years ago (three?) Now the same one is just under £80!!! Think I will wait a bit to see if the price comes back down!
Bunnings, a large hardware chain in Australia, has just upped the price of their kerosene. Was about $16.20 for 4 litres and is now over $17. (The 20 litre drum is even dearer per litre.)
In Korea; - Alcohol Ethyl 99.9% : Only from Internet. It's legal matter. Ethanol is available. Methanol is not easy to find, because it's super dangerous and I think nobody handles it for living purpose. I am sure that Pharmacies at the streets they never sell more than 75% Ethyl alcohol. 99.9% Purity can be found only by Internet shops. 1day shipping. - White gasoline : only from Internet & Camping stuff shops. Internet is better, approx. usd 3.5 per a liter, shipping usd 3 regardless the qty. - Kerosene : From many Car gasoline stations, Very high quality Pure Kerosene they sell, around usd 1 per a liter. You must have to give them the properly made Fuel Can under the civil codes, but sometimes ok, you can purchase the fuel without any proper fuel bottle, who cares? lol - LPG Refill : only by Registered & Licensed Gas Refill Service company, Not from the LPG Car refill station, it's strictly illegal so never can be done by LPG (For Vehicles) station. Korea has several tier S big firms for Petroleum industry, especially the Refining, the Kerosene is really in Quality from Gas stations, so it's really no reason to use Diesel in Korea. Kerosene, we had 2 Kero variations in past due to the Tax matters, one for Indoor Heaters(Clean Kero) and another one for Boiler Red Kero(With addictive Odor). But now only one Kerosene they sell, it's Pure Kerosene and can be used for Stoves & Heaters. Hope helps.
For Manchester area, there is a place called "Crown Fuels" in Bury. On the Bury to Rochdale road, just off M66. Know they do Kerosene, but not sure about straight Paraffin. Other than that the only place I know is B&Q.
Just remembered. Did get some Kerosene from there which I used in my stoves. But it seemed to clog them up with carbon. Began to run lots better when I gave up and used Paraffin.
If I've learned one thing in 20 years at CCS, it is that 'paraffin' is the Brit word for 'kerosene', and that's that. They are synonyms. If I got that wrong, then I'll have to start over from scratch....
Looks like some UK sources are trying to confuse us. What is the Difference Between Kerosene and Paraffin? I think in the USA you have higher grade (stoves, lamps) kerosene and lower grade (heating oil). It looks like "kerosene" in the UK is used as a name for the lower grade version.
It has become common place in the UK to call heating oil Kerosene, however I don't believe it is an official definition.
