Hey, HJ, Just for the record, the only X-GK's that EVER boiled a quart of water in around 3 minutes, were the original ones. NONE of the others can even come close. Just so you know. I sent my first one back to MSR because it was taking FAR longer to boil up a quart of water. They sent me a new one..... it was worse, unfortunately! :frown: Much later, I learned about how MSR raised the pot supports on subsequent X-GK stoves, so that carbon monoxide levels were some what diminished. But, performance was "diminished", too. Unfortunately, MSR continues to use the original specs for that stove, even though none of the later ones even come close to living up to is. Now, I've not tested my X-GK EX, and I do know that MSR FINALLY lowered the pots supports down to original spec, after years of pissing up a rope in their X-GK models. I'll have to check it out and see how it compares to the original models of that venerable and reliable stove. OH, and by the way, the Firefly outperforms the X-GK in boiling water, too. Just thought you'd like to know.... 8) 8) Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
All right, Doc, my ignorance is showing here. How do I tell the oldest ones? Are they the ones with the bent wire pot supports that rotate in and out like a Svea 123? Or are they the ones with the two piece pot supports where one goes on top of the other to form an "X"? (Or should I just look for the yellow pump?)
Morning, HJ, Hummmmm, you've asked a question that is not easily answered, without lots of photos. I can't remember if I have your email address, or not. But, please PT it to me, and I'll email you some photos. Doing it here at CCS would take me a ton of time that I do not have, right now. But, I can email you some photos in a jiffy, which show some older X-GK stoves, compared to some others. A search of some of my old threads, concerning the X-GK, should turn up many photos and information, too, if you have time to suss them out. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Referring to another thread, it's a pity you never posted your pictures of all the different models in the Stove Reference Gallery You'd just be able to say go look at the SRG! Cheers, Graham.
Ahhhh, Graham, True, true..... BUT, remember that little problem with "time"?? No time to go through them all, resize them, and cobble up a post for them in the SRG. Maybe someday, eh? Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Thanks, Doc, "PT" sent. I've seen photos of the old model "G" MSR stoves and many variations of the old XGK's. It's hard to tell what their oldest model of XGK is, so I appreciate the photos. Interesting that with the XGK-EX they went back to their original spec in terms of pot height above the burner. It sounds like they got a lot of things right in the old days (cf. the Firefly) that it's taken them years to do as well again as they did back then. Everything old is new again, eh? HJ
CRAP* No, I didn't. I was going to do a last minute boost of my bid price, but my connection failed or eBay bobbled. My last bid never went in even though I submitted it with 40 seconds or so left. Of course who knows what the other chap's final high bid was, but frustrating since I really didn't get my final shot. HJ *CRAP = Camping Related Accessories and Peripherals for those who thought me to be using coarse language.
ROFLOL |imgRemoved||imgRemoved||imgRemoved||imgRemoved||imgRemoved| |imgRemoved||imgRemoved| Sorry you missed out on the MSR though.
and i held off to let you go for it last time i do the gentlemanly thing oh well it's just another long wait for the next one to crop up
I hope you dont mind my stealing that acronym for use around the house its a perfect fit for about 60% of everything in my closet, car, garage etc.
Ah, sorry, Bill :frown: I'm not so happy about that one turned out either. Sigh. I was particularly interested in that one since it came with spares. That's one of the good things about life, isn't it? When things don't go our way, at least we can have a good laugh about it.
that spares kit yup that's what grabbed me i sat here and watched it ticking down the seconds and it was a complete git trying not to bid but i did it so i spose i should be pleased with my self that im not as totally obsessed as i thought i was i checked out my finances before hand and i was fine to go as well not a problem though i have had my fair share of kit lately and it will give me something to hunt down onward and upward as they say atb Bill
Hi, HJ, Sorry you missed out on the FF, but not to worry, another one will come along, I'm sure! As to the oldest MSR stove in what become the X-Gk line, check out the Model 9 in, where else(?), the Stove Reference Gallery!! 8-[ Ross has posted on belonging to Monte Dodge, an old time member of CCS, aka "Mad Monte". The Model 9 is, to the best of my knowledge, the first version of Larry Penberthy's wonderful stove, which become the X-GK. I have a Model 9MF, which was MSR's very first true multifuel stove, and I can take and post photos of it for you and also for the SRG. But, check out Mad Monte's #9, and you will see MSR's very first incarnation of the X-GK series, and in fact, their very first stove, period. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc P.S. The MSR 9A, the 9MF, the G, and GK, also had the shorter pot supports, or at least mine do. I also think that the very FIRST X-GK also had short pot supports, but very soon, and for all the rest of the stoves in that series, until the EX, MSR raised the supports to lower carbon monoxide levels, and they also lowered the performance of Mr. Penberty's wonderful invention, too!
Funny how I missed the Basegear.com sale. When I looked at it today, they extended it until the 18th ha ha ha. I may still get a chance at the Nova. Still waiting for funds to trickle in. I just received the donor P210 today and might post some pics tonight. Darn I have to go to work early tomorrow. Wind is biting hard on my face when I stepped out of the office for a while. Daughter still upstairs busy at work. I guess I have company going home and hope my son cooked dinner. Alright I hope I did not misspell anything typing blindly on my Blackberry.
Mark, what WAS the Internationale designed for? Why did MSR bother to create it? Where they just trying to come up with something eaiser to prime (with the wick) or perhaps more reliable (with the larger diameter generator)? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts if you have any idea what the thinking was behind the Internationale. HJ
Morning, HJ, Well, since I didn't work at MSR, back then, and never did, any thoughts are just opinions, actually. But, in my opinion, MSR made a huge mistake in discontinuing the FireFly stove!! They did so, IMHO, for two reasons: Weiners complained that it was too loud; And, those same Weiners complained that it was too big, and didn't fit into their cookpots very well. So, in the "wisdom" (you may read that as a definite SLAM!!), MSR dumped the FF, and developed the Whistperlite stove. Around that same time, Weiners had been complaining that the X-GK was also too loud, and that, because of it's solid fuel tube, it was too long, and didn't fit in their cookpots, which, by the way, it was NEVER designed to do!! So, me thinks that MSR looked at their WL, and decided to make a MF version of it, "possibly" with the idea of replacing the X-GK, just as the WL had replaced the FF. As it turned out, the WL International, which later became the WLI600, was never even a patch on the arse of the X-GK, and it proved to be horribly unreliable when burning and priming with any fuel OTHER than Coleman fuel!! So much for it being a "mult-fuel", eh???!!! The sad thing is that MSR knew, all along, that the International was not a true MF stove, and two of their old Techs told me so on the phone, after our WLI died on us during our PCT hike, back in '91. Just goes to show that, when marketing takes the place of real R&D, things always seem to go South on you. Though I have a couple of the WLI600's, I would not use them for serious trips. They are a "one note Johnny" stove, and cannot simmer. Plus, they really don't do well with any other fuel than Coleman fuel, so why both with using one? It's NEVER bothered me that the X-GK doesn't fit inside a cookpot. It was never designed to do so. I can be made to simmer, and it burns almost any fuel you can name, some better than others, of course. But, it thrives on paraffin use, and though it's a smoky mess, you can also prime it with kero. So, the X-GK lays waste to the WLI600, and it always has!!! Add to that the true fact that NONE of my X-GK's has ever failed, not in the field, nor at home, and..... well, you can see why I have little use for the WLI600. I truthfully believe that MSR continues to offer it, simply for the Weiners who want to "make believe" that they have a real stove, and are willing to accept one that is less than good, only because it more quiet, and smaller than the X-GK. I guess that says it all, at least from my perspective. The new MSR X-GK EX is, in my experience so far, another outstanding member of the X-GK Tribe. Because you can acually fold it up, and fit it inside a cookpot, it should be, as far as I'm concerned, the last nail in the coffin of the WLI600....... but, marketing being what it is, and price being a real concern for most Weiners, I'm sure the 600 will continue to be made and sold to those that pretend to do "high adventures". Sorry for those that may love this stove, but I have little use for it, after MANY years of messing with it, and it's ancestors. For what it's worth.... Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Interesting thoughts and probably quite true but where in this picture do the dragonfly and simmerlight fit in? The dragonfly burns petrol and kero with nothing more than a jet change and will prime on kero. Its plenty loud enough but doesnt fold very small.It simmers to the point that a pot of boiling water will cool till no bubbles are forming on the bottom The simmerlight is quiet and folds up small but from things Ive heard is less reliable than the whisperlite
you can get the dragonfly to pack much smaller if you want to, mine is tiny now and fits in pretty much any small pot check this Link
interesting design. Might try that. We can get those kits here but they are not cheap. It would also cut the noise a fair bit
