A Svea/Optimus 123R clone. Some comparisons to follow. As purchased (seller’s photos). Box details. It promises a ‘rubber insulated key’ and one’s visible in the carton photo, but it’s not so on the control key attached, which is surely original to it and with no trace of rubber or adhesive remaining to suggest the insulation detached itself. Other examples of Pak-Cooks in the Reference Gallery generally don’t have a rubber insulated key either. The way the control key chain is attached to the key and to the windshield rather than the stove’s burner riser differs from the method the Svea uses. An attempt to rectify that was unsuccessful, since the burner riser was too stout to allow the chain’s connecting link to rotate freely around it. The key wouldn’t pass through an opening on the windshield as would be the case with the Svea either. The Pak-Cook’s filler riser is of smaller diameter than the Svea’s. Dimensions otherwise are identical and the windshields are interchangeable. Svea windshield on the Pak-Cook tank. It’s a well-made stove with a good, controllable output. John
And a nickel-plated Svea 123R? Since Optimus is now contracting Asian firms to produce the Optimus Climber Svea 123R in Taiwan, is Sun Power one of the subcontractors?
"Rubber insulated key" that came on mine. I have seen other examples with similar (probably plastic rather than rubber) caps. The idea of moving the 123/123R key chain attachment to the wind screen seems popular in other on-line camping/bush-craft type forums.
Thanks for that @Ziradog There’s no doubt the key chain re-location makes use of the control key more convenient than with the more orthodox stowage arrangement, so I can understand why people do that. It just came as a surprise that the manufacturer intended it to be so.
Observations on the fuel cap/safety release valve. SRV components. Note the ‘one piece’ pip seal and not the more usual two-piece brass cup and pip seen in most SRV’s. It hadn’t hardened, so I wasn’t obliged to fabricate an alternative, which would probably have been a 1mm thick viton disc to re-face the seal mating with the cap. I’d have slackened off the SRV adjuster nut by 1mm to compensate if that’d been the case. The adjuster nut is equipped with an allen key (hexagonal) socket, so Sun Power didn’t share Svea’s caution about user adjustment by making a pentagon key necessary. The next phenomenon caught me out for a while. The fuel cap initially wouldn’t make a seal and locked up on the threads with the final tightening. I noticed that the threads stop well short of the interior base of the cap. A seal has therefore to be thick enough to bridge that gap with some more thickness on top to compensate for screwing the cap down, compressing the viton washer, to make a seal. That done, I’ve no complaints about the stove’s performance.
@presscall Hi John excellent documented comparison between the 123r and the Sun power 235, and even more impressive your Nickel plaited 123r, you have got plaiting of to a tee now, who would now that this was not done at the factory if not posted it on here
My Pak Cook has the rubber cover, which come off to access the hex tool. It's been one of most used single burners the last couple years, got it from a member on CCF. Excellent post @presscall
That explains why examples are with or without the rubber cover. Of course! It’s detachable to access the packing nut hex tool. I’d thought the rubber was bonded to the key with an opening for the hexagonal hole. Detachable, so it gets lost. Thanks Majicwrench.
