After my Nova thread, @HunterStovie traded my Nova for an XGK. This thread is mostly to publicly thank him for his generosity. No one will be surprised to hear that it fired right up, ran beautifully, and boiled a kettle quickly despite a rather blustery day. Thanks again, Mike.
Morning, Marc, Well done! I love my early Nova stoves, but completely trust my MSR X-GK stoves, both old, and new!! They are, quite simply, superbly designed workhorses for backpackers, and high altitude climbers!!! From "Duane", the name of my cherished #9, to the newest X-GK EX, I love them all!! The newest pumps are quite excellent, too, and I would not hesitate to take these stoves on any trip, no matter where I was going. Add in a complete service/rebuild kit, so you can change gaskets and o-rings if necessary (I've NEVER had to do this in the field, by the way!), and you're good to go!! I also love the fact that these wonderful MSR stoves are made right here in the good, ol' US of A!! Congrats on your trade, and for @HunterStovie , thanks to you, too, for helping to get Marc a stove he is happy using. I am pretty sure that you can suss out the problems with the Nova, and VOILA, you will both be happy!!! Well done, Gentlemen!! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc P.S. Marc, should you ever wish to be able to make your X-GK EX into a silent burner, now and then, you can get one of Gary's (BernieDawg's) excellent caps, which are cheap as chips, and well worth owning and enjoying!!
Thanks Doc, appreciate the kind words and well wishes. Don't think I've ever seen a negative post from you and I do truly appreciate it. I bought the master service kit along with the MSR fuel bottles, good to go for awhile. Drinking tea made with that XGK right now and as soon as summer is over we'll take it out adventuring. What's the best source for one of BernieDawg's silent caps?
Evening, Marc, Thanks for the kind words, but I most certainly have posted two pretty negative posts here, back on the old days! I used to get carried away, talking about gun control, and other such topics, and sadly, offended some very good folks with my candor and zeal. In any case, I do humbly appreciate your comments, and hope I've learned to "control myself", at least to some extent! You can buy one of Gary's excellent caps at the following link: https://i.materialise.com/shop/designer/gary-adams You simply cannot beat the price, nor the quality, and if you choose another cap, you are buying a lesser product that was "knocked off" of Gary's original design!! That's the truth, and I'm happy to share it here!! Time for me to make us a nice salad, with some left-over rib-eye steak, for our dinner tonight. Again, hearty congrats on your new X-GK EX, and please let me know how you like Gary's cap, when and if you decide to buy one. (Hint: you won't be sorry!!) Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
hate to say it but they are most certainly not made in the usa anymore, a colleague recently bought a dragonfly and the label on the box clearly states '' made in the usa of us and imported materials '' for materials read parts hence the cheaper chinese copies which are 90% the same and made from the same parts in the same factory and msr fuel bottles are now made in china not even canada anymore so are we the stove buying public getting shafted by our global corporate overlords? i should cocoa have to add that i got a bernie dawg xgk ex cap for my birthday too and it is a most excellent little nugget of metal and it transforms the xgk and the chinese clone into purring pussycats still knocking out bucketfuls of heat i am thinking of trying it on a dragonfly and a firefly just for an excuse to waste some fuel
Interesting topic. I know from other outdoor gear that the Chinese & others are perfectly capable of copying something to 90% or more without the original being made in their factories. Easy to jump to conclusions. Not saying the conclusions are necessarily wrong but facts are better. @Rickybob - wind it in. Please.
These silent caps are 3D printed. I've bought several of Gary's 3D printed caps and all of them have come from Seattle, WA., and are made in the USA. The caps are made of 40% stainless steel and 60% bronze. I suppose some of the materials may come from China, but I have no proof to support this. One would have to contact Shapeways to find out for sure. https://www.shapeways.com/shops/berniedawgshop
I think that @Rickybob is saying that the parts for MSR stoves are made in China and then assembled in the US. I do not own a recent MSR stove and have no idea if Rickybob's assertions are correct or not. But on CCS conjectures, hearsay, assumptions, opinions of the facts are not enough. We require evidence. Documents, respected publications, photos, etc.
Evening, All, I'll check with Drew Keegan, of MSR, tomorrow, but just checked the MSR website, and here is what they say about the X-GK EX, and, with a description and specs change, also the Dragonfly: "For over 35 years, the MSR® XGK™ stove has been the world's most reliable extreme-condition stove; trusted by mountaineers everywhere. The XGK EX stove continues that legacy with unrivaled performance, dependability and better multi-fuel burning capabilities than any other stove on the market. It features a flexible fuel line that allows it to pack smaller than ever, as well as stable, retractable legs and pot supports, and a powerful flame that melts snow and boils water incredibly fast. No matter where you're headed, with an XGK EX stove along, you’ll find fuel to burn and the absolute dependability that has made it the first choice in liquid fuels stoves on expeditions for decades. Proven: No. 1 choice on expeditions worldwide. Multi-Fuel: Reliably burns more liquid fuels than any other stove. Dependable: Easy to field maintain; Shaker Jet™ cleans fuel jet with a simple shake. Compact: Flexible fuel line allows stove to fit in a 1.5-liter MSR pot. Superfast: Boils 1 liter of water in just 2.8 minutes (using kerosene fuel). Extra-Stable: Retractable legs and pot supports provide a secure platform. Includes: Fuel pump, windscreen, heat reflector, small-parts kit, instructions, and stuff sack. (Fuel bottle not included.) Made in Seattle, USA" FWIW.... Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Heck with trying to type this out on a phone, much better here on the computer. I googled quite a bit trying to nail down where the XGK is manufactured, came up with nothing. This obviously means nothing in and of itself, but my experience is that USA companies are usually proud when their products are USA manufactured and will tout that vs. hiding it. Regardless, the Chinese are completely capable of building equipment to the highest quality level. Despite their reputation, their abilities are not to be underestimated. Their reputation for poor quality comes from their willingness to build a device to any quality level the customer desires, including absolute unworking junk. Most western companies would simple decline to accept the work, the Chinese accept the job. If the Chinese are building the XGK, MSR is clearly keeping a close eye on things and making sure the Chinese do a good job. Which they are.
Doc's google-fu is better than mine! "Made in Seattle" right there in the open! Thanks Doc, and thank you for checking with your contact at MSR. I get up in the Seattle area occasionally, I'll have to check on a factory tour.
@Marc I've bought all of my 3-D printed caps from Shapeways and have been nothing but satisfied with their service. Just a note the XGK Dawg cap is the Omni Dawg with different legs. Before you buy one let me check the caps I have with the XGK Stoves I have left because one of them has a generator loop that sits a little lower and the XGK Dawg would not fit so I ended up using a Dragontamer 3 instead which worked better for me anyway, I was using Coleman fuel though. I'll let you know before the night is over. Mike
@HunterStovie Thank you sir, really appreciate the help. Thanks to all for the silent cap recommendations. While not a huge priority, a silent cap will definitely be happening at some point. Making tea or Saturn V liftoff next door? Tough call.
since my birthday in may i have both the msr and the bulin and most of the parts are the same, i think it safe to assume that the chinese are not building stoves from parts made in america, it seems cascade can no longer silk screen print, in canada, fuel bottles made and painted in china and claim ''made in canada'' and it looks like things have changed in america too why would the chinese take the trouble to make EXACT copies of msr stove parts? i believe the msr burners and fuel line assemblies are still made in the us but the rest is chinese
