Fuel for MRS stove

[IntrepidStu]

Just bought myself an MSR XGK EX stove and it says it runs on loads of fuels including Petrol (lead free), diesel, and "white gas". My question is, what are the relative good and bad points to each fuel, and WHAT THE .... IS WHITE GAS??

Cheers guys
Stu

 

[Dexter]

White gas is a more thoroughly refined petrol. The reason being that it doesn't soot up your stove so much and hence maintenence requirements are reduced. It is extremely expensive though. I'd consider it only for a really serious expedition where exquipment failure is not an option.

I prefer petrol as it is cheap, easy to find and easy to light. In my experience diesel is a bit sooty and harder to light. Stay away from parafin as you practacly need a super nova to get that stuff lit.

 

[jimford]

JWHAT THE .... IS WHITE GAS??

White Gas is what Americans call 'Petroleum Naptha', and is commonly sold in the U.K. under the Coleman label. DON'T buy the Coleman stuff at the U.K. rip-off price of around £7 for 500ml! Buy 'Panel Wipe' from a car body shop at around £12 for 5 liters - or 'Rik_UK3' recommends 'Aspen 4T' which is also petroleum naptha.
I've not located a source of Aspen 4T, so have yet to try it.

Jim

 

[spamel]

Paraffin runs just fine through my Nova+.

 

[eskimo]

I must be gullible, I use the Coleman White Fuel at £5.50 a bottle.
I own a Primus Omnifuel and a Optimus Nova and it works great in both of them.

 

[Sainty]

White Gas is what Americans call 'Petroleum Naptha', and is commonly sold in the U.K. under the Coleman label. DON'T buy the Coleman stuff at the U.K. rip-off price of around £7 for 500ml! Buy 'Panel Wipe' from a car body shop at around £12 for 5 liters - or 'Rik_UK3' recommends 'Aspen 4T' which is also petroleum naptha.
I've not located a source of Aspen 4T, so have yet to try it.

Jim

Here's one.

http://www.aaoil.co.uk/environment-Aspen-4T-alkylate-petrol

Martin

 

[bushcraft_lad]

Here's one.

http://www.aaoil.co.uk/environment-Aspen-4T-alkylate-petrol

Martin

anyone fancy going halfs on a 200l drum hahaha

 

[rik_uk3]

Panel wipe is available from a lot of motor spares shops, works the same as Coleman, 4T is pure perol well worth getting. Car fuel is full of junk addatives that you don't want to be breathing and it will gunk up your stove. Car fuel spills smell for ages unlike the panel wipe/4T

Paraffin will burn fine in it after you pre heat with a little meths. Wilkinson own brand BBQ lighter fluid is clear paraffin, a litre is about £1.50, B&M stores fuel is the same at £1.45 a litre.

 

[Mikey P]

You can use diesel and variants successfully. I took an MSR XGK on ops in early 2003 and, as we were working with the US forces, the only fuel available was JP8 (I think?), which is a diesel variant and runs the HUMWVEES, APCs, etc, and can even be used in aircraft.

Like diesel, it stinks and burns with a lot of soot (high carbon content). The XGK was better set up for this than many other multifuel stoves as it has different sized jets for different types of fuel and the shaker jet works quite well. Still found I had to strip and clean it every week because the build ups were just horrendous. However - and this is the bottom line - it worked! I wouldn't recommend it but, be safe in the knowledge that you can use diesel successfully if you have to.

 

[SMOKOE]

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I've just got a primus military pump up stove.
Apart from parafin what fuel can I use in that ???

 

[jimford]

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I've just got a primus military pump up stove.
Apart from parafin what fuel can I use in that ???

It depends - what model is it?

Jim

 

[w00dsmoke]

I have a whisperlite international and recently someone on here suggested paraffin as a fuel for it. I use it without an additional fuel for preheating and it works fine. I've not looked back at all and at roughly £5 for a gallon, it's a heck of lot cheaper and accessable than aspen and coleman fuels.

 

[jimford]

I have a whisperlite international and recently someone on here suggested paraffin as a fuel for it.

Paraffin is a great fuel - far better than the 'Urine of The Devil', meths!

The main issue I have with it is that the smell lingers wherever it's spilt.

Jim

 

[Mikey P]

Paraffin is a good fuel but it is 'dirty' compared to the lighter distillations like 'white gas'. It is often called 'paraffin oil' and you know the mess that burning oil makes.

You just need to remember that you will probably have to clean your stove more often! Can't argue with price difference, though.

 

[SMOKOE]

It depends - what model is it?

Jim

It's this model

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....CC%2BCRS%2BIA%2BUCI%2BSI%2BUS-BWR&otn=5&ps=33

 

[johnboy]

It's this model

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=5&ps=33

Hi,

That stove is an Optimus 111T.

It will run happily on: Kerosene/ Paraffin and Coleman fuel / white gasoline / Aspen 4T on the multifuel jet. If it came with a spare Alcohol Jet and air restrictor tube it will run on meths. if you fit them to the stove.

I wouldn't run it on diesel. I have some J1 / AVTUR and it runs ok on this also..

Hope this helps

John

 

[johnboy]

Paraffin is a good fuel but it is 'dirty' compared to the lighter distillations like 'white gas'. It is often called 'paraffin oil' and you know the mess that burning oil makes.

You just need to remember that you will probably have to clean your stove more often! Can't argue with price difference, though.

I'd be inclinded to disagree that paraffin / Kerosene is a dirty fuel. If the stove is preheated correctly then It burns very well if the stove is designed to use it. XGK's have no problem with it. It's only really sooty if you try to use it to prime the stove then it gives off a lot of soot and smoke. It's best to prime with meths....

cheers

John

 

[rik_uk3]

Paraffin is a good fuel but it is 'dirty' compared to the lighter distillations like 'white gas'. It is often called 'paraffin oil' and you know the mess that burning oil makes.

You just need to remember that you will probably have to clean your stove more often! Can't argue with price difference, though.

Why would you have to clean your stove more often?

As Johnboy said its an Optimus 111T triple fuel stove and one of my all time favourites. The army has released a batch and there is a glut of them on eBay and they are well worth buying. Very reliable, east to maintain, burn hot, simmer well, work in all temperatures and spares are easily obtained from www.base-camp.co.uk. PM me if you want some spares and I'll post you some.

These stoves are not ultra lightweight, but light enough if there are two of you, trust me, use this and it will become a firm favourite of yours.

Johnboy, good to see another stovie here, are you active over on CCS?

 

[johnboy]

Kia Ora Richard....

Yes I'm occasionally over on CCS. I havent posted here on BCUK for a very long time I came over in search of some info on a Bergen and well... you know how it is.... things have changed a bit..

Any way as you say the optimus 111T is a cracking stove but heavy to lug around...

I got hold of an Optimus explorer 11 the other day which is as good as a 111T but a bit more portable.... Winter is fast approaching here so I;ll get to use it snow holing in a month or so...

Cheers

John

 

[d.s.k.]

Just bought myself an MSR XGK EX stove and it says it runs on loads of fuels including Petrol (lead free), diesel, and "white gas". My question is, what are the relative good and bad points to each fuel, and WHAT THE .... IS WHITE GAS??

Cheers guys
Stu

Back to basic.
The white gas refered to in this manual is clean gasoline with little or no additives. The moast common worldwidw band is Coleman fuel. Often replaced by other brands and products mainly containing Heptane. "4-stroke environmently friendly gasoline" "Aspen 4T" is often recomanded substitutes.

The fatter the fuel is the higher output, and easier to achieve bad combustion and more soot. If you get a leak the fat oils e.g. diesel may be less dangeous in hence of a fire, and worse in hence of smell and taste.

What you choose may end up as a result of experience. By my opinion clean low odour kerosine like fuels are OK. White gas is easier to use, but more flamable.

Different "multifuel" stoves has different "best fuel"

Aviation fuels are often quit near kerosene.

dsk