Multi Fuel stove advice needed

[pauljm116]

I've been looking at multi fuel stoves (cheapy chinese ones to start with) and was wanting some advice on the best fuel to use. I've got 5 litres of meths in my shed for use with trangias etc and was wondering if that would work or does it really need to be petrol.
What fuels can be used in one?

 

[SimonM]

Depends on the stove is the answer...but the only time I've seen Meths in a multi fuel the results weren't impressive.

i use either paraffin or Aspen T4 these days, on pretty much all my stoves.

Simon

 

[PDA1]

Meths has about 2/3 the thermal energy of kerosene/white spirit/gasoline. It also needs completely different jetting, as air/fuel mixtures are very different than for petroleum products. Note that kerosene (paraffin) requires diffewrent jetting than white spirit (naptha, Coleman fuel) or gasoline (petrol). A multifuel stove should have a variety of jets for different fuels.

 

[rik_uk3]

I've been looking at multi fuel stoves (cheapy chinese ones to start with) and was wanting some advice on the best fuel to use. I've got 5 litres of meths in my shed for use with trangias etc and was wondering if that would work or does it really need to be petrol.
What fuels can be used in one?

You can run some stoves on meths and Coleman/parrafin, like the Optimus 111T with the restrictor tube fitted or you can mod other stoves but really just use up your meths in a Trangia. Don't use petrol, use paraffin or a clean fuel like panel wipe or Aspen 4T.

I was in B&M today and they are again selling Flamefest BBQ lighter fluid at £1.99 a litre, its just nice clean paraffin. Not perhaps the cheapest option but a convenient size for an occasional user.

 

[ZEbbEDY]

I've got one of the brs8 stoves from eBay, tried meths thinking it would work but it just splutters out

runs sweet on petrol though, really ferocious

 

[Andy BB]

I agree - the Optimus 111T is about the only multi-fuel stove that can genuinely operate on meths, and only then with the additional restrictor pipe added. None of the Chinese MF clones seem to be very happy on paraffin, let alone meths! - stick to white gas or propane/butane cylinders for these. I think that there is also an issue with alcohol attacking the many and varied seals on most multifuels as well.

 

[pauljm116]

Thanks for the advice guys. I will be getting a multi fuel stove in the future and at least I know what to use in one now, the meths will be for trangia use only now.

 

[rik_uk3]

The cheap 'Booster' I've got will run paraffin OK so long as you prime it well.

 

[Andy BB]

Ah - the Booster! Interesting one, this stove. The Kovea Booster+1 is a Korean stove, and apparently has passed all the Scandinavian/EU safety tests. In short, a decent multi-fuel (and rebadged as a Brunton Lander stove in the USA as well, I believe). But even Kovea only sell it as a White gas/canister gas stove. I got one recently, and it works great on Aspen 4T - haen't tried it on canister yet (although have got a converter so that as well as th screw-on canisters, I can use it with the long tubes used in the cheap picnic stoves.)

However, it appears as if the Chinese stoves - BRS-8 etc - have had problems with passing the relevant safety regs. To that end, it would appear that many of these are being re-boxed in Booster+1 boxes and sold out of China as genuine Kovea stoves. THe genuine Koves stoves have ratchetting legs - you can see it on their website - whereas the copies have fold-out legs. So Caveat Emptor, as they say..........

Re running on paraffin, have you re-jetted the burner, Rik?

 

[rik_uk3]

Mines a cheap Chinese 'Booster' clone, not changed the jet but just prime really well. To be honest I burn gas in mine or I should say my daughter does as she nicked it when she saw it in a Trangia clone (took that as well)...never got my new Submariner jumper back either that she 'borrowed' when pregnant; think I need to have a quiet word lol