stove advise optimus vs msr

[Mike8472]

I'm thinking of treating myself to a new stove. I'm upgrading and going lighter and smaller from my current user; coleman 550b.
I think i have narrowed my choices to an optimus nova/nova+ or an MSR whisperlite.

I'm canvassing for opinions. Which is best?
easiest to use/maintain/durable?

 

[British Red]

I ditched my MSR (dragonfly) - the plastic pump failed (twice) while I was out and about. I got sick and tired of being let down by an expensive stove made off plastic tat. No idea if they use plastic pumps on the whisperlite, but if they do, I wouldn't take one as a gift.

 

[Teepee]

Primus Omnifuel is the pick of multifuels IME.

It has the metal pump of the Optimus (MRS is plastic) but is less susceptible to damaging the bottom nut. It also simmers much better than the others with it's two control valves.

 

[janso]

I ditched my MSR (dragonfly) - the plastic pump failed (twice) while I was out and about. I got sick and tired of being let down by an expensive stove made off plastic tat. No idea if they use plastic pumps on the whisperlite, but if they do, I wouldn't take one as a gift.

That's not cricket!! I have an primus expedition multifuel; it too has a plastic pump but has always seemed fine - maybe yours was a bad batch? Strange that it failed twice mate, did you follow it through with msr?


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[British Red]

Nope, flogged the stove (with a new pump and a warning).

It wasn't the pump replacement that royally hacked me off but being left with no stove in the **** end of nowhere. When I buy an expensive bit of kit I expect it to last. MSR didn't and I won't be foolish enough to buy their products again.

 

[bilmo-p5]

+1 for Primus Omnifuel

 

[Mike8472]

Its sounding like the nova then.
is there much in it between the nova and the nova+?

 

[petrochemicals]

If it's just for one to two people an omnilight is more than enough, a full omnifuel is a very powerful beast.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

I've had my Whisperlite for 15 years, had no problems with it, even with it's plastic pump.

Julia

 

[rik_uk3]

Omnifuel +1

 

[Tiley]

Optimus Nova for me every time. I have seen the Fuel pipe on MSR stoves ruptured,, rendering the stove totally unusable. The Nova is a relatively simple stove with little to go wrong on it. Its metal pump is superb as is the flip-the-bottle-over means of decompressing it after use.

Although I'm sure the Primus equivalent is good, I've never had much joy with it.

 

[tombear]

I love my Nova to bits but if you can get the old version, its less plasticky and I much prefer the control on the stove rather than at the tank end of the fuel pipe as you can lift the lit stove with it if you have to shift in a hurry, which has happened to me more than once.

ATB

Tom

Correction, they still make the Nova, its the Nova + that isn't as good for me

http://www.optimusstoves.com/seen/o...ts/katadynshopconnect/optimus-outdoor-kocher/

 

[Bindle]

If you want a bargain, then this the bargain of the century! I have one, it hasn't missed a beat for two years, both my kids got one for Christmas....no expense spared for my kids!

 

[weekender]

I thought I remembered seeing something about a problem with the Optimus stove..taken from the website.
"As a result of the receipt of a number of reports of fuel leakage in the field and after quality assurance analysis, Katadyn Products Inc. has decided to voluntarily recall some Optimus Nova and Optimus Nova+ Multifuel Expedition Stoves. If you bought your stove between January 2009 and September 2010 and it has a black burner housing and shows a QA-number from QA000011-QA007313, please fill in the form below to file your request for an exchange. The QA-number of the stove is located on the side of the black burner housing. All Nova and Nova+ stoves with silver burner housing have no QA-number and are not affected. Please also see our FAQs to identify your stove." Taken from their website.


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[Tiley]

Phew! I bought my Nova a long time before then!

If they recalled them, they have obviously sorted out the problem on more recently made stoves so, in theory, this problem no longer exists...

 

[weekender]

Yeah it seems by reading that all new ones are ok and it was only the ones with black housing.


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[Chainsaw]

I have a whisperlite and it doesn't simmer very well at all. I've had no problems with it in about 4 years though. Not tried the nova

 

[Andy BB]

Primus Omnifuel for me. Better flame control than the Nova imho, and superbly built.

 

[weekender]

I've had a Whisperlite for many years not had any problems however after long term storage and generally not being used for quite a while the pumps thumb pad/circle thingy broke so replaced that not had any other issues...


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[ozzy1977]

Had my whisperlite for 13 years now and never had an issue with it, i gues you get some faulty units from any manufacturer.