The king of stoves?

[BOD]

here's my favorite stove, quick, simple and does throw out some heat. This one is douglas fir. Cudos to RM, it really does work, and swmbo likes it as i no longer leave large burnt pateches on the lawn

How did you start the fire in the split -?

 

[Nemisis]

You slide in tinder dry leaves bark etc then ignite them its a pine wood high in resins the drier the log the better it works.
Dave

 

[Mantic]

Never seen that before Dave. I guess you could even move it around the campsite (not sure why you'd want to but hey, mobile cooker).

 

[Nemisis]

I've even seen one site selling them as picnic stoves/heaters about £20 if I remember right
for just a sawn log lol now thats enterprise for you.
Dave.

 

[demographic]

A few years ago my girfriend bought me a secondhand Optimus Climber from Cash Converters for 15 quid (well I say it's an Optimus Climber but instead of the brass windshield it has an aluminium one, the burner is a Svea 123R though) and it's a belter.

Loud but thats kind of cool cos I find the roar it makes a nice noise and it runs just fine on 32:1 wasted* premix from my motocrosser/supermoto tank, every once in a while I have to use the jet needle thing to clean it out but it's built into the jet and only requires a turn of the key anyway so it's hardly rocket science is it.
You can buy the special rebuild kits for them but I just went to George Fishers in Keswick and got the spares out of a box for less than half the price.

I like the idea of a stove that runs on something that every filling station in the world sells.

*If I don't use my premix fairly quickly in the bike and it ends up sitting in the tank I put it into a jerrycan cos it loses its octane rating and isn't too good for the bike.

 

[addyb]

Oh don't get me wrong, they're great stoves. They're just really heavy and noisy and can be a bit dangerous at times. I've seen 30 year old Optimus Hunters that still work as well as when they were first made. No MSR stove will ever last that long!

Cheers,

Adam

 

[rik_uk3]

The 123 is a great little stove, I have five of them. Don’t burn unleaded fuel in them, it clogs up the stove and gives off fumes you don’t want to inhale; use Coleman fuel.

The Optimus 8r is much the same. My favourite if there are two or more of you camping is the 111, its heavy, but is a true multi fuel stove and belts out 10,000 BTU’s which is higher than the Nova or MSR stoves.

I love the old brass classic stoves like the Primus 96 and 210, I collect them (yes I know, it’s a sad hobby)

 

[mojofilter]

I love the old brass classic stoves like the Primus 96 and 210, I collect them (yes I know, it’s a sad hobby)

I love them too, I wouldn't say I collect them, but I have an assortment of them...

 

[Hoodoo]

I have a real fondness for that stove. Carried one for many, many years. Often times in the dead of winter when sitting around home, I would fire it up to brew a cup of tea. The put-put-putter of the stove never failed to remind me of times past, of many wilderness trails and hobo camps I wandered. People complain about the noise but sitting alone at night on a mountain surrounded by a million acres of vast wilderness, I always found the sound comforting. Old reliable. Eventually I did retire it and went to the Whisperlite. Now I use only alcohol stoves or esbit fuel. But that Svea will still be my all time favorite. Never had a problem with mine. It never failed to deliver.

 

[fred gordon]

One of the problems with the RM split log is that after a while the 4 legs burn through. I had a pot of water boiling on mine when I tried it and one of the legs suddenly broke off. Something to remember, especially if there are kids around.

 

[oops56]

on a web site somewhere they showed how to do it use a wood bit about 1-1/2 in. or smaller not to small bore from top down 3/4 way then bore from side at bottom to meet down hole lite it up and a way we go

 

[wizard]

I uses to carry a Svea 123 and had the punp kit which consisted of a pump and a special fill cap that it plugged into. It made getting the stove going much easier. I also had a cookset that the stove fit into pefectly, forget who made that kit. Have not seen either item available for a long time. The cookset was a Sigg Tourist, I have been informed
The problem I had with the stove was the burner had to be removed regularly and a little wire inserted through it to clean out clogs. Since the burner tip and stove were made of brass, it was soft metal and once I split the tip about 3 days from civilization and had no stove to cook on for the duration. That was in the early 1970's. Today there are so many better stoves available. I use a MSR Dragonfly mostly, since you can regulate the flame from simmer to rapid boil. Sort of pricey but worth the money. I think I paid $19.95 for the Svea when I first bought it, that was a factor in the choice at the time. Good luck with finding a stove that serves you well. I did like the Svea, especially after adding the pump. I doubt anyone can find the pump kit today! Cheers.

 

[oops56]

Oh yes they still make them pump here you go
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8820621718&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

 

[demographic]

I uses to carry a Svea 123 and had the punp kit which consisted of a pump and a special fill cap that it plugged into. It made getting the stove going much easier. I also had a cookset that the stove fit into pefectly, forget who made that kit. Have not seen either item available for a long time. The cookset was a Sigg Tourist, I have been informed
The problem I had with the stove was the burner had to be removed regularly and a little wire inserted through it to clean out clogs. Since the burner tip and stove were made of brass, it was soft metal and once I split the tip about 3 days from civilization and had no stove to cook on for the duration. That was in the early 1970's. Today there are so many better stoves available. I use a MSR Dragonfly mostly, since you can regulate the flame from simmer to rapid boil. Sort of pricey but worth the money. I think I paid $19.95 for the Svea when I first bought it, that was a factor in the choice at the time. Good luck with finding a stove that serves you well. I did like the Svea, especially after adding the pump. I doubt anyone can find the pump kit today! Cheers.

The Svea 123 had a seperate jet cleaner but since Optimus took over making them they changed to the Svea 123R which has a inbuilt jet cleaner that only takes a turn of the fuel tap to actuate and you can find the pumps nowadays.

Another link to em HERE, theres even a FORUM

 

[rik_uk3]

Sad to say, but Optimus no longer make the 123 This is reflected in the price on ebay now, its going up, so get one now. Spares (if you need them) are plentyfull from places like www.base-camp.co.uk they sell spares for just about any stove you can think of

The sigg tourist cookset is a fine combination with this little stove, a perfect match

 

[scruff]

http://www.cobb-bbq.co.uk/

seriously they are fantastic. got one last week and can't stop using it. uses a maximum of ten coals. yesterday i roasted a stuffed chicken in it in 1 3/4hrs!!

awesome.

 

[atraildreamer]

I have an Optimus 8-R Hunter stove. Here is a USA supplier of repair parts for this, and other stoves:

Packstoves@aol.com

If you would like more information or would like to place an order, call at 714-258-2525.

 

[rik_uk3]

Picked up a Coleman Exponent 442 petrol / Coleman fuel stove this week, not bad at all, even spread of flame, high output, well pleased I am

 

[Saskia]

On my 12th birthday, my parents gave me a Coleman white gas stove. They had used it theirselves before. It still works (although the pump is not that good anymore) and is about 20 years old now.
Last year I bought a new stove of Primus (all fluid fuels). It is much lighter in weight, more stable than the Coleman and heats very quickly, but it makes a lot of noise. Still, it is a nice stove.
I also love cooking on a fire, but it's often not allowed to make a campfire in the Netherlands.

 

[demographic]

Damm, I was in Keswick today and meant to nip into George Fishers to get a pump for mine and forgot, its not the end of the world as it's not badt to start but it would be a bit quicker thats all.