Vapalux M320

[ateallthepies]

After reading the Tilley lamp thread I quite fancied acquiring a paraffin pressure lamp. In the end I went for a Vapalux M320 due to reviews that regarded them as better quality. Also as they are not being made any more I thought I better grab one while I can.

I paid £77 for mine new off ebay(far too easy way to buy stuff especially when sat at home bored!!), hope I haven't paid too much over the odds but hey ho it's done now!


Here's to hoping I made the right decision,

Steve.

 

[Nonsuch]

I would say that's probably good for a new one. Second hand can be had for a bit less but you know vaporiser and valves etc are A1.
You won't regret it. I take it you have the knack of lighting them (no on/off control for example?)

 

[ateallthepies]

Well I watched the Swedish fella and the American guy on youtube and got the gist of it. I think I'm gonna practice lighting this outside to avoid problems with the old flare-ups!

Steve.

 

[bilmo-p5]

I think I'm gonna practice lighting this outside to avoid problems with the old flare-ups!

Don't skimp with the priming meths; fill the cup. Then, be patient and let the prime almost burn out. The majority of flare-ups are due to impatient users trying to light them before they're hot enough.

 

[ateallthepies]

Does it have to be meths for the priming? Will paraffin not work?

Steve.

 

[rik_uk3]

Thats a good price, did you get the spares/service kit it?

Meths for priming, meths would work but would be very messy soot up your glass etc, stick to meths. Something like this is handy for storing and pouring meths

http://www.gascupboard.co.uk/fuel-bottle-250cc-p-6569.html

Ian, you don't have a spare control cock for a 320 kicking about?

 

[ateallthepies]

OK will stick to meths. No spares kit but a couple of spare mantles are included.

There was postage as well at £7.99 to add to that price...http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAPALUX-M...ing_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item5645a045fe

Steve.

 

[ateallthepies]

Does anyone know if gas lamp mantles work in paraffin lamps? I have loads of Coleman gas mantles knocking about but if these are not compatible I will have to get some Vapalux spares?

Steve.

 

[TrickyT]

Let us know how you get on with it. That is where I am thinking of getting mine from.

Regards

Trevor

 

[ateallthepies]

Will do. I notice since I bought mine another six were sold, someone had 3 by themselves!

Steve.

 

[ged]

Does anyone know if gas lamp mantles work in paraffin lamps? I have loads of Coleman gas mantles knocking about but if these are not compatible I will have to get some Vapalux spares?

As long as they're the right size they should be fine. You're burning a gas either way, it's just that paraffin doesn't turn into a gas until it's a bit hotter than butane or propane.

 

[ateallthepies]

Thanks again.

Steve.

 

[ateallthepies]

Received my lamp today but had a little hitch. I filled it with paraffin, primed the burner with meths and started to get the thing lit. I then tried to pump it up but the plunger would not go back in after the first stroke. I suspected a blockage somewhere and took the lamp apart and finally found the screw in valve down the pump hole was sticking so I helped it out using a pin and the pump worked fine after that.

I re-assembled the lamp and went through the start up again. Started pumping and paraffin started pouring out where the nozzle cleaner turn valve thing was as I has not screwed the collar back on

So I re-checked all was in place and screwed on tight and started again. Bingo, got it going no problem

I'm gonna have to get some more mantles as I broke the first and put the second on wonky and it didn't burn down properly. I have one left as you get 3 in total but am going to use the one that's on there for a while until I get some more.

The light arrived in good shape, a drop of paraffin was in the tank already.

Steve

 

[White Knight]

Hi Steve
I managed to destroy my first two mantles and, getting out of the back of my carawagon, caught the lantern with my delicate foot and it went A over T, breaking the glass.
Fortunately I had one more mantle, but I have just ordered 10 for £13 and a replacement glass for a very reasonable £10.95, from http://www.base-camp.co.uk/
Great lamp and has served us well, especially in the wilds of the Sahara and the Atlas mountains (er, as well as Littondale.... on a dark and stormy night.....)
Good luck with yours.
Cheers
Steve

 

[cave_dweller]

I bought one of these just last week (birthday present from wifey - "You want a WHAT for your birthday?"). Same seller, slightly different price, oddly. Mine looks brand spanking new (and smells it). I also didn't get a service kit, but did get the 'original' instructions and spare mantles. Sadly, I haven't managed to source some paraffin (even though there is 1000 litres of it sat in a tank at the end of the garden, inaccessible due to a weird valve thingy on my fuel tank!).

Interestingly, I also can't get the pump to work properly - I may have the same problem as Ateallthepies. Haven't cracked that one yet.

 

[Jinsin456]

I bought one of these last week as well, good week for vapalux although I got mine from a different seller.

My pump was very tight to begin with and just simply pushed the rod back as if it was blocked, after a bit of prodding and ultimately brute force and ignorance it freed off and is now getting easier each time I use it so it might just be that the rubber in the non release valve is very tight. Mine was also pulsing a bit, started a thread but I stripped mine down and cleaned the carbon from the jet cleaner and it's fine now.

I got to use mine in the woods for the first time on Friday night and apart me nearly setting it on fire due to not priming correctly because of the wind it was a great success. So much so that the fire was let die down and just kind of forgotten about

 

[cave_dweller]

Interesting that Jinsin - my pump is *really* tight towards the end of the stroke - maybe I need to just work it back and fore a few times (sorry - that's sounds rude!). It feels as if there is pressure in the tank, pushing the rod back out, but there can't be - nothing is screwed down. I have a feeling you have to get to know these things!

 

[ateallthepies]

Yes I also bought a load of mantles from base-camp. Also got some Tilley happy mantles with the metal rings which also fit so should be good for a while. I'm going to have to do some experiments with the mantles as after they burn down into the fragile ball they seem a tad too far away from the metal tube and not as bright as they can be? On one of my lights the mantle is much nearer as I believe I positioned it different before burning it off and it gives a much brighter white light estimated at 50-60 watts as opposed to my other two that give a yellower light of about 40-50 watts?

Cave-dweller, you may have a sticky non-return valve. Dead easy to fix with a bit of prodding and poking after you remove it from the pump tube.

Steve.

 

[Jinsin456]

Interesting that Jinsin - my pump is *really* tight towards the end of the stroke - maybe I need to just work it back and fore a few times (sorry - that's sounds rude!). It feels as if there is pressure in the tank, pushing the rod back out, but there can't be - nothing is screwed down. I have a feeling you have to get to know these things!

Yup mate mine was exactly the same, ive hardly stopped playing with mine and it's eased off considerably, the only way I could get pressure in mine was to push the plunger with the heel of my hand and it would build up and then slowy 'give' about the last 20% of the stroke letting the air into the tank. Now I can use it with my fingers the way it looks like its meant to be used so the more you play with it the easier it gets.

As I said to one of my mates, the pump valve is tight until its been used a few times, they're just built for double entendres (sp?) these lamps!!

 

[johnbaz]

Hi

I just bought a Vapalux today for the princely sum of £17, ithardly had any use at all but I had a problem with the pump, it turned out to be gummed up with some kind of green oil (had the same problem with an old Smiths mantel clock once, the same green lumpy dried up oil )
Anyhow, I blasted it with WD40 to wash away the lumps, then applied a bit of light machine oil to the cup washer and the thing is pumping up now!!

I only have to get some Paraffin now, I have some industrial clear Meths in the garage so I should be good to go tomorrow

Oh, i'll have to get some mantels too as the one fitted is damaged, I heard it can break the glass if broken mantels are used..



John