Optimus Stoves

[rusty_tlc]

I have a Svea 123 that has been everywhere with me, love that stove.

However; I am developing a desire for the Optimus Hiker+

http://www.optimusstoves.com/seen/o...connect/optimus-outdoor-kocher/optimus-hiker/

So if anybody is feeling generous send me a PM and I will give you my shipping address.

 

[TXLX100]

Wow. Is there anything more expensive than Optimus?

 

[Enigma]

Wow. Is there anything more expensive than Optimus?

I think Optimus Prime is more expensive

 

[rusty_tlc]

Wow. Is there anything more expensive than Optimus?

Consider This; I've had my Svea stove for forty years and it still works flawlessly.

Sent via the ether from my candy bar running ginger bread

 

[Buckru]

Great stove just darn heavy if backpacking. I love my MSR Dragonfly.

Svea makes a great product, no doubt.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I was thinking more for the FJ40 since it's small.

Sent via the ether from my candy bar running ginger bread

 

[lwb86]

I inherited this optimus from my father inlaw. he never used much so its in mint shape

did some research on it and its a sweet stove and its capable of running on gasoline but runs better on coleman gas

 

[rusty_tlc]

Meh, kind of mediocre, I'll take it off your hands so you don't embarrass yourself.


JK nice stove.

 

[solidfrontaxle]

That (the 8R) is an Optimus Hunter, the miniature version of the Hiker that uses the Svea 123 burner. The Hiker+ is a much bigger redone Optimus Hiker 111 with a steel tank (instead of brass) and a burner from a Nova (iirc). I think the standard whitegas 111 models are considered better overall. I have a 111T and a Hiker+. The prices on all of them seem to have skyrocketed in the last five years and 111s are much harder to find on ebay.

I prefer the 111 to the Hiker+ because it is quieter and simmers better and I think can burn hotter as well. The Hiker+ does have a cool modern paint job though. If all you are going to do is boil water, the Hiker+ is great - I used it many cold mornings for winter camping to make instant oatmeal and hot chocolate. A more attentive and careful cook with good cookware could probably actually cook things with it. I prefer to use a little coleman single burner 502, which does not get super hot, but is very easy to control, and will cook things easily and is a bulletproof little stove. Parts are more available as well, since it shares most parts with Coleman two burners.

There is something to be said for the classic Optimus stoves, and still try to pick them up when I find them cheap, though that is getting harder and harder these days.

 

[lwb86]

Meh, kind of mediocre, I'll take it off your hands so you don't embarrass yourself.


JK nice stove.

thanks for the offer rusty_tlc. but I think Ill hold on too it as it will make a perfect ice fishing hut addition for instant coffee and the like

 

[1911]

Consider This; I've had my Svea stove for forty years and it still works flawlessly.

Mine too, and the same age. IIRC it cost me $14 brand-new. Only one moving part. I've never even cleaned or maintained mine in any way, it just always works every time. Still my go-to camp stove for one or two people.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I have an 8R from the late 1970s that was the first piece of camp gear I ever bought for myself. Still works.

I was given 2 others at a Coleman gathering that didn't work and made one good one out of them. It works too.

I also have the remains (broken case) of an Optimus 8 (no "R"). It does not work and is in my junque pile somewhere.

While these are decent waterboiling stoves, and fun to play with, they basically suck for truck based camping because they are too small and don't simmer.

The one shown at the top with the metal key for a knob-it will get hotter than the surface of the sun in about 4 minutes and burn the crap out of your finger tips. Yep-a lesson from the SoHK. There is an earlier version with a bakelite knob that is much more desirable.

 

[lwb86]

alot of the write ups it found about them talk of a cleaning needle that doesnt require you turning off the stove too clean. does anyone have a pic of this since since I cant seem to find a picture of this needle.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

The difference, I think, between the Optimus 8 and the 8R is the automatic cleaning system of the R. Inside the burner is a tiny gear driven brass block, with a needle attached. As you rotate the burner to "on" it goes first to full on and at the end, the cleaning needle pokes up through the gas jet to clean it. It doen't completely kill the flame (usually) and you can rotate the knob back to full on and keep on going.

The earlier ones have no brass block/needle. Instead, they came with a separate pricker that you would use to manually clean the gas jet. Don't know if that answers, but that's how mine works. That little brass block with the needle is available if yours is broken or lost.

If you want to learn more about brass stoves then you ever knew there was to learn, go here:
Classic Camp Stoves

While I can appreciate the cool factor of "brassie's" they actually don't work all that well, except for boiling water. For the most part, they have binary operation-off, or fully on and roaring. They are very simple dvices and so might make good end of the world stoves as there are 3 moving parts.

I always wanted one of these because it looks cool:
Optimus 22 | Classic Camp Stoves


And lastly: RustyTLC-I'll trade you my best Optimus 8R for a Coleman Solus. JLMK.

 

[lwb86]

next up is figuring out this old stove everything is in german

 

[solidfrontaxle]

Cool stove!

 

[rusty_tlc]

The difference, I think, between the Optimus 8 and the 8R is the automatic cleaning system of the R. Inside the burner is a tiny gear driven brass block, with a needle attached. As you rotate the burner to "on" it goes first to full on and at the end, the cleaning needle pokes up through the gas jet to clean it. It doen't completely kill the flame (usually) and you can rotate the knob back to full on and keep on going.

The earlier ones have no brass block/needle. Instead, they came with a separate pricker that you would use to manually clean the gas jet. Don't know if that answers, but that's how mine works. That little brass block with the needle is available if yours is broken or lost.

If you want to learn more about brass stoves then you ever knew there was to learn, go here:
Classic Camp Stoves

While I can appreciate the cool factor of "brassie's" they actually don't work all that well, except for boiling water. For the most part, they have binary operation-off, or fully on and roaring. They are very simple dvices and so might make good end of the world stoves as there are 3 moving parts.

I always wanted one of these because it looks cool:
Optimus 22 | Classic Camp Stoves


And lastly: RustyTLC-I'll trade you my best Optimus 8R for a Coleman Solus. JLMK.

How about a NIB Apex? Never fired.

 

[DickM]

Consider This; I've had my Svea stove for forty years and it still works flawlessly

I bought my Svea 123 in 1974, and it is still going strong today. A lot of different fuels, a lot of time stored, and it has yet to fail me. It is really nice to have it in the camp box to pull out to use for a pot of coffee while breakfast cooks on the big stove.

 

[Haggis]

^^^ The reason I just ordered one. This will be my first. I have been a vintage coleman guy my whole life. My wife thinks I'm a bit odd, getting excited over a little stove. The older I get, the more I appreciate mechanically simple things.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

YES.
we recently were gifted an old piano. the serial number dates it to 1892 Chicago. still sounds great. I love old schit...they don't make anything the way the used to.