Thanks everybody for your feedback . I orderd my svea this morning. Ill post what i think of it ,and some pre trail feild tests in detail. As soon as it arrives . Which means i need some "Whitegas" <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Registered: 10/30/03
Posts: 4963
Loc: Marina del Rey,CA
The stove often sells new for around $100, so $84 isn't bad.
A & H sell parts and does repairs for 123's and other backpacking and marine stoves. It says it is the only North American service center for Optimus and Svea, so if you need something, looks like they are it. If I remember right, they are in Orange County somewhere (CA). A & H
Edited by TomD (08/18/0812:14 AM)
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Don't get me started, you know how I get.
I have a Svea 123R that I used for years without a failure. I had to replace the seal around the valve once, as it began to leak.
Two cautions: If overheated, the relief valve in the cap opens to prevent an explosion. When it does, the vapor that's released ignites, and a very long jet of flame shoots out. As a precaution, I always made sure it was facing away from me. It never happened to me, but it has happened. Use the same caution regarding external windscreens as you would with a cannister stove. Also, inspect (and replace if necessary) the gasket in the cap regularly. Some Sveas have a slightly sharp edge on the end of the threaded filler spout that cuts into the gasket.
Also, be sure to remove the valve key while you're cooking. Otherwise, it gets very hot and will burn your fingers when you try to turn the stove off or adjust the flame.
Mine wouldn't really simmer, but you can adjust the flame fairly low.
A&H are good people. I've bought various Optimus stuff from them. They had parts for my oldest Svea and R8. Even the adjustment keys. I built up a repair/rebuild kit for all my Optimus stoves, yet to be used.
Sveas/R8's and the filler cap, relief valve.....when those things blow, it's just like any other stove. Some people will try and wrap a windscreen around their stoves trying to drag every drop of heat out of the things. As a result they heat the fuel to the boiling point and the relief valve lets loose. So, don't shield the stove below the burner valve and you'll be fine....it needs to breath. I've never had this happen either but A&H can give you some pretty funny war stories regarding stove repair, and some of the stuff they get in.
Simmering....I guess every one's definition of simmering is different. We use four Optimus stoves going at the same time for chili cookoffs and group campouts....2 Svea's, an R8, and a Nova. All will 'simmer' depending on the pot size and what you are 'simmering'.
As many have mentioned, you'll probably like it. I used one last winter after finding an old one in a garage sale last year. I don't use one in summer because it's needlessly heavy. I have an old one (without the self cleaning valve) and it simmers great. So I've switched back from my whisperlight to this in the winter for simplicity, simmerability, and my other big thing I like about it, no stink when it gets shut off.
A couple of suggestions for winter:
1) fill the stove and put it in the freezer overnight to practice lighting it at home - or you can put it outside if it's cold enough.
2) I personally carry a small bottle of methyl alcohol to prime with. you can prime with the fuel in the stove but it flares more.
3) I find that in very cold weather, adding a small amount (like a teaspoon, be careful here) of methyl alcohol to the fuel helps cold starts.
Hello everyone My svea arrived on wed and i must say im pretty darn impressed. Besides my first attempt to prime the stove.(liquid gas+ flame = Fire Ball"close valve quickly & reprime "or fire ball just gets bigger) I have no complaints this thing may just end up being my goto stove For all my cool weather trips. I beleave this is the begining to a verry beautifull relationship. Boils watter as advertised and i found simmers verry well despite some reveiws. The stove could not fit into my snowpeak ti900 cookset any better. Its like the two were made for each other. My only gripe is with the stove on full blast some of the flame comes up the sides of my pot. Witch is easly corrected by backing power down as needed. overall this stove helps bost my confeidence for the frozen backcountry.And i would recomend it to anyone. Now i can worry about my next peice of winter equip. Thanks everyone , Samoset
Edited by Samoset (08/24/0807:21 AM)
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Some peopole live life day by day. Try step by step.
About the flame going around your small pot - you may find (as I do) that even with a wider pot I get a lot more boil time out of a tankful of fuel with the svea with it at about 3/4 "roar" instead of wide open full fledged C-130 hercules ramping up to takeoff kind of full throttle. I throttle mine back to not be at full snort and I get a fair bit more water boiled/melted out of the thing than I do with it at full crank..
Mind you about the only thing more impressive at full throttle is an MSR XGK - mine burning kerosene sounds and smells like an F-18, although I think the GE404 jet engine with afterburner probably simmers better <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Registered: 10/30/03
Posts: 4963
Loc: Marina del Rey,CA
Very funny Phat. Don't forget-the XGK has only two settings-off and full throttle.
BTW, priming is a learned artform. I have had my XGK pretty much fully engulfed in a big fireball more than once from a bit too enthusiatic squirt of fuel for priming. Luckily the bottle was far enough away not to get involved.
Enjoy the stove and ignore the naysayers. I design that is about 100 years old must have something going for it.
Edited by TomD (08/24/0810:26 PM)
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Don't get me started, you know how I get.
Very funny Phat. Don't forget-the XGK has only two settings-off and full throttle.
No no, the two settings I am certain are called "off" and "COME OVER HERE DARNIT! I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE BLOODY STOVE!"
It's my kerosene spike camp stove that lives in the spike camp box. I think it's other use is to make enough noise to scare away grizzlies from a camp with a moose hanging in it <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
It's good at turning a little kerosene into a lot of hot water fast though! which is what it comes for.
Quote:
BTW, priming is a learned artform. I have had my XGK pretty much fully engulfed in a big fireball more than once from a bit too enthusiatic squirt of fuel for priming. Luckily the bottle was far enough away not to get involved.
Yeah, which while I know the art, I ususally cheat and prime with alcohol with both the svea and the XGK - particularly the kerosene XGK. It's a lot less sooty and spectacular...
Registered: 10/30/03
Posts: 4963
Loc: Marina del Rey,CA
Hehehe. Nothing like sitting next to a roaring fire.
The priming comment was aimed more at Samoset. He'll get used to it. First time I really overdid it with the XGK, I was way out in the boonies in NZ by myself and just went "Uh Oh! What the xxxx just happened!?" Followed by a series of naughty words unprintable here. Fortunately, it only lasted a few seconds and didn't do me or the stove any damage.
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Don't get me started, you know how I get.
When you prime a Svea, you want the valve CLOSED when you impress your friends with the fireball. I use a nosespray bottle (with the straw removed) with alcohol for priming. Then it's not so scary. When the priming flame is almost out, you'll hear some sizzeling/hissing going on in the orfice. That means it's time to crack the valve. You'll get an nice calm ignition with no fireworks. If you prime with the valve open, you lose the backpressure the tank reqires to feed the burner, and way too rich flame. Those stoves are designed to burn with a pot in place and yup, it's more flame than usually needed. Throttle it back to where the flame is just short of the edge of the pot bottom. Glad you like the stove! It's my favorite too. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
I've had a Seva 123 since they were $13.95 retail, 1969, it has never failed ! Lots of comments here and I have not read them all so I don't know if this is a repeat.
About the only thing that will affect your stove long term is if you let it burn out, ie run out of fuel while in use. There is a cotton (?) wick in closed in the actual burner head, it is what draws the fuel into the burner to be vaporized. If you let the stove burn out this wick will become charred and that will affect the fuel flow. So in short don't ever let it burn out, refill before each use.
A couple other things. You need a better wind screen, they are easy to make. Make it tall enough to be within 1-2in of the top of your pot, fitting within about 1 in of the pot sidewalls. Only enclose the stove about 75% so it will not overheat and pop off, flame thrower ! To pre-heat my stove I hold it over a candle or use a sm. plastic eye dropper to suck up some reg. stove fuel. I have even used my Bic to pre-heat the stove. When you calculate the total weight of this stove with a fuel bottle it really is not any heavier than the new fancy wiz-bang stoves on the market. It requires less maintenance and has no plastic parts to fail.
#1. You REALLLY need the small aluminum pump and the mating brass fuel filler cap that comes with it.
With that pump and cap setup do the following to prime & light your SVEA 123:
1. Fill SVEA with white gas but LEAVE SOME AIR SPACE.
2. WITH VALVE CLOSED, replace the pump-mating brass fuel reservoir cap.
3. Place pump on cap and pump about 10 times or until resistance becomes too great to pump.
4. remove pump
5. place SVEA 123 in Sigg Tourist windscreen (or put SVEA pot stand on stove)
6. open valve a little so fuel comes out & collects in depression priming ring around the stem base (DO NOT OVER FILL DEPRESSION PRIMING RING) and CLOSE VALVE. Fuel may hit the botom of your flame spreader "cup". No problem.
7. light gas in ring
8. JUST BEFORE gas in ring burns too low open valve to start stove.
It's easy> PUMP, FILL PRIMING RING, LIGHT PRIMER GAS, OPEN VALVE & PRIMING FLAME LIGHTS STOVE
Eric
BTW, Buy a few extra flame spreader "cups" as they can come loose & get lost. (Don't ask me how I know this.)
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"There are no comfortable backpacks. Some are just less uncomfortable than others."
Registered: 03/17/03
Posts: 501
Loc: Puget Sound, Washington
What happened to "light match and toss from five feet away while running away"? That's ALWAYS my last step. (Other than check for singed eyebrow hair.)
The pump is just adding complexity to a very simple stove. If all else fails pour fuel over it and light it on fire. Also as I understand it the pump only works without the original wind screen/pot support so you need the sigg set.
You can easily use the pump without the Sigg Tourist Kit, I've done so for years. The pump makes the stove slightly easier to light and I like the pump. That said, I used the original for years without the pump and never found it hard to light. Optimus/Svea stoves remain the only stove brands that have never given me trouble in the field.
From what Ive read you cant at the same time, but you can unscrew the pump and put the windscreen back. The cap as a self closing seal that opens and closes when the pump is on and off.
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My gear is no where near lightweight
I agree, Coghlan's fire paste does a great job, especially when it's very cold, but it also covers the stove with soot in no time. In warm weather I prefer white gas for priming. Works fine, and much less mess.
Wo wo wo ! Besides the fist attempt. I personly find this stove verry easy to prime/operate. So far my fav way to prime. Is to hold a lit bic under stove 25-45secs. Open valve let a little fuel into priming resivoir !CLOSE VALVE! Ignite Gas. Just before flame burns out open valve !VOILA! instant cooking power. Thanks Again
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Some peopole live life day by day. Try step by step.
All of the talk about priming is interesting because I used a Svea for years and never had any problem with priming. I just used an eye dropper to fill the cup, lit it and when it was just about gone started the stove.
The pump is really only needed to make lighting easier, not so much to pump an already running stove. Once the stove is lit, I remove the pump and attach the windscreen. The pump fits over a modified fuel tank cap and the cap stays in place when the stove is running.
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