If you want a stove that runs like a Swiss watch, then the Primus Omnifuel is your stove. It's precision engineering at it's best. I mean this thing is a stovie's dream. Just look at that beautiful blue flame.


The pump's action is a smooth as silk. Everything fits together just so. This is one high end stove. But enough praise, let's take a look: Stove of the Week: The Primus Omnifuel

HJ

i was at REI today looking for something to spend my $19 pay back on and saw one of those..and then the price!!..way out of line for a month a year canoe tripper like me.if you were a guide who needed a no fail stove,or stoves,to take care of clients or a professional adventurer i could see it.maybe a survival enthusiast who can afford nothing but the best for their BOB.i looked at few with less steel in them than my Zippo lighter and they were the same 150 smackers as the Omni.maybe i've been in the woods to much or gotten used to the $5-$10 Coleman suitcases at yard sales but i get the feeling i'm being taken to the zoo on the price of gear.
by the way i got one of those 99 cent gaz stoves--$4 shipping from Hong Kong as a tea boiler on this years canoe trip,i'll post on how it worked out..$150 clams for a burner..where's the bottle!

Yeah, I'm with you there. I paid about $80 something for mine used. It was worth it to me, but then again I'm a crazy stovie.

HJ

HJ,

Another great adventure in stoves.

Would you prefer the OmniFuel (with OmniDawg) to a Dragonfly (with cap)? I am looking for a gift for my son. Simmering is useful to him and he can use my XGK if he goes somewhere that the fuel is bad.

The Big Canine has offered to make a cap for my XGK and I am thinking seriously about it. What is your impression (I take it you liked the cap for the Dragonfly

Respectfully,

Jerry

Using my great (ahem) knowledge of stoves, I'd like to give you a definite: it depends.

I own both stoves. My clear preference is for the Omnifuel. It's build quality is far superior. Among other advantages, the the Omnifuel's ability to run on canister gas is plus for inclement weather where one wants to cook inside a tent or shelter. Priming inside a tent carries a not insignificant risk. There's no priming with gas.

Gas for younger folks is in my opinion safer since there is, again, no priming. If your son is about to turn 18, that may not be an issue, but if he's 9, then that's a consideration. An Omnifuel can grow with you, so to speak. Canister gas for when you're young, and then "advanced" fuels when you're more mature.

Now, having said that, neither stove is inexpensive, so I imagine cost will be a factor in your decision. The Primus Omnifuel retails for about $160, the DF for for $130. There are a lot more DF's sold than Omnifuels. You probably could pick up a used DF for quite a bit less than an Omnifuel. The Dragonfly wins hands down on cost.

The silent caps for each stove are yet another expense. I've seen them go on eBay for more than the price of the stove. Serious sticker shock. The Omnifuel, if one were not going to get a silent cap, is the quieter of the two. As for the caps themselves, they have my whole hearted, unequivocal endorsement, an endorsement shared by many fellow stovies and a friend of mine who is not only a long time stovie but also a machinist. Quality stuff. If hugecanine has offered to make you a custom cap, I'd say go for it. I've purchased multiple items from him, and I sent a stove to him for repairs beyond my capability. He does good work. HOWEVER, having said that, he does make something called a midi-cap which is a more generic cap. The midi-cap can be used for sure on a Dragonfly and I believe also an XGK and an Omnifuel. It doesn't have the legs to hold it in place that a custom cap would, but you could use it on a wide variety of stoves if they have similarly sized burners. Consult the maker re what stoves it will fit. If you can afford the cost, the custom caps are the better way to go; if not, the versatile midi cap is a good choice.

So, there you have it, my definite "it depends."

Hopefully knowing some of the tradeoffs and considerations is helpful.

HJ

HJ,

He turned 30 this year! I am not worried about the various fuel options. I consider the 30 to 50 dollar difference insignificant if I get the better product (plus I am a SERIOUS shopper who will wait till I get a deal). I won't spend more to get the same thing, but over the life of a stove like this it is not much.

Thanks for the advice, I guess I may start looking for a Primus.

Respectfully,

Jerry

OK, then don't worry about that.

I waited and waited and finally the right deal came along. I got an Omnifuel, barely used, from another hiker for $86.70.

Of the three top multifuel "expedition" stoves (the Primus Omnifuel, the Optimus Nova, and the MSR XGK), I think the Omnifuel holds the overall edge in areas with good quality fuel supplies. As noted in my blog, were I to go to a remote location with spotty supplies (might have to burn some non-standard fuels in other words) or poor quality supplies, then I'd go with an XGK. In a disaster situation, I'd take the XGK hands down.

Optimus was recently bought out by Katadyn, and from the appearance of things, the transition was anything but smooth. Optimus has had to do a recall of the Nova. I cannot recommend the Nova at this time. Older pre-Optimus Novas, made in Sweden, with the CEJN coupling are a fine stove. The next SOTW will be on the Nova if I recall correctly.

HJ

Jim:

Great review as always!

Last year I had the opportunity to try this stove out on a 3 day hike and could not find anything to dislike about the stove. Since that hike, I have seen the Omnifuel in the local stores on many occasions and fought the urge to pull out the wallet more then once...

"Resistance is futile..."

HJ