Stove of the Week: MSR WindPro

This week's stove is the MSR WindPro.


HJ

Hey Jim,That's an Impressive shot of that stove in action,& You have set-up Your site,Very Well Indeed!

Thanks, Rich. Blogger makes it pretty easy to look good.

I've benefited greatly from the discussions on this web site, and my posts on my blog reflect that benefit.

HJ

Another great review, thanks Jim. Could you possibly include a couple of camp site photos next time? Always nice to see some new scenery. Thanks.

All of the stoves are photographed in the field, which takes some time, and then of course I have to upload and assemble the photos AND write the text. I'll include site photos when I can, but time sometimes grows short. My favorite posts are where I walk you through a trip in travel log fashion AND review a stove, and I'll do those when I can. My SOTW post on the Primus Omnifuel will be coming up in a few weeks, and it will be written in just that style.

HJ

Looking forward to your next installment.

Next up: The Borde stove. Stay tuned.

HJ

Hail, hail the Borde - my first stove ever! The only combination stove/pipe bomb.....

Can't wait...

I quite like the Borde form the looks of it, compact and liquid fueled. Too bad they are really expensive from what I can see.

You're not that far off. lol.

HJ

Yeah, pretty pricey, and they are now discontinued which means they are going to only become pricier still. The Borde has an almost cult like following. People find them fascinating.

HJ

great!!!..i can't wait!!!

Are you sure you won't ... wait for it ... get borde? (groan)

HJ

Is there anything on the market today that is similar to the borde stove, as in small compact liquid fueled, but doesn't break the bank?

I thought of the Svea 123 and similar models, which evidently is not currently marketed, but this model should be available used. With only minimum maintenance, you can pass them on to your granchildren.

If you want a really cheap, but effective stove, consider something fueled by alcohol. Cost ranges from nothing to maybe $12 or so.

There is no one, perfect stove, but there are lots of alternatives.

Similar to the Borde? Not quite, but the MSR Simmerlite is pretty compact.

I'm a big fan of the Svea 123 that hikemor mentions. I wouldn't exactly call it compact, but it's not huge either. Wonderful reputation for reliability. The "R" model is still being made today although it is no longer made in Sweden and Optimus is no longer a Swedish company.

HJ

Oh? Who bought Optimus?

Optimus is now owned by Katadyn (best known for their water filters.) Optimus is still based out of Sweden and still manufactures the stoves as they did previous to being acquired by Katadyn.

The last information that I saw was that Optimus' operations had largely been moved out of Sweden except for some marketing and sales stuff. Won't swear to that, that's what I've seen.

I'm not sure where the Svea 123 is produced nowadays. They no longer say "Made In Sweden," they just say "Sweden" IIRC.

HJ

Jim:

I stand corrected. Optimus stoves are made in China. Scroll down about 1/2 a page to see the Optimus stoves which also lists their country of manufacture.

one more thing to like about the MSR WindPro:
"Made in USA"

OK, that's what I thought.

I don't know how serious, but there have been some complaints about the quality control on the Sveas made in China. Generally, the older Sveas that say "Made in Sweden" (instead of just "Sweden") are considered the better quality stoves.

The Optimus Nova, traditionally an outstanding stove, has also had some quality control problems and has been subject to a recall.

HJ

So what your saying is I should keep my old Svea 123's and leave the 123R in the box . . .

All I know is the old 123's I got off eBay work just fine as do some of my other older Optimus stoves.

Not exactly. 123R's are OK; you just need to get the ones made in Sweden. The "R" version came out in the early 70's after Optimus bought the rights to the Svea name from AB Max Sievert. For many years the "R" version was produced in Sweden, and those are fine in terms of quality. The newer 123R's, produced in China, are the ones I've seen complaints on.

Now, whether or not the revision Optimus made in the early 70's was a good idea is the subject of some debate. Many people feel that the original 123's (pre "R") are the better stove. Some people will even remove the needle on an "R" version and claim that the stove runs better. I personally prefer the older version.

HJ

Is there any hard evidence that the China made Svea's are of lesser quality and reliabitiy than the previous models? Which would also mean they're less safe?? Could part of the complaint factor be that people are aware the stoves are made in China? Only asking cause I think I own one of the recent model Svea123's. Maybe I should look on eBay for an older model?

Will you do a stove-of-the-week on Svea 123 / 123R? I am seriously thinking about trying to find one of the old ones. (But with the additional pump).

Hard evidence? None that I'm aware of. I've just seen a few postings on forums like this one about problems with the Chinese ones and some general comments about apparent lesser quality.

If you have a Svea 123R and it's working, I see no reason for you to replace it unless you just want to have an old 123R for the sake of having an old one. Some people do prefer the non R version as I mentioned, and to get one of those eBay is a good option.

If you do get an old Svea 123R, I'd be very interested in hearing your thoughts on the differences between one of the old ones and the ones sold today.

HJ

I will be doing a post on the Svea 123. It's a few weeks out yet, maybe mid-March. My plan at this point is to do the 123 and 123R as separate posts, but perhaps it would be helpful to compare and contrast the two.

Regarding the pump: They're nice but not at all necessary. They will boost output, and they will help with starting the stove in cold weather. However, they are generally expensive, and as I say not necessary, even in cold weather. In cold weather, do a double prime, that is prime the stove twice. Note: Do not open the fuel tank between primes. If you open the tank when the stove is hot, you could have a most unpleasant fireball. "Unpleasant" is putting it mildly.

One consideration with the Svea 123/123R is the SRV (safety release valve). If too much pressure builds up in the tank, the SRV could pop, releasing a hot cloud of vaporized air and gasoline. Needless to say, this is an explosive mixture, and it normally bursts into flame. That would be bad. I tend to be conservative in the operation of my Sveas. I keep the flame at moderate levels, and I tend not to use the pump. Like I say, I'm conservative.

As with any stove where the fuel tank is directly attached to the burner, great caution should be taken if a windscreen is employed. If you trap too much heat near the stove, you could have a fiery disaster on your hands. If you do use a windscreen, keep a close watch on the stove. If it starts to sound like a runaway freight train, turn it down. If I employ a windscreen, I leave it open on at least one side, screening only about 2/3rds of the stove. This helps cut wind but allows enough air circulation that the tank doesn't overheat.

Another caution: boiling water is 212F/100C (less at altitude but suffice it to say it's hot). If your pot boils over, you are rapidly applying a lot of heat to a vaporized air and gasoline mix that is under pressure. Letting your pot boil over on a Svea 123/123R could have very severe consequences.

Now, having said all that, there's a reason that the Svea 123 (which was introduced ca. 1954) is still in production today. It's super reliable, and many people swear by it to this day despite the availability of much lighter, more modern stoves. Please don't get the impression that I'm knocking the Svea 123. Actually my view of the Svea 123 is anything but that: it's my personal favorite out of all of my stoves. Just be aware that many of the safety features of modern stoves simply do not exist in the rather Spartan Svea 123. With a Svea 123, you are the safety mechanism. Get it?

HJ

Jim, as long as you are taking questions...What are the salient differences between the Svea 123 and the Primus 71? ( I believe there are other clones out there as well).

If I polish the tank of my 71L will it destroy the antique value?

Who will be the big winners a the Academy Awards?

Interesting question. The Primus 71, the Optimus 8R, 80, and 99, and the Svea 123/123R are all close cousins. Many parts are interchangeable depending on who made the stove when. The Optimus 199 is also in that family but is a little different. There are also some other manufacturers like Radius that made stoves in that class.

I have a 71L, it was my uncle's, and it was what propelled me into collecting stoves. The stove itself is a very good stove. The box/case is not quite so nice. It's a rather thin tinned steel and quite prone to rust. I think the Svea 123's brass windscreen is a much better deal. I also think the Svea 123's brass windscreen in combination with the aluminum cup make the Svea 123 more durable and more packable. I'm always a little afraid of bending up the 71L's case in my pack. On the other hand, IIRC, the 71's tank is bigger which can be of benefit on some trips.

In short: They're comparable stoves. They're both very good stoves. I prefer the 123. YMMV.

I don't think that you would hurt the antique value of the stove if you polished the brass, provided that you don't do something destructive like "polish" it with a wire wheel. Using citric acid, brasso, etc. should be fine. Anything that might degrade the engraving would definitely decrease the value of the stove.

Who will win the Academy Awards? I predict a movie will win Best Picture, an actor will win Best Actor, and a director will win Best Director. You heard it here first. lol

HJ