Topic
Help me choose a new stove. (MSR XGK EX vs Primus Omnifuel)
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › Help me choose a new stove. (MSR XGK EX vs Primus Omnifuel)
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
Mar 25, 2010 at 7:31 am #1256926
I'm upgrading from pocket rocket to a multifuel system i can take overseas to asia with me.
Basically i decided on the XGK EX….bought one, came home, only to find that the plastic pump was buggered and broken. The store took it back, offered a refund or to order a new pump in for me. I chose to wait for the new pump, but they said i can collect a refund anytime before they get the pump in if i feel like it.
I walked down the road, and for the first time, i saw a Primus Omnifuel…and it blew me away, the sturdiness of the metal pump and body of the stove.Now im tempted to get that refund and add a few more bucks on and get that omnifuel.
Whats your thoughts?? which stove should i choose? Anyone had any experience with either? Basically i want something bombproof, able to function anywhere, cold, hot weather, using any fuels. 50-100g more in weight, really doesnt bother me.
Mar 25, 2010 at 7:54 am #1590673Borde Bombe
Mar 25, 2010 at 9:50 am #1590738I've beat the heck out of MSR Whisper Int'l & Dragonfly, never had a problem w/either stove. Like the Dragon if you think you might want to actually cook during your travels.
Mar 25, 2010 at 10:06 am #1590747"Basically i want something bombproof, able to function anywhere, cold, hot weather, using any fuels."
1. Ti-Tri + Inferno burns alcohol, esbit, wood and other biomass in normal and winter conditions.
2. Bushcooker LT II burns alcohol, esbit, wood and other biomass in all conditions.
3. BushBuddy Ultra burns esbit, wood and other biomass in all conditions.Benefit of all three mentioned stoves: cheaper as the of you named ones, and free if running on biomass, which you will find everywhere – from the desert to the rainforest.
Mar 25, 2010 at 10:15 am #1590752Hendrik,
I have had an MSR Dragonfly for years and never had a problem with the pump. It is high strength, fiberglass reinforced polymer,
The Dragonfly will simmer FAR lower than any other multifuel stove.
Eric
Mar 25, 2010 at 4:22 pm #1590879Hi guys, yeah i was actually thinking more along the liquid stove line. I already have a solid fuel es-bit folding stove, and a wood/solids stove i made which does work fine. But often in Asia, there are times especially during the wet season, where its easier to give a bloke a buck or so to run off and get you a bottle of unleaded, rather than scavenge solids from the forest around. (And having simmer control is good too).
Mar 26, 2010 at 9:09 am #1591068yeh, today i went and got that Omnifuel…getting a refund on my MSR Xgk Ex….and wow, i was not dissappointed.
All metal pump design, looks much more durable than the flimsy plastic MSR pump, and its spring loaded, and the action is smoother! No trouble putting pump into the bottle, unlike the MSR the Omnifuel pump does not have that annoying bend. The stove itself appears nicer too, and the fuel hose more flexible than that of the MSR.
The main point i liked is the connection from the pump to the fuel hose. The MSR had a clip, the Omni screws is, for in my opinion a tighter seal. The multi tool is nicer than the MSR (u have a hex nut for the jet, rather than requiring a flat head screwdriver on the MSR…which i found stripped easier!)
Fired her up, and she burns like a solar flare, no complaints, and the simmer control was a bonus. Im still to take her out in the field, but so far im very very very impressed!
I just dont know how the MSR is $50 more than the Omnifuel….
Oh, just out of total curiosity I called the phone number up in Sweden/Estonia where the Primus head office is….got through…straight away. I just wanted to ask if MSR bottles were compatible (answer was yes), but the guy was so nice he ran through EVERYTHING, from operation, maintenance…even what he likes to cook on the stove (or "kok" as they say it, lol).
So far, on my little experience with it, i recommend Primus.Mar 26, 2010 at 11:11 am #1591110Primus omnifuel is a bomber stove for the money. Even the pump is field serviceable (chapstick on the leather piston)
I was given one in 2000, still as perfect as the day i got it.
The two reasons why i think people prefer MSR.
1) Weight – ominfuel is 6oz heavier
2) Loudness – omnifuel is notoriously loud.Mar 26, 2010 at 4:31 pm #1591220yeh James, i guess ur right-the weight and the loudness.
but IMHO ok, its slightly heavier, but…that amount is so small, u may as well be picking the mud out of ur soles every few steps. as for the loudness…well, i dont know anyone who tries to sleep whilst cooking, if anything its safer cos it keeps you awake!
I think maybe if people buy both stoves, as i did…then they will realise that everything about the omnifuel is pretty much better…
im going camping over easter with some mates, not really UL backpacking, cos they are more interested in car camping and fishing…but ill sure as hell bring the stove, and put it through its paces, under a hotplate, under anything really!Mar 26, 2010 at 4:40 pm #1591221"2) Loudness – omnifuel is notoriously loud."
MSR is not exactly like a few chirping crickets.
We refer to it as the MSR alarm clock, because it wakes up the whole camp in the morning.
–B.G.–
Mar 28, 2010 at 12:10 pm #1591661There is a reason why the Msr xgk is the only stove brought on north pole, south pole, etc expeditions. Utter bombproof reliability. Just don't be stupid with the pump and you're fine.
Apr 10, 2010 at 9:20 am #1596438You absolutely made the right decision with the Omnifuel, IMO. It is a few ounces heavier, but gives you so much greater range of usability options. As you noted, the simmer control is something the MSR just doesn't even begin to offer, unless you prefer to play with manipulating the fuel pressure at the pump, instead of using the valve. It's equally reliable and field maintainable. It's easier to prime and preheat…quick blast of fuel, light it, cook… (no generator and explosive pools of fuel). It's good for something besides melting snow and simply boiling water. And, best of all, it has the ability to burn canister fuel, which, under all but the worst conditions, is really the safest, cleanest, lightest, and most user friendly way to go. The XGK, for $150 or so, is purely a liquid fuel stove. What's up with that? I don't consider that a mere matter of intended use and function, I consider that an oversight, at best, and a serious flaw that doesn't fully represent modern stove technology, at worst. It's as though Cascade Designs designed a stove around their existing fuel pump, instead of the other way around. Perhaps my favorite part of the Omnifuel is the fact that it makes a fantastic remote canister set-up. So even when using it at freezing temperatures, I can always invert the canister and turn it into a liquid feed, bypassing any of the cold weather problems generally associated with vaporization of canister fuels. Yeah, good call on your part! You ended up with the better product that's going to give you everything you'll ever need in a stove…without limitations
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Our Community Posts are Moderated
Backpacking Light community posts are moderated and here to foster helpful and positive discussions about lightweight backpacking. Please be mindful of our values and boundaries and review our Community Guidelines prior to posting.
Get the Newsletter
Gear Research & Discovery Tools
- Browse our curated Gear Shop
- See the latest Gear Deals and Sales
- Our Recommendations
- Search for Gear on Sale with the Gear Finder
- Used Gear Swap
- Member Gear Reviews and BPL Gear Review Articles
- Browse by Gear Type or Brand.