Help me choose a new stove. (MSR XGK EX vs Primus Omnifuel)

Borde Bombe

I'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.

“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.

Hendrik,

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

Hi 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).

yeh, 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.

Primus 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.

yeh 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!

"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.–

There 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.

You 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