I got My Svea 123 at The Mountain Goat, Manchester Centre VT. In '92. What a Lovely stove! It works in all seasons, down to -25 C. I primed it with liquid alcohol, cleaner, and worked. I did take the fuel 'splatter' plate, drilled some 1/8" holes in it, and turned up the outer 'wings' so as to centralize the flame more. I also covered that slot with a brass plate, to aim more heat to the pot. Worked just great. Passed it on to the next person who bought my kit, when I retired. Now, I miss it!😢
Nice stove, thanks for showing it. Just got a Optimus no.8 from a friend. Looking forward getting that old beast up and running again. By the way, it is not called a “flog of crows”, but a “murder of crows”. Greetings from The Netherlands
My Svea 123 is 49 years old, and still works. I use the original cup and windscreen for dayhikes and solo backpacking, but pair it with a Sigg Tourist cook kit (pots plus larger windscreen) for larger groups. Even the sound brings back many great memories.
A secret, (not any longer) way to prime Svea stoves is to hold the tank in your bare hands or your lap to warm it a bit. Then crack the valve open until fuel runs down the valve body and fills the priming well. Close valve, light fuel, just before its all burned open valve..stove's lit.
That's a good way to prime the stove, and it works pretty well, but it's unreliable in freezing weather. Still, in temperate weather it works well and it's yet another reason this is one of the best stoves ever made.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter It's not unreliable at all. It literally works every time. If you open the fuel cap and close it to equalize the pressure first, your hands only need to be a couple of degrees warmer than the stove to force ample fuel for priming. If you don't want to remove your gloves, just open and close the cap and slip it under your coat. It literally takes about 5 seconds, pull it out and open the valve immediately before it cools again. The little priming pan will have plenty in it in about 5 more seconds. The secret is opening and closing the cap first.
Always remember to remove the key from the valve and never leave it on there when it's running or you will brand the key pattern onto your thumb. It gets hot and fast! I speak from painful experience of that momentary sizzling sound and the smell of my digital epidermal layer vaporizing. OUCH!
I forgot to add. Thread the chain for the Key through the larger slots in the Wind Screen. Never ever keep the Key Attached to the Valve Stem unless you want to burn your Fingers. You can use things like the Fire Paste or the Alcohol Paste to Prime it but the original method was to dip a little Fuel out of the tank using a Straw and this works just fine.
Hello AB. My Svea 123 is from the 1970's and still going strong. Over 40 some years use I have done a few things differently to make things easier with this stove. 1: Remove the key chain from the inside and reattach it to the outside windscreen shroud.This will help get the chain out of the way especially when adding or removing the windscreen. 2: I use 91% isopropyl alcohol in a squirt bottle instead of white gas or other starters for priming. You will not have any soot problems. 3: I have painfully discovered if you leave the key attached to the stove (in warmer camping) you may require burn ointment to the fingertips. 4: I did the same, I did away with the cup that came with the unit and replaced with a larger (more functional) stainless cup with built in fold out handles.
Hello from B.C. I tested my Primus and my Svea at home before leaving for a cross country ski tour in Manning Park. Both are vintage stoves from mid seventies and both tested out perfectly at home. My wife and I set up the tent as the temperature dipped to -25 F. Numerous attempts to prime both stoves with white gas applied to the cup at the base of the stem failed. These stoves at these temperatures require a pressure system/pump to assure a reliable start.
We had one when I was a youth, but it disappeared. I found one in a second hand store at $3.99 almost sprained my wrist getting my wallet out to pay for it. Have used it all year round for over 10 years now for both family camping and Scout Camps. Remember do NOT leave the key in it when it is on.
Good video and great stove. I purchased mine used in 1984 in Germany. It traveled with me up the East Approach to the Eiger, up on the Monch as well as on the Jungfrau. I never had a problem with it up until last year. That was when it started not shutting off correctly. Now came the fun and games. I tried the rebuild kits and it never worked right. It wouldn't shut off correctly. The valve wasn't closing all of the way. Finally recently I saw on a Camping Web Site that someone else was having the same problem and Bernie Dawg replied to pull the Pricker. I did that and it works great again. Once again it is my go to Stove.
Good points! I've heard about that trick, not just with SVEA stoves, but with MSR and other stoves too. The needle in the 123R is geared so sometimes you can just clean it, but it can also get deformed too, and then it needs to be removed. On the shaker-valve type stoves like MSRs the needle can actually weld itself to the inside of the stove and that's another problem altogether. But in both cases, all you need to do after the needle is removed is to clean the jet manually with one of those little wire tools, like you'd do with my 33-year-old MSR Whisperlite Internationale.
That Svea model 123r is over 80 years old. Design wise anyhow. And your whisperlite can easily be rebuilt and it’s not terribly expensive. There’s just a slight learning curve. Also the key goes thru the hole on the side of the wind screen.
Actually, I have rebuild kits for both my WhisperLite and my Svea 123R. And they're both pretty easy to maintain. I've rebuilt the WhisperLite twice now and replaced the pump that finally died of old age, but it's still running well after 34 years. I just happen to like the 123R better as it takes up less space for the same weight.
I like both stoves actually. Mostly for the history and design of them. Both are brilliant and popular because of their great designs and how functional they are!
My Svea had a pricker needle that popped up to clear the jet, when the 'key" was turned backwards.. So to prevent any soot, I turned it backwards while still pressurized to allow raw fuel blow out the jet. It worked.
That fantastic jet cleaning system is actually still a feature on new SVEA stoves. And it's much more effective than the "shaker needle" cleaning system. I've had to deal with other stoves where that shaker needle welded itself to the tube and caused the stove to malfunction.
I still use the Svea I bought in 1970 for 10.00 retail! A few years later a couple of friends got the new (at the time) 123R models and we would "race" them to see which one would boil a cup of water the fastest...Mine never lost 😀! The R's sounded a little different too! I'm glad I got it then when things weren't so expensive!
+Steve Walker I still love this stove as well - so far I prefer the 123R because of the cleaning mechanism - it's one less tool to carry. By comparison, I carried the full expedition repair kit for my MSR Whisperlite and that was a bit of a pain. I felt this was necessary as the stove got older because there are so many parts to fail. And though this stove is really low-maintenance I'm looking into grabbing some replacement parts this year, just in case. I cross-subscribe to thereal111t's channel and he has some excellent stove reviews and repair videos, so I might do a maintenance video in the future.
If you can find an old one of these the fill cap is at a different angle and in the 70's 80's through REI you could buy a pump for priming. Also the originals showed on the can that out could use white gas, regular petrol, and a third liquid liquid( essence). And as said in various reply's do not leave the adjustment key on the stove, it will get very hot. The 70 80's stove bodies are much thicker than the Svea 123 of today. That stove is wonderful for the simplicity, The stove key is also used to take apart the stove and clean. It also comes with a tool to clean the orifice, a tiny pin use the clean the outhole. Do not lose this pin. I used an eye dropper to pull liquid from the stove and put at the base of the stem to prime the stove.
"Regular petrol" of dyas gone by is much different than today and I wouldn't chance using it, especially with added ethanol. I've had issues with a lot of devices using unleaded gas, especially with small engines. Plus, regular petrol/unleaded gas is way different chemically from naphtha/white gas. All of those extra additives in unleaded gas - even the premium stuff - are exactly what clogs up these stoves and especially Coleman stoves.
Great little stoves. I had one for years and hauled up and down mountains all over Europe and New England, until someone stole it near Mt. Washington. (I just got around to replacing it and will be ditching all of my new style stoves.) These stoves may not be the lightest or the hottest but they will not fail you.
Ed Cook I'd agree with that. There are so few parts that there's very little to go wrong. They're faster and hotter than alcohol stoves, they use less fuel than the white gas backpacking stoves, they're much more economical than canister stoves over the long run, and they can be used in a fire ban, unlike the twig-burners. And I'm not too concerned about a few more minutes of boil time.
Good video Dean! I have been thinking lately that one of the only things I miss about living where I used to is being closer to you and doing the videos together! I hope you are safe and well!
Mine is 32 years old and still works great. I use Purell hand sanitizer to prime the stove. Can't say if it works better then the priming paste you use but it works.
32 years old? That's a bit older than my MSR, and that's very encouraging! I love the idea of using sanitizer as I already carry it in my first aid kit. I'm going to try it.
one more thing i forgot to mention: for camping and not for hiking i have 3 coleman 502 white gas stoves. one is a 1969 model and i think the other 2 just happen to be 1984 & 1985 models. of course they are a pump-up white gas stove and they give-off a pretty loud jet sound when fired-up, but i think they are great to take camping just in-case you might want to use one along with a real wood camp fire. they're just too heavy to pack to hike with, IMO for me. what i like about your optimus Svea stove is that there's no pumping, no manual pressurizing and the stove is lighter to pack. i think your stove is one of those vintage items that will never lose it's coolness and practicality, also. your stove is just cool in years passed or years to come! thanks again my friend!
+Martina Dejaquiz Are those the old Peak 1 stoves? I always liked them. And the stove in this video is an Optimus SVEA stove (actually a SVEA 123R) and it's actually still in production, which amazes me.
+Alberta Bushcrafter the peak 1 series is quite a bit different than the older 501 sportster series. the Coleman 501 Sportster stoves were IMO Cloleman's main stay of the single burner white gas stoves in that Coleman produced the 501 Sportster from the 50's until the early 90's (for about 40 years the 501 model wasn't altered any at all from it's original design). there is a 501a model which has a sheet stamped steel burner (a little flimsy by comparison to the 501's stacked burner rings) and the 501a has a more cut-out burner cup to allow for a lesser expensive, lesser quality generator. there were a few other Coleman single burner models made before the 501a auch as the 500 model (very heavy cast iron top and burner). the 502's are much lighter than it's predecessors and the 502's also feature a real nice welded grill that's strong, but not heavy. IMO, the Coleman 502 Sportster is a North American classic that's real hard to beat. the 502 completely fits and stores in a 6X6X6 cardboard box (small for camping). the 502 is completely temperature controllable all the way from high to a really suttle small simmer. the 502's also features a smaller diameter fuel tank which is exactly the same diameter as the classic Coleman 200A single mantle white gas lantern (also a coleman main stay of many decades). the same lantern safe that fits the 200A also fits the 502 stove. i love the stoves and i guess thats why i have 3 502's! i'm kind of a stove woman you might say as well as a coleman lantern collector. i also rebuild and sell dearborn gas heaters. this is my busy season. IMO, stoves, lanterns, heaters, prepping, camping, hiking, bushcraft and things of that nature all go together! i actually have a ton of stoves...on a smaller scale maybe something kind of similar to hiram cook but not that big into it!!!! the Optimus 8R and the Svea 123R are 2 stoves i have never owned and i'm considering getting both just to play with them and carry out to the bush and see what they will do! if interested looking on ebay under, "Coleman 502 Sportster Stove" you positively will see many for sale and they really are not that expensive if you use some patience i have seen new ones go for $30-$35 total but you have to watch them close to get that price. most likely, seeing what i see of you, you possibly may like the 502? thank you very much and hope i haven't talked too much. thank you again!
+Alberta Bushcrafter i think the 502 is too heavy for me to want to load carry hiking and too bulky to carry, too for me. i think very few hiking would carry the 502. however, for camping the 502 is nice. i wouldn't say it's real heavy, but heavier than the 123R for sure. with a windscreen, the 502 is like cooking on the kitchen stove at home while in the bush because the temp control is so easily regulated. one thing about the 502 IMO... they are made very very well with very good quality materials and it's an exceptional design, IMO. i believe coleman perfected the single burner stove when they made the 502 and i think that's why it was made for decades. now it's out of production and in it's place from coleman is coleman's 508. the 508 is a very poorly made poor quality stove IMO by comparison to the 502. no way i would ever buy a 508. the 502 is a solid high quality stove IMO. i actually have rebuilt several 502's myself... 9 screws hold it together, one 7/16 nut holds the generator on. breeze to restore one. a new 502 generator is only $12 total delivered to your house from ebay. runs on white gas only. has leather cup air pump. replaceable stacked rings for the burner jets. 502's are quite a stove i think. the 502 uses coleman lantern standard parts for the tank, fuel cap and gaskket, air pump and check valve. i keep 1 in the truck, 1 in the house in the cabinet for an emergency and i have 1 brand new never used one in it's factory box stored in the closet as an extra just because i like the stove so much. they actually are abundantly available and not very expensive on ebay. maybe one day you might like to try one out?
Have you tried the straw method, just remove the fuel cap, dip the straw into the fuel, put your finger over the end of the straw and remove it will hold enough fuel in the straw to prime the stove, cool stove by the way.
Yes, I've tried that and it works too. I've also got a plastic eyedropper that works even better. But I had the fire paste and had to use it up anyway.
You got a great deal on that stove. I had one my grandfather gave me that he bought when he was in his 50s. just before WW2. It still worked in 1983 when he gave it to me. Unfortunately it was lost in a move along with other camping/bushcraft gear.
+hoosierarcher That's sad to hear. It would be great to see it working today as that would mean it's 60 years old or thereabouts. I still love mine, though I have a few other stoves to demo soon.
Actually, that may have also been a SVEA stove. They made one in a square case that was more compact than this one. I think it was the Optimus 99 and /or 199 - more about it here: classiccampstoves.com/forums/optimus-no-199.163/ . But another one was the 111B stove.
That and the Juwel 34 are the best gasoline stoves IMO. The Juwel doesn't have a built in heat shield though, so you might see the safety valve activate after about 15 min of burning.
I camped with an Optimus 8R from my mid teens to thirties, or until the box rusted away. You prime it by filling the fuel only two thirds full, capping the tank and warming the tank with your hands with the valve open just a bit. This provides enough pressure to prime the priming ring at the base of the jet. you then shut off the valve, light off the primer and wait for it to just about go out. The pressure to run the stove comes entirely from the heated air and vapors inside the tank. It is important to vent the tank after use when it is cool enough to touch. From my thirties to my sixties I have been using an MSR dragonfly. After about twenty five years, part of the base broke off and it was useless for the rest of that trip. However, I contacted MSR and paid the shipping to get the stove to them in Seattle WA. They totally refurbished it and mailed it back to me, all free of charge.
The trick with warming the tank with your hands works at times, but not in extreme cold, at least when I tried it. And I almost froze my hands to the tank, as it was -25 C. But generally it works and is one way to prime it. I still carry a plastic eyedropper now. I used my MSR WhisperLite Internationale for about 28 years and it is still in service. MSR definitely makes great products, but I've never had to call their service department as I've been faithful with annual maintenance and I've only had to replace an old pump otherwise. Even the tank has held up, with a few gasket replacements. So MSR is also a great company - I just figured it would be fun to try a different stove.
It was a weld that broke on my MSR Dragonfly down in the cup and yoke that held the burner assembly. I have thought of getting the Internationale but I haven't yet been anywhere that I can't find "white spirit, (NZ)" or unleaded gasoline. I have a whisper lite but I found I can't run it low enough to cook pancakes well. Great for boiling water though. I remember the old svea stoves from army surplus stores and gear my dad had from his time in Korea with the USMC. I have a picture in my mind of that crusty old stove sputtering away. :)
The Seva 123 last for ever and does not use disposable propane. You can buy a paste in a squeeze tubealcohol or white gas I keep the sanitizer in my cook set. It does double deity as a fire starter and hand sanitizer. If your are experienced with the stove you can use it a 20 below F on a x country ski trip. When it is cold I set it on a cork pad to insolate it from the ground. The reason it does not have to be pumped to build up pressure is because the stove self pressurizes. As the tower heats up the liquid gas coming up the tower vaporizes building pressure. As with any stove us a wind screen to increase boiling time. The stove can't blow up. The filling cap a has a pressure valve and a flame will shoot out of the outlet. In 50m yers I have never seen one blow.
Instead of an eye dropper, use a small piece of paper towel rolled up, about 2 inches. Dip that into the white gas and let it soak up the gas. Put the cap on.Then wrap it around the base of the generator. Try to keep it open at the cap so you don't fry the cap's washer. Then you won't have gas running down the sides. In the winter you may have to do it twice, so use gas from your refill tank. Also in the winter you may have to shield the stove from the cold ground to keep pressure.
This is a very portable and simple stove but the old ones are much higher quality than current issue. Either one will work though. Great for a quick coffee break when out and about. A silent cap is a great option such as those made by Berniedog at Bluewater stove restoration. Although the price for one is almost half that of the stove.
It's an almost perfect fit, in fact. There's even a bit of spare room for a match kit, or a little bottle of priming alcohol or tube of fire paste. I use a small plastic eyedropper in cold weather but a small bottle of ethanol or similar is OK for warm weather.
Have used primus stoves for many years the two items i would like to see is a silencer and a stainless steel pot instead of the aluminium supplied. Otherwise its an excellent grab and go winter 😊back up stove.
I know of silencers you can get, but they're $35+ and handmade. But they really do the job well. But yes, since this stove is still in production, it would be great if the manufacturer made a silencer.
dean, i got my 123R stove, but i can't fire it up, yet. it doesn't have the key. i researched & found that the key size is a 4mm square drive. a #7 clock winding key is also a 4mm square drive. so, i have one ordered from ebay.. $6USD + free ship. good info if anybody ever needs the key size.
Thanks, Martina - that's good to know! And I'm happy you were able to get one of these great stoves too. My stove guru has a few and the oldest is over 40 years old and still running fine. The weather ought to be clearing up in a month or two so I think I'll have more stove videos to do soon.
I have found that in warmer climates you do not have to prime this stove. Heat from the hands (or other warm parts of the body) is enough to get it started. I normally use meths which I have found to be cleaner than gel. My stove was purchased at a car boot sale (similar to your yard sales) a few years ago for £8.00 (about $14) which was an absolute bargain.
I've been thinking of using meths as a primer for a while now (meths=methylated spirits, for whose who don't know). But the paste lasts longer and it doesn't really have a lot of residue - just a crispy little wisp of charred stuff. Great deal on the stove, too! I wish I could find one that cheap.
the mi woodsman I've taken this one out a few times now. It's a little bit heavy, but it sips fuel rather than guzzles it like the MSR stove did. It also performs nicely in below-freezing weather as well.
I got bored and stopped watching when you were searching through the bag. I appreciate that you are not a professional film maker but surely you could prepare everything you need prior to starting and prepare a provisional dialogue.
Will the Svea stove fit in the Stanely Adventure kit.Crows are one of if not the smartest birds out there.They have been able to solve probs,reconize people up to 3 years,and have one od the most wide vocalizations to name a few things about them.
It does fit, at least the older ones. I think Stanley made a slight change or two over the years. Just keep in mind that white gas isn't the best condiment for food, and this stove does have a relief vent in the cap. I learned this the hard way. 😁😁
Hey Dean. Doesn’t look like you ever did a follow up video on this stove. I hope you still like it because I just ordered one today. Just another stove for the fleet 😂. It sure has a big following on RUclips and many other sites. Hope all is well 👍
Unfortunately, 2019 has been a bust for videos. I've been stuck renovating my home for several months and have had no time to do anything else. The good news is that my renovations included building a small indoor workshop, so I think I'll be shooting several videos in it, including more stove videos. There will be gear repair videos coming up too, as that's something I want to explore.
Still runnin a 1960s era Svea given to me by my father-in-law in 1993. Don't take it out every season, but every time I do it burns just as reliably and hot as it did the day I got it.... and the day he got it. I'll pass the damn thing on, guaranteed.
Yup. It just keeps on tickin. Gotta be the most reliable stove ever built. He was a avid outdoor fella too - the stove and set was very well used when he gave it to me but he hadn't used it out on a trail in around a decade when he passed it over - which is why he passed it to me, I was getting really into backpacking at the time.
Hi dean I got it to work beautiful flame but it stopped after a few minutes and I couldn't get it to work again without priming. I will replace the cap gasket and see if the problem vanishes. Thanks
i think they should have chained the key to the o/s of the windscreen instead of on the i/s to the fuel tube. yeah, that fire paste... good for your fire kit! good skillet cooking temp control, too for real cooking and not just boiling - i like that a lot! i gotta get one of these.
I agree, and I've moved the key to the windscreen. As for the paste, I also use an eyedropper to prime the stove and that works well too. Just try to find a plastic dropper, though, as they're less fragile than glass.
i sold the used one i bought. i love the stove enough i wanted a brand new one - not a used one. i bought it for $40USD+free shipping. i sold it for $140USD by parting it out on ebay and the $140USD was profit after ebay&PayPal fees and after shipping. there were few 123R parts on ebay. so, i parted it out. now i got the money for a brand new one! that was my plan. all of the parts sold fast, too. i'm about to order a brand new 123R stove. i've seen'em before on ebay for $99USD+free shipping and no tax and that's brand new. i love the stove - it's awesome! a great great great stove at the least! i'm ready for my brand new one now!!!!!!!
The key is supposed to go through one of the larger openings in the wind screen. You might have mentioned it is fueled on white gas one of the great turn offs of the modern gen. At $20 a gallon it is no longer the deal it once was. They are a great stove, I've had mine since 1976 with no failures. Great thing is it works in the winter. Oh you can prime heat them with alcohol or more camp fuel as well. Thanks
A J Taylor Thanks, A.J. This was an unboxing so I was fairly unfamiliar with this stove, but I fiddled with it some more and found that out. And yes, I've been playing around with priming and you're right: alcohol and camp fuel work well. Hand sanitizer does too in a pinch but would not be my first choice.
Alberta Bushcrafter One time up in Northern Manitoba I used it at -45 F and actually had a hard time starting the alcohol so I just took some fuel out of the stove in my cup and used that. It did work though and saved the day with a hot drink on the trail.
I've had one of these for over forty years so technically it's not an Optimus because it was made before they took over Svea. It has never let me down but I did have to fit a service kit last year. I don't think you can get a better stove. You don't have to worry about White Gas they run on Unleaded Petrol as well, even with the price of petrol over here in the UK it works out at about £1.10p a litre (about $1.50).
Good point! And you don't even need to pack extra if a small bottle of hand sanitizer is part of your first aid kit. Alcohol wipes can also serve the purpose - just squeeze 'em out.
Glad yo mentioned when you filmed this because I was thinking you had way too much snow for this time of year. I have an ol whisperlite myself and I always thought it was false advertising. Not exactly a whisper. Same with this Optimus. I was very impressed that you do not need to pump. How does that work?
EconoChallenge Well, we got 3cm this morning so it isn't over yet. This stove doesn't have the heat output of the Whisperlite but it sips fuel. It sputters a little bit at first but quiets down after a minute to less of a roar than the MSR. Sometimes "old school" still works best! This stove is the Svea 123R which has a mechanical cleaning needle in the valve stem, I've discovered after some research.. This is way more reliable than the "shaker valves" on modern stoves, which can fuse to the generator tube (and you can thank that Cliff Jacobsen "Camping's Top Secrets" book for that tidbit). Turn the valve all the way counterclockwise on this stove and that needle cleans out the jet - easy as pie. How it works is: that little tube connecting the tank to the burner is a vaporizer. and after you prime it (as I demonstrated), the vaporizer gets hot enough to warm the top of the tank so it self-pressurizes and it also causes the fuel to flash into vapor and exit the burner. The fuel is actually drawn up via a cotton wick into the vaporizer and that's likely what also keeps the fuel flowing at a steady pace rather than exiting the burner all at once and creating a fireball. And you saw how the burner itself got red hot? That feature is what allows you relight it if it blows out. Because that burner is bigger than the generator tube in modern stoves, it stays hot longer so you can relight it reliably. I've had to re-prime my MSR when it's been blown out, but never this stove. Plus, it's very low-maintenance compared to pump stoves by a long shot - there are very few seals and moving parts! Do you get the impression that I love this stove? You should. I think a follow-up video is in order later this year.
I've been thinking about getting one of these, but I live in a heavily wooded area and can't really think of any advantage to this over using wood to fuel a Solo stove. Am I missing something that gives this an advantage?
Well, that is going to depend on a few things. If you're on private land, a stick burner will do fine but some public and backcountry areas prohibit them and only allow liquid fuel or canister stoves. And oddly enough, while stick burners are banned during dry seasons when a fire ban is in effect, other stoves aren't unless the danger is extreme. But the big reason for me is heat control. I cook beyond the boil-in-the-bag level, so the ability to simmer something is beyond every wood stove I've seen. Wood stoves are usually full blast or not at all - fine heat control just isn't possible even with new stoves like the BioLite CampStove 2.
I have both stoves and the Solo Titan that I have is a great size but, the solo does have plenty of limitations...BTW, Solo makes great pots too of various sizes that fit nicely on both their and other stoves including the Svae123. Have fun using both as the conditions may determine with one set of various sized pots and fry pans...together they don't take up much room while providing a versatile combo as needed...oh, FYI, the Svea will run on automotive fuel (gasoline) in a pinch without any issue, although they don't recommend it. The Coleman White Gas recommended or campstove gas burns a bit cleaner :)
i have a SVEA 183 from the 1960's and I'm thinking that I should take it apart, replace the wick inside the tank but I cannot get the pillar off. I have tried all types of oil,, etc. but nothing seems to work. Any suggestions? thanks bill
Does the wick give you trouble when running the stove? Normally you don't have to replace it unless you're run the stove completely dry. But if the wick needs replacing, and a good penetrating oil doesn't work, you could try alternately heating and cooling the joint. This is only a guess but if you heat the tank but don't heat the regulator tube, it might expand the threads enough to loosen it. Do this at your own risk with an empty and dry tank, however.
Hello Alberta, I think that i have the 123R because the pin cleaner is attached and goes up and down when I turn the key. I don't know what the problem is but after filling the tank and letting the wick soak, i don't get gas flow. There's no hiss when I turn the key and there's not a locking nut on the stem, just the threads into the tank. I haven't used this stove in 25 years at least and I want to get it working again. No hiss.. any idea what's wrong? thank you. Bill Lewis
Did you add a bit of fuel to the priming cup (the recess on top of the tank)? If not, keep in mind that you need to prime these stoves by heating up the feed tube for a few minutes, as I showed in this video. Now if you've primed it and still get no gas flow, there could be a number of reasons, but the two I suspect are: a) the wick may be glazed over or faulty or b) the seal on the gas cap is defunct. It's surprising but a lot of stove users try other materials for the wick than what's recommended, and as I've seen with DIY stove videos, if they replaced the wick in the past with something other than the standard wick (like something with polyester or fiberglass in it) the wick chars and then seals up. But the usual culprit with most white gas stoves is the cap seal. If you can pick out the gasket in the cap, you can always try your local hardware store for a possible replacement. I've seen leaky gaskets cause gas flow problems in all types of stoves from SVEAs to Colenmans to MSR and Optimus stoves - it's a common failure.
guess what dean????? ..... i just bought one on ebay today! a 123R! it was $39.00 USD + Free Shipping and is used. nice looking one, too! i had ebay email me about all of the new svea listings. it was just listed and i bought it within minutes! you say that the swlf reliance outters 24oz. stainless steel cup fits over it???? if so, i do have one of those already. can you stick a rag over it and then place a SRO's 24oz cup over the top of it? thanks dean! martina
Alan Taylor (2) I forgot to say that when I bought the stove the instructions recommended holding a match under the tank for a few seconds to raise the tank pressure then opening the valve to let enough fuel out to fill the depression on top of the tank. This can then be burned to heat up the vaporiser tube.
+Alan Taylor That works, and it's the same priming principle that's used on modern MSR and other stoves too. But it's a bit of a last resort. Some folks use an eyedropper to fill the depression, and others use priming paste (like I do). Even alcohol hand sanitizer works in a pinch.
I never knew that about not letting it burn dry!! Good thing you said that!!! What's your opinion on Berniedog? I don't know if he's the only one who has those caps but I hear that they are good.
I see a few things that remind me of my 1946 Coleman 530 Stove. How well does the Svea simmer? I read that it does simmer then I read elsewhere that it doesn't simmer. How often does the wick in the tank have to be replaced?
I've found that it simmers fairly well, actually - especially with bigger pots and pans. I have a 10-inch Optimus skillet that never has a problem on this stove. I think that a silencer (or minicap) could improve things a bit, but I also think the people who say it doesn't simmer are the same ones that call it "heavy and outdated" (which tells me they've never used one in their lives). As for the wick, your guess is as good as mine, although I will say that if you need to replace a wick don't use the cotton-fiberglass mix in tiki torches as that stuff eventually melts. I recently looked at a 25 year old 123R whose wick was just fine, and I've seen two year old stoves that needed wick replacements. The key is to never let it burn dry - if you do that one simple thing the wick ought to be good for at least a decade.
Can see that you haven't much experience yet with the 123. A good purchase though .. will give you many, many years of trouble free use. Fire Paste makes a mess. Use the fuel to prime .. or Alcohol. Dangerous? NO. However, not for complete Idiots and / or those who don't read the Instructions before use (RFM Function). Also .. don't use the Needle Jet Cleaner if the Burner is still very hot. The Needle can 'weld' itself into the Jet. Wait for the Burner Mechanism to cool down a bit .. doesn't take long .. or .. clear the Jet before use.
dean, question about your brand new svea 123R? it being brand new... do you think the quality of the brand new ones like yours is the same quality as the older ones? i might buy a brand new one? that's why i'm asking? thx, martina
What I really dislike about RUclips's being joined at the hip with Google+ is my inability to reply to all comments. Just a note to the folks below - yes, I plan to hopefully pick up a silencer one of these days. And though they really don't make these stoves like they used to, The quality of these stoves is still excellent. I'm really enjoying mine a lot.
+Alberta Bushcrafter I hope his comment does make it open to everyone. $130 for the SVEA??? How to fuel??? Maybe I missed that by accident. Not an instant flame time. Two Minutes??? Advantages over the Fancy Feast Alcohol stove Bitter Cold temperatures operation Adjustable flame. Butane stove would be equal to SEVA Butane Stove under $10 Zero warm up time. Cool down time not as long. I was not sold on the SVEA You said it was around for many years. I did enjoy watching your video.
Yes, the SVEA 123R was $130 and that was a bit too much. I fuel it from a Nalgene fuel bottle as it has an integrated funnel, but even a flip-top bottle will work. Priming the stove takes 3-5 minutes depending on the outside temperatures. And while I am experimenting with alcohol stoves this year, I haven't made a Fancy Feast stove - yet. My part of Canada can get well below -30 C so alcohol stoves don't work too well. And neither do butane stoves, even if the canister is inverted. But I've tested a few and will be testing more this year. And yes - the original SVEA design is around 100 years old but this particular model came out in the 1950s, I believe. This particular model is a 123R and that's a later design still - the main difference is in the mechanical cleaning needle. The older models used a handheld tool.
+Bill Rundell Try using the canister stove in cold weather. Svea won't have any problems. The price reflects the modern inflation and expensive manpower, plus the small niche market. The buyers are usually those who know the history and performance of the old design. You are right. It is not for a person like you.
Not sure about the -30 degrees C but any weather that cold you would find me inside. Heck in Sweden they use the little Trangia which is a small open , Brass , alcohol stove. In cold weather when using a alcohol stove keep the alcohol in your pocket during the day and at night in your sleeping bag. In the morning it will light since it is body temperature. You do not need to keep all of it near your body just a couple of ounces (in a small container ) since most alcohol stoves only require 1 or 2 ounces for a burn.
Chuck Littleton This gives me an idea. I picked up an Esbit stove and a Trangia stove this summer and there will be a video upcoming on those. But I might try and see how these stoves and the Svea actually work in -20 or -30 C.
That's it you've gone and done it. Me thinks you're totally screwed now buddy! ;) Lightweight is relative. You're absolutely right that the Optimus Svea... Aka Svea123r is miserly on fuel. Coleman fuel packs roughly twice the heat potential of alcohol by volume. There are many ways to prime these as you mentioned. I prefer a plastic eye dropper for two reasons. 1) it's lighter and simpler and 2) it forces you to vent the stove prior to lighting which equalizes the pressure. In any event... Congrats on the stove. You definitely do not need a berniedawg blue water stove restoration silencer cap for it. (But it is nice)
Thereal111t I knew you'd like this one. I think Coleman fuel is twice the heat value of ethanol, It's even more than that when you consider methanol. Another priming idea is to use jellied alcohol (sterno), I have a spare GoToob I think I'll try out for that. But what is a berniedawg blue water stove restoration silencer cap? It sounds pretty special.
Would you believe a 3d printed bronze and stainless steel silencer cap... i.materialise.com/shop/item/berniedawg-minicap-with-legs-for-small-stoves?designer=gary-adams&sortBy=mostResent&pageNumber=1&pageSize=9&index=5
thanks! cool look at the stove and the operation of the stove, too! i appreciate you very much and i also must say i don't care for the google company, either. they are making an attempt to take-over too much. thanks again!
+Martina Dejaquiz Glad you liked the stove! As for Google+ and comments, apparently they will be unlinking these from RUclips fairly soon. Google+ is going the way of MySpace anyway - another app killed by FaceBook.
+Alberta Bushcrafter thanks for your reply.. this is what i love about YT. you can learn something about whatever topic which is so unlike social media in that SM is just talk about nothing (no learning - just gossip). all of this why i cancelled my facebook acct and all social media. about the stove.... i just may purchase one of these for myself! i like it! thank you again for your indepth sharing video! ur much appreciated, again!
Alberta Bushcrafter thanks for getting back to me with that i often wondered as middle east or chinese imports arent always as sound as their originals that they copy but as there now apears to be a dearth shortages of originals svea stoves about for various reasons! The korean import option is well worth looking into esp if the quality is comparable on its finish!!? So thankyou i shall look out for a decent agents
it's a very simple design so that makes it pretty hard to screw it up. even the taiwan-made copies like the pak-cook and stansport were well-made and reliable.
It's definitely on my shopping list. I'd love to try to make a DIY one, but in this case the current offerings out there are much better - and frankly, quite amazing too.
I just got one on a 'free stuff' local website, they were going to throw it away ! it's actually a complete Sigg tourist set with bigger wind shield and pots, not tried it yet waiting for some colemans fluid (UK), we have a local expert in the UK called charlie tango 1 on youtube, check him out
You got one for free!??!? And it's a complete SIGG tourist set at that? Congratulations! You're a very lucky person, and you're going to love this stove.
This is a Condor Utility Pouch - it's available from a number of airsoft companies, army surplus stores, and in the USA, from Condor Outdoors directly.
I see you got the Chinese version too. They are actually ok. The cup does not fit the windscreen well, and the handle is very weak. I paid $88. US delivered.
That's likely the case, and it's also why I fiddled around with other cups as well. The GSI cup shown here is a huge improvement on the cup that comes with the stove.
ive got an msr whisperlite and im on my 4th polymer pump i dont like the fact they use design polymer parts for stoves generating very high heat in an outdoor settings i wrote to the design team of msr seattle they never bothered or answered! the eu agent for msr sent me x4 replacement pumps for free cuz id had such a problematic time with faulty pumps these sveas dont break down as much are finely reglable on throttle a msr is not!! and are quite compact all metal parts meaning no fear worry of melting during any stove malfunctions i consider the optimus range of cookers to be superior in both concepts and uses choices of use of their materials even the newer nova outclasses the msr whisperlite that hasnt undergone any major redesign improvements in a long time i think msr make a lot of money from re selling polymer parts where in facts all metal parts should have been always used like as in the nova pump which has a burner upgrade from korea that can alter burner flame by simple uses of a screwdriver out of finely engineered metal that also silences the burner making outdoor cooking less audibly invasives! when out for wildlife or sleeping others etc that looks great set ups if the quality is also there to the originals!!
You just nailed my biggest problem with the MSR Whisperlite - the plastic parts. In the 30 years I've now owned mine I've replaced 4 pumps for the same reasons. I got this Svea 123R because it was all-metal and had very few moving parts and every time I use it I enjoy it more. I do plan to pick up a silencer for it soon as well. One complaint I get is about the weight. however, I've compared it to my WhisperLite with the empty fuel bottle and small maintenance kit (because you HAVE to carry one of those!) and the Svea 123R is similar in weight.More on that later once it warms up enough to shoot a few videos.
I dont think youll be disapointed on its sveas comparable weight if it performs aswell as it does with no threat of parts melting on it id willingly forego the weight adv that msr may give to carry something that is more solidly built and lasts a long time Has no threat risks of ever melting Just exploding you into ontario! The other thing is that these are a quite compacts small dimensioned stove handy to carry in a mid sized pkt of rucsac or molle pouch the hip or on pack they were the state of the art in their heydey swedish lightweight climbers exped Backpacking stove Theyve not over 100yrs of their design ever lost any of those original design brief advantages I reckon msr has got a lot to learn from older stove designs id quite like to see a rennaisances of the quality materials used In years gone bye as not all new stuff gear is good!! In facts some of it is ridiculously priced and doesnt stand up to regular hard use Like this stuff does Trangias are another good example of low tech outperforming high By times someone has gotten out there pressure stove put together and primed it sorted out any problems with it due to sooting up jets my food is done on tbe trangia!! Im already in my s bag Listening to them moan about how easy it has been for me!! To do everything And how theyd also like to be in bed but are out freezing their nuts off trying to sort out issues! Yeh i bet its real cold up there now! They look like a really nice pair of gloves I read acct of a wolverine that recently was recorded in sub zero 18c running over 30miles in a day at a steady 12kmh it was recorded as climbing running right up to top of mt whitneys summit n back down the other sides again over 30miles in ond day just foraging!! You need the metabolism of a wolverine!!
For some reason my Trangia and Esbit stoves take quite a while to boil a liter of water, and that's why there's no video on them yet. But I agree - a lot of the old-school stoves are more reliable than the newer designs, even though they're a bit slower. But I don't need 3-minute boil times anyway.
Alberta Bushcrafter ive improved the burning times of trangias and msrs by upgrading fuels for both and adding winter priming mods so as priming is acheived earlier for longer ive also modified trangys housings to take msrs interchangeable I use essence c and essence f self cleaning fuel! No carbon
Alberta Bushcrafter i believe the heat exchanger type pans made by stanley or coleman optimus work very well with the 5400 btus therms max power given out by the svea123r! also the addition of some wire wool or gas fitters wadding to the top of the priming cup area of tank extends the length of time heat generated to vaporise n strength of flame to prime quicker in winter conds no needs to use it in summer when temps go up the wadding can come off again etc Some of these heat induction heat inducer transfer pans also accept the svea insides of them in its entirety with the additions of a soft cloth to protect chaffing on the insides of yer pan! Some peopled say these stoves are 60yrs or so old others a 100yrs old the beauty of them is that there is few moving parts no faulty pumps in field or mal burns that melt pumps made of polymer Like msrs do the optimus nova or 106es are also good options Esp with silent burner rings attached as an upgrade for queiter camp conds or a korean made burner upgrade that can improve dramatically stoves perf be adjustable by screwdriver one turn in uses! Optimus newer models have resorted to making their pumps out of all metal unlike msr which needs to up their game if they wish to stay ontop of the pressurised stove mkt i think optimus outpip or outperform them! For their design and ease of utilisation! Longevity In the field which is after all where it counts! After losing pump4 on my msr to either pump malfunctions or fuel line blockages Causing unexpected fires often in mid uses after a successfull ord prime i got onto msr design team but they never bothered to get back to me? Their eu agent did in s ireland Who replaced all 4 pumps However their hq in seattlw just ignored all recommends acted as if they just were not interested This made me revise the future co i go with In the field as msr hasnt significantly improved their models or standing in years Compared to optimus which has Improved and listened to its client bases suggestions The austrian mt div troops are now issued with optimus novas at alt Theyve ditched using msr products after experiencing far too many failure issues! Or high maintemance In their upkeeps whilst out in the field the novas also run better Can be made more silent The svea 123r in my book considering its 100yr old history just kicks ass!! For such a tiny stove its amazing Love it! One handed grip ideal size It lasts forever what more runs forever on low fuel supplies what more can you want!
Keep in mind that' shuffling off your factory to Asia isn't always a bad thing. For example, Dietz moved their entire factory to China, but they brought all of their production equipment and specialized machinery with them. They also kept the same excellent quality control so their lanterns are still top-notch and reasonable. Let's hope Optimus did the same. But for the most part, yes, quality can suffer. And from what I've seen, over 90% of outdoor gear is made in Asia, including the most expensive brand-name gear. I've seen $30 unbranded tarps go for $90 to $130 with a big name stamped on it, when it's the exact same tarp right down to the grommets, stitching, and coating. Not that I'm a fan of made in China gear especially, but even with high-end stuff it's still buyer beware.
What gets my goat is they go to great lengths to hide the country or origin which, we the buyer has a right to know. They have zero respect for our laws & CBP is up to their eyeballs in counterfit knockoff goods. I'm not even sure Optimus owns the company anymore, but in any event whoever does should comply with the marking requirements of USC.
Thomas Herbert Actually, that's just because I didn't adjust the pot stands before I put it on. With the pot stands turned fully inward this pot stays put. Also, I discovered that you can use a lot of the iso-pro canister stands with this unit and that makes this stove very stable.
We always get that argument - every year. These are crows as they have straight beaks with no big bump on them. We have ravens out here and their calls are much lower-pitched - oh, and they're about 2-3 times as big as the crows too. To figure out what kind of bird they were I actually took a predator call out in the yard and uploaded a dozen crow calls to it, then let it rip. The crow calls attracted them to the point where I had about 35 of them roosting in the trees. But when I fired off the raven calls, they all took off within a minute. There's a pecking order at work in our forest.
That is interesting. American crow vocalizations vary widely, which I why I assumed that you were correct in the first place. 20 years ago when I moved to northern California from south Florida I was surprised at how similar some California crows sound to fish crows, a separate species in Florida. BTW, awesome video about that venerable SVEA stove. It brings back memories of my backpacking in the 1970's. These days I use an alcohol stove that weights about the same as the Bic lighter I use to light it.
It must be all the good food and fresh air up here, but the crows in my area are almost as big as ravens in other parts. And the ravens are just huge. I saw one last week with a wingspan over 4.5 feet - gigantic. And their call is more of a "grokkk" that's almost an octave lower than the local crows. And when the local crows hear a raven they normally shut up and take off quickly. I should have an alcohol stove video done soon as I have a Trangia and an Esbit to test out. But no DIY stoves yet as I haven't had time to make any lately. But that SVEA 123R is my go-to stove and I prefer it to alcohol and canister stoves as it's way better in sub-zero weather. Of course, my other go-to is the Coleman 425 dual-burner, and I'm doing a video on fixing one up this year too as I just scored one for $5.
Let's hope they're like Dietz lanterns then. Dietz moved its production to China but moved over all the tooling and machines as well, so their quality has not diminished. Optimus will hopefully have done the same, and I haven't seen a drop in quality.
hi dean, i re-watched this again. i still want one of these 123 or 123R's. either one of'em. these are too cool and i have always wanted one. i didn't know they were wick-fuel-fed inside of the fuel tank, did you? their fuel intake feed tube doesn't directly contact the fuel - there's a cotton wick inbetween. if interested, take a look at this video ... ruclips.net/video/wH0lkWinLcE/видео.html . i'm watching for one these stoves now used. i'm going to find one because now i'm putting some effort into finding one. thx, martina
I got My Svea 123 at The Mountain Goat, Manchester Centre VT. In '92.
What a Lovely stove!
It works in all seasons, down to -25 C. I primed it with liquid alcohol, cleaner, and worked.
I did take the fuel 'splatter' plate, drilled some 1/8" holes in it, and turned up the outer 'wings' so as to centralize the flame more.
I also covered that slot with a brass plate, to aim more heat to the pot. Worked just great.
Passed it on to the next person who bought my kit, when I retired.
Now, I miss it!😢
Nice stove, thanks for showing it.
Just got a Optimus no.8 from a friend. Looking forward getting that old beast up and running again.
By the way, it is not called a “flog of crows”, but a “murder of crows”.
Greetings from The Netherlands
Actually, that was "flock", but you're right. And wow - an Optimus No. 8? I'm looking around for one of those - nice score!
@@AlbertaBushcrafter flock, ok thanks.
I am not an English native speaker, I appreciate grammar correction’s.
My Svea 123 is 49 years old, and still works. I use the original cup and windscreen for dayhikes and solo backpacking, but pair it with a Sigg Tourist cook kit (pots plus larger windscreen) for larger groups. Even the sound brings back many great memories.
A secret, (not any longer) way to prime Svea stoves is to hold the tank in your bare hands or your lap to warm it a bit. Then crack the valve open until fuel runs down the valve body and fills the priming well. Close valve, light fuel, just before its all burned open valve..stove's lit.
That's a good way to prime the stove, and it works pretty well, but it's unreliable in freezing weather. Still, in temperate weather it works well and it's yet another reason this is one of the best stoves ever made.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter It's not unreliable at all. It literally works every time. If you open the fuel cap and close it to equalize the pressure first, your hands only need to be a couple of degrees warmer than the stove to force ample fuel for priming. If you don't want to remove your gloves, just open and close the cap and slip it under your coat. It literally takes about 5 seconds, pull it out and open the valve immediately before it cools again. The little priming pan will have plenty in it in about 5 more seconds. The secret is opening and closing the cap first.
Jag är Svensk...och svea123 verkar populärt i usa...kul❤❤❤
Always remember to remove the key from the valve and never leave it on there when it's running or you will brand the key pattern onto your thumb. It gets hot and fast! I speak from painful experience of that momentary sizzling sound and the smell of my digital epidermal layer vaporizing. OUCH!
Thanks! And you put it so eloquently too!
Had one of those circa 1974. The OG backpacking stove. Just seeing one makes me smile!
I forgot to add. Thread the chain for the Key through the larger slots in the Wind Screen. Never ever keep the Key Attached to the Valve Stem unless you want to burn your Fingers.
You can use things like the Fire Paste or the Alcohol Paste to Prime it but the original method was to dip a little Fuel out of the tank using a Straw and this works just fine.
Hello AB. My Svea 123 is from the 1970's and still going strong. Over 40 some years use I have done a few things differently to make things easier with this stove.
1: Remove the key chain from the inside and reattach it to the outside windscreen shroud.This will help get the chain out of the way especially when adding or removing the windscreen.
2: I use 91% isopropyl alcohol in a squirt bottle instead of white gas or other starters for priming. You will not have any soot problems.
3: I have painfully discovered if you leave the key attached to the stove (in warmer camping) you may require burn ointment to the fingertips.
4: I did the same, I did away with the cup that came with the unit and replaced with a larger (more functional) stainless cup with built in fold out handles.
Hello from B.C. I tested my Primus and my Svea at home before leaving for a cross country ski tour in Manning Park. Both are vintage stoves from mid seventies and both tested out perfectly at home. My wife and I set up the tent as the temperature dipped to -25 F. Numerous attempts to prime both stoves with white gas applied to the cup at the base of the stem failed. These stoves at these temperatures require a pressure system/pump to assure a reliable start.
We had one when I was a youth, but it disappeared. I found one in a second hand store at $3.99 almost sprained my wrist getting my wallet out to pay for it. Have used it all year round for over 10 years now for both family camping and Scout Camps. Remember do NOT leave the key in it when it is on.
I love this stove. I use a piece of cloth as a wick instead of the paist and it works great for the priming
Good video and great stove. I purchased mine used in 1984 in Germany. It traveled with me up the East Approach to the Eiger, up on the Monch as well as on the Jungfrau. I never had a problem with it up until last year. That was when it started not shutting off correctly. Now came the fun and games.
I tried the rebuild kits and it never worked right. It wouldn't shut off correctly. The valve wasn't closing all of the way. Finally recently I saw on a Camping Web Site that someone else was having the same problem and Bernie Dawg replied to pull the Pricker. I did that and it works great again. Once again it is my go to Stove.
Good points! I've heard about that trick, not just with SVEA stoves, but with MSR and other stoves too. The needle in the 123R is geared so sometimes you can just clean it, but it can also get deformed too, and then it needs to be removed. On the shaker-valve type stoves like MSRs the needle can actually weld itself to the inside of the stove and that's another problem altogether. But in both cases, all you need to do after the needle is removed is to clean the jet manually with one of those little wire tools, like you'd do with my 33-year-old MSR Whisperlite Internationale.
Feed the key through the bigger gap in the windshield and keep away from the stove because after even a few minutes it becomes too hot to touch
That Svea model 123r is over 80 years old. Design wise anyhow. And your whisperlite can easily be rebuilt and it’s not terribly expensive. There’s just a slight learning curve. Also the key goes thru the hole on the side of the wind screen.
Actually, I have rebuild kits for both my WhisperLite and my Svea 123R. And they're both pretty easy to maintain. I've rebuilt the WhisperLite twice now and replaced the pump that finally died of old age, but it's still running well after 34 years. I just happen to like the 123R better as it takes up less space for the same weight.
I like both stoves actually. Mostly for the history and design of them. Both are brilliant and popular because of their great designs and how functional they are!
Thank you for the unboxing svea 123r. I have just bought it but not yet use. I studied how to use.
I think you will like this stove very much. It is quite simple to use.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter Thank you again, I am enjoying your RUclips movies.
My Svea had a pricker needle that popped up to clear the jet, when the 'key" was turned backwards..
So to prevent any soot, I turned it backwards while still pressurized to allow raw fuel blow out the jet. It worked.
That fantastic jet cleaning system is actually still a feature on new SVEA stoves. And it's much more effective than the "shaker needle" cleaning system. I've had to deal with other stoves where that shaker needle welded itself to the tube and caused the stove to malfunction.
If you want to shorten the boil time, use a pot with a wider diameter. Those tall, skinny pots are very inefficient.
Hand sanitizer works well for primer. It burns cleanly compared to the fire paste and is cheaper and easy to find.
Especially now, I'd imagine. Thanks for the tip! One less thing to carry.
I still use the Svea I bought in 1970 for 10.00 retail! A few years later a couple of friends got the new (at the time) 123R models and we would "race" them to see which one would boil a cup of water the fastest...Mine never lost 😀! The R's sounded a little different too! I'm glad I got it then when things weren't so expensive!
+Steve Walker I still love this stove as well - so far I prefer the 123R because of the cleaning mechanism - it's one less tool to carry. By comparison, I carried the full expedition repair kit for my MSR Whisperlite and that was a bit of a pain. I felt this was necessary as the stove got older because there are so many parts to fail.
And though this stove is really low-maintenance I'm looking into grabbing some replacement parts this year, just in case. I cross-subscribe to thereal111t's channel and he has some excellent stove reviews and repair videos, so I might do a maintenance video in the future.
If you can find an old one of these the fill cap is at a different angle and in the 70's 80's through REI you could buy a pump for priming. Also the originals showed on the can that out could use white gas, regular petrol, and a third liquid liquid( essence). And as said in various reply's do not leave the adjustment key on the stove, it will get very hot. The 70 80's stove bodies are much thicker than the Svea 123 of today. That stove is wonderful for the simplicity, The stove key is also used to take apart the stove and clean. It also comes with a tool to clean the orifice, a tiny pin use the clean the outhole. Do not lose this pin. I used an eye dropper to pull liquid from the stove and put at the base of the stem to prime the stove.
"Regular petrol" of dyas gone by is much different than today and I wouldn't chance using it, especially with added ethanol. I've had issues with a lot of devices using unleaded gas, especially with small engines. Plus, regular petrol/unleaded gas is way different chemically from naphtha/white gas. All of those extra additives in unleaded gas - even the premium stuff - are exactly what clogs up these stoves and especially Coleman stoves.
Great little stoves. I had one for years and hauled up and down mountains all over Europe and New England, until someone stole it near Mt. Washington. (I just got around to replacing it and will be ditching all of my new style stoves.) These stoves may not be the lightest or the hottest but they will not fail you.
Ed Cook I'd agree with that. There are so few parts that there's very little to go wrong. They're faster and hotter than alcohol stoves, they use less fuel than the white gas backpacking stoves, they're much more economical than canister stoves over the long run, and they can be used in a fire ban, unlike the twig-burners. And I'm not too concerned about a few more minutes of boil time.
After these comments I get the feeling that a follow-up video may be in order, or maybe a showdown between stoves. Keep 'em coming!
Good video Dean! I have been thinking lately that one of the only things I miss about living where I used to is being closer to you and doing the videos together! I hope you are safe and well!
Yep - doing pretty well, considering it's May 25 and we had 2 days of snow last week.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter surprisingly you got more snow than I did and I am almost three hours north!
Mine is 32 years old and still works great.
I use Purell hand sanitizer to prime the stove.
Can't say if it works better then the priming paste you use but it works.
32 years old? That's a bit older than my MSR, and that's very encouraging! I love the idea of using sanitizer as I already carry it in my first aid kit. I'm going to try it.
I know it works for me and the only issue I have is that the sanitizer leaves a green tinted residue behind.
Easily cleaned though.
Good luck.
I use the clear sanitizer, so it might not have the same issues. And this is a great tip!
one more thing i forgot to mention: for camping and not for hiking i have 3 coleman 502 white gas stoves. one is a 1969 model and i think the other 2 just happen to be 1984 & 1985 models. of course they are a pump-up white gas stove and they give-off a pretty loud jet sound when fired-up, but i think they are great to take camping just in-case you might want to use one along with a real wood camp fire. they're just too heavy to pack to hike with, IMO for me. what i like about your optimus Svea stove is that there's no pumping, no manual pressurizing and the stove is lighter to pack. i think your stove is one of those vintage items that will never lose it's coolness and practicality, also. your stove is just cool in years passed or years to come! thanks again my friend!
+Martina Dejaquiz Are those the old Peak 1 stoves? I always liked them. And the stove in this video is an Optimus SVEA stove (actually a SVEA 123R) and it's actually still in production, which amazes me.
+Alberta Bushcrafter the peak 1 series is quite a bit different than the older 501 sportster series. the Coleman 501 Sportster stoves were IMO Cloleman's main stay of the single burner white gas stoves in that Coleman produced the 501 Sportster from the 50's until the early 90's (for about 40 years the 501 model wasn't altered any at all from it's original design). there is a 501a model which has a sheet stamped steel burner (a little flimsy by comparison to the 501's stacked burner rings) and the 501a has a more cut-out burner cup to allow for a lesser expensive, lesser quality generator. there were a few other Coleman single burner models made before the 501a auch as the 500 model (very heavy cast iron top and burner). the 502's are much lighter than it's predecessors and the 502's also feature a real nice welded grill that's strong, but not heavy. IMO, the Coleman 502 Sportster is a North American classic that's real hard to beat. the 502 completely fits and stores in a 6X6X6 cardboard box (small for camping). the 502 is completely temperature controllable all the way from high to a really suttle small simmer. the 502's also features a smaller diameter fuel tank which is exactly the same diameter as the classic Coleman 200A single mantle white gas lantern (also a coleman main stay of many decades). the same lantern safe that fits the 200A also fits the 502 stove. i love the stoves and i guess thats why i have 3 502's! i'm kind of a stove woman you might say as well as a coleman lantern collector. i also rebuild and sell dearborn gas heaters. this is my busy season. IMO, stoves, lanterns, heaters, prepping, camping, hiking, bushcraft and things of that nature all go together! i actually have a ton of stoves...on a smaller scale maybe something kind of similar to hiram cook but not that big into it!!!! the Optimus 8R and the Svea 123R are 2 stoves i have never owned and i'm considering getting both just to play with them and carry out to the bush and see what they will do! if interested looking on ebay under, "Coleman 502 Sportster Stove" you positively will see many for sale and they really are not that expensive if you use some patience i have seen new ones go for $30-$35 total but you have to watch them close to get that price. most likely, seeing what i see of you, you possibly may like the 502? thank you very much and hope i haven't talked too much. thank you again!
whoops... i meant the coleman 502 sportster was coleman main stay single burner stove... i goofed at the top...thanks.
Not familiar with that one. Is it heavy?
+Alberta Bushcrafter i think the 502 is too heavy for me to want to load carry hiking and too bulky to carry, too for me. i think very few hiking would carry the 502. however, for camping the 502 is nice. i wouldn't say it's real heavy, but heavier than the 123R for sure. with a windscreen, the 502 is like cooking on the kitchen stove at home while in the bush because the temp control is so easily regulated. one thing about the 502 IMO... they are made very very well with very good quality materials and it's an exceptional design, IMO. i believe coleman perfected the single burner stove when they made the 502 and i think that's why it was made for decades. now it's out of production and in it's place from coleman is coleman's 508. the 508 is a very poorly made poor quality stove IMO by comparison to the 502. no way i would ever buy a 508. the 502 is a solid high quality stove IMO. i actually have rebuilt several 502's myself... 9 screws hold it together, one 7/16 nut holds the generator on. breeze to restore one. a new 502 generator is only $12 total delivered to your house from ebay. runs on white gas only. has leather cup air pump. replaceable stacked rings for the burner jets. 502's are quite a stove i think. the 502 uses coleman lantern standard parts for the tank, fuel cap and gaskket, air pump and check valve. i keep 1 in the truck, 1 in the house in the cabinet for an emergency and i have 1 brand new never used one in it's factory box stored in the closet as an extra just because i like the stove so much. they actually are abundantly available and not very expensive on ebay. maybe one day you might like to try one out?
The great thing for the simplicity is that it doesn't soot up the bottom of the water container like a bush box
I bought a SVEA 123 in 1971, new, for $13.00. The good ole days!
$13??? Yeah, those were good old days, as they're 10x that now.
Super video , I got curious and just got one from Amazon .
Congratulations! You will enjoy it!
Have you tried the straw method, just remove the fuel cap, dip the straw into the fuel, put your finger over the end of the straw and remove it will hold enough fuel in the straw to prime the stove, cool stove by the way.
Yes, I've tried that and it works too. I've also got a plastic eyedropper that works even better. But I had the fire paste and had to use it up anyway.
Feed the key and chain through one of the openings before twisting the windscreen on. Never leave the key on the valve as it will get very hot.
Good reminder - thanks!
Excellent stove, I have 2 SVEA stoves, one of which I have owned for over 50 years. Don't worry about the crows.
Thanks
You got a great deal on that stove. I had one my grandfather gave me that he bought when he was in his 50s. just before WW2. It still worked in 1983 when he gave it to me. Unfortunately it was lost in a move along with other camping/bushcraft gear.
+hoosierarcher That's sad to hear. It would be great to see it working today as that would mean it's 60 years old or thereabouts. I still love mine, though I have a few other stoves to demo soon.
Always wanted to try one of these classic stoves. Reminds me of my old white gass stove I used backpacking but it was square.
Actually, that may have also been a SVEA stove. They made one in a square case that was more compact than this one. I think it was the Optimus 99 and /or 199 - more about it here: classiccampstoves.com/forums/optimus-no-199.163/ . But another one was the 111B stove.
That and the Juwel 34 are the best gasoline stoves IMO. The Juwel doesn't have a built in heat shield though, so you might see the safety valve activate after about 15 min of burning.
I'll have to check out the Juwel stoves, then. Thanks!
I camped with an Optimus 8R from my mid teens to thirties, or until the box rusted away. You prime it by filling the fuel only two thirds full, capping the tank and warming the tank with your hands with the valve open just a bit. This provides enough pressure to prime the priming ring at the base of the jet. you then shut off the valve, light off the primer and wait for it to just about go out. The pressure to run the stove comes entirely from the heated air and vapors inside the tank. It is important to vent the tank after use when it is cool enough to touch.
From my thirties to my sixties I have been using an MSR dragonfly. After about twenty five years, part of the base broke off and it was useless for the rest of that trip. However, I contacted MSR and paid the shipping to get the stove to them in Seattle WA. They totally refurbished it and mailed it back to me, all free of charge.
The trick with warming the tank with your hands works at times, but not in extreme cold, at least when I tried it. And I almost froze my hands to the tank, as it was -25 C. But generally it works and is one way to prime it. I still carry a plastic eyedropper now.
I used my MSR WhisperLite Internationale for about 28 years and it is still in service. MSR definitely makes great products, but I've never had to call their service department as I've been faithful with annual maintenance and I've only had to replace an old pump otherwise. Even the tank has held up, with a few gasket replacements. So MSR is also a great company - I just figured it would be fun to try a different stove.
It was a weld that broke on my MSR Dragonfly down in the cup and yoke that held the burner assembly. I have thought of getting the Internationale but I haven't yet been anywhere that I can't find "white spirit, (NZ)" or unleaded gasoline. I have a whisper lite but I found I can't run it low enough to cook pancakes well. Great for boiling water though. I remember the old svea stoves from army surplus stores and gear my dad had from his time in Korea with the USMC. I have a picture in my mind of that crusty old stove sputtering away. :)
The Seva 123 last for ever and does not use disposable propane. You can buy a paste in a squeeze tubealcohol or white gas I keep the sanitizer in my cook set. It does double deity as a fire starter and hand sanitizer. If your are experienced with the stove you can use it a 20 below F on a x country ski trip. When it is cold I set it on a cork pad to insolate it from the ground. The reason it does not have to be pumped to build up pressure is because the stove self pressurizes. As the tower heats up the liquid gas coming up the tower vaporizes building pressure. As with any stove us a wind screen to increase boiling time. The stove can't blow up. The filling cap a has a pressure valve and a flame will shoot out of the outlet. In 50m yers I have never seen one blow.
And that is exactly why it's my favorite stove.
Awesome review thanks !
Instead of an eye dropper, use a small piece of paper towel rolled up, about 2 inches. Dip that into the white gas and let it soak up the gas. Put the cap on.Then wrap it around the base of the generator. Try to keep it open at the cap so you don't fry the cap's washer. Then you won't have gas running down the sides. In the winter you may have to do it twice, so use gas from your refill tank. Also in the winter you may have to shield the stove from the cold ground to keep pressure.
Good tips - thanks!
This is a very portable and simple stove but the old ones are much higher quality than current issue. Either one will work though.
Great for a quick coffee break when out and about.
A silent cap is a great option such as those made by Berniedog at Bluewater stove restoration. Although the price for one is almost half that of the stove.
Torbjörn Mejner low key, No nonsens. Works every time. Not the most efficient, the most durant
The Condor Utility pouch as a case is brilliant, my friend! Thank you for showing exactly how it fits! Going to give it a try for my Svea123r! -Dave
It's an almost perfect fit, in fact. There's even a bit of spare room for a match kit, or a little bottle of priming alcohol or tube of fire paste. I use a small plastic eyedropper in cold weather but a small bottle of ethanol or similar is OK for warm weather.
Keep going and you will learn the finer nuances of how to use it.
Have used primus stoves for many years the two items i would like to see is a silencer and a stainless steel pot instead of the aluminium supplied. Otherwise its an excellent grab and go winter 😊back up stove.
I know of silencers you can get, but they're $35+ and handmade. But they really do the job well. But yes, since this stove is still in production, it would be great if the manufacturer made a silencer.
I have a butane torch that I use heat up the generator and get a blue flame quicker.
Great idea!
Nothing to go wrong!
Great Stove!
dean, i got my 123R stove, but i can't fire it up, yet. it doesn't have the key. i researched & found that the key size is a 4mm square drive. a #7 clock winding key is also a 4mm square drive. so, i have one ordered from ebay.. $6USD + free ship. good info if anybody ever needs the key size.
Thanks, Martina - that's good to know! And I'm happy you were able to get one of these great stoves too. My stove guru has a few and the oldest is over 40 years old and still running fine. The weather ought to be clearing up in a month or two so I think I'll have more stove videos to do soon.
Cool stove. I got couple of the svea 123 but older ones. Love um!
I have found that in warmer climates you do not have to prime this stove. Heat from the hands (or other warm parts of the body) is enough to get it started. I normally use meths which I have found to be cleaner than gel. My stove was purchased at a car boot sale (similar to your yard sales) a few years ago for £8.00 (about $14) which was an absolute bargain.
I've been thinking of using meths as a primer for a while now (meths=methylated spirits, for whose who don't know). But the paste lasts longer and it doesn't really have a lot of residue - just a crispy little wisp of charred stuff. Great deal on the stove, too! I wish I could find one that cheap.
Nice stove , i get to use mine this weekend for the first time , looking forward to it ! thanks for the demo !
atb john
the mi woodsman I've taken this one out a few times now. It's a little bit heavy, but it sips fuel rather than guzzles it like the MSR stove did. It also performs nicely in below-freezing weather as well.
I got bored and stopped watching when you were searching through the bag. I appreciate that you are not a professional film maker but surely you could prepare everything you need prior to starting and prepare a provisional dialogue.
Will the Svea stove fit in the Stanely Adventure kit.Crows are one of if not the smartest birds out there.They have been able to solve probs,reconize people up to 3 years,and have one od the most wide vocalizations to name a few things about them.
It does fit, at least the older ones. I think Stanley made a slight change or two over the years. Just keep in mind that white gas isn't the best condiment for food, and this stove does have a relief vent in the cap. I learned this the hard way. 😁😁
Hey Dean. Doesn’t look like you ever did a follow up video on this stove. I hope you still like it because I just ordered one today. Just another stove for the fleet 😂. It sure has a big following on RUclips and many other sites. Hope all is well 👍
Unfortunately, 2019 has been a bust for videos. I've been stuck renovating my home for several months and have had no time to do anything else.
The good news is that my renovations included building a small indoor workshop, so I think I'll be shooting several videos in it, including more stove videos. There will be gear repair videos coming up too, as that's something I want to explore.
that's a darned nice high quality video picture and audio, dean.... a friend and i watched it again!
Thanks! More fun stuff to come in 2017 too!
Colin Fletcher endorsed this stove and he used it all over the world. If it was good enough for him then I will use it!
Agreed. And it's an amazing little stove indeed, with way less to go wrong than some of the newer designs.
Colin Fletcher's book, "The Complete Walker", was my "Bible" when I started Backpacking.
Get a eye dropper to take fuel from tank to prime stove. Old school is always the best. Liked your video.
Thanks! I've tried this and it works very well. i prefer a plastic eyedropper for this because it's lighter and less breakable than glass.
rei used to sell plastic eyedroppers back in the 70's and 80's before canister stoves became popular.
Still runnin a 1960s era Svea given to me by my father-in-law in 1993. Don't take it out every season, but every time I do it burns just as reliably and hot as it did the day I got it.... and the day he got it. I'll pass the damn thing on, guaranteed.
So you've had it for 24 years, and it was made in the 1960's? One more reason I'm glad I have mine.
Yup. It just keeps on tickin. Gotta be the most reliable stove ever built. He was a avid outdoor fella too - the stove and set was very well used when he gave it to me but he hadn't used it out on a trail in around a decade when he passed it over - which is why he passed it to me, I was getting really into backpacking at the time.
The SVEA 123 has been my favourite stove for decades.... you saw how it pairs with the Optimus Weekender when we were trapping cats... :)
I have a TeraGear knockoff of that cook kit, it turns out. Either that or it's the same kit with a different name. Still, it's a nice solo cookset.
Hi dean
I got it to work beautiful flame but it stopped after a few minutes and I couldn't get it to work again without priming. I will replace the cap gasket and see if the problem vanishes. Thanks
I hope that works. There may be a few other videos on YT that have some tips too.
i think they should have chained the key to the
o/s of the windscreen instead of on the i/s to the
fuel tube.
yeah, that fire paste... good for your fire kit!
good skillet cooking temp control, too for real
cooking and not just boiling - i like that a lot!
i gotta get one of these.
I agree, and I've moved the key to the windscreen. As for the paste, I also use an eyedropper to prime the stove and that works well too. Just try to find a plastic dropper, though, as they're less fragile than glass.
good idea on the plastic eyedropper. i was thinking for me when i get one maybe a mini dog-chain spring clip to the o/s of the windscreen?
i sold the used one i bought. i love the stove enough i wanted a brand new one - not a used one. i bought it for $40USD+free shipping. i sold it for $140USD by parting it out on ebay and the $140USD was profit after ebay&PayPal fees and after shipping. there were few 123R parts on ebay. so, i parted it out. now i got the money for a brand new one! that was my plan. all of the parts sold fast, too. i'm about to order a brand new 123R stove. i've seen'em before on ebay for $99USD+free shipping and no tax and that's brand new. i love the stove - it's awesome! a great great great stove at the least! i'm ready for my brand new one now!!!!!!!
Nice work! I hadn't thought of that. And that's not a bad price at all for a new one.
F.Y.I.: Hand sanitizer gel, (80%) alcohol, works great as a primer also.
I've used this, and it's great - especially since you can leave the other priming gel at home. One less thing to carry.
The key is supposed to go through one of the larger openings in the wind screen. You might have mentioned it is fueled on white gas one of the great turn offs of the modern gen. At $20 a gallon it is no longer the deal it once was. They are a great stove, I've had mine since 1976 with no failures. Great thing is it works in the winter. Oh you can prime heat them with alcohol or more camp fuel as well. Thanks
A J Taylor Thanks, A.J. This was an unboxing so I was fairly unfamiliar with this stove, but I fiddled with it some more and found that out. And yes, I've been playing around with priming and you're right: alcohol and camp fuel work well. Hand sanitizer does too in a pinch but would not be my first choice.
Alberta Bushcrafter One time up in Northern Manitoba I used it at -45 F and actually had a hard time starting the alcohol so I just took some fuel out of the stove in my cup and used that. It did work though and saved the day with a hot drink on the trail.
good advice nice kit arrangement nice add on upgrades good ideas!!
i never knew albertans had it in em!!?
Thanks. If you can get your hands on the larger Pathfinder Store or Canteen Shop cup, it's even better.
Alberta Bushcrafter yes that cup semed to fit perfectly arounds the stove but not stove around the cup made me laugh that bit
Twilight zone stuff!!
Alberta Bushcrafter you could have entered into a parallell dimensions during the making of this brief video!
I've had one of these for over forty years so technically it's not an Optimus because it was made before they took over Svea. It has never let me down but I did have to fit a service kit last year. I don't think you can get a better stove. You don't have to worry about White Gas they run on Unleaded Petrol as well, even with the price of petrol over here in the UK it works out at about £1.10p a litre (about $1.50).
LOL....white gas back in the day was petrol (unleaded) without all the bloody additives.
For priming, all you need is to keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you. It’s only $1 per bottle.
Good point! And you don't even need to pack extra if a small bottle of hand sanitizer is part of your first aid kit. Alcohol wipes can also serve the purpose - just squeeze 'em out.
Funcionará con alcohol de farmacia ?
No. Solo gas blanco o nafta.
Glad yo mentioned when you filmed this because I was thinking you had way too much snow for this time of year. I have an ol whisperlite myself and I always thought it was false advertising. Not exactly a whisper. Same with this Optimus. I was very impressed that you do not need to pump. How does that work?
EconoChallenge Well, we got 3cm this morning so it isn't over yet.
This stove doesn't have the heat output of the Whisperlite but it sips fuel. It sputters a little bit at first but quiets down after a minute to less of a roar than the MSR. Sometimes "old school" still works best!
This stove is the Svea 123R which has a mechanical cleaning needle in the valve stem, I've discovered after some research.. This is way more reliable than the "shaker valves" on modern stoves, which can fuse to the generator tube (and you can thank that Cliff Jacobsen "Camping's Top Secrets" book for that tidbit). Turn the valve all the way counterclockwise on this stove and that needle cleans out the jet - easy as pie.
How it works is: that little tube connecting the tank to the burner is a vaporizer. and after you prime it (as I demonstrated), the vaporizer gets hot enough to warm the top of the tank so it self-pressurizes and it also causes the fuel to flash into vapor and exit the burner. The fuel is actually drawn up via a cotton wick into the vaporizer and that's likely what also keeps the fuel flowing at a steady pace rather than exiting the burner all at once and creating a fireball.
And you saw how the burner itself got red hot? That feature is what allows you relight it if it blows out. Because that burner is bigger than the generator tube in modern stoves, it stays hot longer so you can relight it reliably. I've had to re-prime my MSR when it's been blown out, but never this stove. Plus, it's very low-maintenance compared to pump stoves by a long shot - there are very few seals and moving parts!
Do you get the impression that I love this stove? You should. I think a follow-up video is in order later this year.
I've been thinking about getting one of these, but I live in a heavily wooded area and can't really think of any advantage to this over using wood to fuel a Solo stove. Am I missing something that gives this an advantage?
Well, that is going to depend on a few things. If you're on private land, a stick burner will do fine but some public and backcountry areas prohibit them and only allow liquid fuel or canister stoves. And oddly enough, while stick burners are banned during dry seasons when a fire ban is in effect, other stoves aren't unless the danger is extreme.
But the big reason for me is heat control. I cook beyond the boil-in-the-bag level, so the ability to simmer something is beyond every wood stove I've seen. Wood stoves are usually full blast or not at all - fine heat control just isn't possible even with new stoves like the BioLite CampStove 2.
I have both stoves and the Solo Titan that I have is a great size but, the solo does have plenty of limitations...BTW, Solo makes great pots too of various sizes that fit nicely on both their and other stoves including the Svae123. Have fun using both as the conditions may determine with one set of various sized pots and fry pans...together they don't take up much room while providing a versatile combo as needed...oh, FYI, the Svea will run on automotive fuel (gasoline) in a pinch without any issue, although they don't recommend it. The Coleman White Gas recommended or campstove gas burns a bit cleaner :)
i have a SVEA 183 from the 1960's and I'm thinking that I should take it apart, replace the wick inside the tank but I cannot get the pillar off. I have tried all types of oil,, etc. but nothing seems to work. Any suggestions?
thanks
bill
Does the wick give you trouble when running the stove? Normally you don't have to replace it unless you're run the stove completely dry. But if the wick needs replacing, and a good penetrating oil doesn't work, you could try alternately heating and cooling the joint. This is only a guess but if you heat the tank but don't heat the regulator tube, it might expand the threads enough to loosen it. Do this at your own risk with an empty and dry tank, however.
Hello Alberta,
I think that i have the 123R because the pin cleaner is attached and goes up and down when I turn the key.
I don't know what the problem is but after filling the tank and letting the wick soak, i don't get gas flow. There's no hiss when I turn the key and there's not a locking nut on the stem, just the threads into the tank.
I haven't used this stove in 25 years at least and I want to get it working again.
No hiss.. any idea what's wrong?
thank you.
Bill Lewis
Did you add a bit of fuel to the priming cup (the recess on top of the tank)? If not, keep in mind that you need to prime these stoves by heating up the feed tube for a few minutes, as I showed in this video.
Now if you've primed it and still get no gas flow, there could be a number of reasons, but the two I suspect are: a) the wick may be glazed over or faulty or b) the seal on the gas cap is defunct. It's surprising but a lot of stove users try other materials for the wick than what's recommended, and as I've seen with DIY stove videos, if they replaced the wick in the past with something other than the standard wick (like something with polyester or fiberglass in it) the wick chars and then seals up.
But the usual culprit with most white gas stoves is the cap seal. If you can pick out the gasket in the cap, you can always try your local hardware store for a possible replacement. I've seen leaky gaskets cause gas flow problems in all types of stoves from SVEAs to Colenmans to MSR and Optimus stoves - it's a common failure.
cool!
guess what dean????? ..... i just bought one on ebay today! a 123R! it was $39.00 USD + Free Shipping and is used. nice looking one, too! i had ebay email me about all of the new svea listings. it was just listed and i bought it within minutes! you say that the swlf reliance outters 24oz. stainless steel cup fits over it???? if so, i do have one of those already. can you stick a rag over it and then place a SRO's 24oz cup over the top of it? thanks dean! martina
What a great deal! And it's the GSI Cup/Pot I used in the video, but I think the SRO cup will also work as it's almost the same.
Alan Taylor (2)
I forgot to say that when I bought the stove the instructions recommended holding a match under the tank for a few seconds to raise the tank pressure then opening the valve to let enough fuel out to fill the depression on top of the tank. This can then be burned to heat up the vaporiser tube.
+Alan Taylor That works, and it's the same priming principle that's used on modern MSR and other stoves too. But it's a bit of a last resort. Some folks use an eyedropper to fill the depression, and others use priming paste (like I do). Even alcohol hand sanitizer works in a pinch.
How's this holding up?
This little gem is holding up beautifully! It's almost as good-looking as when I shot the video.
I never knew that about not letting it burn dry!! Good thing you said that!!! What's your opinion on Berniedog? I don't know if he's the only one who has those caps but I hear that they are good.
I've seen some of his videos and articles, and that silencer cap looks great. I like his stuff and he knows his SVEA stoves, for certain.
Good but a bit long winded, you could have streamlined your review into ten minutes. Good luck and keep bringing the reviews.
Thanks for the advice! I've since tried to shorten these videos down a fair bit and tighten them up.
Speaking on long winded, how about this reply to your comment for long winded. 5 yrs baby. Yeah
...привет АЛЬБЕРТ!, где можно приобрести такой-же примус, давно ищу!?
В России я не уверен. Тем не менее, они доступны на Amazon.
I see a few things that remind me of my 1946 Coleman 530 Stove. How well does the Svea simmer? I read that it does simmer then I read elsewhere that it doesn't simmer. How often does the wick in the tank have to be replaced?
I've found that it simmers fairly well, actually - especially with bigger pots and pans. I have a 10-inch Optimus skillet that never has a problem on this stove. I think that a silencer (or minicap) could improve things a bit, but I also think the people who say it doesn't simmer are the same ones that call it "heavy and outdated" (which tells me they've never used one in their lives).
As for the wick, your guess is as good as mine, although I will say that if you need to replace a wick don't use the cotton-fiberglass mix in tiki torches as that stuff eventually melts. I recently looked at a 25 year old 123R whose wick was just fine, and I've seen two year old stoves that needed wick replacements. The key is to never let it burn dry - if you do that one simple thing the wick ought to be good for at least a decade.
7:58 had to stop , wanted to see you light the stove .
Can see that you haven't much experience yet with the 123.
A good purchase though .. will give you many, many years of trouble free use.
Fire Paste makes a mess. Use the fuel to prime .. or Alcohol.
Dangerous? NO.
However, not for complete Idiots and / or those who don't read the Instructions before use (RFM Function).
Also .. don't use the Needle Jet Cleaner if the Burner is still very hot. The Needle can 'weld' itself into the Jet. Wait for the Burner Mechanism to cool down a bit .. doesn't take long .. or .. clear the Jet before use.
dean, question about your brand new svea 123R? it being brand new... do you think the quality of the brand new ones like yours is the same quality as the older ones? i might buy a brand new one? that's why i'm asking? thx, martina
Yes - I find them to be exactly the same great quality as the older ones.
thx dean!
私もoptimus sevea123R持っています‼︎
見た目も音も味わいがあってサイコーの相棒です🤠✨
What I really dislike about RUclips's being joined at the hip with Google+ is my inability to reply to all comments.
Just a note to the folks below - yes, I plan to hopefully pick up a silencer one of these days. And though they really don't make these stoves like they used to, The quality of these stoves is still excellent. I'm really enjoying mine a lot.
+Alberta Bushcrafter
I hope his comment does make it open to everyone.
$130 for the SVEA???
How to fuel??? Maybe I missed that by accident.
Not an instant flame time. Two Minutes???
Advantages over the Fancy Feast Alcohol stove
Bitter Cold temperatures operation
Adjustable flame.
Butane stove would be equal to SEVA
Butane Stove under $10
Zero warm up time. Cool down time not as long.
I was not sold on the SVEA
You said it was around for many years.
I did enjoy watching your video.
Yes, the SVEA 123R was $130 and that was a bit too much. I fuel it from a Nalgene fuel bottle as it has an integrated funnel, but even a flip-top bottle will work. Priming the stove takes 3-5 minutes depending on the outside temperatures.
And while I am experimenting with alcohol stoves this year, I haven't made a Fancy Feast stove - yet. My part of Canada can get well below -30 C so alcohol stoves don't work too well. And neither do butane stoves, even if the canister is inverted. But I've tested a few and will be testing more this year.
And yes - the original SVEA design is around 100 years old but this particular model came out in the 1950s, I believe. This particular model is a 123R and that's a later design still - the main difference is in the mechanical cleaning needle. The older models used a handheld tool.
+Bill Rundell
Try using the canister stove in cold weather. Svea won't have any problems. The price reflects the modern inflation and expensive manpower, plus the small niche market. The buyers are usually those who know the history and performance of the old design.
You are right. It is not for a person like you.
Not sure about the -30 degrees C but any weather that cold you would find me inside. Heck in Sweden they use the little Trangia which is a small open , Brass , alcohol stove. In cold weather when using a alcohol stove keep the alcohol in your pocket during the day and at night in your sleeping bag. In the morning it will light since it is body temperature. You do not need to keep all of it near your body just a couple of ounces (in a small container ) since most alcohol stoves only require 1 or 2 ounces for a burn.
Chuck Littleton This gives me an idea. I picked up an Esbit stove and a Trangia stove this summer and there will be a video upcoming on those. But I might try and see how these stoves and the Svea actually work in -20 or -30 C.
That's it you've gone and done it. Me thinks you're totally screwed now buddy! ;)
Lightweight is relative. You're absolutely right that the Optimus Svea... Aka Svea123r is miserly on fuel. Coleman fuel packs roughly twice the heat potential of alcohol by volume.
There are many ways to prime these as you mentioned. I prefer a plastic eye dropper for two reasons. 1) it's lighter and simpler and 2) it forces you to vent the stove prior to lighting which equalizes the pressure.
In any event... Congrats on the stove. You definitely do not need a berniedawg blue water stove restoration silencer cap for it.
(But it is nice)
Thereal111t I knew you'd like this one. I think Coleman fuel is twice the heat value of ethanol, It's even more than that when you consider methanol.
Another priming idea is to use jellied alcohol (sterno), I have a spare GoToob I think I'll try out for that.
But what is a berniedawg blue water stove restoration silencer cap? It sounds pretty special.
Would you believe a 3d printed bronze and stainless steel silencer cap...
i.materialise.com/shop/item/berniedawg-minicap-with-legs-for-small-stoves?designer=gary-adams&sortBy=mostResent&pageNumber=1&pageSize=9&index=5
Wow - good thing the newer model 123R has a better cap than the old ones. That cap sounds expensive, intimidating, or both.
Thereal111t Actually, I kind of like that roar. Maybe I'm just weird.
No that's normal.
thanks! cool look at the stove and the operation of the stove, too! i appreciate you very much and i also must say i don't care for the google company, either. they are making an attempt to take-over too much. thanks again!
+Martina Dejaquiz Glad you liked the stove! As for Google+ and comments, apparently they will be unlinking these from RUclips fairly soon. Google+ is going the way of MySpace anyway - another app killed by FaceBook.
+Alberta Bushcrafter thanks for your reply.. this is what i love about YT. you can learn something about whatever topic which is so unlike social media in that SM is just talk about nothing (no learning - just gossip). all of this why i cancelled my facebook acct and all social media. about the stove.... i just may purchase one of these for myself! i like it! thank you again for your indepth sharing video! ur much appreciated, again!
You're welcome!
is the stove quality as good as the original swedish brass wises!! metal finishing wises?
I've compared them - a friend has an original. As far as I can see the quality is about the same.
Alberta Bushcrafter thanks for getting back to me with that i often wondered as middle east or chinese imports arent always as sound as their originals that they copy but as there now apears to be a dearth shortages of originals svea stoves about for various reasons! The korean import option is well worth looking into esp if the quality is comparable on its finish!!?
So thankyou i shall look out for a decent agents
it's a very simple design so that makes it pretty hard to screw it up. even the taiwan-made copies like the pak-cook and stansport were well-made and reliable.
Buy the silencer for it. Your mates will appreciate it when make a cuppa before they wake up as it wont be your stove waking them up.
It's definitely on my shopping list. I'd love to try to make a DIY one, but in this case the current offerings out there are much better - and frankly, quite amazing too.
nice but I'll just keep using my trusty MSR dragonfly.
I just got one on a 'free stuff' local website, they were going to throw it away ! it's actually a complete Sigg tourist set with bigger wind shield and pots, not tried it yet waiting for some colemans fluid (UK), we have a local expert in the UK called charlie tango 1 on youtube, check him out
You got one for free!??!? And it's a complete SIGG tourist set at that? Congratulations! You're a very lucky person, and you're going to love this stove.
I would like to know where you get the bag at?
This is a Condor Utility Pouch - it's available from a number of airsoft companies, army surplus stores, and in the USA, from Condor Outdoors directly.
I store mine in an old sock that doubles as a potholder
That's not a bad idea. Most of my old socks go into the first aid kit as compression sleeves, but using one to cover the stove sounds like a plan.
Sounds like a pulse jet that Hitler used to buzz London
I see you got the Chinese version too. They are actually ok. The cup does not fit the windscreen well, and the handle is very weak. I paid $88. US delivered.
That's likely the case, and it's also why I fiddled around with other cups as well. The GSI cup shown here is a huge improvement on the cup that comes with the stove.
oh wow, not bad at all.
ive got an msr whisperlite and im on my 4th polymer pump i dont like the fact they use design polymer parts for stoves generating very high heat in an outdoor settings i wrote to the design team of msr seattle they never bothered or answered! the eu agent for msr sent me x4 replacement pumps for free
cuz id had such a problematic time with faulty pumps
these sveas dont break down as much are finely reglable on throttle a msr is not!!
and are quite compact all metal parts meaning no fear worry of melting during any stove malfunctions
i consider the optimus range of cookers to be superior in both concepts and uses choices of use of their materials even the newer nova outclasses the msr whisperlite that hasnt undergone any major redesign improvements in a long time i think msr make a lot of money from re selling polymer parts where in facts all metal parts should have been always used
like as in the nova pump
which has a burner upgrade from korea that can alter burner flame by simple uses of a screwdriver out of finely engineered metal
that also silences the burner
making outdoor cooking less audibly invasives!
when out
for wildlife or sleeping others etc
that looks great set ups if the quality is also there to the originals!!
You just nailed my biggest problem with the MSR Whisperlite - the plastic parts. In the 30 years I've now owned mine I've replaced 4 pumps for the same reasons. I got this Svea 123R because it was all-metal and had very few moving parts and every time I use it I enjoy it more. I do plan to pick up a silencer for it soon as well.
One complaint I get is about the weight. however, I've compared it to my WhisperLite with the empty fuel bottle and small maintenance kit (because you HAVE to carry one of those!) and the Svea 123R is similar in weight.More on that later once it warms up enough to shoot a few videos.
I dont think youll be disapointed on its sveas comparable weight if it performs aswell as it does with no threat of parts melting on it id willingly forego the weight adv that msr may give to carry something that is more solidly built and lasts a long time
Has no threat risks of ever melting
Just exploding you into ontario!
The other thing is that these are a quite compacts small dimensioned stove handy to carry in a mid sized pkt of rucsac or molle pouch the hip or on pack they were the state of the art in their heydey swedish lightweight climbers exped
Backpacking stove
Theyve not over 100yrs of their design ever lost any of those original design brief advantages
I reckon msr has got a lot to learn from older stove designs id quite like to see a rennaisances of the quality materials used
In years gone bye as not all new stuff gear is good!!
In facts some of it is ridiculously priced and doesnt stand up to regular hard use
Like this stuff does
Trangias are another good example of low tech outperforming high
By times someone has gotten out there pressure stove put together and primed it sorted out any problems with it due to sooting up jets my food is done on tbe trangia!! Im already in my s bag
Listening to them moan about how easy it has been for me!!
To do everything
And how theyd also like to be in bed but are out freezing their nuts off trying to sort out issues!
Yeh i bet its real cold up there now! They look like a really nice pair of gloves
I read acct of a wolverine that recently was recorded in sub zero 18c running over 30miles in a day at a steady 12kmh it was recorded as climbing running right up to top of mt whitneys summit n back down the other sides again over 30miles in ond day just foraging!!
You need the metabolism of a wolverine!!
For some reason my Trangia and Esbit stoves take quite a while to boil a liter of water, and that's why there's no video on them yet. But I agree - a lot of the old-school stoves are more reliable than the newer designs, even though they're a bit slower. But I don't need 3-minute boil times anyway.
Alberta Bushcrafter ive improved the burning times of trangias and msrs by upgrading fuels for both and adding winter priming mods so as priming is acheived earlier for longer ive also modified trangys housings to take msrs interchangeable
I use essence c and essence f self cleaning fuel! No carbon
Alberta Bushcrafter i believe the heat exchanger type pans made by stanley or coleman optimus work very well with the 5400 btus therms max power given out by the svea123r! also the addition of some wire wool or gas fitters wadding to the top of the priming cup area of tank extends the length of time heat generated to vaporise n strength of flame to prime quicker in winter conds no needs to use it in summer when temps go up the wadding can come off again etc
Some of these heat induction heat inducer transfer pans also accept the svea insides of them in its entirety with the additions of a soft cloth to protect chaffing on the insides of yer pan!
Some peopled say these stoves are 60yrs or so old others a 100yrs old the beauty of them is that there is few moving parts no faulty pumps in field or mal burns that melt pumps made of polymer
Like msrs do the optimus nova or 106es are also good options
Esp with silent burner rings attached as an upgrade for queiter camp conds or a korean made burner upgrade that can improve dramatically stoves perf be adjustable by screwdriver one turn in uses!
Optimus newer models have resorted to making their pumps out of all metal unlike msr which needs to up their game if they wish to stay ontop of the pressurised stove mkt i think optimus outpip or outperform them!
For their design and ease of utilisation!
Longevity
In the field which is after all where it counts!
After losing pump4 on my msr to either pump malfunctions or fuel line blockages
Causing unexpected fires often in mid uses after a successfull ord prime i got onto msr design team but they never bothered to get back to me?
Their eu agent did in s ireland
Who replaced all 4 pumps
However their hq in seattlw just ignored all recommends acted as if they just were not interested
This made me revise the future co i go with
In the field as msr hasnt significantly improved their models or standing in years
Compared to optimus which has
Improved and listened to its client bases suggestions
The austrian mt div troops are now issued with optimus novas at alt
Theyve ditched using msr products after experiencing far too many failure issues! Or high maintemance
In their upkeeps whilst out in the field the novas also run better
Can be made more silent
The svea 123r in my book considering its 100yr old history just kicks ass!!
For such a tiny stove its amazing
Love it!
One handed grip ideal size
It lasts forever what more runs forever on low fuel supplies what more can you want!
It's too bad that the new ones are no longer made in Sweden. Just a sign of the times I guess.
Keep in mind that' shuffling off your factory to Asia isn't always a bad thing. For example, Dietz moved their entire factory to China, but they brought all of their production equipment and specialized machinery with them. They also kept the same excellent quality control so their lanterns are still top-notch and reasonable. Let's hope Optimus did the same.
But for the most part, yes, quality can suffer. And from what I've seen, over 90% of outdoor gear is made in Asia, including the most expensive brand-name gear. I've seen $30 unbranded tarps go for $90 to $130 with a big name stamped on it, when it's the exact same tarp right down to the grommets, stitching, and coating. Not that I'm a fan of made in China gear especially, but even with high-end stuff it's still buyer beware.
What gets my goat is they go to great lengths to hide the country or origin which, we the buyer has a right to know. They have zero respect for our laws & CBP is up to their eyeballs in counterfit knockoff goods. I'm not even sure Optimus owns the company anymore, but in any event whoever does should comply with the marking requirements of USC.
That tall pot looks very unstable .. Shorter and a little wider ..
Thomas Herbert Actually, that's just because I didn't adjust the pot stands before I put it on. With the pot stands turned fully inward this pot stays put. Also, I discovered that you can use a lot of the iso-pro canister stands with this unit and that makes this stove very stable.
Your crows sound remarkably like ravens.
We always get that argument - every year. These are crows as they have straight beaks with no big bump on them. We have ravens out here and their calls are much lower-pitched - oh, and they're about 2-3 times as big as the crows too.
To figure out what kind of bird they were I actually took a predator call out in the yard and uploaded a dozen crow calls to it, then let it rip. The crow calls attracted them to the point where I had about 35 of them roosting in the trees. But when I fired off the raven calls, they all took off within a minute. There's a pecking order at work in our forest.
That is interesting. American crow vocalizations vary widely, which I why I assumed that you were correct in the first place. 20 years ago when I moved to northern California from south Florida I was surprised at how similar some California crows sound to fish crows, a separate species in Florida.
BTW, awesome video about that venerable SVEA stove. It brings back memories of my backpacking in the 1970's. These days I use an alcohol stove that weights about the same as the Bic lighter I use to light it.
It must be all the good food and fresh air up here, but the crows in my area are almost as big as ravens in other parts. And the ravens are just huge. I saw one last week with a wingspan over 4.5 feet - gigantic. And their call is more of a "grokkk" that's almost an octave lower than the local crows. And when the local crows hear a raven they normally shut up and take off quickly.
I should have an alcohol stove video done soon as I have a Trangia and an Esbit to test out. But no DIY stoves yet as I haven't had time to make any lately. But that SVEA 123R is my go-to stove and I prefer it to alcohol and canister stoves as it's way better in sub-zero weather. Of course, my other go-to is the Coleman 425 dual-burner, and I'm doing a video on fixing one up this year too as I just scored one for $5.
how much it weight ?
It weighs 550 g, or 1.2 pounds empty.
I subbed yo my friend. I am from Ontario. Cool little stove.
All right! Thanks very much. It's been a silly year but more vids are coming soon.
The new ones like yours are made in China even though they say Sweden on the stove.
Let's hope they're like Dietz lanterns then. Dietz moved its production to China but moved over all the tooling and machines as well, so their quality has not diminished. Optimus will hopefully have done the same, and I haven't seen a drop in quality.
i thought theyd all be whooping it up at the rodeos!!
Too cold for a rodeo right now. You can't ride a bull or horse when your bit s are frozen, or they break off.
hi dean, i re-watched this again. i still want one of these 123 or 123R's. either one of'em. these are too cool and i have always wanted one. i didn't know they were wick-fuel-fed inside of the fuel tank, did you? their fuel intake feed tube doesn't directly contact the fuel - there's a cotton wick inbetween. if interested, take a look at this video ... ruclips.net/video/wH0lkWinLcE/видео.html . i'm watching for one these stoves now used. i'm going to find one because now i'm putting some effort into finding one. thx, martina
Yes, I've known a long time that they have a wick. It's one of the reasons I bought one, in fact - fewer moving parts.
right now close to the same as last year when i starting wanting one... too close to xmas... everything is selling too expensive on ebay right now.