20 year old Coleman stoves

[roach711]

I know this is way off topic but this evening I dug out my two Coleman stoves out of the garage attic, one is a backpacker stove and the other is a standard two-burner camp stove. They'd both been stored up there for 20 years, both were stored away full of fuel, and both fired up fist try without a hiccup. I'm impressed!

 

[bapos]

they are working cause they are 20 years old. New stuff probably wont last that long

 

[roach711]

they are working cause they are 20 years old. New stuff probably wont last that long

What surprised me was that the FUEL was still good. If I had left my lawnmower stored full of gas that long the carb would have been full of brown goo.

 

[bapos]

ethonol is the devil in gas. glad it lit up and is useful

 

[scooter56]

I have a three burner Coleman stove that's over 36 years old and it lights right up. I just recently used it a little over a week ago. It only gets used once every other year and I store it full of fuel. One bad part of regular fuel are the additives (including ethanol) and dye that turn old fuel into a varnish like substance that plugs small orifices. Coleman fuel is pretty pure, for the most part, so it doesn't suffer quite as bad, however, it must be kept where it can't absorb moisture.

I have used five year Coleman fuel without any ill affects. I can't say the same thing about automotive gasoline, where I have seen it gel in just months, especially if it can attract moisture. That's why I ALWAYS use a fuel stabilizer, like Staybil, in all my fuel containers as soon as I fill them. Fuel left in my commercial mower, lawn tractor, generator, and other small engines (chain saws, string trimmers, blowers, etc) all have fuel stabilizer added.

 

[lornaschinske]

We used to have a Coleman White gas catalytic heater (bought in 1979) that we used when tent camping and then in the pop-up. We kept a sealed/never opened 1 gallon can of Coleman fuel stored for several years as a back up. The fuel can was getting rusty so we decided we needed to use it. That was a really good space heater. What we did not like about it was we had to light it outside. They don't make this great heater any more.

 

[scooter56]

We used to have a Coleman White gas catalytic heater (bought in 1979) that we used when tent camping and then in the pop-up. We kept a sealed/never opened 1 gallon can of Coleman fuel stored for several years as a back up. The fuel can was getting rusty so we decided we needed to use it. That was a really good space heater. What we did not like about it was we had to light it outside. They don't make this great heater any more.

Yeah, I have one of those too and it has kept me from freezing before while tent camping in temps below 20 degf (very cold for a Texas boy). You are right about lighting it outdoors. Not only that, but it shouldn't be close to anything that could catch fire while it was lighting. Yes, it kept me warm, but what I didn't care for was the hydrocarbon odor it put out. Not enough to keep me from using it when it was really cold, though. I like the propane ones better, but I worry about the ones I have tipping over.

 

[dbhost]

I had to replace the packing in the generator shaft (where the fuel adjustments are made) on my now 14 year old Coleman dual fuel stove, other than that, and a good clean up / repainting, it works perfectly.

I have 2 same vintage dual fuel lanterns. No issues at all.

And 2 1969 vintage white gas heaters. No problems at all...

The fuel I have in them all is from 2005