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wvgrinder
02-21-2010, 14:05
I've had my Coleman Feather 442 for almost 20 years. It can use unleaded, but I've never tried that. Is it more dangerous or foul smelling?

I know these stoves are a little heavier @ 24 oz.-but they're efficient & I've never had any problems.

emerald
02-21-2010, 14:27
I think it may be true that while the two can be used interchangeably, it might be better to use Coleman fuel.

You could probably also use mineral spirits (Stoddard solvent). It's a good idea to refer to manufacturer's recommendations and read labels when experimenting with flammables, especially those under pressure.

Feral Bill
02-21-2010, 14:32
I think that mineral spirits are a less volatile product between gasoline and diesel, and would not use it in a gasoline stove. Coleman fuel is cheap and widely enough available that you should not need to use auto fuel.

Old Hiker
02-21-2010, 15:12
I've had my Coleman Feather 442 for almost 20 years. It can use unleaded, but I've never tried that. Is it more dangerous or foul smelling?

I know these stoves are a little heavier @ 24 oz.-but they're efficient & I've never had any problems.

If it's the dual fuel like mine, it can. I quit using mine quite a while ago, but I loved it when I used it. I see if I can dig up the manual. I think I may still have it. I moved away from it because of the weight of the stove and the fuel bottle.

4eyedbuzzard
02-21-2010, 15:26
Hey all, long time no post...
You might find the odor/fumes given off by gasoline and possibly the MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) and other additives in the gasoline objectionable (more so than Coleman/white gas). MTBE (which is made from methanol and added to gasoline in winter months) is about 10 to 15% of gasoline and thought to be carcinogenic by some. There are arguments on both sides. I've also heard auto gas burns dirtier and can require more frequent stove cleaning. Coleman fuel is pretty widely available.

BigFoot2002
02-21-2010, 15:30
I've also used one of these stoves for about 20 years. Rarely used anything other than unleaded gas, with no problems.

emerald
02-21-2010, 15:44
Hey all, long time no post...

Yes, we'd lost something I once valued by your absence. Good to see your post.

garlic08
02-21-2010, 15:45
I used unleaded gas once and did not like the additional soot.

emerald
02-21-2010, 15:54
I think that mineral spirits are a less volatile product between gasoline and diesel, and would not use it in a gasoline stove.

Your advice could be absolutely correct and I'd need to do some research before commenting on your point. It may be better suited for use in multi-fuel stoves. I did burn unleaded gasoline in a Coleman stove I used years ago for what that's worth.

There may be no need for AT hikers to burn unleaded fuel today, but if I were to I'd buy the highest octane-rated fuel I could buy since it would cost only pennies more in the quanity purchased and burned.

Would it make a significant difference in performance? I don't really know and will let others argue that point.

leaftye
02-21-2010, 16:00
I haven't burned unleaded gasoline yet, but if I were, and had a choice, I'd get a non-brand fuel. The big brands add detergents and stuff to their gasoline to distinguish them from the rest. Usually all the gas in a particular area is exactly the same, coming from the exact same pipeline, except for those additives. Those additives are not needed in our stoves, which is why we use white gas instead of gasoline.

skinewmexico
02-21-2010, 16:02
Unleaded would scare me too much.

4eyedbuzzard
02-21-2010, 16:03
It used to be the most widely used oxygenating additive in gas. It's been phased out in most parts of the US. Now they use mostly ethanol and ETBE, and other "stuff" to raise the octane and oxygenate auto gas. Sorry for error.

BigFoot2002
02-21-2010, 16:05
I take my old coleman dual fuel motorcycle camping. I like the convenience of siphoning the premium octane out of my tank, rather than having to carry fuel.
Never noticed any soot or fumes. Backpacking, I carry an Etowah II.

Grinder
02-21-2010, 17:48
I too have a coleman single burner that I use for motorcycle camping. Never had any problem with using gas fromthe vehicle and never noticed a difference in performance (either of the motorcycle or the stove <G>)

Toolshed
02-21-2010, 19:18
Ran RUG in a Feather 442 for a few years. No harm done. It is a little more volatile, but that's good in cold cold temps. great little stove.

mweinstone
02-21-2010, 19:22
my msr xgk works fine on anything. used to have to get fuel at stations in pa hiking the trail as a kid. allways carried my msr gk back then. now it sits and waits for like an artic trip. alcohol ruels.

tuswm
03-01-2010, 01:33
I have a MSR simmerlite. why would it not work with regular unleaded?

karo
03-01-2010, 01:46
I have a MSR simmerlite. why would it not work with regular unleaded?
It would work, but is sooty and means more frequent cleaning,

tuswm
03-01-2010, 01:49
There may be no need for AT hikers to burn unleaded fuel today, but if I were to I'd buy the highest octane-rated fuel I could buy since it would cost only pennies more in the quanity purchased and burned.

Would it make a significant difference in performance? I don't really know and will let others argue that point.


Actually you have it reversed

I race cars and build race cars so I know alot about many different fuels. The higher the OCT # the less likely the fuel is to spontaneously combust under heat and pressure. I know that the amount of actually energy in different grades of unleaded fuel is similar if not identical. What I do know is that the LOWER the OCT rating the LESS polluting the fuel is, at least when burned in a car engine.

I could explain how a cars engine can extract more power from higher OCT fuel but it doesn't mean the fuel has more energy in it. My friend who races jet engine powered boats said they use Kerosene because it has the most energy per gallon. I don't now if that is true.

Has anyone done a cost analysis of cost of fuel? Unleaded is cheep!

emerald
03-01-2010, 03:00
Were you to look into it, you would find diesel has a higher molecular weight than kerosene and octane, a higher molecular weight than heptane. There's no doubt more involved in a complete answer to the question, but it's a starting point.

Toolshed
03-01-2010, 07:34
Actually you have it reversed

I race cars and build race cars so I know alot about many different fuels. The higher the OCT # the less likely the fuel is to spontaneously combust under heat and pressure. I know that the amount of actually energy in different grades of unleaded fuel is similar if not identical. What I do know is that the LOWER the OCT rating the LESS polluting the fuel is, at least when burned in a car engine.

I could explain how a cars engine can extract more power from higher OCT fuel but it doesn't mean the fuel has more energy in it. My friend who races jet engine powered boats said they use Kerosene because it has the most energy per gallon. I don't now if that is true.

Has anyone done a cost analysis of cost of fuel? Unleaded is cheep!
Yes - "D2 Diesel" has the most, then "D1 Diesel", JetFuel and Kerosene - However, they all have more energy than Gasoline. I think it has something to do with the sulfure content as well as the hydrocarbon chains.
Yikes - I only know this because I drive a diesel car and have a diesel tractor - In winter, I usually add a couple of gallons of Kerosene to my Diesel Red (Off Road) fuel to cut it thinner - then my tractor hours of use per tank decrease from it as compared to the summer.

daibutsu
03-18-2010, 16:26
For what it's worth, I burn unleaded in both my Whisperlite Internationale, and an Optimus Multifuel stove with little if any problems; get the flame nice and blue and you'll not get soot on your pan, the stoves will get sooty as they get hot tho.

The only problem for me is distinguishing which additives are seasonally and geographically mixed into the fuel. The MSR pump are crappy plastic and I'm hyper aware of leaving it in the fuel bottle between uses.

I think the real solution, for me, is to continue to use unleaded but stick with stoves that are all metal.

Tinker
03-18-2010, 20:51
Your advice could be absolutely correct and I'd need to do some research before commenting on your point. It may be better suited for use in multi-fuel stoves. I did burn unleaded gasoline in a Coleman stove I used years ago for what that's worth.

There may be no need for AT hikers to burn unleaded fuel today, but if I were to I'd buy the highest octane-rated fuel I could buy since it would cost only pennies more in the quanity purchased and burned.

Would it make a significant difference in performance? I don't really know and will let others argue that point.

I read somewhere a while ago (real specific, huh?) that higher octane gasolines have more junk added to them like knock inhibitors (for high compression engines) and are not suitable for stove fuel. There must be more info elsewhere.

tuswm
09-15-2010, 23:46
I recently did an experiment. I live at the beach for the summer. I have no real kitchen so I used my simmerlite all summer. (*MSR white gas stove) Then I switched to plain old unleaded 87 oct gasoline. The stove has burned 3 gallons of white gas and about 5 gallons of unleaded. The difference was more soot on the bottom of the cooking pot but only during priming. if i prime the stove without the pot on there was no issues. I even took the stove apart at the end of the summer. there was no build up of anything.

cliff notes:87 oct unleaded gasoline = no real issues

Enic
01-10-2011, 00:02
I've been using a MSR Dragonfly for a few years now with several fuels, but still find that coleman fuel (white gas), is the best. Kero, unleaded, jetfuel, deisal all work fine, but flex fuel stoves are meant to work everywhere. Some fuels are easy(er) to find in remote places. On the AT... I'd stick with coleman fuel.

Cookerhiker
01-10-2011, 09:28
I've been using unleaded gasoline only in the last 2 years or so for both my 2 Coleman 2-burner (car-camping) and Peak 1 which I take on shorter backpacking trips. No problems yet. I always use the premium higher octane.