A diesel heating stove

[Handy_Dan]

The didn't change hands, they burned down in 2014, on New Years.  Owner John Squires started it in 1998, and he did put it up for sale after the fire, but then decided to reopen it and keep going.  The stoves were from China well before the fire, but I don't know if anything changed.  But they did put a window in their little ovens, which I thought was a big improvement.

I was thinking of buying the 22-wick stove for canning:  http://stpaulmercantile.com/index.php?ma...cts_id=227

His friend, Miles Stair, sells an enormous selection of wicks:  http://www.milesstair.com/by_make/Alpaca...aters.html

Thanks!

I  like Miles Stair and have ordered wicks through them.

I was unaware that SPM  had the same owner.  In the past I have purchased real Alpaca stoves, and heaters from them, as well as real butterfly stoves.  Both are prominently marked with their names.  I prefer the Coleman ovens because they are collapsible.  

I do know people who use the mop-wick stoves, and at least one of them purchases mops from the dollar store for his wicks.  They've used them for years, so they must be as reliable as my sock-wick ones.  I love the simplicity of the wick type stoves because there isn't much to go wrong with them.

That particular stove does appear to be a legitimate butterfly stove, and they have a great reputation, and are also very stable.  I'm a big supporter of kerosene appliances, safer than propane, and portable stuff can be used either inside or outside.  Cuts down on duplication, which is important when space is limited.

I much prefer my kerosene stoves over propane, because I like making pot roasts and things on a slow simmer, and the propane stoves I've had didn't really like to simmer and they'd go out.  Never had that problem with a wick stove.  I think you'll like them too.

[Handy_Dan]

I don't personally have experience with the mop-wick stoves, but 9 years after purchase of my sock-wick stoves I am still using the original wicks, which have never been trimmed, and only cleaned about once a year. I believe the wicks in mine are fiberglass.

[Snikwahjm]

Kerosene burns so dirty though.

[TrainChaser]

Kerosene burns so dirty...

I've never used it. Someone, somewhere, said that it mainly smells when you get it started and when you shut it
down. He/she said if you start it outdoors, let it run for a few minutes, when you take it inside it doesn't smell.

[Flying kurbmaster]

Kerosene, Diesel, Coal  are some of the dirtiest fuels, that is the down side, I am still not sure why anyone would burn them in small space like a closed down van especially if they are not vented. They now outlaw these kinds of fuels in parts of the world when used in furnaces and the reason being that they are not healthy for your neighbours  to breath. The heater that this thread initiallly was talking about was vented to the outside as is the Dickenson model. A down side of these vented diesel heaters is that they smoke and smell compared to the cleaner burning propane. Even with propane it should be vented as the condensation becomes an issue if not vented or a depletion of oxygen occurs with all the none vented ones so a window has to be left open which kinda defeats the purpose of heating.

[Handy_Dan]

So i am curious if you are smelling a scented fuel you are breathing in fumes, that doesn’t seem to healthy to me.

I can't give a definitive answer on this...  My lamp is odorless unless I add scent to it.  Just a slight smell when extinguished much like blowing out a candle, but it seems to be less and lingers less than with a candle.  MUCH less than the odor of propane, but that perception could vary from person to person.

I love my kerosene lantern in the evening, both as a warm mellow light, and as an air freshener when I choose to add scent.  Something about the flame I think is kind of soothing too.  

On a mildly chilly night, it will even take the chill off.  Very versatile, portable, and no power required.  They are also really cheap, under $6.00 at Walmart!

[Handy_Dan]

Kerosene burns so dirty though.

K-1 kerosene is one of the cleanest burning fuels available.

[Handy_Dan]

I tried to edit my above post, but was evidently too slow, because I was also researching my answers to ensure their correctness...

Unlike diesel and coal oil, K-1 kerosene is highly refined, and kerosene remains the #1 cooking fuel in the world.

That being said, the quality of the kerosene in other countries might be vastly different.

I have read that in 3rd world countries indoor air pollution is a problem, and that cooking with kerosene greatly reduces it, compared to cooking with wood.

Since my kerosene appliances are portable and unvented, ventilation is required, just as with unvented propane appliances. Kerosene was approved for safe indoor use long before propane. That should speak volumes for it's safety. Unlike with kerosene which stood on it's own merits, propane took big money to buy it's supposed safety rating.

When you compare safety and deaths, kerosene is the clear winner. Unlike propane, kerosene is also a much drier heat. Switching to kerosene solved my never ending moisture problems when using propane.

Another worthy point to consider is that kerosene contains many more BTU's per gallon than propane. Propane cost me many times more than kerosene, and when I was in Alaska, I was freezing my butt off from not enough heat. Switching to a higher output kerosene heater not only kept me warm, but it also only cost a fraction of the amount to run.

Also noteworthy is that in my van, propane would set off my carbon monoxide alarm, kerosene never has. I don't know what criteria they use for "cleaner", but I certainly wouldn't call carbon monoxide clean or cleaner. People die every year from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by propane, not to mention fires and explosions caused by it. "I" feel much safer using kerosene.

[Flying kurbmaster]

I tried to edit my above post, but was evidently too slow, because I was also researching my answers to ensure their correctness...

Unlike diesel and coal oil, K-1 kerosene is highly refined, and kerosene remains the #1 cooking fuel in the world.

That being said, the quality of the kerosene in other countries might be vastly different.

I have read that in 3rd world countries indoor air pollution is a problem, and that cooking with kerosene greatly reduces it, compared to cooking with wood.

Since my kerosene appliances are portable and unvented, ventilation is required, just as with unvented propane appliances.  Kerosene was approved for safe indoor use long before propane.  That should speak volumes for it's safety.  Unlike with kerosene which stood on it's own merits, propane took big money to buy it's supposed safety rating.

When you compare safety and deaths, kerosene is the clear winner.  Unlike propane, kerosene is also a much drier heat.  Switching to kerosene solved my never ending moisture problems when using propane.

Another worthy point to consider is that kerosene contains many more BTU's per gallon than propane.  Propane cost me many times more than kerosene, and when I was in Alaska, I was freezing my butt off from not enough heat.  Switching to a higher output kerosene heater not only kept me warm, but it also only cost a fraction of the amount to run.

Also noteworthy is that in my van, propane would set off my carbon monoxide alarm, kerosene never has.  I don't know what criteria they use for "cleaner", but I certainly wouldn't call carbon monoxide clean or cleaner.  People die every year from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by propane, not to mention fires and explosions caused by it.  "I" feel much safer using kerosene.

I think you are passing on misinformation with all due respect, 1-k has less sulfur then. 2-k kerosene that does not make it a clean fuel, it only makes it cleaner then the other.  The reason third world countries have an indoor pollution problem is largely because they use kerosene for cooking heating and lighting, I would guess.. and the reason third world countries have to use it instead of propane is because the appliances and the fuel are inexpensive. I am not sure it is a better solution based on this. I was reading that there is a problem with breathing in these fumes especially in small confined spaces how much I don’t know, but more so then propane. Cooking can;t be avoided but having a vented heater is a good idea, and using 12 volt to light is also a better option in my opinion.

[Snikwahjm]

I have repaired a couple tents where kerosene was burned. Horrible mess. They smell they are dirty and it has a bad feel from the kerosene. Propane doesn’t have that much residue.