BRS 3000-t stove

[GPSGuided]

Thanks. That answered my question, that the unit requires a little protection.

[icefest]

As annoying as the softer aluminum thread might be, the brass thread insert on the 300T wasn't with out any problems. Mine kept sliding out during a walk and had to be forcibly pushed down on the canister to keep gas flow. I ended up gluing it back in.

[Nuts]

Nuts perhaps I don't really understand what the means

OK, so you'll just pull out a sledgehammer and start whacking in case it might have been something offensive?
I'm not exactly sure what that green head thing means either, given that and the lateness of the hour.. i'll ignore your comment.

--

It's a $15 stove!, gear fails all the time, drop by and i'll show you the failed stove collection. I try to avoid mentioning failures far more often than not here for just the reason that some people seem to take offence immediately when they see negatives, take a look back where I show lindal valve failures (that I had previously read Never fail), have a look when I tried to show the failure of the cast connector... there's rarely any thanks, which is ok, it's out there and my conscience is clear- stoves, I think it's worth ploughing on regardless.

Doesn't matter at all the quality of the alloy, so long as the stove is light and holds together for enough walks to keep the consumer from complaining. It's not cynicism as an attitude, just the reality of no free lunch... perhaps stoves were always over-engineered, perhaps it's a case of not being able to afford gear that is priced to include certification and local retail, whatever, but there Is a price to pay.

The quality of the alloy material and the amount quoted is under question around the net, take a look. My point is that unless you source gear from an AU retailer or distributor then there are no safeguards for truth in advertising, there's nobody to blame when things go wrong.. which is the end point of all the accreditation, they don't send gear to an auditor for those CE, RoHS, UL, and IP ratings, they just stamp it on with a wing and a prayer, it's well known around the net (take a look). Without mentioning other personal experiences with failed gear and broadening the topic, my experience is that unless it's in your hand and you have some way to measure and examine everything. Claims, specs for online purchased from China gear, are very much more likely to be bollocks when there are $avings involved, even to the point that they will risk harm.

Anyhow, the titanium quality, the point in this case, is of little consequence. Iv'e noticed the support arms getting flimsier with each lighter model (from other stove models) but the weights do suggest there is at least some Titanium in the alloy.

[north-north-west]

Nuts perhaps I don't really understand what the means

OK, so you'll just pull out a sledgehammer and start whacking in case it might have been something offensive?
I'm not exactly sure what that green head thing means either, given that and the lateness of the hour.. i'll ignore your comment.

And there also seems to be a problem with the real meaning of the word 'ignore'.

[Nuts]

Haha- standby

[GPSGuided]

...but the weights do suggest there is at least some Titanium in the alloy.

And that's all that matters! Preserving the bragging right on a piece of Ti kit.

Otherwise I agree, it's $13 (although USD) and there's a compromise for that saving. Sitting side by side, my Crux stove looked massive.

[corvus]

Nuts perhaps I don't really understand what the means

OK, so you'll just pull out a sledgehammer and start whacking in case it might have been something offensive?
I'm not exactly sure what that green head thing means either, given that and the lateness of the hour.. i'll ignore your comment.

--

It's a $15 stove!, gear fails all the time, drop by and i'll show you the failed stove collection. I try to avoid mentioning failures far more often than not here for just the reason that some people seem to take offence immediately when they see negatives, take a look back where I show lindal valve failures (that I had previously read Never fail), have a look when I tried to show the failure of the cast connector... there's rarely any thanks, which is ok, it's out there and my conscience is clear- stoves, I think it's worth ploughing on regardless.

Doesn't matter at all the quality of the alloy, so long as the stove is light and holds together for enough walks to keep the consumer from complaining. It's not cynicism as an attitude, just the reality of no free lunch... perhaps stoves were always over-engineered, perhaps it's a case of not being able to afford gear that is priced to include certification and local retail, whatever, but there Is a price to pay.

The quality of the alloy material and the amount quoted is under question around the net, take a look. My point is that unless you source gear from an AU retailer or distributor then there are no safeguards for truth in advertising, there's nobody to blame when things go wrong.. which is the end point of all the accreditation, they don't send gear to an auditor for those CE, RoHS, UL, and IP ratings, they just stamp it on with a wing and a prayer, it's well known around the net (take a look). Without mentioning other personal experiences with failed gear and broadening the topic, my experience is that unless it's in your hand and you have some way to measure and examine everything. Claims, specs for online purchased from China gear, are very much more likely to be bollocks when there are $avings involved, even to the point that they will risk harm.

Anyhow, the titanium quality, the point in this case, is of little consequence. Iv'e noticed the support arms getting flimsier with each lighter model (from other stove models) but the weights do suggest there is at least some Titanium in the alloy.

sorry double cick

[Nuts]

It's ok ('forgive' may have been a better choice of words)

Otherwise I agree, it's $13 (although USD) and there's a compromise for that saving. Sitting side by side, my Crux stove looked massive.

Right then, it's safe to denigrate the Optimus Crux?

(mah, have a great weekend nature lovers!)

[Orion]

I finally took my BRS 3000-T outside. I had been using it at home to make coffee with my moka pot without any issue. The store where I bought a canister for the trip only carried Primus, so I bought one of those.

That night in camp I discovered that the BRS 3000-T doesn't work with Primus canisters. It doesn't seal.
(EDIT: This may have simply been a bad canister. See below.)

This reminded me of a similar problem I had witnessed many years ago. It was someone else, with a different stove, but the same problem. As anyone who has looked closely at the Primus canisters knows the Lindel valve that Primus uses differs in geometry from all the others, at least all the others I've ever seen. I'm not sure why Primus persists in being a little different in this regard. I usually buy different brands simply because the Primus mixture is inferior for cold weather use. Now I have another reason to avoid them.

As luck would have it there was someone camped nearby who had a different brand canister and was willing to exchange. So all was well. But I thought others might like to know this about this stove/canister combination.

[corvus]

Orion,
Good information and warning

[Travis22]

Bugger about the trouble in the field but that was certainly good luck that you were able to swap canisters with someone else nearby.

Having only just transitioned to gas stoves i appreciate the information about the canisters.

Im pretty sure there is a thread here by someone else who had trouble with the Titanium Kovea stove (i took interest to it because thats the stove i bought) and it wouldnt work properly with a certain gas canister iirc.

Maybe related maybe not? Anyways so far i have tried the Primus, MSR and Optimus canisters and all have worked well so thats a relief.

Travis.

Edited to add, all of the canisters i have tried are the 230g size.

[GPSGuided]

Thanks Orion on the spec difference warning.

Just checked my canisters, two being the 230g Primus/Companion/Kookaburra one (grey in colour, distributed by Primus Australia), they have been compatible with my BRS3000T and Optimus Crux stoves. Which exact Primus canister did you have issues with?

[Travis22]

By eye my 3 different brand canisters look extremely similar.

The height of the male threaded valve protruding above the canister rim is virtually identical to my eye and is confirmed by measuring with with my digital verniers.

Then the depth of the valve plunger from the flat surface on top of the male threaded fitting was different.

The depth to the plunger on the Primus and Optimus canisters was the same at 2.25mm. The plunger in the MSR canister is at 2.55mm depth.

Doesnt really prove anything with such a small sample group of 1 per brand (well 4 for the msr) but i did notice with the MSR canister there is virtually no hiss when unscrewing the stove off the canister where as with the other 2 brands there is a brief hiss as i unscrew the stove.

I certainly dont have the ability to measure at what depth the valve plunger opens the valve but if there was to be a obvious visable difference between the mechanical limits set by how far the stove can be threaded onto the canister and the distance to the plunger then thats it.. I guess the other variable is the length of the needle in the stove which contacts the plunger but again as it stands my view now would be if there was a canister that could cause issues it would be the MSR canister with a deeper plunger.

Travis.

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

See here:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=8504

Sometimes, for whatever reason (perhaps damaged threads or grit), it can feel like the stove is tight on the canister when it is not.

That's the problem I had. Don't be a brute because you'll likely damage something, but check the clearance between the body of the stove and the ring on top of the canister and make sure they are flush. Relying on it feeling tight is sometimes not enough, and stoves with small bodies have less leverage and can feel tighter than they actually are.

The Lindal valve won't engage (for obvious safety reasons) until the stove is completely flush with the can.

I cleaned and ever so slightly greased my stove's female thread which made it easier to screw on, and now keep tightening until the body is flush with the rim of the can (without going overboard).

Haven't had any problems since.

[Travis22]

The Lindal valve won't engage (for obvious safety reasons) until the stove is completely flush with the can.

The valve on the Primus canister i have opens with 1 full turn of the stove still possible, without getting some feeler gauges out i can say by eye the stove base is still over 1mm off the canister's top rim. (Based off my above measurements id expect the Optimus canister would be virtually the same and the MSR canister would have less gap left / rotation left before the valve opened but i havent checked).

It would be near impossible for the valve to only open when the stove is screwed completely on, there has to be tolerences there for the endless manufactureres of canisters and stoves alike.

There must be exceptions to the norm tho with tolerences in either direction which lead to the above mentioned problems where the valve doesnt open, and dirt/ grit in the threads, damaged threads on the stove or canister also contribute to the problems.

Travis.

[GPSGuided]

A bit surprised why would Primus not adhere to the standard. Makes no commercial sense.

[corvus]

Storage/Protection I have several Clear Plastic Screw Top Bottles 600 mm h x 350 mouth and 400 across the top of the lid weight 9gm each and they take the Burner and bag comfortably,sorry cannot remember where I got them from but they look like this one on ebay only a smaller version http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12-Plastic-C ... 1353880762

[Orion]

Unfortunately I don't have the original canister. It was a 100g Primus canister, brand new. I took it out of the manufacturer's box myself. The threads were clean. The stove threads and seal were free of dirt. I don't remember if it was a Power Gas canister but I think that is all that's available around here. I tried to screw it on twice and both times it seemed to thread fine but did not seal . The gas hissed out even though it was screwed down tight.

Looking at it next to the 110g SnowPeak canister I traded it for it was obvious that the stem on the Primus canister was taller. That's how the pre-PowerGas Primus canisters were. I always thought it was weird that they made them that way. My SnowPeak GigaPower stove's base gasket wouldn't make contact with those old canisters. It doesn't really make sense that a taller stem would affect sealing though. It didn't matter with my GigaPower stove and the old Primus canisters. So perhaps there was some irregularity in the threads or the top of the valve that weren't apparent to my eye. At the time I was understandably more interested in a hot meal than doing an investigation. I wish I'd had a camera with me.

At home I tried my BRS 3000-T with a 100g Primus Power Gas canister I have and it sealed fine. The stem looks identical to the other canisters I have.

So I retract my warning.

There was something very odd about that canister though. As I said, the stem appeared taller than on the SnowPeak canister. Weird.


I wonder if it worked for the guy I traded it to? :-)

[GPSGuided]

So the key lesson here is to test one's equipments before leaving home.

[Orion]

So the key lesson here is to test one's equipments before leaving home.

I tested the equipment. The problem was either with the canister or some piece of grit that eluded my careful inspection.

Are you suggesting testing every canister you buy? I'd rather have eaten cold uncooked ramen on that recent trip than wasted my time doing that for the last 30 years.

[GPSGuided]

Following your report, testing one's canister may just be the OC thing to do before a trip. Just need to screw on and test the seal, that's all. Not that I had done in the past but have never had seal issues. At least you have dried ramen, not sure how one would handle those dehydrated sachet meals.

[Orion]

Following your report, testing one's canister may just be the OC thing to do before a trip. Just need to screw on and test the seal, that's all. Not that I had done in the past but have never had seal issues. At least you have dried ramen, not sure how one would handle those dehydrated sachet meals.

Time is money.

I was telling a couple about my near-cold food experience with the ramen. They told me about a trip where they had to eat all of their packaged Mountain House meals cold. They said they soaked the dried food in cold water and ate it. A stove failure is unlikely to be a safety issue in the summer, just a bummer.

[GPSGuided]

15s max.

[Orion]

15s max.

I think you're being optimistic in the amount of time. But even 15s is out of proportion to the risk. And it's only one single risk out of many unlikely failures. If you add them all up -- assuming you treat other rare failure possibilities in a similar OCD manner -- it will actually consume quite a bit of time. For example, do you submerge your inflatable pad in a bathtub full of water prior to a trip, to check for slow leaks? Do you subject your backpack fabric to a stress test? It might tear. Or the frame could fail. What about your health? Shouldn't you visit a doctor for a full checkup before heading out bushwalking? You never know...

And for all I know the cause of the canister problem I had was actually due to something that occurred in the field and couldn't have been detected in advance.

[GPSGuided]

...And for all I know the cause of the canister problem I had was actually due to something that occurred in the field and couldn't have been detected in advance.

Well, if that's the conclusion, then it's back to normal channel again...

[Orion]

It's not a conclusion, it's an unknown. You can't guard against all unknowns but you can try if you want. I don't worry.

[Rexyviney36]

Can I please bump this thread and ask if people have found their BRS setups to be long lasting (3years for UL and cheap seems long enough to me)?
Are they still working and if not, how long were they operable for?
Interested to see what others have experienced.

[Mark F]

I bought 2 of them on 24/4/2016 - AU$15.10 each through AliExpress. Both are still working well with one having more than 100 days of use. I do strip down any new stove to check that the jet and spindle are free from any machining swarf and to ensure that I can easily maintain it in the field. They are kept in the little green drawstring bag they came with and live a stress free life in my pot - an Evernew 900ml.

While there can be some issues with the length of the rod that opens the lindal valve, the issue is more likely to be the canister as they are the super-mass produced item and the threaded valve holder is a pretty crude stamping.

[johnw]

I bought 2 of them on 24/4/2016 - AU$15.10 each through AliExpress. Both are still working well with one having more than 100 days of use. I do strip down any new stove to check that the jet and spindle are free from any machining swarf and to ensure that I can easily maintain it in the field. They are kept in the little green drawstring bag they came with and live a stress free life in my pot - an Evernew 900ml.

While there can be some issues with the length of the rod that opens the lindal valve, the issue is more likely to be the canister as they are the super-mass produced item and the threaded valve holder is a pretty crude stamping.

Just checked AliExpress and looks to have gone up in price - AUD $19-67 shipped which is still cheap. Are these things really only 25 grams? Not that I really need another stove but that weight and size is tempting for such a cheap price.

[Orion]

I use mine pretty frequently -- at home to make coffee with my moka pot.

I stopped carrying it on trips when I reached the conclusion that the weight savings weren't sufficient to justify the reduced reliability. Twice I found myself with canisters that would not seal with the stove. And once a small mishap resulted in bent burner arms. It didn't take much to damage them but I couldn't straighten them until I got home. Add to that the general flimsiness and concern about possible damage to the soft threads and I found that I just felt happier with an extra 45g of stove that had a field failure rate of once every 20 years instead of once per season.

This is part of an evolution for me in a way. About eight years ago I wanted to do some trips where I walked 40-50 kilometers per day, day after day. I knew I needed to reduce my pack weight as much as I could. That turned into a kind of obsessive thing, as often happens. At some point I reached the limit for me and then began to relax back in the other direction with some of my gear, including my cooking setup. I went from cold food / no stove, to the BRS-3000T with a beer can as a pot for boiling water meals, to the setup I use now -- a Gigapower stove with a small Ti pot. So now I carry an extra 150g but I can cook with it. And I don't worry anymore.


Except where you must melt snow for water a stove failure isn't usually catastrophic. With some exceptions it's possible to eat food uncooked, either as is or with a period of soaking in cold water. It might not be fun but you won't die. For me, when weight is of prime importance I just don't take a stove at all. When I want a stove I want one that will work without significant doubt. But the BRS-3000T isn't a horrible stove; it will probably work just fine for you as long as you treat it with care. And maybe test your canister for fit before each trip.