Thread: coleman fuel alternatives

Coleman and Tilley lamps. All we used when I was growing up was kerosene fuel, preheated the mantle/generator with meths. Still got a couple in the shed, 60+ years old now.

Yes this is tricky, A few years ago fluid for burners was often called “white spirits”. If you buy white spirits now you however are buying a type of cleaning fluid. If you want a high quality burner fuel you go for Coleman liquid or Shellite (you can buy Shellite at Bunnings or Mitre 10)

Originally Posted by woods223

Coleman and Tilley lamps. All we used when I was growing up was kerosene fuel, preheated the mantle/generator with meths. Still got a couple in the shed, 60+ years old now.

yes - right and wrong - most cookers lamps are either kerosene or white spirits - they will not mix fuels and run on either no - Coleman Tilley etc early stuff was kerosene and was preheated most of it by a methylated wick ( tilley ) and some by a little cup which one filled with meths to preheat the lamp etc -most more modern was white spirits - labelled Coleman fuel Shellite mobilite white spirits etc - a lot of the more modern Coleman stuff was labelled duel fuel making out it could be run on petrol or white spirits - wrong wrong wrong any mug who tried the that soon found out they will not run for long on our crap petrol - generators in the lamp or stove will simply burn out - they must be run on white spirits - I have had to replace generators in so many so know- the early kerosene stuff was good - we always had kero lamps and cookers when I was culling and apart from being smelly were very reliable - the more modern white spirts are quick to light and hot stoves