Just found a 827/250 CP SUPER - Need advise

    To be honest, I am an avid Coleman lantern fan. I love them and have used them all my life. Simple to pump, light, and maintain, they are durable and Coleman makes excellent light weight hard cases for travel.


    I am from the US and when my kids grow up and got married my camping slowed down some. I was also offered a good job in Chile and I took it. The airlines would not let me check my used Coleman lanterns and stoves (even empty and dired out) so I gave them to my kids.


    Chile is a wonderful country to explore and camp in but they do not have Coleman equipment here. I have been looking for good quality equipment for months and months. The other day I passed a second hand shop and rummaged around and found an old Coleman stove and lantern. But the lantern was not Coleman, it was a old Petromax 827/250 CP SUPER. The shopkeeper said in burned kerosene. I was impressed with the quality of manugacture so I thought it was better then not having a lantern at all so I bought both the stove and the lantern. White gas is easy to find and I got the stove cleaned up and humming in no time and it works like new. But after carfully studying the lantern and the major differences over the Coleman I soon found myself perplex as how to operate the thing or what might have to be repaired. I can not find anyone here to help me.


    So I went on the Internet and found a sight that showed video on how to light it with the pre-heater and all the pumping and the special tricks to get it humming. Look, I am not one to turn and shun a challenge. Some even consider the Coleman a hasssel to light so they buy the propane lanterns. I’m not one of those, but when I saw this vidieo on lighting the Petromax and all the fuss, I said I had to send away for a Coleman………………………………….until I found this thread and stated reading all the romantic interest in the Petromax. The more I read the more I started to appreciate this thing, even though it is far more to fuss with then a Coleman. I am starting to see and appreciate the craftsmanship and history. I want to get to know this foreign lantern. This Petromax is more like fly fishing and the Coleman is more like spinning luers. Both are fun and catch fish, but fly fishing takes more finesse. Besides, I want to see the faces of fellow campers when the blow tourch pre heater starts up. This thing will make a great conversation piece.


    I have included some pictures of the latern just as I found it and they show exactly the condition it is in. I will post half the pictures on this post and the other half in the follow post.


    I would like to clean it up and get it working in top condtion. I could use some expert advise on where to start with cleaning it, checking out each of the several functions so I can start to use it.


    What I have checked out (with NO fuel yet in it) is the following.


    It will hold pressure but the pump is not consistently smooth. The leather appears still in good shape and it has oil on it as dose the pump shaft, but it seems to push without any resistance on every third stroke. Two (2) strokes with good resistance forcing air into the tank, then one (1) stroke with not resistance at all. This is weird.


    The pre-heat trigger works and when opened it blows a good steady puff of air out of the end of the pre heat tub.


    The needle value works fine and turns off and on airflow with the control knob just fine.


    The pressure gauge works but I have never taken the time to pump it up to the red line as it seems it would take forever.


    All and all it seems to be in good shape but before I fuel it I would like some advise on proper pre-maintenance from you pro’s before I fill it, charge it, and light a match.


    I would also like to know how old this model is?

    Hi Franco
    you have found a very good little lantern and complete with the additional shade that is a good find.
    I have started with Coleman as well and for a long time was reluctant to look at other brands, but today I must admit I like them all!
    true a petromax is more complicated then a Coleman but still a very good strong light.
    some answers/comments:
    1st - the pump or at least the pump knob is from another lantern as you can
    read the original should have petromax written on it and is smaller.
    2nd- this lantern does not have a positive shut off valve like a Coleman it's shut off using a spring loaded valve in the bottom of the fuel pick up tube you should turn it off by releasing the pressure using the pressure release knob on the filler cap
    3rd - the lantern looks to be from the 50's that is from the pre-heater mechanism and from the stamp "made in Germany"
    4th - when you turn the valve wheel dose the needle appear in the jet? if so all is ok
    5th- check the distance between the jet and the U-tube it should be 12mm
    if all is well I would give it a good cosmetic clean up - fill it up with kero and try to light it
    running a lantern on kerosene is much safer then Coleman fuel as its a less volatile fuel and if it leaks you will only have a mess and not a ball of file :gaehn:
    if you have more questions you are more then welcome

    Thank you for the response Doron Papo, You have a nice website.


    I have noticed on many of the websites that the 500 and the 150 are stile widely available, but the 250 has been deleted. There are some sites that have parts for the 250HK. I am assuming all of these parts will fit my 250CP. Right?


    Accessories:
    I would like to know if there is a place I can get a new and originally Petromax black soft carry case like the ones they currently sell for the 500 & 150 that also has the pouch for the large shade.


    One site offers the stovetop cooker for the 250HK. Have you ever cooked on the top of a Petormax?


    I am thinking seriously about getting the pump adapter fitting to pump it up with a bicycle pump. Do you think these are a good idea and or are there any problems with them.


    Cold Weather Starting:
    In Chile, especially down in Patagonia, it gets real cold when the sun goes down, often freezing. I read on one website about mixing 20-25% mineral spirits with the kero to aid in the pre heat process. What’s your take on this?

    Regards,
    Franco

    Hello,


    Zitat

    Original von Franco
    I have noticed on many of the websites that the 500 and the 150 are stile widely available, but the 250 has been deleted. There are some sites that have parts for the 250HK. I am assuming all of these parts will fit my 250CP. Right?


    Yes, the 250HK and 250CP are the same - with most parts, you can use spareparts of a 500, so e.g. all often necessary replacement parts with older lamps (gaskets, pump leather, pump adaptor) also fit on the 250HK. Only "outer things" like the cap on top are New Old Stock or hardly to get - the glas ist still available here in the shop...


    Just browse a little bit through the shop here and you will notice that many parts from the 500 and the 250 are just the same part...


    Zitat


    Accessories:
    I would like to know if there is a place I can get a new and originally Petromax black soft carry case like the ones they currently sell for the 500 & 150 that also has the pouch for the large shade.


    Unfortunately, these bags where designed a few years ago and so they are only available for the still newly available lamps - the 150 and the 500. In ancient times, there where no bags like these. But it is just easy to build such boxes out of wood, some people here did this already.


    Zitat


    One site offers the stovetop cooker for the 250HK. Have you ever cooked on the top of a Petormax?


    No, not myself, but i calculated the power of such a "stove" and came to about 1200Watts. Compared to a real cooker, which has easily over 2000Watts, you will need more time. But if that does not matter, you can cook on a petromax.


    Zitat


    I am thinking seriously about getting the pump adapter fitting to pump it up with a bicycle pump. Do you think these are a good idea and or are there any problems with them.


    No, there is no problem - the pump adaptor works well and if you have a bicycle pump with you, is much faster than the build-in pump...


    Zitat


    Cold Weather Starting:
    In Chile, especially down in Patagonia, it gets real cold when the sun goes down, often freezing. I read on one website about mixing 20-25% mineral spirits with the kero to aid in the pre heat process. What’s your take on this?


    I already started a petromax with kerosene that was at -12°C and that worked. If it is really cold, just a little longer preheating (normally about 75 seconds, then 90-120 seconds) does the job. The preheater also works on low temperatures, but you need a good firesource, most people here use a kind of small soldering torch that makes a sharp, hot flame (gas driven), this works best as normal matches easily get blown out by the preheater.


    Greetings,
    Frank

    --
    Mehr Licht! (Goethe)

    Hi Franco,


    first the 250ies became quite little rarities because their production cost and quality was higher than their final price - and they are loved and hated: They can work perfect and you have never a problem with her - and there are little beasts you can repair any part in them and they still don't work properly (I have one of each :done::traurig:).


    If you you want to know the production day of your lamp:
    Look at the number at the bottom of your tank, there should be a number like 1523.
    This means 15th week of year (196)2, the 3rd day


    I haven't heard about a stovetop cooker for the 250, I have one for the 500 - it can boil up a liter of thick pea soup with sausages within 10 minutes - at a temperatur of ra. 10°C outside.
    (If you want you can look at my report, even if it is german the pictures explain enough: http://www.pelam.de/petromaxfo…hilight=m%FCcken#post8311 )
    I even percolated some espresso on it, it works quite good, but I doubt that the little 250 can give enough heating power for sufficient cooking.


    The problem with your pump is your leather inside the pump tunnel.
    Open the pump by screwing off the covering cap, take it out and put the leather piece into some oil (I use weapon oil, it has a little thinner consistence than regular oil). I have two or three leather pieces, one is in use, the others lie in the oil and getting soaked with it, that's keeping them smooth for years.
    For quick use you screw the pump handle out and press it with the leather on a clean hard surface (I use a little plank of wood) for a few seconds. Repeat it a few times and when reinstalled, you will see that the resistance during pumping is much better.


    For longtime usage and fun I urge you to buy a "Protectionplate HK250" ( http://www.pelam.de/product_in…7ea2d8ad0091815f457ee39bf )
    I "lost" already one very old lamp because of some falling sock fragments melting down my welding sews. This little problem cost me almost one month for repairing.


    The next tip I can give you ist to fill the tank with kerosene (ra one third or half) , shake it a little around and then filter it back into the kerosene bottle through a coffee filter (I took the littel petromax funnel (?right word?) and put a piece of filter over the lower hole).
    After a few time you will wonder how much debris is in your tank; and these little metal pieces can choke your carburetor.


    If I can see it right your glass has already some brown colour from using a damaged sock. If it is not molden you can clean it easily with some dish soap and warm water.
    But always check your socks if they have bigger holes that spot-weld the flame to your glass and crack it.
    Do you have as much mosquitos and little flies in Chile as we have in Germany in the evening? They like the light of your lamp very much and they can even be soaked through the carburetor through the sock, one member gave us a cuttingplan for brass-gauze, here is the link: http://www.pelam.de/petromaxfo…687&sid=&hilight=siebkorb


    So, maybe this tips helped you a little to maintain your lamp.


    Hope to see some lamp burning pictures from Chile


    See you


    Orthotiger