# coleman fuel or propane



## UNCLE AL (Jan 5, 2002)

I bought a propane refiller, and can only get about 1/2 of the 1lb tanks refilled. Tried refilling indoors, outdoors, cold tanks, hot tanks, still can only get about 1/2 full. I'm refilling from a 20lb tank.What am I doing wrong.


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

Unkie Al,
Set the "empty cans" outside for a while,, til their nice and cold. Bring the "full" 20 lber. inside the house and wait until its room temp. Then turn the big one upside down and screw on your empty can, you'll be able to tell by the sound, when its done.


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## UNCLE AL (Jan 5, 2002)

I've done that too without any luck. I went as far as putting the 1lber in the freezer for acouple of days while the 20 sat in the basement. Still only filled about 1/2. I'll try it again. Thanks


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## slayer (Jun 1, 2002)

uncle al the one thing your not doing is while 1# tank is filling hold down the little air release valve and fill till liquid starts to come out. this will fill them all the way up .


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

Make sure you turn your big tank "upside down",,, that was the real trick for me, the little tank should fill up in less than a minute.

Believe me, I know what you're going through, I did the same thing last year,,, I was so P O'ed after it would only fill them up a little ways,,, I thought I just WASTED 20 bucks on that valve!!!

It'll work, don't worry.


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## UNCLE AL (Jan 5, 2002)

Thanks guys, I've got some tanks in the garage. I'm going to bring in the 20 to warm up, and I'll test this theory in acouple of days. Thanks again.


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## scottyhoover (Dec 24, 2002)

I must be different then all of you guys because I just switched from a single mantle propane to a double mantle white gas lantern. A white gas lantern gives off tons more heat and light than a propane, especially a double mantle. It gets old when you and your buddies go through a dozen tanks a weekend when fishing all nighters for crappie. A full tank of white gas is going to last me for weeks. You shouldnt worry about getting gas on your hands or shanty because you shouldnt have to fill the tank on the ice, this stuff burns forever, and its cheaper. Now I haven't done the refilling of 1lb tanks, that would be a good cost cutter if I were to go back to propane. I still dont think I want to be trying to refill pressurized tanks. I still use propane for a focus 5 heater if it is really cold.


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## Rich M (Jan 6, 2001)

I'm with you Scotty! I started out with a propane lantern many years ago and UPGRADED to white gas. It is so much brighter there is hardly a comparision. Not to mention a full tank will out last a propane cylinder by far and it also produces much better heat. Other posts talk about "spilling fuel in the shanty and on your hands", well it doesn't happen if you top up the tank at home before you go! Then you don't have to carry extra fuel (like I had to with propane). And a gallon of white gas lasts me multiple seasons. I mistakenly thought propane would be more conveinent, but between the little heater and the latntern and the extra cylinders I had to carry it was expensive and cumbersome.


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

Correct me if I'm wrong,,, but isnt' white gas,,, just "regular" gas???


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## TrailFndr (Feb 12, 2002)

> Correct me if I'm wrong,,, but isnt' white gas,,, just "regular" gas???


Nope, White gas is the stuff you buy at stores under the coleman name, its cleaner than gasoline, Made for use in gas stoves and lanterns. Closer to kerosene then to gasoline.. Comes in the Red gallon can. The equipment you use it in normally has a pump on it to get the pressure needed to operate.


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## ozzgood2001 (Feb 15, 2003)

i have grown up on propane and now am starting to switch over to gas much brighter and more heat. currently im restoring a 1968 dual mantle coleman should work great . when i do need extra heat i bring along a propane single burner, works for heat or to cook something up too


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## Icehole Ken (Dec 24, 2003)

White gas was sold years ago, it was the origanal unleaded gas. Coleman fuel is naphtha, which isnt quite as volitable. I quote:

Although Coleman fuel and other camp fuels are routinely called white gas, they are actually a naphtha. The two are very similar in characteristics. Naphtha is refined one more step and is therefore considered cleaner. It also has a slightly lower boiling point than unleaded gasoline, although it is in practicality undetectable. Coleman fuel has some additives to help prevent rusting of internal parts and facilitate long shelf life. 

I feel confident in recommending it for other brands of stoves that burn "white gas," but it would be prudent to check with the stove manufacturer.

Jim Reid --- Coleman, Director of Public Relations


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

Thanks for clearing that up, "Icehole". LMAO

For some reason, I "knew" white gas was just regular gas or as it turns out,, "used to be". I thought I was losing my mind.,,,,,, so wait a minute,,,, if coleman fuel = naphtha,, what does "white gas" equal?, just plain old gas??


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## mike h (Jan 11, 2003)

Now you really got me confused.....LMAO


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## Houghton laker (Jan 5, 2002)

I have been using the coleman powerhouse gas lantern for years, and just love it! recently upgraded to the northstar duel fuel single mantle gas lantern...It really produces both the light and heat!!! I fill it up before my evening fishing trip for walleyes and also use it for my morning fishing outing...then I just top off the tank again before the next evening trip!.....no need to fill while out on the Ice!


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## Icehole Ken (Dec 24, 2003)

mike h, regular gas used to be leaded until the 80s. Gas stations used to sell "white gas" out of a separate pump for lanterns, stoves etc. because the lead would plug the burner and it wasnt the best thing to breath. The lead was in the gas for lubicating the valves and increase the octane, but metalurgy, and different additves came a long ways and it wasnt needed anymore, and with the advent of the catalytic converter lead was banned because it would coat the catalyst, making them ineffective. So now all gas is white gas. If you check any of the stoves and lanterns now they will say to use unleaded gas or colman fuel. So now are you really confused? Hope this helps.


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

My bad. I didn't mean regular, as in "regular or unleaded" I just meant, plain ol' gas. LOL

I "kinda" knew all along that, white gas was just plain ol' gas. I just wanted to make sure.


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## UNCLE AL (Jan 5, 2002)

After a weekend of experimenting, here's the results. A room temperature 1lb bottle would not accept any fuel from a room temperature 20lb bottle. A cold(from the refrig in the garage) empty 1lb bottle would fill half way. A 1/2 empty 1lb bottle from the fridge. would fill completely with a room temperature 20lb bottle. As a result of these experiments I have found that filling 1lb bottles can be done, but must be done in stages. Now,thanks to my friends here in M-S forums, I have 4 completely filled 1lb bottles.I still have a 1lb bottle that's emply that I'm going to try to fill from a cold 20lb bottle. Thanks for the help. BTW the 20lb bottle was full when I started.


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## chad 1 (Jan 23, 2001)

Wow Uncle al, You must have no ice by you  lol
I put the 20 pounder in the utility room and the one pounders in my freezer in the garage. Fills them up good for me.
My wife loves me taking 20 pound propane tanks in the house  

chad1


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## UNCLE AL (Jan 5, 2002)

Chad 1, 
Ice, what's that. Friday night it was in the 50's, and if I hadn't put my ginger ale in a cooler and not put ice on it, it would have been a long weekend. I live on the south shore of Saginaw Bay, and we're making ice today, temps only in the 20's.


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## Icehole Ken (Dec 24, 2003)

Uncle, I throw the 1 pounder in the freezer overnight, then fill. I get about a 3/4 fill which is good enough for me, it sure beats buying new ones.


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