Dear all

Follow up of my Snow Peak GigaPower WG stove (larger version). I switched to alternative WG fuel. Lighted up the stove with no problem under indoor ambient temperture. Very quick and easy to operate. The simmering flame is more controlable than WhisperLite International and way steadier.

The previous WG fuel used could possible contaminated or mixed/diluted by the supplier. I suggest high quality fuel for SP. In terms of my experience so far, the stove burn without soot and left virtually no carbon disposit.

Im very happy with the performance of the stove as yet indoor.

Cheers
Fawo

Dear Tim
There was no priming taken place, becos the pressurised WG wont light up with any naked flame I tried with lighter and matches. But later dripping down below the stove. Thats why I suspect the quality of the WG is too poor for Snowpeak stove, on the other hand, it works fine with MSR. Or else as you suggested, could be the jet, pipe cogged, valving, mixing problem.

I shall closely inspect the stove again; check all components, connections etc.; get some Coleman WG; if all still failing. I'll contact SP directly for advice. Result will be posted.

Many thanks
Fawo

How well does the stove work if you do prime it? I'm trying to figure out if the problem is fuel quality, or if maybe there is a problem with the fuel supply (the jet or valving). If priming it then following the directions work, I would suspect a problem with that valve assembly. If it is still no-go, the jet may be plugged or you could try some different fuel; if it is convenient for you to get some more. (Or you can try Snow Peak's customer service line @ 503-697-3330)
Good luck Fawo!

Okay, thanks Tim. Let me to be more precise about the stove lighting up problem. Yeah pump up 30 strokes; completely open stove valve; light the stove with the master valve open while lever at lighting position.

Somehow the noisy pressuried gas came thru the burner ring doesnt light up by the lighter. Later on white gas dripping down below the stove. My guess of the problem is grade of the white gas is too poor to light up? I also own MSR Whisper Int'al, but nothing wrong with the WG and the MSR.

The following is an excerpt taken from here: http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:GDFtB9qFgZUJ:www.roguepaddler.com/gigawg.htm+Snow+Peak+Giga+Power+WG+Stove&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

"Enter the SnowPeak GigaPower WG—my expedition stove of choice. Instead of the usual priming routine, SnowPeak equips this stove with a tiny lever on the fuel pump which can be switched between two settings: "light" and "cook". To light the stove, set the lever in the "light" position, give the fuel bottle approximately 30 pumps to pressurize the fuel, open the master valve on the bottle, and light the burner with a match or lighter. At once, the burner flames up and begins to stabilize. About 15 to 30 seconds later, when the flame ceases its erratic flickering, flip the lever on the bottle to "cook" and you're set to make a meal. Technically, as you can glean from this description, the stove is not truly "priming-less"; in other words, you are, in effect, "priming" the stove when you first light it with the lever in the "light" position. However, since the GigaPower WG does not require you to actually squirt fuel out onto the burner, it is far less likely to drip fuel onto the ground and pose a serious fire hazard to nearby gear. In fact, in the two years I've been using the GigaPower WG, I've never had a chaotic flare-up with this stove. Having said that, the initial lighting period does send some very tall flames jetting up out of the burner, so there is still a potential fire hazard if you light the stove inside of a shelter (not recommended)."
I hope this helps.

Fuel pump oil found in the MSR expedition service kit works best but don't purchase the kit specifically for the oil unless you have a need for the other parts. Mineral oil will lubricate the pump leather just fine as will petroleum jelly as long as you apply it then remove any excess. Inspect all rubber parts before use for cracks especially o-rings which will eventually deteriorate due to contact with white gas. Check the fuel line from time to time & that's about all the maintenance necessary.

You can purchase a gallon of Coleman white gas just about anywhere. Grocery stores even sell it. There are also other brands available but make sure it is white gas.

Yes it does. I own this stove and have been impressed by it.. It is very hot and the built in cup/windscreen that surrounds the flame seems to work very well. It's also very well made. My two complaints are that it really uses up the fuel and it can be challenging to prime. Although one of it's major selling points (this stove bypasses the 'yellow' priming flame stage), it can be tricky to get it going. I would recommend practicing and understanding this stove before taking it out in the backcountry. An easier white gas stove to use, and lighter weight, is the MSR Simmerlite. The easiest priming stove on the planet is the MSR DragonFly. Both these stoves have proven their reliability over many years of hard use. The DragonFly is my current favorite liquid fuel stove.

Only white gas. You need a multi-fuel stove (e.g. MSR Whisperlite International, etc.) that can handle the additives of unleaded auto fuel so your stove doesn't clog or burst into flames or emit fantastical fireballs sent on a petrochemical search-and-destroy mission for your eyebrows. Since you'll be using auto fuel, I would strongly recommend getting a maintenance kit in addition to the stove; auto fuel is dirty stuff.