Hi folks! Thanks for having me in the forum. I am a total newbie to the pressure lamp world and appreciate any tips or advice I can pick up. My interest was sparked when a neighbour invited me to take a look at his collection. I didn't really get it at first, but his passion and enthusiasm were contagious and I found myself, later that evening, surfing the web for secondhand pressure lamps for sale that I could potentially buy with a view to restoring. I haven't gone ahead and parted with any cash as yet as I thought it best to conduct a little due diligence and ask a few questions of those with greater experience than myself. My neighbour has given me a few pointers, but has had to away on a family matter for a few months. I don't know when he will be back and needless to say I don't want to be pestering him while he has other fish to fry. So I once again turned to the internet and happened upon this forum. And it seemed like just the place to get the info I need to move forward. (Apologies for barging in and asking questions, I'll keep them brief). So I guess my questions are two-fold: 1) What would be a good "starter" lamp to look for online? Something that is relatively abundant but also kinder on newbie in terms of restoration. 2) What questions should I be asking a potential seller about the lamps condition before deciding on a purchase? Thanks in advance to anybody who can offer any help.
Your a Brit..get a TILLEY! Coleman's easy to use .aida or petromax easy to get parts however over there..dont know about coleman in your country?I'm sure this site will give you some insight soon from feedback from other members...my advice is get a white gas lamp first than a kerosene lamp second (harder starting).just get a lamp! This site will help you sort it out. But it might suit you to start with something that is ready to go...perhaps someone here has a good starter lamp they want to sell? Learn and have fun!
Hard to say, how technical are you, how handy ? The Tilley is a good start since you are living there.
Do I see stoves in your avatar @Lundo007 ?? Aye - a Tilley can be found cheap & easy to service. Probably best to find one at a car-boot so you can eye-ball it or even better, put a wanted ad here & get into a dialogue with someone who knows what they are talking about. A lot of casual sellers don't!
Thanks for the pointers guys. The general consensus seems to be to go with a Tilley so I think that is where I will focus my efforts. Especially if they are easier to restore for beginners. I did a quick search online and found a bunch for sale here: www.for-sale.co.uk/vintage-tilley-lamp. But I'm not sure about buying online. Car-boot suggestion was a good one. I'd much prefer to check it over before parting with any cash. I'll let you know how I get on. I live in Hampshire Shagratork.
As Ross suggests, trawl the various car boot sales around your area. Tilleys are ubiquitous and cheap - I wouldn't pay more than a tenner for one. Be patient and hang out for one in good external condition i.e. little used, without dents and complete with glass. You could always try asking at a local authority amenities site (the tip, dump or skips) or an internet search using your local Freegle, Freecycle or whatever - it's surprising what folk are wanting to give away. Otherwise you could look for a Vapalux or Bialaddin lantern which work on the same principle as Tilley but are far better engineered. I'd avoid any rusty Far-Eastern type lanterns such as Anchor which can be fiddly to fettle into running order, particularly for a newbie. I also find them useless because they're dazzlingly bright and I can't stand the horrible, cheap and nasty, clanky sound they make. But I'm biased...
I concur with everything else you said, David, but I must disagree on the Anchor lantern. Perhaps you meant Sea Anchor. My very first lamp, bought new in the early '90s, was an Anchor 350cp. I was then an absolute newbie, having never even seen a pressure lamp in operation before, and this lamp gave me no trouble whatsoever. I still have it, well used but in fine condition and with no rust, in its original box. At the time it cost me R145.00 which was then about GBP 25.00. I will concede that the pump is clanky , though
Well, what I really meant was 'Far Eastern Petromax-clones' but I didn't think that term would mean much to a newbie. In the past, I've had a couple of Anchor/Sea Anchor/whatever retailed by Blacks of Greenock and bearing their sticker and also heaps of peeling-off chrome and rust. I gave them away eventually to another member here for parts, fettling or maybe he had target practice in mind. I've had other Petromax clones such as Hipolito, Relum Magnalux (unlit still) etc. and even actual Petromax lanterns. I've found them better but still fiddly to set up and keep running, being prone to black-mantle disease with the local kerosene. They've about 10 times as many parts and moving parts as Tilley, Bialaddin and Vapalux so if I want reliable light I'll use one of those or, perhaps, a Coleman 201. But each to his own, eh...
Yes, even when they are well built, the members of the Petromax family are undoubtedly more complex and fiddly than the Tilley and Vapalux, and your recommendation is very good advice for a beginner living in Tilley-land.
Not many tilleys or vapulux around here and I have never owned one.on my bucket list now for sure. Phaedrus.....you ever read Zen and the art of the motorcycle?
My one Tilley has been a money sink to be honest. So I'm a "Naysayer". "Yeah-yeah" the experts chime in. Well you bought an X246B (most available). Yes, sure I did, and the damn thing works for at best 10 hours before it needs spares worth twice++ what I paid for it. 3 times over so far. I keep it going for "surely they must work longer than this before they crap out?" -Or "I will make this 'kin thing work whatever I do before I die." So it is presently in it's most usual state.... Duff. Partly this is grounded in the Greengrocer's wagon parked at the end of my road when I was very young. He used Tilleys, a pair. They lit the dark nights of winter. The young eye does not remember the subtleties. They looked like X246 is all I know. But then the possibilities.... His pitch was probably staked 30yrs before and this was 196x?! Guardsmans, X246A? We just don't know...
@Chips I've refurbished countless Tilley X246s; a few X246As; and a couple of Bialaddins. All operate excellently and are a straightforward fettle. I also have a bunch of 246Bs that I bought for the glasses and hoods. I don't bother getting them going because all had over-pressurised tanks and were not worth fettling. I would stay away from the X246B. Cheers Tony
We don't want to put him off ! Surely it's a good excuse to get more lamps? I know what you mean though Tony, and I have done the same myself, both intentionally and non-intended :/ If you are a boot fair fan then that is a good way to examine before purchase if you know what you are looking for? You can still get a bargain on the ebay though and sometimes they are near enough so you can have a look before? My first was bought on ebay, a mid to late '50's Tilley Guardsman ... with a new set of seals + mantle it is still going strong, with it's red, rusty top/hood and a dent here and there! But you need to watch out, as before you know it the paraffin gets under your skin and you're hooked! All the very best , pb Ps forgot to say there are good x246b's out there, but you just have to pester the seller with questions!
@Pod Bros (& @Chips) There are also plenty of plain old X246s out there. So my point was: start with what is good and tried. As a matter of fact, in the last two month I have given away two excellently working X246s to people who needed them - a great introduction to the dark arts of classical pressure lamping! Cheers Tony
@ phaedreus. I didn't know that he passed.he must have been pretty old.that is also one of my favourite books! My father read it and gave it to me when I was young.It changed how I looked at the world...thats a book you can read over and over and not fully understand..but it forces you to think! I liked it on multi levels ...road trips,motorcycles,problem solving ,relationships,tinkering and of course philosophy! I should probably read it again! Jon
For what its worth: maybe a good time to change the title of this topic. In general: a lot depends on what the previous owner did to the lantern and what he/she feed the thing with. Some people believe the "multi fuel" tale and once a vaporizer is clogged you have a problem. Tilley and vapalux are good starter lanterns to get the basic working principle. Even when not working fine, fettling isn't hard. No rapid pre heater, one "valve", straight vaporizer with cleaning needle.
@WimVe , sorry if that was directed at me for being off topic.I should have made it private....still learning the ropes! Chill baby chill!
