Kerosene lantern collectors?

hunterdan

hunterdan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2009
Location
Morganton,NC
Just found a new item to collect.
I have been moving tools and such to my new shed and ran across some old lanterns I had stored. Green Coleman is one my dad used when I was young. We took it to quite a few KOA campgrounds and some fishing trips on the gulf. Glass is broken but I think I saw mantles and globes at WM once. I also have an old red lantern with a wick. I think they are only $10-20 new but I'll try and get this one going. I bought it years ago for $3 at a yard sale. I guess my prize lantern is the single mantle red one. I believe it's from the 60's and is a model 200a. It works great which is hard to believe. I'm thinking these will be handy if pwr goes out due to hacking/pwr outages.
It's amazing how the smell of kerosene takes me back to fishing at 4-6 yrs old.
Anyone here have one...or two?
Also, fuel for different models gets confusing. I am using kerosene to be safe but I believe the lanterns without a wick can use unleaded gas. The ones with wicks would be a Molotov cocktail. Any help with understanding the different fuels would be great.
Pics of yall's please.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20220226_165015634_resize_67.jpg
    IMG_20220226_165015634_resize_67.jpg
    270.6 KB · Views: 94
  • IMG_20220226_165024601_resize_45.jpg
    IMG_20220226_165024601_resize_45.jpg
    154.7 KB · Views: 94
Don't put gas in any of them.
Some used what was called "white gas" which was probably nothing more than Coleman fuel.
To be honest unleaded can be used but the there's a lot of reasons not to.
 
What @Lizooki said. Coleman uses "white gas" which is a highly purified gas with rust inhibitors. You can use unleaded, ethanol free for sure, but it will not burn as clean. It will soot up faster and require regular cleanings. You can get new gererators to change original coleman fuel lanterns to dual-fuel. If you do use gas, I would not use indoors. And FYI, that red one is probably a '50s model. The two digit year is stamped on the bottom of the fuel tank on the Colman's. I only have about a dozen. My most recent pic of one. Late 70's 220.
 

Attachments

  • 20220210_213143.jpg
    20220210_213143.jpg
    68.6 KB · Views: 105
Kamel said:
What @Lizooki said. Coleman uses "white gas" which is a highly purified gas with rust inhibitors. You can use unleaded, ethanol free for sure, but it will not burn as clean. It will soot up faster and require regular cleanings. You can get new gererators to change original coleman fuel lanterns to dual-fuel. If you do use gas, I would not use indoors. And FYI, that red one is probably a '50s model. The two digit year is stamped on the bottom of the fuel tank on the Colman's. I only have about a dozen. My most recent pic of one. Late 70's 220.
Click to expand...
Only a dozen huh?šŸ˜
Thanks for the info.
From some reading it seems that Coleman fuel and maybe white gas only last a month or so after being opened. That's no bueno.
I'd like to have some light source that is longer lasting.
I have a generator to charge batteries/run elec. but it is not a sustainable option.
Maybe an oil lantern?
 
hunterdan said:
From some reading it seems that Coleman fuel and maybe white gas only last a month or so after being opened. That's no bueno.
Click to expand...
never new this....Ive been pouring out of one can for ever. Not like I use them regularly.
 
hunterdan said:
Only a dozen huh?šŸ˜
Thanks for the info.
From some reading it seems that Coleman fuel and maybe white gas only last a month or so after being opened. That's no bueno.
I'd like to have some light source that is longer lasting.
I have a generator to charge batteries/run elec. but it is not a sustainable option.
Maybe an oil lantern?
Click to expand...

WARRIORWELDING said:
never new this....Ive been pouring out of one can for ever. Not like I use them regularly.
Click to expand...
I don't know if that's so true. I've used some that was easily 2 plus years old. From what I seen, it doesn't go rancid like unleaded.
 
So after a quick goolge... I can see that.
Believe it or not, some people had white gas last as much as 30 years. However, 5 to 7 years unopened and 2 years opened is the recommended shelf life of Coleman.
Click to expand...
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
never new this....Ive been pouring out of one can for ever. Not like I use them regularly.
Click to expand...
From what I've gathered
Coleman fuel is good unopened for 5-7 yrs. Opened is good for 2 yrs.
White fuel opened should be used within 3-4 months.
That's probably just how long companies will stand by their product.
I've used Coleman fuel that was opened many years earlier. It just gums stuff up and burns dirtier
 
My dad always had the green one and the two burner stove for all of our car camping trips. He still has the lantern and handed me down the stove. I bought and regularly use one of the green ones for our car camping trips now and a newer two burner stove. Parts available at most WalMarts and at least for a time at REI. There may be newer/lighter/fancier stuff out there but these have been dead nuts reliable as long as you rebuild the pumps once in a while and have been great for camping/tailgates/power outages.
 
I went by WM to get some mantles for the lanterns. They have the red with a wick oil lantern like mine for $8. Might just buy one instead of trying to get a wick for mine.
As far as fuel, I thought my red and green mantle lanterns would run on kerosene but I believe they require the "Coleman fuel"
I'm going to look into converting them( as Kamel mentioned) to kerosene since I bought 5 gallons. yesterday.šŸ˜•
 
AFAIK, if it has a roll up wick, it can use kerosene, but a hanging mantle requires either fuel or white gas.
The mantle ones work off of piped vapor, not what more or less is equivalent to forced evaporation off a wick.

Curiosity got to me a bit .....
here is a rabbit hole to get lost in.
Coleman Collectors Forum
 
Last edited:
Back
Top