Hi Everyone - I’m new to this and just spent a week binge waging OldTown Coleman and reading all those great pages. I’ve been intrigued by old lamps for some years, have Dietz and indoor kerosene lamps, but now on the hunt for a Coleman. What I’m looking for is: - Great lumen output for camping with that nice warm glow. Should I look for dual mantle for greater output? - Naptha or kerosene. Guessing naptha because it’s cheaper. - Workhorse to take camping. Ok, guessing they’re all workhorses, so are they all heavy enough to not tip over from a light wind? - Has mantles readily accessible. It looks like 999 has been replaced by 22A. But 24A is brighter than 22A? - Ideally would like to be able to find a case for it. For lamps in excellent condition (i.e., only used a handful of times, no rust, no corrosion inside fount), what is a reasonable price to pay? I’m seeing quite a few on Calgary Marketplace in the $40-$60 CDN range, which is less than the $100+ on Amazon.
Most Colemans seem to be in the 300cp to 500cp range. The vintage Coleman's provide that nice warm glow through the nice old globes or the reproduction mica chimneys. That glow is very awesome as you recognize. Most Colemans old and new are naphtha burners, there are few Coleman kerosene lanterns or lamps. A Coleman filled with fuel won't tip over unless the wind is very very strong. You can also hang them on stands , hooks , etc.. Mantles are still readily available for all Coleman's and they use a variety of mantles probably the most common Coleman mantle is the 21 style and its everywhere and its equivalent style Peerless mantle is also widely available. Coleman does make cases for its newer lanterns and they are easy to buy, exactly what vintage lantern they fit I don't know. A case came with my Coleman 286 and it works well for the lantern. I usually rely on the box the lantern came in as its case , this is as Coleman intended. Back in the day people would shellac the boxes for strength. Coleman made a great lantern. If its 100 years old or someone's 1970's Coleman hunting lantern you can get it running if it looks in good shape. The forums are good resources on Coleman restoration and most involve just changing the generator, fuel cap gasket change and oiling the pump leather. Nothing to stop you from enjoying a Coleman just pick the ones that appeal to you and dive in. Unfortunately the price of vintage Coleman's is now expensive as compared to the recent past of just a few years back, Coleman have become highly sought after collectibles. If you can find Coleman's locally its for the best and in Canada there maybe some still out available at local garage sales, church sales etc. Ask the people at work if they have old Colemans and they might bring you their dad's or uncles old lantern that could be a real treasure.
Being in Canada I would recommend getting a few Coleman 335's. One of the most common lanterns produced by Coleman Canada and a most excellent lantern to use and service. You should be able to pick up a minty example easily and there are period cases available that will protect the lantern during travel. Spare generators are still available for a reasonable price and there are lots of cheap donor lanterns out there if other spare parts are requied. In addition they are a relatively compact lantern. If you want someting bigger with more light output and more solid construction then go for a 236...also easy to find in Canada.
I have to agree with Peter. I have a Canadian made 355 with nickel font and I have to say it is my "go to" lantern when I want quick light and reliability. It also uses current coleman globes so easily replaced in case of accidents.
Welcome to the forum, Barbara. Since you're Canada, I'd reckon that there are still plentiful of Coleman lanterns to be found at reasonable prices. Since its going to be a workhorse, I'd say buy one which isn't that old or rare. Something that's easily serviceable with spare parts that aren't too hard to find. Kerosene is safer to handle than light volatile naphtha and certainly present a lower fire risk should the lantern fail at some point. If you are already adept and familiar with the use of naphtha/Coleman Fuel, then I guess the choice would eventually boil down to the economics of operation. In summary, choose something that is both appealling and practical in the long run for you.
All excellent suggestions but can I add a 635 to the list? Its rugged like all Colemans and very bright! Its got a large tank too so it'll last a good long time at your campout.
Thanks for the replies, everyone. I ended up getting a 286 in great condition and with case from Marketplace. Cleaned it up (collar was on crooked, glass had soot and mantle was broken) - all simple stuff. I'm loving the learning curve as I never had used a pressure lamp before. A few additional - mostly operational - questions: 1) Do you prime the mantle with the glass on or off? 2) Do you turn the lantern to full power for a bit before turning it down to desired brightness? I'm finding mine is pretty loud when on full, and quiet when rather dim. Is that how it's supposed to be? Also found it very smelly, but that may have been because I cleaned it for some time and was handling it a lot. 3) When storing it on a sunny balcony and not using it for a couple of days (but not packing away for the season or anything), do you release the pressure from the fuel cap? (I've done this for now). 4) Can the camp fuel be stored outside over winter (well below freezing)? Trying to figure out how much fuel to get for the rest of the summer. I'm in a condo, cannot store this in parkade or storage unit, and do not want it indoors. 5) I've been trying to find a chart or something as to how Coleman numbers these. A lot of the lantern numbers you've mentioned here keep coming up. Is there any rhyme or reason to the numbering? For example, what does 200-series vs. 300-series mean? Hoping to try this on a week-long camping trip in a couple of weeks and can certainly see how this would get addictive. Love the nostalgic feel of these. (P.S.- Not sure why this forum shows a US flag under my name. I'm in Canada, but can't find a place to change it).
Hi Barbara - sounds like a success story ! 1) personal preference but I like to "burn in" the new mantle with the glass removed so no soot ends up on the glass. 2) yes - these work by vapourising the fuel before it gets out of the generator - so need the heat to make this happen. Once it is hot you can turn it down a little (this lamp design allows for this many do not) 3) It is a good idea to release the pressure if not needed for a bit. Yes - release it via the filler cap. But never do this when the lantern is lit or even very hot as it does release flammable vapours. 4) yes - it will not freeze but look out for the can being damaged by contraction/expansion. 5) I have no idea ! re: smelly burning - this is normally casued by incomplete combustion of the fuel. It can also be slight fuel leaks. Look carefully for any damp patches or clues. Otherwise I would suspect the generator. Depending on the age of it it may have a removable jet on the tip, this can become loose. It may also be that the previous owner tried using different fuels etc. - I have had these arrive with paint thinners and even creosote. Pictures of it alight posted here can help with diagnosis. Re: flag. The software here interprets the country you are connecting from by your ISP's IP address. If you are using a VPN to the USA or for reasons unkown the IP address is registered in the USA the flag will be USA.
ICCC Coleman Book - International Coleman Collectors Club (intlccc.net) Barbara I'd strongly suggest you invest in the Coleman Book, among Coleman collectors its known as " the book" and is probably the definitive book on Coleman collectibles. I know in relationship to another hobby of mine that when I bought the standard guide book it made a world of difference in my success and enjoyment of the hobby. It proved the most valuable tool in orienting me to the info I needed on the hobby and pointed me to collecting the things I really enjoyed and showing me in photos exactly what I wanted.
Thanks. It's dark here now and I've only been fiddling with this on the balcony, but will check it out further tomorrow. When I got it it seemed to be full of fuel, but trying to light it tonight it kept going out and shaking it now feels like very little in there. Wondering if that may be why it was smelly the first time. I'll dispose of what's left in there and start over with the fresh Coleman fuel I got. I can't even confirm that that's what's actually in there right now. I'd doubt that it's a generator issue as that looks to be in great shape. The whole lantern looks like it's seen very little use. Will also get pics in daylight tomorrow.
Thank you! I hadn't come across this yet, so will look into it. Do you know if it has a section on how model numbers are derived?
I don't know if the book contains that info. You could look at Index – The Terrence Marsh Lantern Gallery (terry-marsh.com) This is a site used by many hobbyists. It has a chronology of Coleman lanterns that may help you date model series.
I suspect your lantern was someone's little used camping lantern and was put away in its case for years or decades without use. That's lucky. The fuel has sat for years so it naturally smells when you burn it. Dump the old fuel . Take some fresh fuel and swish it around the tank to clean the tank , dump that. Fill the tank to proper fill level. When you light the lantern turn the knob back and forth FULLY , this sends the needle of the generator through its opening and clears it of any blockages of old fuel deposits and other bits. Coleman's, especially ones in good condition like this one don't have any major problems, it usually comes down to the generator and the pump cup being dry and needing oil. Worse case scenario is you'll have to change the generator and it costs less than $20.
Hope you’ll post pics in the Reference Gallery also the Action Gallery @BarbaraB. We do like to see pics here.
Alrighty. I'm at it today. Took it apart to clean everything again. Old fuel is dumped and next I'll do what Hanzo suggested and swish some fresh fuel around in it (need to find a little funnel today first). I think yesterday I confused the fuel assembly with the generator. The fuel assembly is totally clear - looked inside and sprayed some compressed air through for good measure. So, here's the generator. How would you say the condition of this looks?
Tank has been flushed with fresh fuel twice. I have it empty right now in case I need to access any other parts before lighting it again tonight. Here's the rest of it. Will post photos to the other forums Jean J suggested once it gets its proper photo shoot. First I'd like to get more of the metal cleaned up :-).
Barbara Your lantern is like new which is excellent because that's the kind that work the best. lol The generator's outward appearance doesn't tell anything its the inside of the generator that can be the issue. Its the inside of the generator that becomes clogged with carbon and won't let the gas flow or vaporize. You can put the pump back on and add some fuel and turn the lantern on. If gas sprays out of the generator its a good sign. You can also take off the generator. Keep it intact and soak it car carburetor cleaner. When you take off the generator try to keep the rod, spring and needle inside the gen. What can happen is you can bend the needle , it can break and that's the end of the generator.
Been doing this since my last post a couple of hours ago and upon watching more YouTube videos on generators. Looks like I got lucky. More pics to follow in those other albums in the next few hours.
Back again and this time for some troubleshooting. Primed the new mantle, but can't get the lantern to light. Turned the fuel knob to full several times. Pressure is way up. Held lighter through the hole for like 15 seconds. There is no hissing sound of the fuel, which I read is either due to a clogged generator or air something. Everything seems super clean to the point I could actually see through these parts. Could the bolt on the generator be too loose? Too tight? It doesn't seem to make a difference. Was feeling super confident after having spent the afternoon on it.
Update: Took generator apart again. Needle is fine, and connected to L-hook. Tried lighting it again, this time it's definitely hissing, but I think it's leaking fuel/vapour (?) at the jamb nut. I need to wait for it to cool down, but can someone comment on how the tightness of the jamb nut may impact this? I'm quite sure it's not on as tight as it was when I got the lantern as I had to lay it on its side and get it off with a wrench. This time I hand tightened it, then a couple of times with wrench, but all while tank was standing up. Hoping to not have to empty it yet again.
The jamb nut needs to be tight enough to hold the flared end of the generator so firmly against the valve assembly that it forms a seal. If fuel vapour is leaking from the bottom of the generator, it will most probably catch light from the already burning mantle. If you've released pressure from the tank and the lantern is turned off, you don't need to empty the tank to tighten the jamb nut even if you have to lay the lantern on its side to do so.
Looks like the tightness of the jamb nut did the trick, along with preheating the generator with the globe off. Was amazed how easily it just lit after this, so can't wait for darkness now. I'm sitting 12' or so away and even during daylight it's so bright its burning my eyes. Loving it!
