Tilley lamps and other new production

Petromax and Tilley lamps seem to be still in production. Starting this thread from a thread about whether Tilley pre-heater contains asbestos or not, other people wrote that asbestos in not included in the preheater anymore, and the lamp will not produce a retinal burn as a new Petromax which is at 500cp.

So what is the official CP rating for modern Tilley lamp ?

Are there any other pressure lamps which are still in production? I am considering options for my next lamp. I prefer the new ones (do not like what I see on ebay with crazy prices for pieces in rust).

I have seen that Coleman has a kerosene very nice lamp on its US site. However it is not available, and as Coleman-France wrote to me it is not marketed in EU even if it was available. Only NorthStar of Coleman is still in production and available in EU but does not have a classic look, I think. It also runs on the very expensive Coleman fuel (it is double the price of Kerosene in Greece). I like the fact with Colemans you can adjust (they say) the light output. But the kero model is not available.

 

As others have said, better do not buy a lamp or lantern of recent manufacture. You may put a wanted ad to the trading post. It's worth a try.
A modern Tilley lamp is rated 300 CP which is very optimistic. 200 will be more realistic.

If you are interested in US lanterns you need to ask some of the dealers in second-hand Coleman lanterns. One is Mike from "Old Coleman parts" who runs the CCF Forum.

Coleman is a sub-sub-subdivision of a giant named "Newell Rubbermaid" who bought it from Jarden Co a few years ago.
The do it "business only". A product must sell in vast numbers and profit to be worth the hassle of manufacture. A few hundred collectors just are no market for the numbers they need to sell of an article.

Erik

 

OCP it’s actually runs by Rob now. Mike retired and sold his business to Rob the actual owner.


You can order Amish lamps and lanterns too.
AustraMax it’s also available new.

 

Yes, Austramax lantern from Australia, model 3/300 is still available and an excellent unit burning wise and construction wise. A few changes though I would make would be to change the straight globe to a Coleman 550 bulge, get a bail that is more traditional and less straight and replace the red plastic air release fitting in the cap with an older metal version; then a perfect lantern IMHO.

 

Thanks for the information. I will consider all the choices.

 

@Sedgman

Is an older metal air release screw compatible with the modern Austramax? I don’t think it is.

None-the-less, the modern Austramax is a good lantern.

Cheers

Tony

 

Not sure Tony, interesting point that I cannot remember so I must check. The cap must be though, since I have replaced these red eyesores on two Austramax from memory. In fact I think the old caps are better as well. The red plastic looked so out of place.

@Tony Press

 

Yes, the caps are compatible.

Cheers

Tony

 

What is the austramax site? This? Kerosene Presser Lamps Parts

By the way on this link the drawing shows a curved glass, but the lamp has a straight one.

 

@Antonis Tsolomitis

That business does (or used to) sell Austramax. If you have any difficulties get back to me.

Tony

 

@Tony Press looks like I may hit you too someday

 

There are still a handful of pressure lamps being manufactured today. Of course, most of them would be from China: Modern Petromax, Sea Anchor, Gold Anchor and a number of other brands that are less commonly heard of. They might not be the most desirable lanterns to classic lamp collectors but they do work.
There might be also some similarly designed ones from India.
Other than those already mentioned, perhaps BriteLyt and H.C. Lanterns. These can be pretty costly.

 

Vapalux are still being made in Korea I believe and available in the UK through www.base-camp.co.uk Both the M320 lantern and a table lamp.

 

The Vapalux website (http://m.vapalux.com/index.html) looks active again, and displaying items for sale.

Cheers

Tony

 

I checked the vapalux site and the very few sites talking about HC. I always had this question: why they do not use stainless steel for the lamps. But HC and some (unavailable) Vapalux are stainless steel models. But it turns out that stainless steel "experiences increased pitting" at temperatures above 60 C. All About 304 Steel (Properties, Strength, and Uses)
So maybe this is the reason...

The problem with BriteLyt and HC and Korea (Vapalux) and most probably Australia too, is that the shipping cost to EU is a lot of money. Plus you will have to go through customs and pay even more money for handling. Typical companies such as DHL ask for more than 100 euros to "handle" the customs (plus the tax you will pay). OK they do not do this for Germany, but they do it for the southern Europe.

So to get products directly from such distant countries is almost prohibitive. As a consequence for the time being the most realistic EU choices are Petromax, Tilley and some Anchor. Anchor are imported by some entity in the EU (I do not know who). (base-camp is always "out of stock" for vapalux, which is understandable since they are more expensive lamps).

 

How would you compare Tilley X246A with the 246B model? The A model looks more beautiful since all except the hood looks to be brass where the B model has a non-brass cage. The way it connects with the base does not look as good either. But I wonder if from the functional point of view the B model is improved in some sense.

Does anyone know?

 

In most cases, the X246A is the older and more desirable lantern to collectors.
Quite a lot of guys here do not actually like the X246B for various reasons. In most of those, it could be surmised down to it being an 'economized' model and often seen as being 'quality-compromised' in some ways.

 

Hi Antonis
The brass on the cage is paint..
The x246 series since the guardsman have all had steel cages, copper washed then painted gold.. the cage started to be painted silver on the x246a at some point which may have continued on the early x246b until they started to have them plated,
Hope that helps
ps the first x246 or ‘pork pie’ did have a brass cage but I think the guardsman ‘tag’ applied later on ?

 

Thanks @MYN for the information. Dear @podbros do you also have the opinion that the B is a quality compromise of the A model?

By the way, plated with what? Chrome? Nickel? (I do like your Location )

 

Hi Antonis
It’s a difficult one as a lot happened when the company changed hands but the changing of the design of the base plate (with the guardsman design) for a base that was prone to over pressuring was not a good one as there seem to be lots of x246a models with that very fault..
They stopped fitting the pressure indicator when the x246b was launched.. perhaps cost cutting and/or it was in the way of the new cage design ?
I quite like the look of the x246b
I can’t say what the plating is exactly, but can say that they have nickel plating underneath but not very much!
I believe something called Speculum was used for radiator reflectors and possibly earlier table lamps?

Thank you for the comments about my poor photo.. it was taken from the old foundation of the pier at New Ferry and shows some of the Liverpool waterfront with the Liver Buildings lit up in red

 

I see..., so about the over pressuring, the B model is improved compared to A? You say that lots of As had this issue. But it is unclear the way you write if B is OK with respect to this (since they also removed the indicator) or it also has issues with over pressuring?

I could not recognize Liverpool from the photo but I liked the "..here" in your location

 

Hi Antonis
Sadly the ‘b’ is just as prone to overpressuring..
Sometimes I wonder if the older lanterns were able to cope with it better?
To be fair, if you service your lanterns regularly yourself, you get to know them and get the feel of using them so if a problem like the mantle starts to dim and a few more pressure pumps doesn’t cure it then you know that simply putting more pressure in won’t cure it
They are still a good lantern and used sensibly will give many years of faithful service … they are just not as bombproof as the older ones :-)

 

Thanks for clearing this up.

 

The X246B is said to be coated or plated with speculum metal, instead of nickel or chrome. I don't know how far true is that. It was also mentioned somewhere that speculum coatings were only the norm for export models. Its an alloy of copper, tin and traces of other metals. Speculum was originally used on reflectors, mirrors on telescopes, etc.
Many don't fancy the non-serviceable, steel generator tubes and the aluminium pumps as well.
Personally, I don't own enough Tilleys to compare the X246B's against its predecessors.

 

I’m not sure what the plating is on the cages of the X246Bs.

The plated tanks of the X246 and X246A would be speculum at least up to the early 1960s when Tilley moved to Northern Ireland.

Tony

 

I've got a number of 246bs which all have chrome plated cages apart from one which has a galvanised cage dated 1966.

 

Those new Vapalux look beautiful, i backordered an Austramax from Lehmans stateside. They emailed me back after a couple weeks stating it would be at least another month before shipping, not knowing when exactly. I also emailed that previously listed seller in Australia today to ask about ordering from them. eBay still has a listing if I break down lol.

 

@Geronimo

If all that fails, I know an Australian retailer that has a few in stock.

Tony

 

I sent an email and received a reply from JJ and his team.. yes they are in production and very busy.. some items are selling out quickly
Regards
pb

 

I am cancelling my Lehman's order tomorrow, I picked up a new Austramax on the local eBay. Also picked up a very nice 3/63 228e I am barely cleaning up. Still want a HC but two smaller lifts might be more useful.