Just as the title states. Im looking for a list of the high quality clones. Do all clones accept modern petromax parts?
It really depends what you would consider a clone of the Petromax. Anything similar-looking in appearance, overall design and not named as 'Petromax'? Quality-wise, would you consider some of the models?... by Hipolito, Aida, Optimus, Primus, Radius, Bosse, Ge-Ri, Petroman, Col-Max, Anchor, Light, Continental, Standard,...the list goes on.
Hipolito, Optimus, Aida and Genoil are the big name licensed petromax manufacturer I can think of the top of my head, all are out of production and all are desirable over the modern takes. I would also try to source OEM parts for the respective quality clones as the modern makes have such garbage tolerances that almost nothing would fit right. WHICH coming from your other thread would explain why you needed such heavy hand to thread the vaporizer onto the original valve, I do hope you haven't cross threaded.
I checked and double checked. No cross threading. Being American, the Col-Max piques my interest, but they're very hard to find. I've seen some good examples of Optimus recently.
@Gilbert Col Max's to some are seen as an ordinary petromax clone, others see it as a curiosity or have historical significance. Sadly I think Col Max's are stamped from Hong Kong so possible the quality maybe hit or miss, no different than other clones besides the odd Coleman branding. They are rarer than most petromax as the Coleman brand never really proliferated in the foreign market. Also never pick up a Wenzel.. just don't.
They were originally pressed in the US and Canada early 40's I think and then outsourced to other countries. Either way, they were never made for the domestic market here, shipped out overseas to satisfy the foreign market.
They are all identical, the major defining factors was what factories they were pressed from. The original Gaetz factories were in Altena, Germany where alot of the namesake and licensed clones hailed from running from 1910s up to 1960 when the factory shut down, the equipment was bought out by an entrepreneur and the tools were moved to Hipolito in Portugal, hence the name sake for that brand I THINK, anyone please correct me. Anyways, since the tools and machines are the original from Altena, you can expect the tight quality tolerances that was afforded by the older petromax and their licensed clones up to that date. Hipolito then shuddered their doors in the 70s or 80s I think and only the namesake of petromax remains, the equipment scrapped. New ones had to be made and are pressed from China/Hong Kong to this day. Which unfortunately do not share the tight quality tolerances of their older siblings.
I am not sure if the manufacturing tolerances of both the newer Petromax parts(in particular, the threads on vaporizers/generators, jets, the ceramic burners and holders) or any of the clones are really off the mark or were these deliberately made slightly different by the various manufacturers. I have used all the mentioned parts from a variety clones made in the Far-East on genuine German-made Petromaxes. None of them had been exact fits. They are always tighter when new and tools had to be used to screw them on, even upon the first couple of thread engagement. The threads on both the genuine Petromax and those of the clone parts would be deformed in the process to match each other. Nevertheless, they remain useable and 'sort-of' compatible in most cases. Not all, but most. The Col-Max by Coleman is basically a Petromax-styled 'clone' to meet the taste and preferences of the population in many parts of the 'Old World'. I'd say, the Petromax style and design had been the most-cloned one among all lanterns. The Col-Max is not common at all in Northern America,..almost rare. It has never been intended for the market in North America.
