Swiss Army PMAX set

Swiss Military Surplus Petromax Lantern Set, Like New - 70031, Military Flashlights & Light Sticks at Sportsman's Guide


I was on the website of a e-retailer and saw this ad. Missing the candle lanterns . Any thoughts?

 

@Hanzo

Looks nice! Just wish I had the funds to spare.

I couldn't see anything about candle lanterns mentioned in the advert, just a candle.

Regards Jeremy

 

If I do not recall wrong this lantern is a 250cp lantern with a 500cp tank.

Michael

 

These are nice sets but the price is not. There is a lot of s&h included in that price.
If you think of buying a set you should insist on an answer on the question: Will I really get "Petromax" lanterns? The Swiss army did not make any difference between lanterns marked Petromax or Geniol. Of course, the Geniol lanterns are not bad at all but if you want "Petromax" you do not want Geniol. Also ask about the condition of the shades. Are there really two shades present and how badly are they damaged?
There also should be a stainless steel / mica folding lantern which does not seem to be included. Also the spare globes seem to be missing.
It also is unclear if you will get lanterns with the straight "Coleman type" generator or ones with the preston loop. There were many changes made over the years.

Erik

 

Over the years I've noticed the folding lantern(s) (@Erik Leger , I thought there should be 2 in these sets?) are almost always missing. No big surprise as used ones can fetch prices of up to 50€. The same with globes (some sets include coloured globes). Nice sets, but way to expensive imho.

Best regards,

Wim

 

Wim, you are right, 2 folding lanterns, not one.

I got this list from Tom at hasag.info:

Contents of a Swiss army Petromax set:

2 lanterns,
2 (enameled) shades
1 gasoline can
1 bottle of fuel for preheating
1 Petromax spanner
2 packs of matches (10 boxes each)
6 packs mantles (total: 30 pieces)
1 funnel for filling the lanterns
1 funnel for filling the pre-heating fuel cans
2 pre-heating fuel cans
1 spare globe in a round cardboard box
1 box with small parts (6 needles, 6 nozzles, key for needle, 2 washers for pressure gauge)
2 folding candle lanterns and 2 boxes of candles
2 instruction sheets for lanterns

total weight about 25 kgs / 55 Pounds

Erik

 

Save your pennies and I'll bring mine down to Newark - complete with candles and collapsible candle lanterns. In fact, it should have everything Erik lists above but I don't remember the matches, though...

My set was for sale in Germany. WimVe was going to Germany for a meet and picked it up for me. He brought it back to Holland/The Netherlands. Then, I think, Neil was visiting Wim so he brought it back to the UK. I collected it from Neil's house. I think that's how it got here, anyway...

I think I'd quibble about the claim they can burn white gas and Coleman. The lanterns will burn these two fuels but it's kerosene technology we're talking about so I'd prefer to err on the side of caution...

 

many years ago, I bought a Geniol lantern set. I think it was 2006 and must paid less than 100€ Long time ago...

Geniol 250HK der Schweizer Armee

 

When I visited Switzerland in 2017 they were numerously avaliable in the Swiss Army Liquidation Stores (LiqShop) for 150 SFR, mostly in complete condition including the folding lanterns. However I admit that transport can be a bit tricky due to the size and weight.
As for the Petromax or Geniol 821/523 lanterns: although I agree that their technology is better suited for burning paraffin/kerosene, these lanterns were definitely intended to be used with unleaded petrol/gasoline fuel. The nozzles have stamped 250CP on them, but if these lanterns are used with paraffin/kerosene tey tend to run a bit rich and the missing preston loop at the vaporizers can cause problems with some fuel qualities.
Regards, Martin

 

@David Shouksmith

Holiday dates already booked for Newark.

Regards Jeremy

 

Thanks to the membership, as usual great information and right opinions.

 

If I remember right I hauled that set all the way from a meet in Germany. I can't remember what the deal was or who arranged it but I remember the box sitting on top of the rest of the stuff Henry and I had with us. I already had this set which has both Petromax and Geniol lanterns. I also have the hospital set with two Schatz lanterns. They are good interesting sets but the boxes take up a lot of space in my living room. ::Neil::

 

That is the only negative thing about army boxes: they use space and a lot of it.

I have considered a green box open with a glass plate on top as a table but, she who must be listened to, was not amused or other wise interested.

 

I can understand that. You are outnumbered by people of the female persuasion. Happened to me as well. ::Neil::

 

I'm in the States and picked up one of these sets last weekend:

Military Surplus Swiss Lantern/Lamp Set Grade 2 - MPN: 91497300

The two I received are marked Petromax and are, as stated above, 250cp on 500cp tanks. One works flawlessly. The other has a leak in the tank that I'm only now starting to research. Don't know if it will be repairable or forever relegated to the 'parts' role.

No candle lanterns included in mine. Spare globe is there, 2 alcohol bottles, 2 funnels, two shades (undamaged), and a small parts kit.

I'm not displeased since I really like the box presentation, though for a single lamp it was, admittedly, a bit over-priced.

Bryan

 

Excellent kits!

 

Last weekend I got to work on the "leaker" of the group. I tried the superglue fix, posted here elsewhere, and it's holding pressure just fine now. New Peerless mantles have likely made me a convert, and it's running like a top now. Very pleased with the purchase now that I seem to have two functional lamps, and I'm rounding out the spare parts and other do-dads for the cool wooden box. It's heavy but bombproof, and I'm a car camper anyway.

 

@Bryan Roesslet

You’ve mentioned “superglue” for this purpose in two posts.

Last time I went to buy “superglue” (note: not for using on pressure lamps) there were about 15 different varieties.

What brand and type dis you use? And where did you apply it?

Tony

 

I apologize, Tony. I'm in the US and it's something most home owners here would have laying around or be familiar with. I'm not an expert, but I believe it's cyanoacrylate. Please forgive my lack of international sensitivity.

I'm not sure if this link will work or not. There are many brands here that all make something they call "super glue," but I think they all mean cyanoacrylate.

I applied it on the font at the base of the fill cap. The kind I used has an applicator brush, and I made us of that around the entire circumference although I had only seen bubbles at the top of that point.

Bryan

 

Any idea what the material the padding on the lid is made from??

 

The old boxes had a felt padding. The newer ones just had rectangles of some kind of very soft rubber fitted to the lid.

Erik

 

I've a Petromax set with dark grey/black felt like material cut in an "O" shape and a newer geniol set with light grey padding as shown in the pictures. I'm just curious to find out what it is.

 

Man, those boxed sets look so good. Do any of these or similar ever make it to Australia?
Cheers
Pete

 

If you are willing to pay the shipping costs and there is no issue with customs.
There is a world wide army surplus trade, so possible it is.

 

I came across one of these boxes at a local flea market over the weekend but was heavily used and a lot of the pieces were already missing. Do they still come up for sale or did I miss out on getting my hands on a set? Located in Germany.

 

These are no longer sold at the Swiss army stores. Occasionally offered from fellow collectors.

 

Thanks for the reply I will keep my eyes out for one but wonder what they tend to sell for?

 

Like always it all depends on: quality, completeness (?) and desire.
There are old style boxes, new style, with "petromax" lanterns which have Geniol on the tank and lots of combinations.

@Romain, you ask for prices but you saw one on a flea market: that is your price.
Shipping them form A to B will always be expensive and risky.

 

The one I saw was going for 300 euros the lanterns were heavily used and it was the box,lanterns and shades. Replacement jets were missing,fuel container etc. So I was trying to gage if 300 was more or less the going price. I saw a post that originally the Swiss army surplus were selling them for 150 euros but ofcourse no longer available from there so they are hard to find.

 

Once upon a time there were these famous Liq-Shops in Switzerland. They sold all kinds of crazy stuff for insane (low) prices. The exchange rate was a little different from what is is now. (SFr. 1.65 - 1 Euro then to SFr. 0.90 - 1 Euro now). But as time went by the surplus sold and the exchange rate changed. Today you just have to ask yourself one single: Do I want to buy at a given price if a lantern set pops up somewhere.
Erik