Hey guys, I have been looking at ordering a new petromax lantern. I know it is made in China, and assembled in Germany or something like that. Everyone says the quality is poor. Not having the two to compare, Can you explain exactly what is poorer quality? So basically, Explain to me what is better about a Older Petromax 500Cp Vs a Newer one.
I can say, that nickel coating is very bad quality in new lanterns. If you left it outside few times, you will find many dark spots and corrosion on it.
On the long run an old Petromax ( when Petromax was Petromax) will outlast any of the Chinese clones by a wide margin (I venture to say that by a couple of Generations). You can find Petromax, Optimus, Primus, Aida, Mewa, from almost a century ago in working condition, but you would feel hard pressed to find any Clone from the last twenty years without serious quality/corrosion issues. Older lanterns were made with quality materials,they were made to last, and they do, the newer Chinese ones require lots of fettling out of the box before they can become somewhat reliable.
The biggest issue with the current production in China (as well as India) is the quality control. The lamps are being produced to a price, so you get what you pay for. That said, you can find good lamps that work well after some initial adjustment. As for lasting, the steel lamps rust and the brass ones seem to be a thinner gauge. We will have to see if any are left in 50 years.
