"I purchased it for $20 (and $1.99 for the propane canister) at the
nearby Walmart. The stove and the canister (full of Propane fuel) weigh
about 2 pounds. It is a really good stove - a single canister can boil
a quart of water in 2 or 3 mins and burns for about 2 hours in full flame.
I found it difficult to simmer as the knob wasn't that convenient to use.
Maybe that particular stove that I got was bad. 100% reliable, and the
one of the easiest-to-use stoves. I wish the canisters were available
in a smaller size. The other problem with such a stove is that the
canister is not recycleable/refillable. Check out the Gaz
Turbo 270 stove also if you wish to purchase a
propane stove. Gaz Turbo 270 weighs only one pound
(the canister included) and burns for only an hour.
It also costs more ($33 at REI)."
"I have never been a big fan of propane, but this stove has made me a believer. It can be assembled in seconds and may be the "easiest to use" stove on the market. The only drawback for the serious backpacker is the size; it weighs approx. 2 LBS. If you are looking for a medium sized, easy-to-use, and reliable stove...this is well worth the money."
"I used this stove last year, It worked well.
It is the lightest propane stove at local Sportauthority stores. Its quality is good .
After my stacking stove, canister and plastic base, it is around 1 feet high. I worry about my pot's stablity just because of its height. If the ground is flat and hard, it should be OK. But it is impossible to find out a flat and hard ground to place the tower stove while camping. If the tower falls, boiling water is poured out by a mistake,......"
"My hiking buddy and I decided on this big thing instead of buying the little - and much more expensive - stoves the ultralight backpackers carry. We thought we could just split the stove and propane bottle amongst us and take a little longer to boil our water, because there is no way our stove could be as fast as something called jetboil or something like that. We were wrong.
While the stove is large, it most definitely is in charge. We have boiled both our shares of water and have been eating before one of our fellow backpackers are finished with their boiling. The large base makes it pretty stable as well, something we noticed the more expensive models were lacking.
If you have the space in your pack, this stove is well worth the 20 bucks it costs at your local sporting goods store."
"PROS:
Very inexpensive: (can find for less than $20 at most box stores)
Reliable: work horse stove for poor boyscouts, college students , and others on a budget. Have seen it out perform much pricier systems in cold and wind (isobutane...).
Easy to use: Little or no maintenance required. Just make sure to keep it dry in storage.
CONS:
Its big: much bulkier than its sleek and attractive counter parts. I use mine for backpacking, but can be a space hog. Perfect for canoe trips.
Canisters: Not easily recycled in all cities. However, most common fuel in sporting goods/box stores. Multiple brands an wide range of applications keep prices down."
