Svea 123 and 123R Review

"A real workhorse, and ultra reliable. About as low-tech as you can get, and I like it that way. I have 3 of these stoves and have used them for over 25 years without a single problem, not one! I've used them in temps as high as 100 degrees and as low as -18 degrees. It doesn't simmer the best, but is acceptable. It's best use is boiling water for drinks, rehydrating, etc. It's not the hottest, nor the fastest, but it is reliable, reliable, reliable!!!"

"I got mine as a Christmas gift when I was 15, took it to college and the Grand Tetons when I was 18, and to the Bob marshall Wilderness when I was 23 and never bothered to empty the tank.

Fast forward 18 years. New wife and I decide to get out on the trail while sill young enough to enjoy it. The 123 fired up on the first match and boiled a quart of water in less than 6 minutes---with 18 year old Coleman fuel.

Will I ever even try another stove? No way."

"I got one (123R, with built-in cleaning needle) from Ebay. When it came, it was obvious that this stove has been in disuse for a long, long time. The previous owner seemed not to have minded flareups, for the windshield is completely baked in soot. Also the bottom of the stove is sooty, indicating the previous owner pre-heated it by holding it over the fire. Why bother with priming, huh? The stove would not operate, however.

So I removed the bell stem, and found inside the tank was covered with white-ish growth, including the wick. Removed and replaced the wick with a home-made one (cotton twine tied with wire), and generally wiped off the inside.

Once put together, it fired up a strong, blue flame at full warmup. It looks beat up, but it performs flawlessly. A total satisfaction!

Svea 123R is a proven design, and is utterly reliable. It will last a life-time."

"30 yrs usage, and still going strong...it has NEVER FAILED me. Sure it's loud...it's a tad slower and a few ounces heavier. But those seconds and ounces are quickly forgotten when it lights up first time, every time, while others are tweaking, balancing, cleaning adding/replacing assorted parts. Absolutely reliable."

"I'm another Svea 123 lover. I purchased mine in 1971 and have been using it ever since, hiking and car camping. It has never failed me, even in below freezing weather (in very cold weather I use my MSR XGK). I believe I replaced the wick once, and maybe the nozzle too.

One useful suggestion: I use the aluminum wind shield from the XGK (can be purchased separately), folded in half, as a wind screen. I.e. I place it near or wrap it around the upwind side of the Svea. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES encircle the Svea with the shield as the stove will get way too hot, the relief valve will blow, and you likely will get severely burned!

With the wind screen the Svea will perform well in all but the worst wind conditions."

"I bought a Svea 123 in the mid 70s. It is amazing that the new ones appear to be exactly the same. No small wonder, the design and quality of product are excellent. I have used this stove at altitudes as high as 12,000 feet and in temperatures as low as -30 F. The only complaints that I would have are that the pot is worthless-too small for my needs, it makes a lot of noise and takes a bit of work to get going. On the positive side, it has ample heat output, is highly reliable and is very simple to operate. I tossed the attached pot and transport mine inside of a larger one which better suits my needs. Wind does not appear to significantly impact boil times. I give this little guy a nearly perfect score."

"I have 2 of these already and just bought another one that has the Sievert name on the cap and 123 Svea on the stand, must be at least 50 years old. It is covered with a layer of dust and dirt that can't be blown away. I cleaned the surface with some alcohol and kerosene. The spindle was very sticky. I opened the fuel cap, it was 3/4 full of red color fluid - Oh My God - diesel! The wick has been dyed red! I dumped the fluid, soaked and rinsed with white gas about 4 times, and put in 1/3 tank, primed and lighted. It worked for about a minute then went out like a candle. I rinsed again, removed the orifice, and found dirts like peels of burned paint. I gave it a thorough cleanup of the nipple and stem with a sewing needle, blew a lot of rust and dustlike dark particles out, loosened the spindle valve screw by 1/8 turn, then lighted it again. This time it ran for about 5 minutes then died again. Repeated the cleaning steps again and tried - it worked. The even blue flame is steady. I ran it with 1/2 tankful for 3 times. The wick is still slightly red in color, but it burned like new until the tank was dry."

"You know, I also bought one of these babies in the early seventies. And later bought a knock-off Taiwan copy. Both have been extremely reliable. Th eknock-off finally died -- the gaskets are all gone and I've used up my local hardware store's o-ring supply for it. The original is still working fine. It has many times bested any number of stoves in a pinch. You light it (well, there is an art here..... I use a cheepie lighter to pre-heat the bottom in cold weather, and get it to spurt a little for start-up, then light that ... and voila, works every time. forget the pressurizing kit.... just pre-heat the tank to get some vapor pressure, and you're good to go. It has saved my bacon many times for that much neeeded cup of tea, or a hot soup.... and impressed many techie hikers and sjkiers for it's compactness, reliable, and flame-thrower boiling capacity. Just can't beet it."

"I have both models of this stove, the 123 and 123R. The 123 is the older model and had been out of production for a couple of decades. The 123R is still available, but is getting harder and harder to locate. The only difference between the two is that the 123 has a seperate cleaning needle for the jet nozzle and the 123R has a built in cleaning needle. They both operate exactly the same. I have also found out that the 123 heat range is a little broader. Meaning that is will "simmer" a little better that the 123R. Both have the same high heat output though. As everyone has stated, they are a little "quirky" to get started. It is not difficult, it just needs to be practiced a couple of times. But, once they are going they are FAR AND AWAY THE BEST, MOST RELIABLE STOVE FOR THE MONEY. I also have a MSR whisperlite stove and I find the SVEA much more reliable and efficient. Plus it is all self contained. No pump, hoses or, external fuel bottles. You do have to carry extra fuel though as the SVEA burns about 40-50 minutes on one tank. My recommendation: Buy one before they are no longer available you won't be sorry."

"I've got a big Gaz, little Gaz, alcohol, Peruvian stove, etc. Some years ago at a thrift store I saw this little cylinder stove and picked it up for my collection. It sat on the dresser for years until I decided I'd give it a try, without any instructions. I cleaned it up and the name said SVEA123. After a couple of lights, it flared up and gave a decent flame. I put a liter pot of water on it and went inside. When I came out it was roaring like a jet engine and in about 10 minutes the 1L water was rolling. I did this a couple of times to see if it was so simple. I think now that I've got the systems going again, it is a piece of cake, lighting, etc. The negative, but not for me is maybe it's a little slower and little heavier than some but I don't care. I have used the cannisters, fuel bottles, etc. and this beats them. This stove is obviously very old, but it is awesome. I used 87 gas, but may go for Coleman which may not be as flamable. I would give it a perfect score but I'm not sure about the boiling time and simmer ability. Great little all in one stove."

"Just bought a 123R in the middle of nowhere Japan! Saw it, had to have it, tested it on 2 hikes, fell in love with it. Its not as stable as an MSR, and an eyedropper or fuel paste is a must to start it. still for size and simplicity its a winner."