Coleman Sportster II Dual Fuel Stove Review
The Coleman Sportster II Dual Fuel Stove looks like a small, single burner stove should. Its compact, has the tank on the bottom and powerful stainless steel burner on top. It’s a durable, portable, reliable stove. Three things that are very important to any stove that’s going to be in my backpack.
Like all Coleman products, is has been built to last. It’s not the lightest of single burners coming in around 2lbs, but that’s testament to the build quality. 
It’s priced very reasonably, so you’re getting good value for money.
This stove covers you for safety, backpacking when needed or if you just need a great backup stove in your camping gear. The technology is very similar to one of our highest rated 2 burner stoves – Coleman Dual Fuel 2 Burner Stove. Let’s take closer look at the particulars of the Sportster.
Setup and Design Features
The sportster uses a range of Coleman’s trademarked technology like most of their stoves. It has their Dual Fuel design, so it conveniently burns Coleman’s own liquid fuel (white gas), or unleaded gasoline.
One gallon of Coleman fuel lasts as long as around four and a half standard cylinders of propane, so there’s not just value there but added convenience.
It also has the Band-a-Blu burner, a tried and tested burner used across most of the modern stoves. It’s been proven to give good reliable cooking power, along with operating during all weather conditions.
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The burner has an output of 10,000 BTUs, which as proven with many other stoves in the range is more than enough for a single burner. You can get around 2 hours of continual use on high flame with a full tank, which is a decent amount of time for such a small stove.
It has built in wide baffles, to protect the flame from wind. Also, when you’re done it’s designed to be easy to clean, and with it’s minimal parts you can have it packed up in no time at all. Wrap this all up with a 5 year limited warranty and you have peace of mind that the Sportster is going to be travelling with you for quite some time.
You can boil a quart of water in just under the 4 minute mark, and the surface is recommended to hold 6” pans.
The dimensions are – 7.38” x 7.8” 6.55”, and it weighs 2lbs.
Comparison Information
If you look at the Coleman Sportster alongside other single burner stoves in it’s class, it comes in with a slightly higher price tag than say the Coleman Bottle Top Propane Stove, but it’s a notch up in quality.
What I like about this stove it the solid, self-contained build. There is no setting up required, you just pull it out, place it down, pump the integrated pump and start cooking. It’s a great stove for people who just want a no-fuss cooking experience, beginners, or even as a backup.
The Pros
- Quick boil time for a small stove
- Has dual fuel facility
- No set up required, quick to use and pack back up
- Built in wide screens and pot supports
- Convenient single burner backpacking stove
The Cons
- More expensive than some other models, albeit still good value for money
- Limited support for larger pots and pans
Insider Tips
The Sportster has a good solid centre of gravity, so you can use it on some rough ground if you’re careful. This stove makes a great backup, or even an added help if you’re camping with larger groups. For the small amount of space it takes up, certainly worth taking with you at all times.
Coleman Sportster II Dual Fuel Stove Summary
Another solid stove brought to us by Coleman. They really do have a great range of stoves, from barbeques, to oven and grill combos, to single burner and backpacking stoves. You can be sure you’re getting a reliable, good quality stove every time.
The Sportster II is a no frills, rough and ready stove. But that’s the beauty of it. I can’t see how anyone would regret buying one, it does everything as advertised, and does it very well.
Conclusion
Definaley a stove that’s worth every penny. The dual fuel is an added convenience, on a stove that is already as convenient as it gets. If you currently use a stove that has a few fiddly bits and pieces to put together each time you use it, swap to the Sportster. You’ll never swap back to stove that requires some setting up rituals.
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I just bought one of these and followed the instructions to a tee – however when I light it and try to pump it again the second time, for the life of my I can not push the pump in while my finger is over the hole…. It won’t budge further than about 1cm… There’s a flame coming out of it but it then started flaming out of the gap between the fuel canister and cook plate. I’m taking a stab and guessing THIS SHOULD’NT HAPPEN! Is it possibly faulty? Blocked? Thanks for any tips…
Just tried it again and got it going perfectly…. Oops! I guess being brand new I needed to let the generator warm up for a while!
Saying that, love this awesome little stove – my pot of water was boiling away after only a few minutes!
Again, tried it today and could barely pump it – the pressure is obviously already there as fuel started to seep out of the cracks again, yet when I turn the fuel switch to ‘on’ nothing happens…. Won’t light! I think it’s blocking?? I’m taking this thing back and I hope they either exchange or refund! Not happy.
Weird. I’m really sorry you are having this issue. If you do decide to take it back, let me know how it goes. If it is a faulty product, you would be in the minority for this product. If you have any issues with the exchange or refund, also let me know. Coleman will hold up to their name, but not sure where you got it from? Keep me in the loop.
dave
This is great to hear. What did you do differenty this time to get it to work?
I’m sorry you are having trouble with this model. I have not seen the same issues with this one. It sounds like you read the directions, but wondering if it might be topped off with too much fuel? You might try running it with a 3/4 tank instead of a full tank. This will give you plenty of room to pressurize it. How many times are you pumping it? Also, when you pull out the primer pump, make sure to turn it far enough counter-clockwise that it opens up the valve and allows you to pump. It sounds like you had it going once, so you had something going right. Let me know what you decide to do.
AD,
Here’s a little additional information that might help if my responses at the bottom don’t help. If this troubleshooting does not help and you decide to return, Coleman will take care of you. Let me know if you have a problem with the store you purchased it from and I’ll be sure to connect with Coleman to make sure the issue is remedied.
You can send me an email at [email protected] for more help.
Compression, Pressure and Lighting Issues:
It is a good idea at the beginning of every season to remove the pump plunger from the tank and oil the compression cup. On the end of the pump plunger assembly is a cup manufactured from black neoprene or leather and these cups need to be lubricated or soaked a good leather oil, a light machine oil (such as 3 in 1), or a non detergent 30 weight motor oil for a few minutes. Thoroughly, lubricate the walls of the pump barrel as well. Now, when the cup on the pump is re-inserted into the pump barrel, make sure the outside edged are not creased or deformed. Otherwise, it will roll away from walls of the barrel and no compression will build. If the compression cups are damaged or malformed they need to be replaced.
When in use the pump plunger assembly must be turned at least one complete full turn, counter-clockwise, before pressurizing the camp stove. The air stem must be partially unscrewed from the check valve at the base of the pump barrel before any air will pass into the tank. If the pump plunger only opens a ¼ of a turn this is not enough of an opening to allow air passage inside the fuel tank. To correct this issue push the plunger down inside the tank. Next, using a pair of pliers on the outside machined edge of the silver end cap the thumb is placed over, twist the complete plunger assembly to the left. This will free the air stem located in the check assembly and air will now fully flow when pumped into the fuel tank.
Here is a test for leaks in areas that can cause compression and pressure issues. Make a soapy water solution (1 teaspoon of dish soap to ½ c. of water). Pressurize the fuel tank as normal. Then, drizzle or daub the solution around and over the fuel filler cap and over the thumb hole on the end of the pump plunger (make sure it is in the closed position).
Another area to test is where the actual brass control valve is screwed into the fuel tank, if this seal is broken air will escape as well. On the camp stoves, daub the soapy solution around where the actual brass valve body screws into the top of the fuel tank. On the lanterns this connection is located under the enclosed metal band the control knob protrudes through. To access the valve area, the complete burner and/or frame assembly will need to be removed from the lantern to reveal the actual control valve.
Compression and Pressure Issues caused from long term storage:
If a liquid or dual fueled stove or lantern are stored for long periods of time with fuel in the tank a coating of lacquer can build up on the fuel valve system. Sometimes this can be removed by pouring out the old fuel inside the tank, then filling it about halfway with denatured alcohol, (do not use rubbing alcohol as it has water in it, and DO NOT pump up the tank or open the fuel valve while the alcohol is in the tank. This process is for cleaning purposes in the tank only). Let the appliance sit for 24 hours then shake the tank vigorously and pour out the used alcohol into a container for proper disposal. Next, rinse the tank with a one cup of clean Coleman Fuel to remove any residual debris left behind. Pour this used fuel into a container for proper disposal as well. Fill the tank with fresh fuel and try lighting unit again. If the unit will not light the fuel pick up tube on the actual fuel valve assembly is blocked and needs to be replaced.
We suggest that if you are storing your appliance for more than two weeks, pour as much fuel as possible from the tank back into the fuel can. Emptying most of the fuel from the tank through the filler hole is usually sufficient . This will help reduce the build-up of lacquer. In order to totally empty the fuel tank, you will need to run the lantern or stove until the tank is empty and burned dry. Then, pump up the tank and store under pressure. This will help to keep the fuel lines clear.
Repair solutions for these particular issues:
Check Valve: If bubbles form at the end of the pump assembly on the thumb hole after it is closed to the off position, the check and valve assembly needs to be replaced.
Filler Cap: If bubbles form around the around the fuel filler cap or around the center screw (used in the very old two piece filler caps) the complete filler cap needs to be replaced.
Control Valve: If bubbles form in this area the valve needs to be removed counter clockwise from the fuel tank and resealed using a thread sealer called Perma-Tex #2 ( obtained from an auto parts store). When the valve has been re- installed into the fuel tank, allow to dry overnight and recheck for leaks.
Compression pump cups: Damaged (chipped or torn edges) or malformed, they need to be replaced.
No fuel flow through control valve due to blocked fuel tube: Replace fuel tube if possible, in some cases the complete valve assembly will need to be replaced.
To find and order repair parts from Coleman, go to: http://www.coleman.com/Parts
Hey, Dave again here – Zach at Coleman responded to my question that I sent in regards to the issue you’ve been having. He thinks it could be a blocked or clogged generator. They would be happy to send out a replacement part if you can send them your name, address and phone. Let me know if you want me to take care of it for you?
Can you send it to Japan If you ordered a Coleman Dual Fuel 533 in your company? Would you like to how much the total amount in this case?
Thank you.
I don’t have a Japanese account setup yet. But, I’d love to help you. Email me at [email protected] and I’ll see what we can do. It might be worthwhile to check in with Coleman.