Product Reviews > Accessories > Optimus SVEA 123R Stove

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10-10-2011
Submitted by: eddie s - Rating: 9 of 10
     We were just discussing this venerable old Stove, the 123R on a backpacking website and wondered with all the accessories and do dads the "new" stoves are inciting you to buy have we not gotten back to the same weight as that old 123R? I bought mine in 1969 via mail order catalog from A-16 for $16.99 and it now costs almost $90.00 for the same exact stove. Remarkably unlike all the other stoves that I bought over the years the SEVA 123R still cranks up without a problem and that purr is comforting sound to hear..I currently Carry a SnowPeak Stove with the solo dinner set; Stove, cup, Pot, windscreen and one fuel canister fits inside the Pot for one weekend of use.

05-04-2011
Submitted by: rjg - Rating: 10 of 10
     I bought my Svea 123 when I was 13 years old in 1972. Now at almost 40 years old, countless trips including one of about 4 months in the mountains, it still heats the stuff up just like it always has. The little purring is the welcome sound of a warm friend at beginning and end of the day. Finding a spot out of the wind, sitting beside my Svea as I prepare the meal is now a very old and very comforting ritual.

12-26-2008
Submitted by: Jorge - Rating: 8 of 10
     Best damn 19oz of brass you can pack for solo/tandem cooking. A classic from a time gone by that still gets the job done. Simple with few moving parts and reliable. To prime equalize, warm with your hands and within a few minutes that little rocket engine is roaring away. A little slower than your typical stove but I enjoy the ritual and I am seldom in a hurry. I have several dozen camp stoves; esbit, alky, gas, kero, propane, isobutane, wood, ..., this is the one I pack the most often. There is something very reassuring about tarnished brass and the roar of this stove that makes me feel sure I'm going to have a hot meal tonight.

10-20-2008
Submitted by: larry1947 - Rating: 10 of 10
     This little stove has never failed me, and it's compact and light enough for my needs. One of the best stoves in my collection... love its jet engine sound.

05-30-2007
Submitted by: dryer - Rating: 10 of 10
     I have a collection of stoves ranging from a Svea, Svea 123, Nova, R8 Hunter, and various Colemans. With out question, the Svea's, old or new, are like watching perpetual motion. Pumps break and wear/dry out. Sveas have never failed me. (or the R8 for that matter ;-) ). No plastic to melt, but don't burn them out of fuel or you'll 'carmelize' the cotton fuel wick inside. Otherwise, they are the perfect stove.

10-18-2006
Submitted by: walkinghead - Rating: 9 of 10
     When preparing to hike the AT in 2000 I had to choose a stove to carry. I looked at my 30 year old SVEA 123 and thought, oh heck, I'll check into one of those new MSR Whisper Lite contraptions. After a little comparison effort I changed my mind and choose the SVEA. Great choice! Yes it was loud but light, fast and dependable! There were quite a few mornings when I heard the "What kind of stove is that?" from fellow hikers. This was usually followed by "They still make those things!" Great stove and I wouldn't change for anything!

01-03-2003
Submitted by: flatpick - Rating: 7 of 10
     My 123 is a mere 25 years old. It is a replacement for a 8R which rusted out after 15 years. It was the same stove guts in a square metal box. Been through a lot of use and has heated many a meal and still works well. I use a dropper for priming fuel and have never had to do dittiley to it (maintanence wise)

Basically now it is a back-up stove I pack on longer trips. My primus Himalayan multi fuel is a 1000 HP jet engine compared with the 5 HP outboard Svea.

01-02-2003
Submitted by: leek - Rating: 10 of 10
     I've had mine 35 years, also. And it is a roarer. Start it up at a mountain trail cabin or riverside campsite and everyone will come to look. I've never had to replace any parts, although I hear you can buy some sort of pump cap which will put air pressure in. I was interested, but then I realized that I like to start the gas flowing by the old suggested method of cupping your hands around the gas tank to heat up the contents. My quick method involves splashing a little gas in the well and torching it off. I did hear that carrying a dropper to add gas to the well was a neater, more elegant solution . I have resisted all urges to buy a more modern stove.

12-30-2002
Submitted by: g.dAVIS - Rating: 10 of 10
     SEVA 123 Stove What can I say? I bought my 123 in Wesbaden Germany in the PX during Reforger '78. I used it 2 and 3 times a day for 14 days to heat rations for 6 men. That means about 2 hours burn time as we still had the old tin can rations then and all drank coffee or tea. Was quite popular with the Brittish as I had the only stove that would boil water and I had my own pot & tea. I was so impressed with it that next trip into town I bought another as a back up. Any one who has ever had to 'Hump' all there stuff can tell you what that extra bit of weight means and the value the item must have to keep it. It's now 2002 and I still make tea and cook most of my meals on my seva as it gets quite warm here in Florida I see no need to heat up the house requiring the AC to work harder and increasing my electric bill. Bottom line; my 123 has been in use nearly 30 years and has only needed the cap rubber replaced 2 times and a steady supply of coleman stove fule. there are other more complex stoves 'out there' but I prefer the simplicity and ruggedness of my 123. SP4 Davis Former NCOIC Commo AZANG Kingman Az.

09-04-2002
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 10 of 10
     This sturdily made little roarer is a valuable addition to any wilderness trip. Heat water, soup, And, with the proper technique, will bake desserts and breads.The SVEA is lightweight,Dependable and has functional beauty in its all brass construction. My SVEA is 35 yrs. old and still going strong.I occasionally add a little carburetor cleaner to the fuel to clean the nozzle.

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