Been choosing either Coleman or Dietz. I bought Dietz instead.This is a vintage I bought on eBay. It uses Kerosene, any alternative oil/fuel that is non toxic if used indoors? I bought this just in case of power failure during storms such hurricane. Thanks for any suggestion/s.
Question on Dietz Jr. #20 Kerosene Lantern
- Thread starter Escape08
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JHZR2
Staff member
Not sure m I experimented for a while with diesel cut with alcohol in a kerosene heater, worked ok given that I had it in an uninsulated and leaky garage.
Can you find clear k1 near you, not in overpriced HD/WM jugs?
Can you find clear k1 near you, not in overpriced HD/WM jugs?
They are good little lanterns. But the Chinese made ones rust fast. So they tend to leak when older.
There are all sorts of old tech lanterns, but the Dietz copies are always OK.
Use any form of Kerosene. Don't use diesel, it makes the lantern difficult to deal with.
There are all sorts of old tech lanterns, but the Dietz copies are always OK.
Use any form of Kerosene. Don't use diesel, it makes the lantern difficult to deal with.
My dad, born 1930, grew up in house that only had kerosene lamps for lighting. He told me that his job was to remove and clean the clean the glass globes EVERY day.
Kerosene is getting very hard to find around here any more except for those small, overpriced, boutique containers sold in some of the Home stores. But I'm told that if you're an area where Mennonites or Amish live that regular kerosene is still available since they still use it instead of electric lighting.
Lamp oil is what I use. Seems not to smell as much as kerosene. I don't know how much different it is.
I use Medallion lamp oil in my kerosene lamp. Lamp oil burns cleaner than kerosene which matters to me indoors. Kerosene burns brighter but faster. Make sure the wick length is adjusted properly for best possible combustion with the least soot. I like fiberglass wicks because they last for a very long time.
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It is not the same as Kero. Lamp oil is typically a paraffin (wax) base. Generally works well, and less Kero odor.
I found a brand new German-made oil/kerosene lamp at a yard sale a couple of years ago. I have used it a few times. This is about how bright it gets with lamp oil without producing noticeable soot. With a bigger flame, you'll keep the bugs away and get black lungs. The distance to the wall is about 1.5 feet. You can easily traipse through the woods during a downpour at night and fall into your favorite fishing hole. As you can see in the picture I wrapped the globe lifting lever with friction tape so it won't wear off the paint. Please note I lit the lamp for you guys. At Casa De Vava we keep the light on for you. 
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WT Kirkman lamp store this website will tell you everything.
Parafin lamp oil is the same chemical family as Kerosene but more highly refined so it doesn't smoke. If your using indoors go with that.
Kerosene is fine outdoors, but you will still be cleaning the globe more often.
Kerosene is fine outdoors, but you will still be cleaning the globe more often.
I have learned brightness is a direct correlation of the width of the wick. I have been debating whether to buy a larger dietz or a vintage coleman that burns gasoline? I have one of the mid sized Dietz now.I found a brand new German-made oil/kerosene lamp at a yard sale a couple of years ago. I have used it a few times. This is about how bright it gets with lamp oil without producing noticeable soot. With a bigger flame, you'll keep the bugs away and get black lungs. The distance to the wall is about 1.5 feet. You can easily traipse through the woods during a downpour at night and fall into your favorite fishing hole. As you can see in the picture I wrapped the globe lifting lever with friction tape so it won't wear off the paint. Please note I lit the lamp for you guys. At Casa De Vava we keep the light on for you.
Wick width determines the amount of fuel delivery. I like to cut the wick not straight but tapered to a point: /\ That means a bit more fuel availability like with a wider wick. The amount of wick exposure determines the air-fuel ratio and thus flame size. When the mixture becomes too rich you get noticeable soot. Extinguish the wick by retracting the wick until the flame goes out because it doesn't get enough air. If I had a barn I'd start a lantern collection.
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The Coleman that burns gasoline is in a different league. It is much much brighter, and also more dangerous. It's gasoline, under pressure, and also a high burn rate that likely means CO. I don't think they were ever intended to be used indoors.
These pics remind me of the red light district in an old western.
Would l.e.d. flashlights be a better choice? The batteries last a very long time and are much brighter than 1 candlepower.
Would l.e.d. flashlights be a better choice? The batteries last a very long time and are much brighter than 1 candlepower.
Only an oil lamp with a very small flame would have 1 candela. Even a Zippo is capable of putting out more than 1 candela. Oil or kerosene lamps produce usually more than 4 candela or 50 lumens. It's enough to light a room and to read or reload cartridges. LED is fine as long as you know you'll be able to charge the batteries. An oil lamp can also heat your lean-to or tent. It also gets style points plus it makes a great incendiary device. Bears don't like fire. They laugh at flashlights.
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JHZR2
Staff member
The camping lanterns we used growing up burned pump gas. That was the easiest thing to use. Our Coleman stove did the same, though ultimately that got converted to propane
IMO if it's be used indoors I would pay the extra for the clean burning stuff. Out in the garage I can tell when my propane heater has been running for a couple hours, and that's something that burns cleanly (has an O2 shutoff, so I don't think it's CO/CO2 related). Outdoors is different.
Call me crazy but I think I'd rather spend my money on a battery of some sort and an LED light instead. D cells can be stored for a number of years, and have large capacity. Some of the large fancy candles (in glass jars) are relatively "safe" and can be counted on for low level lighting around the house. But don't make enough light to ready by. I'm not sure what your goal is, just one light to get by with, or something to weather a multi-day outage?
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Something I have grown to absolutely love are headlamps, the sort that you strap onto your head--it's like they can read your mind and will automatically put the light where you need it.
Like this. These days I don't work on my car without it... and during the last outage, when I was rewiring the panel so as to change circuits so as to bring certain outlets online, very very useful. [That reminds me, I need to buy a spare, if not three, just that handy.]
Call me crazy but I think I'd rather spend my money on a battery of some sort and an LED light instead. D cells can be stored for a number of years, and have large capacity. Some of the large fancy candles (in glass jars) are relatively "safe" and can be counted on for low level lighting around the house. But don't make enough light to ready by. I'm not sure what your goal is, just one light to get by with, or something to weather a multi-day outage?
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Something I have grown to absolutely love are headlamps, the sort that you strap onto your head--it's like they can read your mind and will automatically put the light where you need it.
Like this. These days I don't work on my car without it... and during the last outage, when I was rewiring the panel so as to change circuits so as to bring certain outlets online, very very useful. [That reminds me, I need to buy a spare, if not three, just that handy.]No heat though.
I have tons of LED flashlights and a couple LED lamps and lots of batteries, living in a hurricane zone. There is still something relaxing about sitting in the pale glow of a oil lamp I prefer. I sure wouldn't try to do any task or read by it though. Its about enough to not run into something.
