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bobrok
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2016 03:12pm
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I picked up a single burner very similar to this for real cheap. It takes the aerosol size butane canisters, but I am wondering if it'd be worth it to convert to propane. I could then run off my grill size tank at camp for outdoor cooking.
Operating under the assumption that I can use propane as a substitute fuel is there a simple attachment available to convert the aerosol fitting in this unit for propane?
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littlesalmon4
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2016 06:57pm
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air orifice is a different size for propane, butune, iso-butane.
Not impossible but not really recommended.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2016 07:58pm
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How interesting! I didn't know they made camp burners that use butane! I'm just learning about butane because I'm looking at torches to light the Wiseway pellet stove I'm going to install. It's all manual -- you heat up the pellet basket chamber to a certain temp with a torch and that triggers the pellets to release and ignite.
Anyhoo, I thought I'd buy a propane torch until I saw the butane models. Dang! It will heat up that chamber in no time. I'm favoring a kit by Dremel that comes with attachments for all sorts of uses. Haha, I can light the pellet stove and make crème brulee! 
But I digress (again) ... the torches don't use much butane, and the butane isn't very expensive. So I wonder how these burners perform in that regard? And if it throws off more heat than the propane appliance?
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bobrok
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2016 08:11pm
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Yeah, from what I see you can use propane but it will be less efficient in output. For my purposes I'll have to compare the output vs the comparative cost of butane canisters vs propane conversion.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2016 08:29pm
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I prefer propane over butane only because propane has much better cold weather performance. Butane stops changing from liquid to a gas at approx 31 F, whereas propane is good to -43 F. Other than that no preference other than liking to minimize the different fuels and fittings.
Butane provides more heat (BTU) for the same volume of propane, but they burn at about the same temperature. So that can be an advantage for a backpacker.
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bobrok
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2016 08:38pm
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There has to be a fitting available somewhere to convert that aerosol-compression butane fitting to propane.
Have you seen such a beast?
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2016 09:09pm - Edited by: bldginsp
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Plenty of small propane stoves are made- why bother converting a butane stove? Because you got it cheap (free)? Well, if one simple fitting will complete the conversion, might be a frugal choice.
I did a quick search for butane canister fittings and found various gadgets meant to attach to a butane canister so that it can be connected to other devices, but I did not see an adapter meant to fit into the existing stove fitting so that a different connection could be made.
I always thought that butane burned hotter than propane in a typical stove setup, along with having more btus per volume. How hot it burns is a function of the burn environment as much as it is the fuel type. But all things being equal in comparable stoves, I thought butane produced higher heat, maybe not.
I think the MAPP fuel that plumbers use to sweat copper is a mix of propane and butane for higher heat. Not sure. Sure does sweat copper faster.
Edit- MAPP is acetylene and propane, not butane.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2016 09:33pm
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Quoting: MtnDon Butane provides more heat (BTU) for the same volume of propane, but they burn at about the same temperature. So that can be an advantage for a backpacker.
Spacewise, too. The butane cans I was looking at were like 5 ounces. Better that than lugging around the propane greenies.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2016 09:34pm
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heat output from a stove burner depends a lot on the burner design. We have one propane campstove that puts out about 5000 BTU on high and another that does 10,000, all on the same fuel (propane).
Link to some temperatures of various fuels. Another
As bldginsp intimated, converting this could likely end up being one of the those things that was an achievement that brings personal satisfaction, but at a higher than sensible price. I have done a few of those.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2016 09:37pm
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Quoting: bobrok There has to be a fitting available somewhere to convert that aerosol-compression butane fitting to propane. Have you seen such a beast?
Not necessarily "has to be" because the air mix may also have to be changed to achieve a proper burn/ I have not looked at butane vs propane, but do know that changing between propane and natural gas needs more than a simple mechanical change of the connection fitting.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2016 09:40pm
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I take that back... I think. Have a look at the links here on ebay may be something there....
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bobrok
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2016 09:40pm
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Ok, I get it. So you're stayin' I wasted my 5 bucks at the garage sale, eh?
LOL! Appreciate the input guys, and thanx.
I'll be checking out the prices of butane canisters in the morn'.
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bobrok
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2016 09:44pm
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https://youtu.be/Vxvu_0EzZF4
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2016 09:50pm
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$5? Maybe you could get .35c for it scrap. Cut your losses.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2016 09:52pm
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Seriously though butane is great for backpacking, tailgating, picknics, etc. cause it's convenient, but I bet it costs a lot more than propane and so is not a viable daily user.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2016 03:07am
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bobrok
Here you go:
http://www.amazon.com/cans-Whip-300ml-Refined-Butane/product-reviews/B00DZ4S0S2/ref=u ndefined_1?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=recent&pageNumber=1
That's about $2.40 for each can. I'm actually thinking about picking up a butane burner like the one you found to use while I'm "camping." Saw them online and you can get one new for less than $15.
Each of those cans, btw, should provide more than 4 hours of actual cooking time. I'm basing this on comments at a restaurant supply site where I found butane cooktops at really good prices. Customers said that the basic butane sold there gave them 2 hours of constant cooking on high and 4 hours on low from an 8 oz. can. The fuel I linked to is 5X refined and more pure and comes in British 10.6 oz/300 ml. cans.
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bobrok
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2016 11:52am
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Thanks, J-2-O!
I'm (as usual) over thinking this. All I really need is an outdoor burner for occasional use
For some reason the wife disapproves of me preparing things like fish or kielbasa indoors.
Can't figure out why, though. 
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