Soto Muka Liquid-Fuel Stove

Comments about Soto Muka Liquid-Fuel Stove:

This is an interesting stove. Like every stove made so far, it has good points and bad points. The good points are:

It really does light without priming. After many cold starts mine is as clean as new.

It's very hot. It will boil a liter of water about 30 seconds faster than a Simmerlite using the same pot.

One you get a simmer set, it will maintain it without the constant adjustments most liquid fuel stoves need. Like most such it simmers at a lower temperature if it's not pumped up to a high pressure. You can use the "air" setting to bleed off pressure.

Now the bad points:

This stove achieves the no-prime trick by using very high pressure. So it takes A LOT of pumping. After you use the "start" setting it needs more pumping. After a few liters boiled, it needs more pumping. You will develop a very strong thumb.

It uses a non-standard thread so you must use a Soto fuel bottle. These come in two sizes: large and humongous. The humongous bottle should be enough fuel for a two week backpack trip. Of course you don't have to fill the thing, but then the partly full bottle needs even more pumping.

The stove is not field repairable. If the pump goes out you're eating cold food for the rest of your trip.

Did I say it needs A LOT of pumping?

The stove is quite noisy. It's not as bad as an XGK, but it is loud.

The wind screen that comes with this stove is useless. Recycle it and get an MSR windscreen. Staple it's end together so it stays in shape. The Soto screen had holes melted through it after one pot of water boiled.

This would be a good stove for snow camping due to the great heat, easy lighting, and big fuel bottle. All the pumping would help keep you warm. But since you can't repair it in the field that would only be advisable if there's an MSR stove along for backup.

Comments about Soto Muka Liquid-Fuel Stove:

The heat output, ease of lighting, and stability are amazing. The amount of pumping is also amazing. Truly, the pump needs a total redesign. It barely works, plus many pump strokes seem to not be pushing any air at all, adding to the frustration.

Comments about Soto Muka Liquid-Fuel Stove:

I used this stove for the first time on a 3 day backpacking trip in northern Wisconsin, and the stove's performance was flawless. It functions similar to the snowpeak white gas stove, only better, IMO.

Pros: easy set up, easy to light, no priming, very clean burning, puts out mega btu's, wind screen works well.

Cons: a little bulky, (as all white gas stove tend to be), minimal flame adjustment, requires lots of pumping, a bit pricy considering the fuel bottle is not included with the stove.

Base on my initial impressions, I would rate this stove as the best I have used, and I have used literally every white gas stove on the market.

I would definitely recommend this stove to anyone who is looking for a top notch white gas rig.

Field repair could be an issue. Will update at the end of summer.

Comments about Soto Muka Liquid-Fuel Stove:

I purchased this stove right after it became available at REI, I was drawn to it after reading all the interesting capabilities it stated on the little fancy SOTO box it comes in. What really caught my attention was the supposed ability of this stove to start right up (just like a canister stove) without needing to prime it. I don't know about other backpackers, but priming liquid fuel stoves has been the reason I try to avoid using them, not because I don't know how to prime them, but because it can be a messy and potentially dangerous process (I personally own an Optimus Nova and MSR dragonfly though). Anyhow, I paid the [$] stove + $20 for the Soto wide-mouth proprietary fuel bottle that only fits this stove, I got home, opened the box and I could immediately see quality everywhere from the black nylon storage bag it comes in, to the most impressive all-aluminum fuel pump I've seen on any liquid fuel stove, not even the Primus Ergo pump that comes with the OmniFuel stove comes close to the quality of the Soto. This thing makes MSR pumps seem like a gimmick, which in my humble opinion they are (I replaced the one on my DragonFly already). The actual stove of course is just as impressive, you can really tell Soto wanted this to be on a league of its own. Super flexible long fuel line, stable, lightweight and very compact when you fold the 3 legs are just some of the pluses. However no single product is perfect for everybody and this is no exception, and I'll explain some NEGATIVES that I found: First if you like simmering fine foods on the trail this stove might not for you, the burner head is not wide enough and getting this stove to fine simmer is a challenge. I tried to go the lowest I could and I still managed to burn pancakes and spam, if you try to go even lower it will start stuttering and a light wind gust will blow the flame away or even by itself. On a positive note I can boil 2 cups of water in under 1:45sec on an Optimus Terra pot with heat exchanger which is even faster than a jetboil I believe. Second sort of negative is the amount of pumping required to get it to pressurize "correctly" which is indicated by a tiny pressure valve that pops red when you achieved correct pressure as you pump... I'm warning you though, if you use this thing over a week you will come back home with a "terminator" arm from all the pumping. Essentially you can say this is "fuel injection" on a stove, thereby it will require more pumping to get it going. I can't comment on long term durability since it's still a relatively new item. [...] Overall I'm very pleased with it even if simmering is a challenge, alhough not impossible if you're creative.

Comments about Soto Muka Liquid-Fuel Stove:

Familiar as I am with Soto, in particular, the small canister stove, OD-1R, I had a positive impression about this stove's launch.I have a fond collection of stoves, each one complete with a story of malfunction (spelled: danger!) that accompany them.Out the box, this product felt well constructed. I was pleased with the engineering, especially the most 'flexible' fuel hose I've ever seen. Having traveled worldwide, I wanted (needed?) a multi-fuel product which cleaned up nicely, was compact, and durable. Having just purchased the Muka, I can't report on it's durability, however, I'm convinced this will be a category killer for anyone who wants stability for pans equal to or less than 8 in (21 cm) in diameter. I implore you to READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! This is not an 'I'll figure it out' product. 'Nuff said. However, once you've read and followed the instructions: pumped, lit and boiled water a few times . . it will become second nature on the trail. Photocopy and stow copies of the instructions, or download a pdf from the website,[@], and place it on your smartphone.The wide-mouth bottle is proprietary, so don't purchase the stove expecting to use your MSR, Primus, or Optimus fuel bottle. Individuals with a wide range of different size cook pots will like this product. One can comfortably use the fine and popular MSR and Snow Peak products, or switch up and go retro with military surplus or small cast iron skillets for car campers.The stove fits comfortably, in a 512 G.I. Type Stainless Steel Canteen Cup. The stove in my canteen cup, then fits snugly in the provided draw-string carry case. A big plus for travelers who can't afford dented cookware.I am calling this: The light-weight, multi-fuel international 'category killer' for hungry people!

Comments about Soto Muka Liquid-Fuel Stove:

Previous reviewers have done a great job in describing this stove. It's powerful, well constructed, compact and the flexible hose coupled with the swivel connector isolates bottle movement from the stove. The negative points are:

- Lots and lots of pumping. Why so much is required is a bit of a mystery. It appears that its more of a pump efficiency issue than creating appropriate pressure

- Simmer? Not without help. By setting the flame to its lowest and using a diffuser plate I was able to maintain a temp in the high 180's.

- Maintenance. I was surprised to read that the generator tube requires periodic replacement based upon total amount of fuel pumped through it (output starts to degrade after 20 liters of continuous fuel usage. Not sure if that the same as on and off usage). I disagree with a review that said field repair isn't possible for the pump. I see no reason why they would think so unless they meant snapping off the control wheel. One concern is that I haven't been able to find someone who sells the maint and generator kits.

Prior to writing this review I compared the Soto to my Primus Omnifuel. It really struck me how much less fiddling there is with the Soto. Pump it up, turn the valve and light. In a few seconds it gets up to temp and is ready to go. On the flip side, the Omnifuel can maintain a simmer and can use just about any fuel out there.

In closing, if you don't need multi fuel capability and do need high output (15K+ BTU) this is a good choice. I gotta say though that the pumping gets old.

Comments about Soto Muka Liquid-Fuel Stove:

Summary:
Quick/Easy to light: Yes
Simple to use: For the most part – like anything new, try it at home first.
Easy to use: Definitely. The included instructions could be better but it's pretty intuitive (I thought)
Safety: The fuel line is metal, flexible and uses a quick disconnect instead of a screw connector. The stove itself gets incredibly hot and takes a bit longer than the Jetboil to cool to temperature where it can be handled/disassembled.

The long part:
I wanted a liquid fuel stove as a back-up to my Jetboil PCS. The main feature of the Muka that really attracted my attention in that it doesn't require priming. It really doesn't. With the fuel control knob in the "Start" position it took one match to light. The initial flame was yellow and it sputtered a bit but quickly (less than a minute) settled down to blue. Moving the fuel knob to "Run", I let it go. The heat this thing throws out is phenomenal! Initially it was about as noisy as my Jetboil but got a little quieter once it got really hot. (And it gets REALLY hot!)
Next test was shutting it off. With the control knob turned to "Stop" it went out in about 2 seconds, maybe less. I waited until the unit was cool to the touch and re-lit it. There was no sputtering this time so I assume there was something on the metal, a preservative perhaps, that had caused it the first time but had since been burned off.
As several posters have noted, it requires a lot of pumping to build up the required pressure but the more fuel in the bottle, the less pumping required. I have the 1 liter bottle and with 8 – 10 ounces of fuel it took a good 5 minutes to get it up to pressure. With nothing but a 70s era Army stove on which to base any previous experience, I will withhold comment regarding the efficiency of the pump itself . It is however, all metal except for the seals and fuel/air lines and that once pressurized I did not have to pump any more.
I did not try the wind screen or heat reflector though I can see how (as mentioned in another review) they would be pretty much more hassle than help and maybe even melt.
In the half hour or so I cycled it on and off it used and insignificant amount of fuel.

Comments about Soto Muka Liquid-Fuel Stove:

I own the dragonfly, the firefly, and so many other stoves I could open up a stove shop. My experience tells me, weight was a consideration, and inconvenience was not.

In general, the quality is there. And a friend let me cook with this one. For now, once was enough.

To begin: A diffuser plate is essential. Since modern backpack pots such as titanium cannot take the concentrated heat this will generate. Even if you do not burn the pot or interior coating, you're going to burn the food.

To adjust the flame (simmer), one must starve the stove by releasing fuel canister pressure. This is a self defeating excercise in futility.

Your bicepts will be in shape pumping, since the pump style is low pressure air induction for gradual compression of liquid.

The proprietary fuel cannister presents challenges when traveling abroad. For those who are not aware, a flight to anywhere requires a new and unused cannister. Fuel vapors? It's not going with you on any plane for any reason whatsoever.

When you get where you're going, and use the cannister, it's not coming back with you either. This is true for ALL THE LIQUID FUEL STOVES.

A wind shield is a must for this little baby. As well as a base plate. This stove matrix cannot be placed in Winter climes on the ground, since the three legs do become red hot when cooking.

The noticeable absence of the required shield and diffuser plate, substantiates the allegation first made in this review. Unless you wish to call the flimsy aluminum apparition supplied by Soto as being a wind shield.

Induced heat will sink the "ship" right quick. Unless you are cooking a meal for two entitled: "Lunch on the ground special" Uncooked no less...

There's a reason for every season. Just look at the MSR XGK EX or the Dragon fly and you'll see why the structure is such, that the legs are away from the flame.

As for the MSR plastic pumps: Well... Your Mother never promised you a rose garden! Or did She???

Comments about Soto Muka Liquid-Fuel Stove:

Purchased this stove because of the no priming so I did not have the potential for a pool fire when ligting it. I want this to be a stove I can work with Scouts to introduce them to stove cooking with white gas without having to prime and have potential for liquid fuel on the ground.

What I like: The construction is solid. Long fuel line. Boils water like a champ.

What I can not make it do: Simmer. I read a post on REI where they said to not fully pressurize the fuel bottle and it will simmer. I will not operate this unit in any manner other than as directed by the manufacturer.

What I do not like: My only dislike has been the tendency of my unit to leak fuel out of the vent and create a pool fire from time-to-time. The generation of a pool fire creates a hazard you should consider when using it. If the pool fire moves under the container you have a pressurized vessel with the potential for an explosion. To minimize this risk I (a) take an extra step to create a small drainage channel from under the stove and away from the fuel bottle with a small earth berm between the stove and fuel bottle, or (b) place it where drainage is naturally away from the fuel bottle. In all cases where I have had a pool fire, I have been able to stop the flow of additional fuel to the unit by shutting the flow off at the bottle.

What I did not find as bad as commented on: The pumping of the fuel bottle was not as big a deal as I was concerned about based on many of the reviews.

I will exchange the unit I currently have for another one of the same and hope that the problem is unique to this one unit.

Service and delivery comments:

Delivery was timely and there were no noticable signs of damage to the packaging or box.

Comments about Soto Muka Liquid-Fuel Stove:

Lights easy, burns hot. Works well in cold temps and thin air. Unfortunately the main body appears to be a painted alloy. Used it 5and times then two of the thin connections for the support legs cracked and came off. I returned it and got the MSR XGK.