We have to keep in mind that the Reactor was designed for very specific purposes. Boil water and melt snow quickly. Especially at altitude. It would have been interesting if you could try it at altitude. At the end , there are products for every need, that's why we have to take time to have a reflexion about it before buying gear. Thank you so much for the time you took for testing!
The benefit of the Bulin over the reactor is the flexibility of using different pots or frypan on the bulin. The weight disparity is probably due to the legs, pot support and fuel line of the bulin.
I'm always conflicted about bargain stoves because, as a teacher, I can't really afford to buy a glut of new top-notch stoves, and yet my stove bargain hunting has proven problematic. I'm glad you plan to test these this winter. I'll be really curious to see how things go with your long-term and in-field testing because I've purchased similar budget stoves based on original, innovative designs (often inspired by Soto or MSR) and found that the copies simply stopped working with even careful use after a relatively short period of time. The materials, build quality, and design of copies are generally inferior: the cooked hose, for instance, would never have happened with an MSR stove, for their remote canister stoves feature a shaped piece of brass pipe to direct the hose away from the burner head before the hose begins. Here, at $6 per 8 oz/227g fuel canister, there is a quite a difference in performance and costs: theoretically, based on your tests, the MSR has 28.3 boils per canister, while the Bulin has 18.9. The 9.46 fewer boils per canister for the Bulin is pretty staggering. That's 21.1 cents a boil for the MSR and 31.7 cents a boil for the Bulin, so basically the Bulin costs $3 more to use and requires 1.5 canisters for every one canister that the Reactor uses, and still takes almost five minutes longer over those boils to accomplish the same task. The MSR also has a pressure regulator that the Bulin lacks, allowing the Reactor to avoid pressure drop at lower temperatures than the Bulin. How will these stoves handle sub-freezing cold in the field? Finally, the Bulin comes with a one-year warranty, while the MSR Limited Warranty is a 3-year policy. I guess my wondering is will the Bulin prove a bargain after three years of use? Will the added cost of more fuel still make it a bargain compared to the MSR? Or is the initial savings really false economy? I'd love for it to be a bargain, but I have my misgivings ....
I use bulin as main. The one in the video is the old version, and i dont think it’s comparable to the new one in terms of performance with different/normal pots It works on everything and boils water as quickly as msr. Wish there were titanium version of those pots
I like the bulin type , any jetboil user up mountains in winter tend to get rid of them (scottish mountains) building a stone scaffhold to stop them tumbling over , the low profile cookers come into their own ,
Here it is 2 years later and I just bought the Bulin 3800 with the pot. So this stove has stuck around. Even better, I paid a total of $32for both stove and pot on Amazon What a deal!. Especially when you compare it to the 289 for the MSR reactor. There are several entries, many are just the pot, so you have to be careful. I just boiled 1 L of water in 3 minutes 46 seconds. Not bad. I also was able to fry up my morning bacon and eggs in my separate stainless steel frying pan without scorching. I had no problems adjusting the flame down low. Additionally, the wide flame heat source gives a large footprint of heat on the bottom of the pan. A lot of stoves have a small flame and give one small hotspot in the center of the pan leaving the rest of pan much cooler. I also have to say that I'm a big fan of the lower profile and lower center of gravity. Not nearly as tippy as a pan on top of a stove on top of a butane cylinder I have to give this stove and pot combination two thumbs up
Thanks for the thorough review. Ended up purchasing this stove (latest version) over the BL 100 T4-A. The latter comes with a heat tube and ignition but after seeing your demo it seemed simplicity and more efficient design was the way to go, especially considering the fit of the Bulin 1.5 liter pot with heat exchanger and camping in a somewhat warmer climate.
Lighter and more fuel efficient gets my vote; running out of fuel in the backcountry really sucks. 0.33 less fuel to boil the same amount of water! That is really a big difference and lighter to boot. Thanks Doc for another informative video.
Been watching you for a while now. I really like how your channel has grown and matured over time. Your reviews are really good. Thanks for all the work you’re putting into these, they’re very entertaining to me.
As you said, comparing relatively new equipment can be tricky when the results aren't so different. This need a long term review of use and abuse to see where is the breaking point besides price.
Bulin has updated that stove. The hose problem is fixed. You can't pull the hose over the stand anymore. Also the burner is different. They say that the new style is better performing.
PaleoHikerMD Ihave the the Bulin and had the pipe burn problem. Just replace it with a new one and feed it through the hole on the stand (the nearest to the outlet). Not a problem now and an easy fix.
I appreciate you showing that the Bulin burned the hose. A few questions: 1) The hose burned because … 2) How hard was it to get the replacement part time wise and cost? Did it come from outside the US? 3) What did you do differently the second time so you wouldn’t burn the hose? These are important teaching issues for the Bulin. Txs
I guess he didn't think it needed to be spelled out to this degree. He zoomed in to show the hose still resting on top of the last stand leg. This leaves it close to the burner. Solution, pull the hose all the way out so the last bit isn't still wrapped around the burner.
Price was right for us and our minimal travel and need for versatility - compact to fly with (checked luggage) and the collapsible GSI silicone coffee filter with lid is the same diameter and fits in the bottom of the net bag along with the stove burner inside the pot. We didn’t obviously fly with fuel so we were able to add a 2nd tiny backpacking burner inside under the lid.
the way i look at it, you can buy 3 Bulin and still have change for the extra gas consumption, and yes like most others i also take good care of my camping gear, but accidents happen, some drunk guys streaks through camp and accidently kicks your burner, or the guy transporting your backpack is in a little bit of a hurry and throwes your backpack just a little to hard off of the back of his vehicle, or backed handlers at airports dang the'll throw your backpack around like it's sunday night wresling, another side is also, if i tell the guy that just broke my burner that i want 60$ for a new im a lot more likely to get it over a 200+$ MSR
Late to the party. The Reactor is now $309 (I paid $299 for my Genesis Base Camp with the pot/pan) and rated 4.4 on Amazon. The Bulin 3800W with the 1.5L pot was on “Amazon Deals” for $27.99. I bought two. Oh, and the rating when I purchased it was, 4.4. Thank you!😮
I have the Bulin system for my remote canister setup thanks to you Ernie. Also using the trangia and firebox nano setup for alcohol thanks to you. Thanks for the vids sir! Really helps me to find the best product for the price.
Outstanding Brother Ernie, I had bought the Bulin system after watching your Review, but if I could afford the MSR I definitely would purchase it. Thank you for Sharing. Sincerely your freind from Mo Rick and God Bless you 🙏 and your family and God Bless America 🇺🇸 🙏 and God Bless all of the Great Veterans and First Responders.
Remote stove for me, the MSR is a load of lost water waiting to happen. My version of this is the SOTO fusion trek or Stormbreaker with the small or large widesea HE pots.
Are you familiar with the Odaland 6800w stove? Looks like a good value, but would be interested in hearing your thoughts on it, if you are familiar with it…
Greeting and great channel. I was wondering whether or not MSR makes special pots and pans for its syove systems that ARE NOT coated with the non stick junk but still use a baffle/windsreen at the base. All non stick coatings contain BisPhenol Acetates, which are extremely toxic at temperatures far below cooking range. Its just that the baffles help so much. Any helpful knowledge is appreciated, as it will save a great deal of research time. Thanks and keep up the great reviews.
Doc, thank you for another well done comparison video. I really appreciate when you do head-to-head videos between an expensive piece of gear and an inexpensive piece of gear. It really helps us either, save some money, or, justify the expense. 👍
A very informative and to the point review as usual. On ali express the burner has changed to a new design with a metal drain like design. It appears the steel mesh is underneath it. They are claiming 30% improved efficiency. What do you think of the new design??
Personally, If I was choosing, I'd get the Bulin. It's more stable, and I can use other pots and pans with it. With the MSR, I can't. The time difference is not big enough to be a significant factor.
That was good information. Bigger foot print when open means more stability when boiling the water. In my book that is a pro. The Bulin also seems to haver a lower CG. I did a back of the envelope estimate for the TCO. I´d need to save 40 8oz canisters for a break even. That translates to about 80 canisters for boiling water. I´d likely go for the Bulin if had use for such a stove.
Id rather jave this than any jet boil , low level stoves are a mountain climbers go to stove , the stack system like jet stoves tip over unless you biild a rock scaffhold to support them .
You need to test them by sticking your fuel cans in the freezer or in the snow... better than that try it with fuel cans that are [used]. Do a real world and use them to melt snow.
I will stick with my Trangia 25. Simple and does what I need. And is very wind resistant, with the base set up it has. Has severed me well for 30+ years.
I'm a little confused by stoves that are designed to only boil water. For the ability to boil water a minute or two faster than other stoves, we lose all other functionality and pay a lot more money. Perhaps I just don't fit into the market's niche, so I don't understand :)
Dear Doctor, How to recycle/dispose/repurpose of the fuel cannisters and the larger green propane tanks is one of my questions. Fuel/Weight ratio/efficiency is everything in a portable stove, notwithstanding of course safety and durability. As in all things engineering, everything comes down to time, space, and money. ;-) Availability of the fuel cartridges and their legal and safe transport by air is also a question. Many years ago, liquid fuels were banned here in Ohio for Boy Scout Use, after a fire. But what isn't dangerous of course Thanks for your videos. I'd also like to see any first aid kits/contents as you might recommend for day hike and extended camping, and information as to the common injuries that you have witnessed or experienced. 73 DE W8LV BILL (RN)
WOW! They can take that price and do what ever they want with it because I am NEVER going to spend that much on that "LITTLE"! Don't care how good it is. It's NOT 80 times better, I will not EVER spend 80 times the price! If I was summiting Everest? Then it would be the only choice! but I'm not!
thank u for making this vid. i dont like MSR. in the past i was very impressed from them. then i got to conclusion they r heavy, not that efficient, and waste lots of gas. found primus and never looked back.
For myself neither are not worth it . To heavy , to large , and the MSR , way to expensive. I'll stick with my Firebox Titanium Alcohol , Wood burning set. The weigh savings and pack ability is great and the extra time taken to boil water ( Huge Bonus ) extra time to relax.
We have to keep in mind that the Reactor was designed for very specific purposes. Boil water and melt snow quickly. Especially at altitude. It would have been interesting if you could try it at altitude. At the end , there are products for every need, that's why we have to take time to have a reflexion about it before buying gear. Thank you so much for the time you took for testing!
The benefit of the Bulin over the reactor is the flexibility of using different pots or frypan on the bulin. The weight disparity is probably due to the legs, pot support and fuel line of the bulin.
I'm always conflicted about bargain stoves because, as a teacher, I can't really afford to buy a glut of new top-notch stoves, and yet my stove bargain hunting has proven problematic. I'm glad you plan to test these this winter. I'll be really curious to see how things go with your long-term and in-field testing because I've purchased similar budget stoves based on original, innovative designs (often inspired by Soto or MSR) and found that the copies simply stopped working with even careful use after a relatively short period of time. The materials, build quality, and design of copies are generally inferior: the cooked hose, for instance, would never have happened with an MSR stove, for their remote canister stoves feature a shaped piece of brass pipe to direct the hose away from the burner head before the hose begins. Here, at $6 per 8 oz/227g fuel canister, there is a quite a difference in performance and costs: theoretically, based on your tests, the MSR has 28.3 boils per canister, while the Bulin has 18.9. The 9.46 fewer boils per canister for the Bulin is pretty staggering. That's 21.1 cents a boil for the MSR and 31.7 cents a boil for the Bulin, so basically the Bulin costs $3 more to use and requires 1.5 canisters for every one canister that the Reactor uses, and still takes almost five minutes longer over those boils to accomplish the same task. The MSR also has a pressure regulator that the Bulin lacks, allowing the Reactor to avoid pressure drop at lower temperatures than the Bulin. How will these stoves handle sub-freezing cold in the field? Finally, the Bulin comes with a one-year warranty, while the MSR Limited Warranty is a 3-year policy. I guess my wondering is will the Bulin prove a bargain after three years of use? Will the added cost of more fuel still make it a bargain compared to the MSR? Or is the initial savings really false economy? I'd love for it to be a bargain, but I have my misgivings ....
I use bulin as main. The one in the video is the old version, and i dont think it’s comparable to the new one in terms of performance with different/normal pots
It works on everything and boils water as quickly as msr. Wish there were titanium version of those pots
I found the FireMaple system, appears just like the Jetboil, but much better and a lot less expensive. I really like my FireMaple.
Apples and Oranges. The Jetboil and FireMaple are something else entirely with the latter, just like you said, being better IMHO.
I love that you aren’t afraid to show your mistakes too. Have fun be safe.
I like the bulin type , any jetboil user up mountains in winter tend to get rid of them (scottish mountains) building a stone scaffhold to stop them tumbling over , the low profile cookers come into their own ,
Here it is 2 years later and I just bought the Bulin 3800 with the pot. So this stove has stuck around. Even better, I paid a total of $32for both stove and pot on Amazon What a deal!. Especially when you compare it to the 289 for the MSR reactor. There are several entries, many are just the pot, so you have to be careful. I just boiled 1 L of water in 3 minutes 46 seconds. Not bad. I also was able to fry up my morning bacon and eggs in my separate stainless steel frying pan without scorching. I had no problems adjusting the flame down low. Additionally, the wide flame heat source gives a large footprint of heat on the bottom of the pan. A lot of stoves have a small flame and give one small hotspot in the center of the pan leaving the rest of pan much cooler. I also have to say that I'm a big fan of the lower profile and lower center of gravity. Not nearly as tippy as a pan on top of a stove on top of a butane cylinder I have to give this stove and pot combination two thumbs up
Thanks for the thorough review. Ended up purchasing this stove (latest version) over the BL 100 T4-A. The latter comes with a heat tube and ignition but after seeing your demo it seemed simplicity and more efficient design was the way to go, especially considering the fit of the Bulin 1.5 liter pot with heat exchanger and camping
in a somewhat warmer climate.
Lighter and more fuel efficient gets my vote; running out of fuel in the backcountry really sucks. 0.33 less fuel to boil the same amount of water! That is really a big difference and lighter to boot. Thanks Doc for another informative video.
FYI, the center "pluggable" hole is for the MSR reactor coffee press, not for more steam venting ;)
Been watching you for a while now. I really like how your channel has grown and matured over time. Your reviews are really good. Thanks for all the work you’re putting into these, they’re very entertaining to me.
As you said, comparing relatively new equipment can be tricky when the results aren't so different. This need a long term review of use and abuse to see where is the breaking point besides price.
Bulin has updated that stove. The hose problem is fixed. You can't pull the hose over the stand anymore. Also the burner is different. They say that the new style is better performing.
I liked the first one. Because of the pot stand. the MSR one you are limited too just the pot that came with it.
You can buy a titanium pot stand for the reactor so you can use any pot or pan on it. Lixada makes it. $25.
PaleoHikerMD Ihave the the Bulin and had the pipe burn problem. Just replace it with a new one and feed it through the hole on the stand (the nearest to the outlet). Not a problem now and an easy fix.
I appreciate you showing that the Bulin burned the hose. A few questions:
1) The hose burned because …
2) How hard was it to get the replacement part time wise and cost? Did it come from outside the US?
3) What did you do differently the second time so you wouldn’t burn the hose?
These are important teaching issues for the Bulin.
Txs
I guess he didn't think it needed to be spelled out to this degree. He zoomed in to show the hose still resting on top of the last stand leg. This leaves it close to the burner. Solution, pull the hose all the way out so the last bit isn't still wrapped around the burner.
On aliexpress they're advertising a new version that doesn't have this problem
More weight than I want to carry but I'd buy the bulin because it works with a variety of pots
Price was right for us and our minimal travel and need for versatility - compact to fly with (checked luggage) and the collapsible GSI silicone coffee filter with lid is the same diameter and fits in the bottom of the net bag along with the stove burner inside the pot. We didn’t obviously fly with fuel so we were able to add a 2nd tiny backpacking burner inside under the lid.
the way i look at it, you can buy 3 Bulin and still have change for the extra gas consumption, and yes like most others i also take good care of my camping gear, but accidents happen, some drunk guys streaks through camp and accidently kicks your burner, or the guy transporting your backpack is in a little bit of a hurry and throwes your backpack just a little to hard off of the back of his vehicle, or backed handlers at airports dang the'll throw your backpack around like it's sunday night wresling, another side is also, if i tell the guy that just broke my burner that i want 60$ for a new im a lot more likely to get it over a 200+$ MSR
Can I make a low fire and cook porridge? Doesn't burn? This is a disadvantage of msr/jetboil systems.
The included people ignitor isn't attached. It is a separate little red plastic thing.
Late to the party. The Reactor is now $309 (I paid $299 for my Genesis Base Camp with the pot/pan) and rated 4.4 on Amazon. The Bulin 3800W with the 1.5L pot was on “Amazon Deals” for $27.99. I bought two. Oh, and the rating when I purchased it was, 4.4.
Thank you!😮
I have the Bulin system for my remote canister setup thanks to you Ernie. Also using the trangia and firebox nano setup for alcohol thanks to you. Thanks for the vids sir! Really helps me to find the best product for the price.
Outstanding Brother Ernie, I had bought the Bulin system after watching your Review, but if I could afford the MSR I definitely would purchase it. Thank you for Sharing. Sincerely your freind from Mo Rick and God Bless you 🙏 and your family and God Bless America 🇺🇸 🙏 and God Bless all of the Great Veterans and First Responders.
Great video Ernie nice to see a video for boiling larger amounts of water
Windmaster stove and heat exchanger pot is the best combo for best price. I suppose you could get a knockoff windmaster that's the same form factor.
Very detailed review. Thanks.
Good comparison with good contrasts, doc. Thanks and Happy New Year to you and your family.
Remote stove for me, the MSR is a load of lost water waiting to happen.
My version of this is the SOTO fusion trek or Stormbreaker with the small or large widesea HE pots.
I would love to see a heads up real world (winter, mountain altitude, melting snow, wind).
Are you familiar with the Odaland 6800w stove? Looks like a good value, but would be interested in hearing your thoughts on it, if you are familiar with it…
Reliability over time is key. Worth a lot of money. MSR all the way unless you are car camping. Any remote and long trips? MSR.
Greeting and great channel. I was wondering whether or not MSR makes special pots and pans for its syove systems that ARE NOT coated with the non stick junk but still use a baffle/windsreen at the base. All non stick coatings contain BisPhenol Acetates, which are extremely toxic at temperatures far below cooking range. Its just that the baffles help so much. Any helpful knowledge is appreciated, as it will save a great deal of research time. Thanks and keep up the great reviews.
Doc, thank you for another well done comparison video. I really appreciate when you do head-to-head videos between an expensive piece of gear and an inexpensive piece of gear. It really helps us either, save some money, or, justify the expense. 👍
A very informative and to the point review as usual. On ali express the burner has changed to a new design with a metal drain like design. It appears the steel mesh is underneath it. They are claiming 30% improved efficiency. What do you think of the new design??
Personally, If I was choosing, I'd get the Bulin. It's more stable, and I can use other pots and pans with it. With the MSR, I can't. The time difference is not big enough to be a significant factor.
You could put a frying pan on the Bulin, there is no way to do that with the MSR, so in that sense, the Bulin is more of a complete stove system.
You can purchase a pot rack adapter for the reactor. Luxada makes one.
Do these type of burners work well with bigger pans/skillets? Also do you plan to review the upgraded Bulin stove?
Kovea ALPINE MASTER 2.0/3.8L ，这一套做个测试，谢谢，期待！
I really like my Bulin kettle.
That was good information. Bigger foot print when open means more stability when boiling the water. In my book that is a pro. The Bulin also seems to haver a lower CG.
I did a back of the envelope estimate for the TCO. I´d need to save 40 8oz canisters for a break even. That translates to about 80 canisters for boiling water. I´d likely go for the Bulin if had use for such a stove.
Id rather jave this than any jet boil , low level stoves are a mountain climbers go to stove , the stack system like jet stoves tip over unless you biild a rock scaffhold to support them .
I like the Jetboil shirt.
kovea alpine master stove should be compared to Msr both at normal temperature and cold.
You need to test them by sticking your fuel cans in the freezer or in the snow... better than that try it with fuel cans that are [used]. Do a real world and use them to melt snow.
are the pots interchangeable?
What the Bleep! That MSR is a big no for me.
$190 is a heck of a lot of gas canisters. Obviously we all know that buying a branded product you paying way more for the brand name.
I will stick with my Trangia 25. Simple and does what I need. And is very wind resistant, with the base set up it has. Has severed me well for 30+ years.
Ever thought of going stoveless?
MSR stove mounts ON TOP of the canister, so, taller & more tipsy. Bulin is STAND ALONE, so, lower center of gravity!, less tipsy.
I'm a little confused by stoves that are designed to only boil water. For the ability to boil water a minute or two faster than other stoves, we lose all other functionality and pay a lot more money. Perhaps I just don't fit into the market's niche, so I don't understand :)
In mountaineering you need to melt a lot of snow super fast ( gallons of snow melting a day)
Dear Doctor, How to recycle/dispose/repurpose of the fuel cannisters and the larger green propane tanks is one of my questions. Fuel/Weight ratio/efficiency is everything in a portable stove, notwithstanding of course safety and durability. As in all things engineering, everything comes down to time, space, and money. ;-) Availability of the fuel cartridges and their legal and safe transport by air is also a question. Many years ago, liquid fuels were banned here in Ohio for Boy Scout Use, after a fire. But what isn't dangerous of course Thanks for your videos. I'd also like to see any first aid kits/contents as you might recommend for day hike and extended camping, and information as to the common injuries that you have witnessed or experienced. 73 DE W8LV BILL (RN)
There is a tool to puncture the isopro containers, after which they can be recycled. Should be able to find them on Amazon or similar. 73!
WOW! They can take that price and do what ever they want with it because I am NEVER going to spend that much on that "LITTLE"! Don't care how good it is. It's NOT 80 times better, I will not EVER spend 80 times the price! If I was summiting Everest? Then it would be the only choice! but I'm not!
in the EU price difference is not so significant - 148eur vs 229eur..
thank u for making this vid.
i dont like MSR. in the past i was very impressed from them. then i got to conclusion they r heavy, not that efficient, and waste lots of gas. found primus and never looked back.
250 dollars for something that only fits MSR`s own pots, total rip off.
I can buy a LOT of gas canisters for $190!
The MSR Reactor is now $270 + tax.
For myself neither are not worth it . To heavy , to large , and the MSR , way to expensive. I'll stick with my Firebox Titanium Alcohol , Wood burning set. The weigh savings and pack ability is great and the extra time taken to boil water ( Huge Bonus ) extra time to relax.
I'll just wait till the Chines rip off MSR and have a BSR Reactor kit for $80.00.