The removable gauge on the bottom of the unit is there to measure the thickness of the remaining ceramic filter. That's because it's necessary to strip off the top layers of ceramic. Your three year old filter appears to be practically new(full diameter). Use the scotch Brite pad. It will work fine again.
Finally!! someone hit the nail on the head. Depending on the stream I have to scrub mine after about 4 nalgene bottles. I can tell as soon as it starts getting harder to pump. His looked like he never scrubbed it at all.. haha
Maff UT: Your msr water filtration unit situation has been bothering me all morning. Then it occurred to me that I have had something similar happen. And on more than one occasion. It’s just been a long time since it happened. In your video, once the malfunction happens, it looks like you’re met with increasing resistance each time you pump the handle. You mention that when you take the pump head off the cylinder, that there’s a pressure release. Mine airlocks occasionally. When this happens, there’s increasing resistance on the pump, but no water coming out. So sometimes I have to invert the unit 180° while the intake hose is in the water, and then pump slowly. That generally results in expelling the offending airlock, and I usually just pump until I see no more air anywhere in the unit. The resistance comes out of the pumping action over the course of a minute or so of pumping. Then, when reinverted to the correct operating position, it usually performs its correct function. I sure hope this helps. At least if it’s an airlock situation, that’s a physical happenstance that a person could at least get his head around, and maybe recover some of the last trust in essential product.
That happened to me once on a hike. You didn't try everything. You didn't scrub the filter. Just because you can't see blockage doesn't mean there wasn't blockage. I scrubbed it and it worked again.
Yep! Same thing happened to me on multiple trips. I used it on a hike and it plugged in less than 10 pumps (though the water looks clear). I took out my scrubbing pad and scrubbed the filter and rinsed it off. After that, it worked fine. So you are correct, he didn't try the most obvious.
Maff UT: I am so sorry for this loss. I’m fellow devotee of MSR water purifiers. I’ve got one now 17 years, the older waterworks2; It’s never let me down. Mine is the older one with the ball type valve going from the hose into the unit housing. I’ve been hearing some rough stuff about the newest MSR product over the last few years. What a heartbreak. You’ve probably already done this, but I’ll tell you what I’ve done with mine, just because microfine particles can get in strange places at times. It would be great if you could at least have it as a main filtration & purification unit; but it’s downright crazy that you have to carry two and three redundancies. Especially at the price point that they charge for these units. I have actually put a towel down and field stripped mine. Every single aspect of it, even that which seems to be working just fine. It’s a rare thing to have a particle make it to the little umbrella valve, but it can happen. Sometimes mine gets air locked as well, and I have to turn it upside down and pump the handle a couple of times to move the air along. The only other option I can think of beyond all that before lubricating the O-rings and putting it back together, is your usual wiping down your filter (which anyone could see that yours was pristine), and then I boil mine up for five minutes and let it cool in the same pot I boil it in before I air dry it. But given the pristine look of yours, I can’t imagine you haven’t done that already. The only other thing that’s possible with yours that I can think of is that possibly your filter has worn down. But it doesn’t look worn down, and it’s only three years old. I’ve used mine for long stints of time, daily, sometimes for years on end depending on where I am, and it’s not worn down, so I’d be very surprised if that was the case with yours. The gauge will rule that out, I suspect. I’ve seen all sorts of guys talking about the new crazy expensive msr unit that has the handle break right off while they’re out in the field, and like fails, leaving them stranded. But I never knew something like this could happen to somebody who maintains his gear so well. Thank you for letting everyone know. I’ll be looking for a back up unit. As it is, I’m carrying around a couple of those squeeze bags with filters in them as well. But I don’t always keep one in my main bag, just in field packs and travel bags/briefcase, but thanks to your video here, that’s going to change. It’ll be an all my bags, And I’ll be acquiring up Milbank bag for each bag as well, along with some chemical purification, although that’s my last resort. Because this is totally unacceptable. I have a sick not my stomach just thinking about having that happen. I’m only grateful you weren’t further afield when this failed. Very grateful indeed.
I can't disagree with your frustration and I have a mini as well. My sawyer NOW works good, but on my first trip in didn't work at all. I couldn't squeeze water through it no matter what, so the rest of the trip I had to rely on a hiking buddy with his filter. I brought the Sawyer home, and found out I had to soak it submerged in a bowl for a day before I could get it to filter. My son in law just had the same experience last week. Once it was "primed"....it worked good. But I had the same experience you just had with a Sawyer. None are foolproof. The backup is that you can always boil your water if you have to. PIA, yes, but better than ruining the trip. I would buy a new MSR filter and give it a go again.
Been using the MSR for 10years.. Nepal, India, Thailand etc. never had a issue. The pump itself needs to be thoroughly checked before going out and the filter module sterilized and washed. Im interested to see how your new pump will work after another three years. Hopefully Ill get that in my recommended. Totally agree that its a pain to have equipment failing in the field.. cook and tablets. All the nest on your travels!
I'm a big MSR fan....BUT... three years is not a long time in fact probably equates to 8 weeks use MAX ...... not so good now is it?.... it was clean, very clean in fact it could not have been cleaner..but it still failed ☹ well done for having yours 10 years without a problem i wish you many more untroubled years 👍😁
Thanks for taking the time to share your findings with us, I was on the verge of purchasing this filter but now on the back of this video I too have gone for the Sawyer filters, you are right to feel angry and or disappointed as this could well of been a life or death situation anywhere in the world and we need the upmost confidence in the kit we use.
Your right Phil and some folk have missed that point i was trying to make, I simply don’t trust it anymore! despite the many reasons that have been suggested to me as to why that filter just stopped working after 40 seconds none of them could convince me that the filter was still an excellent device ... and i still never had a reply from MSR and i really like their gear , what a shame on their behalf i think all I wanted was a possible explanation as to what went wrong….nothing!
I was asking myself 2 questions while watching the video: 1/ How many times have you actually used the Scotch Brite (or abrasive paper) before to scrape off/ sand on that filter cartrigde in particular? Usually this kind of cleaning/ grinding works will create some scratch marks on the filter's ceramic surface but your's look pretty plain/ like brand new. Maybe that's why so many people are recommending using the Scotch Brite properly ... 2/ Have you ever used that MSR filter in dark colored boggy water which is typical for mire or marsh lands (looks a little like Cocy Cola)? I've used mine several times in such conditions and Tannins/ mocrofine suspended solids from plant residues will clog an MSR MiniWorks in no time and you won't see much debris on the filter cartridge. The only option to overcome is to use abrasive paper to grind away the thin clogged layer and the filter will work fine again ...
Matt I'm surprised you didn't purchase a new Filter as you'd already worked out that was the issue and according to MSR there only rated at approx 2K liters before they need replacing anyway so that tells me there a Consumable item as apposed to a lifetime one regardless of maintenance.
I guess if i had pulled a good amount of water through the filter i would totally agree Kev. but a total of 6 weeks use over three years wasn't a lot, and i was gutted as i did like this thing
I had a sawyer fail during a high mountain hunt. I had another one freezer which is my fault for not sticking it in my sleeping bag that night. I would have stuck with the msr and got a new filter.
I was asking myself 2 questions while watching the video: 1/ How many times have you actually used the Scotch Brite (or abrasive paper) before to scrape off/ sand on that filter cartrigde in particular? Usually this kind of cleaning/ grinding works will create some scratch marks on the filter's ceramic surface but your's look pretty plain/ like brand new. Maybe that's why so many people are recommending using the Scotch Brite properly ... 2/ Have you ever used that water filter in dark colored boggy water which is typical for mire or marsh lands (looks a little like Cocy Cola)? I've used mine several times in such conditions and Tannins/ mocrofine suspended solids from plant residues will clog an MSR MiniWorks in no time and you won't see much debris on the filter cartridge. The only option to overcome is to use abrasive paper to grind away the thin clogged layer and the filter will work fine again ...
Had exactly the same problem with mine on day 2 bikepacking the badger divide in Scotland. I’ve had it for years and it’s never let me down. After a frustrating 20 minutes trying everything I finally removed the internal filter and gave it a vigorous scrub with the provided Brillo pad while submerged, you could see the slime coming off it in the water. It instantly fixed it, pump returned back to its original high quality. Assuming you didn’t do this??
Thank you, I did look at that on the bank there, the pump worked fine I think it was micro particles that clogged the filter in just seconds as when i washed it and sterilised it once home all was good but i will not trust it again , thank you regards Matt
@@MaffTUK You hit the nail on the head there. I am a Reef geek and run some serious filtration and can not have higher than 0ppm tds. I also just bought one of these filters if you bought it 3 years prior and still use the original filter that is fairly impressive. From what I gather its a ceramic cylinder that the pump forces water through its part of why it filters well. Unfortunatly I could see the filter clogging the pore size is very small and must be close to the same effect as a TFC membrane. I guess I should actually check the TDS out of it from my tap water
I have three filters, MSR mini works, Sawyer mini and Miniwell. I just wanted not to have to take 10kgs of water every time I went carp fishing on my trolley so was looking for alternatives so have three methods I can take with me on my trolley or backpack down to the lake which is fairly clear. You have now made me aware that just in case I need a lightweight backup if I go for a yomp anywhere and even if I am am using even just a MSR Mini and my main filter the Sawyer will be in my pack too.
Hi Nev, I put too much faith in that filter and just to be clear it was completely sterilised and clean before use. many folk don’t listen to what I’m saying. 40 seconds of pumping and it stopped not one cup of water came out…. Although three years old from new it had not been used that much. I must admit I am very happy with the alternative effortless filtering but I have now splashed out for two CNOC bags which make the system brilliant……until it fails LOL
Hi Matt...…… I remember that video. It surprised me when it happened. Like most have said, MSR have always been a very reliable brand for years. I used a mini works for about 10 years and it was great until I left it behind on a fishing trip. Funny you went with Sawyer, they were the next type I tried. At the moment I use a Miniwell which are quite good. Thanks for taking the time mate.... it's always great catching up with you, all the best, Mark :)
Hi Mark im thinking the only logical explanation can be microparticles bypassing the coffee filter then bypassing the standard filter when i strip it apart in the field it looks clean despite it only working for 40 ish seconds. but in reality it was actually blocked that's why it worked fine when i got home and flushed/sterilised the filter, i cannot think of anything else it can be. regards Matt 👍
I noticed that the colder the water, the harder it is to pump also. I've used mine in near freezing water and it was nearly impossible to pump in Alaska, but I figured that out right away.
Hi Maff, I use the Sawyer mini. I don't use it a lot, but I carry it, just in case. But in the last four years, it never failed when I needed it. All the best! Dimitri
Yes Dimitri the flow rate is the same they are both maintainable in the field but no moving parts now so lets hope all is good from now on and the Sawyer proofs to be the better option regards Matt 👍
It's not broken, the exit is clogged. It's happened to me. 1. Pump works, draws water, 2. Pressure is present, water is ready to percolate, but is not - the exit is clogged. There is likely something blocking the inside of the filter. I would have gently fed a small wire into the nipple. I'm 100% confident this is your issue. This pump is a VERY simple piece of excellent engineering. A couple extra minutes of problem solving and you would have had it. But hey, you made your video, hope you got some likes and cash.
Thank you for saving me 300 bucks. I was deciding between the Sawyer and the MSR. Thought it might be good to have as an emergency back up for home, as well. Not willing to make the gamble now. I ordered the Sawyer - if anything, a second for back up if necessary. Thank you. I was hoping it would be a great investment.
Great video. The Sawyer system is great for the weight and its easy to use as well. There are other companies that make bags for that system that have a wide opening for easy water collection. I have a Sawyer squeeze and use a CNOC 2 litre bag. I also personally prefer the Katadyn water system over the MSR. again great video..
yes i watched the comparison by sintax77 i was 50/50, but found the sawyer at a bargain so i got that system, i took all those comments from the last vid and spent a few nights looking at as many as i could i loved my msr filter Andy and was gutted but we cant be let down like that, Thank you for the heads up and info, very much appreciated regards Matt
When I give a bad review of a product, I never go on to recommend a different product. At least not in that review. It avoids anyone suspecting I might receive benefits from the new product I'm endorsing.
I hear you and thank you but I had done a full service on the filter with a re lube etc, it could not have been cleaner or more serviced ... cant deal with that failure lost the love, ps mine now works fine again but nope i will not ever take it out again, i appreciate your comment and help thank you, regards Matt
@@BMKO27 I cant go back to the MSR as it failed and if I was really depending on it to keep me alive, I would have been in real trouble. Before that I really liked it and I was genuinely gutted and shocked when it let me down. As for my replacement, that is turning out to be very flexible and with many combos to get clean water my new addition of two CNOC water bladders have now converted me. the last time I used it was on this video ua-cam.com/video/X0tmKOQIhN8/v-deo.html at 18:18 and the entire system at 43:10 and I like it, Its now my go to filter the CNOC bags enhance the filter due to the easy fill and less time near the water. but they are not cheap and not really at all necessary. regards Matt
I've had a msr mini works for well over ten years,you might have already tried this so apologies if you have,I boil my filter for five minutes or so usually after I've not used it for months mainly incase any mould has formed inside,you'd be surprised how much stuff comes out if it,I think it might just be micro particle build up inside the filter,give it a go if you've not already tried it👍
Hello Phil yes i do that to and again when i got home as it was acting like it was completely blocked? so i though wash it out and boil again..... i treated this thing like a god always have there was no way it went into storage dirty, that would not happen and now the filter works fine now but that one time when its let me down, I cant trust it anymore to back me up it was pumping fine for a minute and just stopped? there is nobody more gutted than me, that filter was my pride and joy 😥😥
@@philclark6250 its looking like Phil it could have been microparticles bypassing the coffee filter bypassing the standard filter which is why it took 40 seconds or so to clog up and when i got home and flushed it all out again it worked fine, probably a logical explanation no ghosts or aliens involved LOL
Hey Matt, that was unfortunate when your MSR filter failed on you. I use tha Sawyer Squeeze, (not the micro) and I highly recommend it. I have converted it over to a gravity filter. Very convenient. Take care buddy!👍
Hi wade if i had neglected it and not looked after it the way i have i probably would have expected it to mess up at some point but that was not the case i even had the specific maintenance kit to go with it, so i was in a bit of shock when it just simply stopped working, it works fine now i took it home washed and sterilised it again and no problems at all but the damage has been done i did not mess up it simply failed and for that one reason its retired the "Mini works is dead, long live the Sawyer" LOL 😁👍
Just out of curiosity did you get a new filter or did you try scrubbing the filter down again I had a similar problem with mine and it turned out I needed to scrub the outside of the filter after I did that it works fine. Personally when I go on my long backpacking trips I always carry a spare filter anyway and a Sawyer as a backup
Yes that is exactly what i did, got home and went through the entire cleaning process again including the scrub with sterilising in boiling water as i do every time i take it out and use it. Now it works fine, I Think it simply could not handle the micro particles in the water and just clogged up in less than 40 seconds there does not appear to be any other feasible reason it would not work. regards matt
@@MaffTUK Did you actually try scrubbing it when you were out in the field, or simply do an eye check on it? Seems to me that whenever there is a problem with these filters it's because they are clogged in some way. So if you were out in the field and only "looked at it", that doesn't make any sense to me. Then you're saying when you got home you cleaned it and it worked fine? Even if it would have required boiling the water to clean the filter that is still something that could be done out in the field. Any piece of gear out there can potentially fail, including any filter from Sawyer. If it's a failed piece of kit can result in a life or death situation then maybe you should be bringing a backup. A Lifestraw maybe? And looking at the hollow fiber type filters out there nowadays, I would say their design is inherently less robust and less field maintainable than the ceramic-carbon filter in the MSR Miniworks. Lastly, the whole tone of this video (and alot of your verbiage in the comments section) makes it sounds like you're talking about some lover that cheated on you and you can never trust them again. It's a little over-dramatic and weird if you ask me.
there is a problem with these filters and it's a problem that happens in any filter some water contains microparticles that are 5 to 10 microns. these particles are just small enough to get through the large filter on the inlet and will make very short work of a ceramic filter. they are large enough to get caught into the micropores of the filter but not small enough to make it through and that's will clog up the filter very quickly If you're out in the field the best thing you can do is to pump as much water as you can take the filter off and scrub the outside of the filter with the scrub pad included. then start pumping more water. it's a pain but sometimes your water source is just bad it's not the filter.
I'm having a issue with the msr trailshot water filter. The rubber body creates a seal around the filter. Over time (little use btw over a year in clear water) the rubber body that creates a seal is no longer effective. When you pump, the seal is no longer airtight and the filter doesn't work. I have always had issues with msr and I can NOT recommend any of their equipment through my experience
Hello Daniel. There are a lot of MSR FANS that will defend their msr gear to their last breath and hate it when folk highlight any faults... if it doesn't work and it let's you down. That happens sometimes but they dont even give a hoot. So if its crap, its crap and folk should hear both sides. And not be so defensive about gear. The amount of people who told me the filter was dirty and that it's my fault it didn't work lol all they had to do is listen to what I actually said...... Hope you find a better solution Dan. Regards Matt
@@MaffTUK Hi Maff. Yeah I totally agree and get where you are coming from. I really like your channel BTW. It is a really nice down to earth channel from what I can see. Keep it up and stay safe you have achieved a lot and there is nothing stopping you from going even further. If you want what others don't have, you have to be willing to do what others don't want to do.
Yes i think it was microparticles clogging it up after 40 seconds which is just not acceptable it takes over a minute to pump 1lt so 40 second strip down and scrub, and then 40 seconds strip down and scrub followed by 40 seconds strip down and scrub...... ive died from having the will to live lol, I took it home washed and boiled it and it now works fine but it is no longer a trusted member of the team 😥
It begs the question why you didn't upgrade sooner Matt. It's a fabulous little system that as you say has usability. I mean we even get to re-use some plastic and that's a plus on top of the weight. Well, you've begun gram pinching I reckon. I wonder what's next. All the best. Mark
You can get wide opening bags to collect water quickly. Cnoc is known for them. The problem with those cnoc bags is that they're not that light. I actually found something on Amazon a few days ago but I have it saved on my computer (using my phone now) so I'll give you the link later.
@@MaffTUK would think you can take a bit of harsh winter carping, with all that 1 man hill camping in cumbria etc, nice bivvy and a bedchair will seem like a 5 star hotel, after a windy mountain
@@lazycarper7925 LOL it does indeed, you cant beat the comforts for sure and better still when you end up sat in front of the fire with a good whiskey after a cold weekend on the bank or on the hills and later hop into your normal bed..... OH the luxury... If you dont go without now and then, you dont know what you got! 😁👍
I used to use the Pre-Mac travel and still have it however it's old tech and although a very safe pump and really tiny ( about as big as a packet of Rollos ) it used both filter and iodine balls so tasted horrible but bacteria and virus free. I now use the very reliable Sawyer mini but boil as they dont kill viruses
Hello Lee apologies for the late reply i will have to look that one up modern clearly does not mean best sometimes less is best or better, your right of course any doubt and all water would be boiled, Thanks Lee Regards Matt
Did you boil the filter as suggested after it has sat or before you store it. I always boil the mine and dry it thoroughly before storing. I also test mine before every trip. Never have had a single problem. I also rebuild with new seals after a couple years.
Yes, he said he always did that after each annual trip that lasted a week. It was obviously NOT an o-ring problem. The pump worked fine. Just could not get water through the filter. Filter was clogged, just like he said MSR would tell him. It is the ONLY logical explanation. It's just that the filter was cared for prior to use so, by all rights, it should not have clogged. I carry a scrubber with me to clean it if clogged. Always be prepared! If I didn't I'd try some clean, dry sand. It would not fail for long!
100.000 gallons.... thats a lot of water Damian for £31.00, and yes i agree it does seem like a far better system, i went with MSR to start with as usually its a quality product! perhaps not this time. :-(
Definitely a shame about the MSR. Especially when you consider what they cost. Terrible customer service on their part. Instantly puts me off. Looking forward to seeing how you get on with the Sawyer. Id love to see a vid where you dont take any water and just rely on the filter system for your needs!
So the problem is that it is blocked. It is clean on the outside, but the way the filter works is pushing water through the porous ceramic filter. The filter is blocked on the microscopic level inside of the stone. There really isn't a way to clean it other than backflushing which really isn't feaseable with this filter. Just buy a $30 filter replacement kit or fool with it until you figure out how to backflush it. .
Got home and went through the entire cleaning process again including the scrub with sterilising in boiling water as i do every time i take it out and use it. Now it works fine, I Think it simply could not handle the micro particles in the water and just clogged up in less than 40 seconds there does not appear to be any other feasible reason it would not work. thank you, regards matt
I just looked at the MSR schematic for the Mini. Not sure what the Issue might be, I was thinking check valve. I like my MSR stoves and I have a Sweet Water filter that I’ve never had a problem with. I purchased my filter before MSR purchased sweet water. But this .... well like you said if you can’t trust it it’s not worth taking. I would not buy another filter cartridge but If you know someone with the same filter I would play and see what failed. Well if MSR will not respond then they have lost more then one customer.
all the signs Alf were a blocked filter despite it being sterile clean from the off, its possible that microparticles in the water got past the coffee filter past the standard filter and simply clogged up the ceramic in 40 seconds at that rate i would have to strip and clean the filter three times for one litre of water. when i took it home washed and sterilised it it worked fine again all the symptoms said blocked but you just could not see the problem, that would probably be the most likely reason .... or aliens lol regardless its now been retired, cheers for the great comment and help regards Matt 👍😁
Oh gosh! I could feel your pain and disappointment, and I agree with you 100%, equipment failing for no reason is worse than infidelity! And that MSR didn’t respond to a UA-camr is not good for them. A good way to loose 3000 potential customers. Oh well. I am looking forward to seeing how the new system works for you 👍🏻
Hello Thor yes mate, very disappointed in that filter, i looked after it so well and treated it like a god i guess MSR are too busy right now to help me out or offer some advice, oh well never mind now Sawyer take up the challenge lets see how we get on 👍👍
The issue isn't in the water filter the issue is within the owner simply not scrubbing down the ceramic outer part of the filter. I can't believe you think that you can simply see the dirt that is clogging it. I often scrub my every couple of liters to keep it working properly. Every water purifier in the world has its lifespan. When it reaches the end you simply fix the problem. Crying about it on UA-cam because it didn't last foreverisn't the solution. If it's that important you need to carry two water purifiers no matter what make model or brand you have. I now have the MSR guardian and it's amazing. Pumps so much faster and the filter never has to be cleaned.
Right Then Mr Matt shall simply say your just barking loud and certainly did not listen if you had listened you would not be making the comment above .......did i or did i not say how well i looked after my equipment and that it had been cleaned prior my trip to the MSR spec and instruction or did you just go on one because you think you know best LOL Enjoy your new filter it is a work of art for sure
@@MaffTUK well clearly you didn't scrub it down enough or it wouldn't be clogged and therefore water would simply pass through the filter. There's absolutely no way for a ceramic filter to fail other than being clogged. That's why you scrub it until it works. When it gets below the diameter of the safety gauge it comes with you replace it. Do you honestly think your next filter is going to last forever? Or you gonna come crying to UA-cam when it needs maintenance?
So let me get this straight. You’ve had this filter for 3 years and it’s worked great then it clogs once and you’re ready to dump it for a sawyer? 😂 let me tell you as a sawyer user I would kill for that track record. Wondering if you stuck with the sawyer or switched back.
well its like this three years yes total use about 6 weeks all together so not that much use if it wont pump despite it being totally clean and sterile, glogs in 40 seconds even with an extra coffee filter filter then i simply want to use something with less to go wrong so ive now been using the sawer since and currently no issues with that at the moment i stand by my coment FLO. thank you, regards Matt
Only explanation I can come up with is microparticles blocking the filter far earlier than advertised. You can wash off most particles but (I guess) particles just slightly bigger than the holes in the filter can get clogged inside the holes of the filter and there's no good way to wash them out. Strange thing with that theory is, it happened so fast. As for new filters, I just got myself the Katadyn Befree, three liter version. It costs a lot more, but I have two reasons:for it: One, to use it as a light weight gravity filter, especially in camp. Two, we have a lot of moraines where the water goes beneath the surface and you can go a day until you find the next valley with any surface water in it, so I need a light backup for carrying water. We'll see how it works.
yes yes yes i agree it worked fine for about 40 seconds and stopped, despite having the coffee filter on as an added micro filter it acted as if it were blocked but i could not see anything on the filter when i got it home and washed and boiled it again it works fine?, it acted blocked and was resolved after a flush out so it had to be lots of microparticles less than 0.2 microns clogging it up but all in 40 seconds? that still renders my filter unusable so its gone for good, shame, i really liked that filter too 😥 great comment thank you, i hope your Katadyn Befree works for you kindest regards Matt😁👍
Hello “ODT” Yes darn right I was mad, three years is not a long time for that device for me, probably like you, I work for a living and don’t get out as much as I want so if just for arguments sake I took that device out for a two week hike once a year that’s still only six weeks use maximum. It failed despite being looked after like a god it failed after six weeks use, if me or my group were dependant on that device we would have been in trouble. It did not do its primary function FILTER WATER! Darn right I was mad and so would you be, don’t you think? Don’t forget MSR have never responded to any mail I sent, perhaps you need to watch and listen to what I’m saying again, I give MSR every chance to help out….. Nothing! I expect a product to last and function as per its intended use for the time and quantities expected and boasted by MSR. Didn’t even complete 1% of its life span. Stay safe, regards Matt :-)
My MSR MiniWorks failed with nearly the same symptoms this weekend. The pump seemed to pump water fine when not attached to the filter. I tried cleaning the filter with no luck. While tearing the pump down, I realized I had lost the duckbill valve in the relief valve assembly. This meant the pump couldn’t build enough pressure to force water through the ceramic filter. I replaced the duckbill valve and everything worked perfectly. Hope this helps someone else with the same issue.
If your water has tannins, the filter was probably clogged. I've used it in a clean lake, but with a high tannin content, and the filter will clog after about 0.5-1 L of water. After a scrub, it's fine. You should have scrubbed the filter to confirm that it wasn't clogged.
That too is very possible, and TBH after such a short time pumping to being clogged from an absolute clean sterile filter is pretty poo. When I got home I went through the cleaning process again and well it works again. But a filter that only filters relatively cleaner water is no good to me, your right of course, perhaps I should have cleaned it and tried again but cleaning and stripping every 30 seconds does not forebode too well for me and even if it had worked-clogged-cleaned-worked--clogged again I still would have retired the filter with such poor performance. Im gutted I loved that filter too ☹
Nope it was mint, i always sterilize it after use religiously It was like new.......40 seconds and it stopped pumping still dont know why i just keep getting told to clean it lol.
I think you issue is a failure in the pump cylinder it's self. If the cylinder seal can not create enough pressure to over come the resistance of the filter, it doesn't matter how clean the filter is. Once the filter is removed it would pump just fine, like your did. This is why I don't trust a pump that has a plastic housing. One little peace of sand could create scoring in the piston housing and then reduce the pumps pressure. Just like loosing compression in a car piston from scoring in the cylinder. What did MSI end up doing for you? Also thank you for making this video, I will not be buying this filter.
Hello Daniel thank you for your comment Unfortunatly MSR never did respond to me so thats that 🤷♀️ but thank you for your info. just as an update I'm still using the sawyer and its working out well for me
How do you like/dislike the Sawyer Micro which you purchased almost a year ago? I have & use the MSR Trailshot for >3+ years. I've looked at numerous youtube videos & read the comments on those water filter videos & they all confirm, at least in my own mind, that I have THE BEST water filter that available after all this time. So many new water filter products it boggles my mind & yet I still can't seem to find anything wrong with my MSR Trailshot. I can harvest/filter water from a mere trickle of water at the edge of snowpack which others can't do with their bag/bottle water collectors. Having a nice 3" or more deep water source is fine & is all that is needed for bag/bottle water collectors, however, there isn't always going to be a nice deep enough stream of water to collect out of with bag/bottle water collectors. As long as there is a mere trickle of water, I can harvest/filter it with my MSR Trailshot. Yes, I cover the pre-filter on the end of the inlet tubing with a coffee filter to block larger particles from plugging up the MSR pre-filter.
The micro squeeze bags will start coming apart after 2 trips, I went trough 5 of them, and the filter itself gets clogged very easily. You get what you pay for. It's the katadyn pocket for me.
Though I would try the squeeze a few times before I replied to this mail as at the time of filming I was mad as hell at MSR.....My mini works is now working fine again BUT I'm done with the mini works, I have used the squeeze with two CNOC bags now and have to admit like it ......I like it a lot...LOL time will tell and hopefully i dont have the same issues as you have had and there you go the KATADYN yep i would like one of those, they could revert me back to the pump im sure but for now im squeeze, thank you TheSaint135 regards Matt 👍
Had the exact same thing happen to mine on its first outing. Got an initial couple liters and then complete failure drawing from clear to the bottom mountain streams. After the initial liters, It took me one hour to get two more liters of water, despite field stripping and needing to scrub the filter every 4oz to get the water going again and then nothing. Micro particles or not, it's completely unacceptable and obviously not a field maintainable issue anymore. I also will never rely on this filter in the backcountry again. I had a sweetwater guardian for 20 years and it never failed me in the field with cleaning. MSR needs to address this issue and own it. I have also moved on to the sawyer. Best of luck and safe travels.
A lot of folk Rob missed the point I was trying to make and that was i simply dont trust it anymore i was acused of being over dramatic yada yada yada but if it fails when you bleeding well need it because it was given another chance to fail again then shame on us for letting that happen I would say. thanks for your comment Rob right with you on that one 👍
Shame you've had a failure Maff. There is a chance that the filter is blocked internally. There could be some ceramic or carbon if it's the older style filter element blocking the internal channel and exit point. The moving parts of your filter were fine as you demonstrated and unless you physically break something the only point of failure are the seals which are all replaceable. Replacement filter elements are also readily obtainable. The Sawyers are great for backpacking, but I'd much rather have a filter with a larger flow rate, such as the Miniworks or Katadyn Pocket at camp.
Hi mate when i got home i flushed and serialised it again and it worked fine, have had a chat with a few folk now, it would appear that it could also be micro particles as the pump was working fine for about 40 seconds and then stopped, the katadyn does seem to be very popular, I was gutted my miniworks failed as i loved that filter ...until now lol thanks for the heads up and advice regards Matt👍
@@MaffTUK Hopefully you can get the filter element flushed and working again. Nice to have both options depending on the volume of water you need to filter.
All those filters have a limit on how many gallons of water there good for up to 2000 liters of water however if your just throwing it in the stream like you were doing your liable to get more than just water in it. It is best to use like a collapsible bucket which is what I like to use to get your water then I go a step further and run that water through a food grade filter if the water is hazy. I have found that my filters last a lot longer that way. MSR makes the best filter out there in my opinion. I have heard of handles breaking before but that could be just from force of pushing to hard. I heard you say you had that filter for 2 or 3 years so it would depend on how much use you put it through.
👍Thanks for the heads up, in the past, and on this vid I’ve used a pre filter coffee filter as the standard end does indeed let a lot of partials through. If the filter had not had been 100% clean and sterilised as recommended by MSR and i had not looked after the device in the way i did, i would indeed expect issues and the device at some point to fail. But, it was in perfect condition or as i though? At the end of the weekend i went through the entire recommended cleaning process once again and i can say it works fine again, saying that i don’t trust it anymore, i looked after it second to none 40 seconds and stop! I appreciate your comments and thank you. As I said , I simply lost the love.
I usually work on that principle myself Stephen (2 is 1, 1 is none) i always have puri-tabs in my kit for emergencies but the water tastes like shite lol, i will have to look at the next size up but to be honest the msr was a lot slower than this filter over a minute per lt (about 80 pumps) this one comes out at 1 lt in about 40 seconds so im already on a winner from my perspective but thanks for the heads up i will look at big brother also 👍😁
if your car broke down when you need it the most would you stop driving NO you fix it so replace your ceramic filter things deteriorate whether you use it or not nothing last forever and after 3 years of usage don't you think it's time to replace it you said it never failed you so i think that's something worth the repair
Still got it Bill, after washing it out again and sterilising the filter it started working again, it appears its possible micro particles bypassing the two filters and clogging the filter in 40 seconds or so. This is still not acceptable as you will be constantly cleaning the filter with the water you just pumped through so you cant win in the particular scenario
@@mariasalazar7576 We have to do it Maria :-) UA-cam is great for information and for finding out stuff although 90% of UA-cam can be fake and made up nonsense unless of course you believe we didn't go to the moon, the world is actually flat and aliens live amongst us already LOl 😂😂😂 Regards Matt 👍
Thank u for that tip im gonna use some on my washer and see if it will take some of the hard water stains on my washing machine cuz it not even that old and i can start to see it form 😞
Mr finch i have been singing that bloody advert all day so im going to return the favour and simply mention the music to the wombles, you know "the wombles of Wimbledon common are we" I hope your old enough to WTF im talking about LOL
This is your mistake the ceramic surface is plugged thats why it comes with a scotchbrite pad and and that little red gauge on the bottom of the cover cap it was blocked your membrane was plugged you messed up
Really surprised Sam, you just think a company that big thats reputation is from word of mouth from its user's would have better customer service, oh well never mind mate 👍
@@MaffTUK The water down there is notoriously chalky, although not sure if that's just farther south than you are or not. It was just a thought that I had.
Its possible Daniel although I had carried out a complete maintenance routine the last time I used it including lube as recommended by MSR. I was very disappointed with its fail as I looked after that filter like it was made of gold but I can’t trust it anymore. I cannot afford to be in a similar situation again And not a bleeding word from MSR!
Maff T UK wow thats pretty bad they haven’t got back to you . When you did the maintenance did you change out the duckbill valve and the umbrella valve ?
@@danielrazzino2279 no i just checked it was all in good order (which it was) added the lube from the maintenace kit sold by MSR and thought everything was in perfect working order ......
Thank you Joanne cheesy balls ( love that name) yes its a shame they could not be @rsed to respond, I was just hoping the would say "oh did you not carry out the bla bla bla" and give me some sort of feedback but hey not to be, cheers JCB regards Matt 👍
Thank you very much for that offer, but FYI it now works fine again I re sterilised getting home, the valves were working fine as they did on the day, i just think it was micro sediments that just clogged the filter in seconds but thanks again regards Matt
@@aviationnationhd3760 lol yes I know, but 40 seconds of use from clean and you have to stop strip it down and scrub...... nope ..... I'm done with it in trying alternatives but thanks anyway 👍
I to have had a lot of problems with this filter after 3 Orings kits and 2 filters I smack it with a rock in many pieces picked them all up and throw it away. For the price I pay for it I expected a lot better quality. But I guess paying more for parts is how msr makes more money. And if you're like me you will NEVER hear back from msr.
LOL how very observant of you Tim, 10/10 i didn't see it until post production, thats the tracker BBQ its very good BTW yes hope they do get in touch as i would like any kind of feed back to this problem , regards Matt 👍
Matt, I am a massive fan of MSR, I own a ton of their gear, from stoves, tents, cooksets you name it, it has always been a brand that has never let me down. So I know how you felt sat on the bank of that stream, unable to filter your needed water. It is unacceptable that it failed without any prior warning, but even more unacceptable is the lack of response from MSR/REI (who are celebrating their 50th birthday) who claim to hold the customer experience very highly indeed. A good tale here I think, well told by yourself, food for thought for all of us. ATB Dave
Dave, gutted mate i thought my filter and i were on a lifetime of journeys together i treated it like a god even bought the specific maintenance kit to go with it i couldn't figure out why it stopped working after less than a minute? I could see it wasnt silted up and i had my coffee filter on the end to act as a finer filter so how was it blocked? works fine now but that one time when its let me down, I cant trust it anymore to back me up it had to go and im gutted but not to get a reply from MSR is mad! i thought at least I would get some sort of response oh well life goes on Dave :-) 👍😁
@@MaffTUK I totally agree with you, trust in your gear is everything, and even a polite response telling you to buy a new filter insert would have been nice, So double fail MSR there. Hoping the watch your video 👀👌😏
its looking like Dave it could have been microparticles bypassing the coffee filter, bypassing the standard filter which is why it took 40 seconds or so to clog up and when i got home and flushed it all out again it worked fine, probably a logical explanation no ghosts or aliens involved LOL
never thought of that ? i have used the coffee filter previously with no problems but that filter despite not being used befor had been sat on the end for some time. Iteresting thought, thank you, regards Matt
I just purchased the MSR system yesterday for $100 and today I watched your review, now I'm doubting my purchase, hopefully it will work as intended but I'll definitely be packing along a Life straw incase the MSR fails me.
There are many many very happy folk who defends this product strongly Shann... im sure you will be fine, as i said from the start i did really like this product but it let me down. i hope yours will give you years of service 👍
40 dollar filter.. highly plausible you just had a 1 off, worth it to bring both filter options. You didnt get a return email due to Covid no doubt mate
Ive ran into this same issue with mine. Scrub hard with ane sos pad and it will work. Just because you dont take proper care of is dose not mean its shit.
The removable gauge on the bottom of the unit is there to measure the thickness of the remaining ceramic filter. That's because it's necessary to strip off the top layers of ceramic. Your three year old filter appears to be practically new(full diameter). Use the scotch Brite pad. It will work fine again.
Finally!! someone hit the nail on the head. Depending on the stream I have to scrub mine after about 4 nalgene bottles. I can tell as soon as it starts getting harder to pump. His looked like he never scrubbed it at all.. haha
Maff UT: Your msr water filtration unit situation has been bothering me all morning. Then it occurred to me that I have had something similar happen. And on more than one occasion. It’s just been a long time since it happened.
In your video, once the malfunction happens, it looks like you’re met with increasing resistance each time you pump the handle. You mention that when you take the pump head off the cylinder, that there’s a pressure release.
Mine airlocks occasionally. When this happens, there’s increasing resistance on the pump, but no water coming out. So sometimes I have to invert the unit 180° while the intake hose is in the water, and then pump slowly. That generally results in expelling the offending airlock, and I usually just pump until I see no more air anywhere in the unit. The resistance comes out of the pumping action over the course of a minute or so of pumping. Then, when reinverted to the correct operating position, it usually performs its correct function.
I sure hope this helps. At least if it’s an airlock situation, that’s a physical happenstance that a person could at least get his head around, and maybe recover some of the last trust in essential product.
That happened to me once on a hike. You didn't try everything. You didn't scrub the filter. Just because you can't see blockage doesn't mean there wasn't blockage. I scrubbed it and it worked again.
Yep! Same thing happened to me on multiple trips. I used it on a hike and it plugged in less than 10 pumps (though the water looks clear). I took out my scrubbing pad and scrubbed the filter and rinsed it off. After that, it worked fine. So you are correct, he didn't try the most obvious.
Sawyers plug up a lot easier...... In Desert Southwest. Arizona where the water's heavily mineralized will plug up pretty fast.
Maff UT: I am so sorry for this loss. I’m fellow devotee of MSR water purifiers. I’ve got one now 17 years, the older waterworks2; It’s never let me down. Mine is the older one with the ball type valve going from the hose into the unit housing.
I’ve been hearing some rough stuff about the newest MSR product over the last few years. What a heartbreak.
You’ve probably already done this, but I’ll tell you what I’ve done with mine, just because microfine particles can get in strange places at times. It would be great if you could at least have it as a main filtration & purification unit; but it’s downright crazy that you have to carry two and three redundancies. Especially at the price point that they charge for these units.
I have actually put a towel down and field stripped mine. Every single aspect of it, even that which seems to be working just fine. It’s a rare thing to have a particle make it to the little umbrella valve, but it can happen. Sometimes mine gets air locked as well, and I have to turn it upside down and pump the handle a couple of times to move the air along. The only other option I can think of beyond all that before lubricating the O-rings and putting it back together, is your usual wiping down your filter (which anyone could see that yours was pristine), and then I boil mine up for five minutes and let it cool in the same pot I boil it in before I air dry it. But given the pristine look of yours, I can’t imagine you haven’t done that already. The only other thing that’s possible with yours that I can think of is that possibly your filter has worn down. But it doesn’t look worn down, and it’s only three years old. I’ve used mine for long stints of time, daily, sometimes for years on end depending on where I am, and it’s not worn down, so I’d be very surprised if that was the case with yours. The gauge will rule that out, I suspect.
I’ve seen all sorts of guys talking about the new crazy expensive msr unit that has the handle break right off while they’re out in the field, and like fails, leaving them stranded. But I never knew something like this could happen to somebody who maintains his gear so well.
Thank you for letting everyone know. I’ll be looking for a back up unit. As it is, I’m carrying around a couple of those squeeze bags with filters in them as well. But I don’t always keep one in my main bag, just in field packs and travel bags/briefcase, but thanks to your video here, that’s going to change. It’ll be an all my bags, And I’ll be acquiring up Milbank bag for each bag as well, along with some chemical purification, although that’s my last resort. Because this is totally unacceptable. I have a sick not my stomach just thinking about having that happen.
I’m only grateful you weren’t further afield when this failed. Very grateful indeed.
I’m assuming you cleaned the filter? They need to cleaned frequently
I can't disagree with your frustration and I have a mini as well. My sawyer NOW works good, but on my first trip in didn't work at all. I couldn't squeeze water through it no matter what, so the rest of the trip I had to rely on a hiking buddy with his filter. I brought the Sawyer home, and found out I had to soak it submerged in a bowl for a day before I could get it to filter. My son in law just had the same experience last week. Once it was "primed"....it worked good. But I had the same experience you just had with a Sawyer. None are foolproof. The backup is that you can always boil your water if you have to. PIA, yes, but better than ruining the trip. I would buy a new MSR filter and give it a go again.
Been using the MSR for 10years.. Nepal, India, Thailand etc. never had a issue. The pump itself needs to be thoroughly checked before going out and the filter module sterilized and washed.
Im interested to see how your new pump will work after another three years. Hopefully Ill get that in my recommended.
Totally agree that its a pain to have equipment failing in the field.. cook and tablets.
All the nest on your travels!
I'm a big MSR fan....BUT... three years is not a long time in fact probably equates to 8 weeks use MAX ...... not so good now is it?.... it was clean, very clean in fact it could not have been cleaner..but it still failed ☹ well done for having yours 10 years without a problem i wish you many more untroubled years 👍😁
Thanks for taking the time to share your findings with us, I was on the verge of purchasing this filter but now on the back of this video I too have gone for the Sawyer filters, you are right to feel angry and or disappointed as this could well of been a life or death situation anywhere in the world and we need the upmost confidence in the kit we use.
Your right Phil and some folk have missed that point i was trying to make, I simply don’t trust it anymore! despite the many reasons that have been suggested to me as to why that filter just stopped working after 40 seconds none of them could convince me that the filter was still an excellent device ... and i still never had a reply from MSR and i really like their gear , what a shame on their behalf i think all I wanted was a possible explanation as to what went wrong….nothing!
Could well *have been
I was asking myself 2 questions while watching the video:
1/ How many times have you actually used the Scotch Brite (or abrasive paper) before to scrape off/ sand on that filter cartrigde in particular?
Usually this kind of cleaning/ grinding works will create some scratch marks on the filter's ceramic surface but your's look pretty plain/ like brand new. Maybe that's why so many people are recommending using the Scotch Brite properly ...
2/ Have you ever used that MSR filter in dark colored boggy water which is typical for mire or marsh lands (looks a little like Cocy Cola)?
I've used mine several times in such conditions and Tannins/ mocrofine suspended solids from plant residues will clog an MSR MiniWorks in no time and you won't see much debris on the filter cartridge. The only option to overcome is to use abrasive paper to grind away the thin clogged layer and the filter will work fine again ...
Matt I'm surprised you didn't purchase a new Filter as you'd already worked out that was the issue and according to MSR there only rated at approx 2K liters before they need replacing anyway so that tells me there a Consumable item as apposed to a lifetime one regardless of maintenance.
I guess if i had pulled a good amount of water through the filter i would totally agree Kev. but a total of 6 weeks use over three years wasn't a lot, and i was gutted as i did like this thing
I had a sawyer fail during a high mountain hunt. I had another one freezer which is my fault for not sticking it in my sleeping bag that night. I would have stuck with the msr and got a new filter.
I was asking myself 2 questions while watching the video:
1/ How many times have you actually used the Scotch Brite (or abrasive paper) before to scrape off/ sand on that filter cartrigde in particular?
Usually this kind of cleaning/ grinding works will create some scratch marks on the filter's ceramic surface but your's look pretty plain/ like brand new. Maybe that's why so many people are recommending using the Scotch Brite properly ...
2/ Have you ever used that water filter in dark colored boggy water which is typical for mire or marsh lands (looks a little like Cocy Cola)?
I've used mine several times in such conditions and Tannins/ mocrofine suspended solids from plant residues will clog an MSR MiniWorks in no time and you won't see much debris on the filter cartridge. The only option to overcome is to use abrasive paper to grind away the thin clogged layer and the filter will work fine again ...
Had exactly the same problem with mine on day 2 bikepacking the badger divide in Scotland. I’ve had it for years and it’s never let me down. After a frustrating 20 minutes trying everything I finally removed the internal filter and gave it a vigorous scrub with the provided Brillo pad while submerged, you could see the slime coming off it in the water. It instantly fixed it, pump returned back to its original high quality.
Assuming you didn’t do this??
How many times have you attempted to reach out to MSR about this problem?
Hello Matt try to check the umbrella valve.. In my experience a small debri got trap from the umbrella valve and the filter malfunction
Thank you, I did look at that on the bank there, the pump worked fine I think it was micro particles that clogged the filter in just seconds as when i washed it and sterilised it once home all was good but i will not trust it again , thank you regards Matt
@@MaffTUK You hit the nail on the head there. I am a Reef geek and run some serious filtration and can not have higher than 0ppm tds. I also just bought one of these filters if you bought it 3 years prior and still use the original filter that is fairly impressive. From what I gather its a ceramic cylinder that the pump forces water through its part of why it filters well. Unfortunatly I could see the filter clogging the pore size is very small and must be close to the same effect as a TFC membrane. I guess I should actually check the TDS out of it from my tap water
I use a MSR SweetWater SiltStopper to prevent silt from clogging the filter.
I have three filters, MSR mini works, Sawyer mini and Miniwell. I just wanted not to have to take 10kgs of water every time I went carp fishing on my trolley so was looking for alternatives so have three methods I can take with me on my trolley or backpack down to the lake which is fairly clear. You have now made me aware that just in case I need a lightweight backup if I go for a yomp anywhere and even if I am am using even just a MSR Mini and my main filter the Sawyer will be in my pack too.
Hi Nev, I put too much faith in that filter and just to be clear it was completely sterilised and clean before use. many folk don’t listen to what I’m saying. 40 seconds of pumping and it stopped not one cup of water came out…. Although three years old from new it had not been used that much. I must admit I am very happy with the alternative effortless filtering but I have now splashed out for two CNOC bags which make the system brilliant……until it fails LOL
Hi Matt...…… I remember that video. It surprised me when it happened. Like most have said, MSR have always been a very reliable brand for years. I used a mini works for about 10 years and it was great until I left it behind on a fishing trip. Funny you went with Sawyer, they were the next type I tried. At the moment I use a Miniwell which are quite good. Thanks for taking the time mate.... it's always great catching up with you, all the best, Mark :)
Hi Mark im thinking the only logical explanation can be microparticles bypassing the coffee filter then bypassing the standard filter when i strip it apart in the field it looks clean despite it only working for 40 ish seconds. but in reality it was actually blocked that's why it worked fine when i got home and flushed/sterilised the filter, i cannot think of anything else it can be. regards Matt 👍
I noticed that the colder the water, the harder it is to pump also. I've used mine in near freezing water and it was nearly impossible to pump in Alaska, but I figured that out right away.
Good point Ric thank you for your heads up, regards Matt👍
Hi Maff, I use the Sawyer mini. I don't use it a lot, but I carry it, just in case. But in the last four years, it never failed when I needed it. All the best! Dimitri
Yes Dimitri the flow rate is the same they are both maintainable in the field but no moving parts now so lets hope all is good from now on and the Sawyer proofs to be the better option
regards Matt 👍
It's not broken, the exit is clogged. It's happened to me.
1. Pump works, draws water, 2. Pressure is present, water is ready to percolate, but is not - the exit is clogged.
There is likely something blocking the inside of the filter. I would have gently fed a small wire into the nipple. I'm 100% confident this is your issue. This pump is a VERY simple piece of excellent engineering.
A couple extra minutes of problem solving and you would have had it. But hey, you made your video, hope you got some likes and cash.
Hi Matt, thanks for the info on the MSR. I use the Sawyer Mini and I'm pretty happy with it! Cheers, Marc
I think for what im going to need it for Marc, i will be more than happy with this filter 👍
Thank you for saving me 300 bucks. I was deciding between the Sawyer and the MSR. Thought it might be good to have as an emergency back up for home, as well. Not willing to make the gamble now. I ordered the Sawyer - if anything, a second for back up if necessary. Thank you. I was hoping it would be a great investment.
The filter doesn’t looked cleaned
Great video. The Sawyer system is great for the weight and its easy to use as well. There are other companies that make bags for that system that have a wide opening for easy water collection. I have a Sawyer squeeze and use a CNOC 2 litre bag. I also personally prefer the Katadyn water system over the MSR. again great video..
yes i watched the comparison by sintax77 i was 50/50, but found the sawyer at a bargain so i got that system, i took all those comments from the last vid and spent a few nights looking at as many as i could i loved my msr filter Andy and was gutted but we cant be let down like that, Thank you for the heads up and info, very much appreciated regards Matt
When I give a bad review of a product, I never go on to recommend a different product. At least not in that review. It avoids anyone suspecting I might receive benefits from the new product I'm endorsing.
Mine did the same thing, i took the valve apart and cleaned it and reassembled it and it worked great
I hear you and thank you but I had done a full service on the filter with a re lube etc, it could not have been cleaner or more serviced ... cant deal with that failure lost the love, ps mine now works fine again but nope i will not ever take it out again, i appreciate your comment and help thank you, regards Matt
@@MaffTUK what did you end up doing to allow water to filter through again? Did you have to take the ceramic filter completely apart?
I simply repeated the recommended sterilising process again and now it works but still don’t trust it?
40 seconds of pumping and it stopped gutted :-(
@@MaffTUK have been considering picking one up, did you get a chance to try out the Sawyer one you picked up in the bush? If so how did it fair?
@@BMKO27 I cant go back to the MSR as it failed and if I was really depending on it to keep me alive, I would have been in real trouble. Before that I really liked it and I was genuinely gutted and shocked when it let me down. As for my replacement, that is turning out to be very flexible and with many combos to get clean water my new addition of two CNOC water bladders have now converted me. the last time I used it was on this video
ua-cam.com/video/X0tmKOQIhN8/v-deo.html at 18:18 and the entire system at 43:10 and I like it, Its now my go to filter the CNOC bags enhance the filter due to the easy fill and less time near the water. but they are not cheap and not really at all necessary. regards Matt
I've had a msr mini works for well over ten years,you might have already tried this so apologies if you have,I boil my filter for five minutes or so usually after I've not used it for months mainly incase any mould has formed inside,you'd be surprised how much stuff comes out if it,I think it might just be micro particle build up inside the filter,give it a go if you've not already tried it👍
Hello Phil yes i do that to and again when i got home as it was acting like it was completely blocked? so i though wash it out and boil again..... i treated this thing like a god always have there was no way it went into storage dirty, that would not happen and now the filter works fine now but that one time when its let me down, I cant trust it anymore to back me up it was pumping fine for a minute and just stopped? there is nobody more gutted than me, that filter was my pride and joy 😥😥
Very weird that maff,as you say tho,if you can't rely on it in the bin it goes
@@philclark6250 its looking like Phil it could have been microparticles bypassing the coffee filter bypassing the standard filter which is why it took 40 seconds or so to clog up and when i got home and flushed it all out again it worked fine, probably a logical explanation no ghosts or aliens involved LOL
@@MaffTUK bit disappointing that,would've been brilliant if aliens where involved😁
Hey Matt, that was unfortunate when your MSR filter failed on you. I use tha Sawyer Squeeze, (not the micro) and I highly recommend it. I have converted it over to a gravity filter. Very convenient. Take care buddy!👍
Hi wade if i had neglected it and not looked after it the way i have i probably would have expected it to mess up at some point but that was not the case i even had the specific maintenance kit to go with it, so i was in a bit of shock when it just simply stopped working, it works fine now i took it home washed and sterilised it again and no problems at all but the damage has been done i did not mess up it simply failed and for that one reason its retired the "Mini works is dead, long live the Sawyer" LOL 😁👍
Just out of curiosity did you get a new filter or did you try scrubbing the filter down again I had a similar problem with mine and it turned out I needed to scrub the outside of the filter after I did that it works fine.
Personally when I go on my long backpacking trips I always carry a spare filter anyway and a Sawyer as a backup
Yes that is exactly what i did, got home and went through the entire cleaning process again including the scrub with sterilising in boiling water as i do every time i take it out and use it. Now it works fine, I Think it simply could not handle the micro particles in the water and just clogged up in less than 40 seconds there does not appear to be any other feasible reason it would not work. regards matt
@@MaffTUK Did you actually try scrubbing it when you were out in the field, or simply do an eye check on it? Seems to me that whenever there is a problem with these filters it's because they are clogged in some way. So if you were out in the field and only "looked at it", that doesn't make any sense to me. Then you're saying when you got home you cleaned it and it worked fine? Even if it would have required boiling the water to clean the filter that is still something that could be done out in the field.
Any piece of gear out there can potentially fail, including any filter from Sawyer. If it's a failed piece of kit can result in a life or death situation then maybe you should be bringing a backup. A Lifestraw maybe? And looking at the hollow fiber type filters out there nowadays, I would say their design is inherently less robust and less field maintainable than the ceramic-carbon filter in the MSR Miniworks.
Lastly, the whole tone of this video (and alot of your verbiage in the comments section) makes it sounds like you're talking about some lover that cheated on you and you can never trust them again. It's a little over-dramatic and weird if you ask me.
@@mattsev9134 yet another smart arse who missed the point
is that short enough and clear for you Matt
there is a problem with these filters and it's a problem that happens in any filter some water contains microparticles that are 5 to 10 microns. these particles are just small enough to get through the large filter on the inlet and will make very short work of a ceramic filter. they are large enough to get caught into the micropores of the filter but not small enough to make it through and that's will clog up the filter very quickly If you're out in the field the best thing you can do is to pump as much water as you can take the filter off and scrub the outside of the filter with the scrub pad included. then start pumping more water.
it's a pain but sometimes your water source is just bad it's not the filter.
I'm having a issue with the msr trailshot water filter. The rubber body creates a seal around the filter. Over time (little use btw over a year in clear water) the rubber body that creates a seal is no longer effective. When you pump, the seal is no longer airtight and the filter doesn't work. I have always had issues with msr and I can NOT recommend any of their equipment through my experience
Hello Daniel. There are a lot of MSR FANS that will defend their msr gear to their last breath and hate it when folk highlight any faults... if it doesn't work and it let's you down. That happens sometimes but they dont even give a hoot. So if its crap, its crap and folk should hear both sides. And not be so defensive about gear. The amount of people who told me the filter was dirty and that it's my fault it didn't work lol all they had to do is listen to what I actually said...... Hope you find a better solution Dan. Regards Matt
@@MaffTUK Hi Maff. Yeah I totally agree and get where you are coming from. I really like your channel BTW. It is a really nice down to earth channel from what I can see. Keep it up and stay safe you have achieved a lot and there is nothing stopping you from going even further. If you want what others don't have, you have to be willing to do what others don't want to do.
Still.. i wonder what went wrong. Could it be limestone dissolved and set in the pores? Put it in vinegar and hava a test?!
Yes i think it was microparticles clogging it up after 40 seconds which is just not acceptable it takes over a minute to pump 1lt so 40 second strip down and scrub, and then 40 seconds strip down and scrub followed by 40 seconds strip down and scrub...... ive died from having the will to live lol,
I took it home washed and boiled it and it now works fine but it is no longer a trusted member of the team 😥
@@MaffTUK odd.. maybe it's microplastics 😬
I do hope our livers are made of sturdier stuff
It begs the question why you didn't upgrade sooner Matt. It's a fabulous little system that as you say has usability. I mean we even get to re-use some plastic and that's a plus on top of the weight. Well, you've begun gram pinching I reckon. I wonder what's next. All the best. Mark
You can get wide opening bags to collect water quickly. Cnoc is known for them. The problem with those cnoc bags is that they're not that light.
I actually found something on Amazon a few days ago but I have it saved on my computer (using my phone now) so I'll give you the link later.
cheers i will take a look, many thanks Matt 👍
hi maff are you doing any carping over winter, if so get it blogged old bean, cheers
got some coming up soon ... and there will be some good winter vids this year :-)
@@MaffTUK would think you can take a bit of harsh winter carping, with all that 1 man hill camping in cumbria etc, nice bivvy and a bedchair will seem like a 5 star hotel, after a windy mountain
@@lazycarper7925 LOL it does indeed, you cant beat the comforts for sure and better still when you end up sat in front of the fire with a good whiskey after a cold weekend on the bank or on the hills and later hop into your normal bed..... OH the luxury... If you dont go without now and then, you dont know what you got! 😁👍
I used to use the Pre-Mac travel and still have it however it's old tech and although a very safe pump and really tiny ( about as big as a packet of Rollos ) it used both filter and iodine balls so tasted horrible but bacteria and virus free.
I now use the very reliable Sawyer mini but boil as they dont kill viruses
Hello Lee apologies for the late reply i will have to look that one up modern clearly does not mean best sometimes less is best or better, your right of course any doubt and all water would be boiled, Thanks Lee Regards Matt
Have you ever tried the katadyne water filters? I've never had or heard of issues with them
I would like one TBH and it is possible that is the future path ....when I save up 👍
Hi Matt, C an I buy it from you and I will buy a replacement cartridge and hope for the best?
Did you boil the filter as suggested after it has sat or before you store it. I always boil the mine and dry it thoroughly before storing. I also test mine before every trip. Never have had a single problem. I also rebuild with new seals after a couple years.
Yes, he said he always did that after each annual trip that lasted a week. It was obviously NOT an o-ring problem. The pump worked fine. Just could not get water through the filter. Filter was clogged, just like he said MSR would tell him. It is the ONLY logical explanation. It's just that the filter was cared for prior to use so, by all rights, it should not have clogged. I carry a scrubber with me to clean it if clogged. Always be prepared! If I didn't I'd try some clean, dry sand. It would not fail for long!
Great vid. The Sawyer looks like a far better option for your pack. Much more versitile. How many litres is the filter rated to?
100.000 gallons.... thats a lot of water Damian for £31.00, and yes i agree it does seem like a far better system, i went with MSR to start with as usually its a quality product! perhaps not this time. :-(
Definitely a shame about the MSR. Especially when you consider what they cost. Terrible customer service on their part. Instantly puts me off. Looking forward to seeing how you get on with the Sawyer. Id love to see a vid where you dont take any water and just rely on the filter system for your needs!
@@damotravelling been thinking about that comment would make for a good vid i think, i may take that idea up at some point 👍
So the problem is that it is blocked. It is clean on the outside, but the way the filter works is pushing water through the porous ceramic filter. The filter is blocked on the microscopic level inside of the stone. There really isn't a way to clean it other than backflushing which really isn't feaseable with this filter. Just buy a $30 filter replacement kit or fool with it until you figure out how to backflush it. .
Got home and went through the entire cleaning process again including the scrub with sterilising in boiling water as i do every time i take it out and use it. Now it works fine, I Think it simply could not handle the micro particles in the water and just clogged up in less than 40 seconds there does not appear to be any other feasible reason it would not work. thank you, regards matt
I just looked at the MSR schematic for the Mini. Not sure what the Issue might be, I was thinking check valve. I like my MSR stoves and I have a Sweet Water filter that I’ve never had a problem with. I purchased my filter before MSR purchased sweet water. But this .... well like you said if you can’t trust it it’s not worth taking. I would not buy another filter cartridge but If you know someone with the same filter I would play and see what failed. Well if MSR will not respond then they have lost more then one customer.
all the signs Alf were a blocked filter despite it being sterile clean from the off, its possible that microparticles in the water got past the coffee filter past the standard filter and simply clogged up the ceramic in 40 seconds at that rate i would have to strip and clean the filter three times for one litre of water. when i took it home washed and sterilised it it worked fine again all the symptoms said blocked but you just could not see the problem, that would probably be the most likely reason .... or aliens lol regardless its now been retired, cheers for the great comment and help regards Matt 👍😁
Oh gosh! I could feel your pain and disappointment, and I agree with you 100%, equipment failing for no reason is worse than infidelity! And that MSR didn’t respond to a UA-camr is not good for them. A good way to loose 3000 potential customers. Oh well. I am looking forward to seeing how the new system works for you 👍🏻
Hello Thor yes mate, very disappointed in that filter, i looked after it so well and treated it like a god i guess MSR are too busy right now to help me out or offer some advice, oh well never mind now Sawyer take up the challenge lets see how we get on 👍👍
*lose
The issue isn't in the water filter the issue is within the owner simply not scrubbing down the ceramic outer part of the filter. I can't believe you think that you can simply see the dirt that is clogging it. I often scrub my every couple of liters to keep it working properly. Every water purifier in the world has its lifespan. When it reaches the end you simply fix the problem. Crying about it on UA-cam because it didn't last foreverisn't the solution. If it's that important you need to carry two water purifiers no matter what make model or brand you have. I now have the MSR guardian and it's amazing. Pumps so much faster and the filter never has to be cleaned.
Right Then Mr Matt shall simply say your just barking loud and certainly did not listen if you had listened you would not be making the comment above .......did i or did i not say how well i looked after my equipment and that it had been cleaned prior my trip to the MSR spec and instruction or did you just go on one because you think you know best LOL Enjoy your new filter it is a work of art for sure
@@MaffTUK well clearly you didn't scrub it down enough or it wouldn't be clogged and therefore water would simply pass through the filter. There's absolutely no way for a ceramic filter to fail other than being clogged. That's why you scrub it until it works. When it gets below the diameter of the safety gauge it comes with you replace it. Do you honestly think your next filter is going to last forever? Or you gonna come crying to UA-cam when it needs maintenance?
@@mattymattmatt101 will you please stop assuming you know what you talking about. It was clean as whistle I'm done with you now goodbye 👋
This is why we have backups. Gear fails it's a fact of life. Even the best brands fail from time to time.
So let me get this straight. You’ve had this filter for 3 years and it’s worked great then it clogs once and you’re ready to dump it for a sawyer? 😂 let me tell you as a sawyer user I would kill for that track record. Wondering if you stuck with the sawyer or switched back.
well its like this three years yes total use about 6 weeks all together so not that much use if it wont pump despite it being totally clean and sterile, glogs in 40 seconds even with an extra coffee filter filter then i simply want to use something with less to go wrong so ive now been using the sawer since and currently no issues with that at the moment i stand by my coment FLO. thank you, regards Matt
Only explanation I can come up with is microparticles blocking the filter far earlier than advertised. You can wash off most particles but (I guess) particles just slightly bigger than the holes in the filter can get clogged inside the holes of the filter and there's no good way to wash them out.
Strange thing with that theory is, it happened so fast.
As for new filters, I just got myself the Katadyn Befree, three liter version. It costs a lot more, but I have two reasons:for it: One, to use it as a light weight gravity filter, especially in camp. Two, we have a lot of moraines where the water goes beneath the surface and you can go a day until you find the next valley with any surface water in it, so I need a light backup for carrying water. We'll see how it works.
yes yes yes i agree it worked fine for about 40 seconds and stopped, despite having the coffee filter on as an added micro filter it acted as if it were blocked but i could not see anything on the filter when i got it home and washed and boiled it again it works fine?, it acted blocked and was resolved after a flush out so it had to be lots of microparticles less than 0.2 microns clogging it up but all in 40 seconds? that still renders my filter unusable so its gone for good, shame, i really liked that filter too 😥 great comment thank you, i hope your Katadyn Befree works for you kindest regards Matt😁👍
3 years it did you good. Then it failed and you are mad it lasted 3 years....
Hello “ODT” Yes darn right I was mad, three years is not a long time for that device for me, probably like you, I work for a living and don’t get out as much as I want so if just for arguments sake I took that device out for a two week hike once a year that’s still only six weeks use maximum. It failed despite being looked after like a god it failed after six weeks use, if me or my group were dependant on that device we would have been in trouble. It did not do its primary function FILTER WATER! Darn right I was mad and so would you be, don’t you think? Don’t forget MSR have never responded to any mail I sent, perhaps you need to watch and listen to what I’m saying again, I give MSR every chance to help out….. Nothing! I expect a product to last and function as per its intended use for the time and quantities expected and boasted by MSR. Didn’t even complete 1% of its life span. Stay safe, regards Matt :-)
The filter plugs up over time you clean them but the stuff you filter gets stuck in the filter
My MSR MiniWorks failed with nearly the same symptoms this weekend. The pump seemed to pump water fine when not attached to the filter. I tried cleaning the filter with no luck. While tearing the pump down, I realized I had lost the duckbill valve in the relief valve assembly. This meant the pump couldn’t build enough pressure to force water through the ceramic filter. I replaced the duckbill valve and everything worked perfectly. Hope this helps someone else with the same issue.
If your water has tannins, the filter was probably clogged. I've used it in a clean lake, but with a high tannin content, and the filter will clog after about 0.5-1 L of water. After a scrub, it's fine. You should have scrubbed the filter to confirm that it wasn't clogged.
That too is very possible, and TBH after such a short time pumping to being clogged from an absolute clean sterile filter is pretty poo. When I got home I went through the cleaning process again and well it works again. But a filter that only filters relatively cleaner water is no good to me, your right of course, perhaps I should have cleaned it and tried again but cleaning and stripping every 30 seconds does not forebode too well for me and even if it had worked-clogged-cleaned-worked--clogged again I still would have retired the filter with such poor performance. Im gutted I loved that filter too ☹
Ya need to disassemble the entire unit and properly clean. Its 3 years old mate.
Nope it was mint, i always sterilize it after use religiously It was like new.......40 seconds and it stopped pumping still dont know why i just keep getting told to clean it lol.
I think you issue is a failure in the pump cylinder it's self. If the cylinder seal can not create enough pressure to over come the resistance of the filter, it doesn't matter how clean the filter is. Once the filter is removed it would pump just fine, like your did. This is why I don't trust a pump that has a plastic housing. One little peace of sand could create scoring in the piston housing and then reduce the pumps pressure. Just like loosing compression in a car piston from scoring in the cylinder. What did MSI end up doing for you? Also thank you for making this video, I will not be buying this filter.
Hello Daniel thank you for your comment Unfortunatly MSR never did respond to me so thats that 🤷♀️ but thank you for your info. just as an update I'm still using the sawyer and its working out well for me
How do you like/dislike the Sawyer Micro which you purchased almost a year ago?
I have & use the MSR Trailshot for >3+ years. I've looked at numerous youtube videos & read the comments on those water filter videos & they all confirm, at least in my own mind, that I have THE BEST water filter that available after all this time. So many new water filter products it boggles my mind & yet I still can't seem to find anything wrong with my MSR Trailshot.
I can harvest/filter water from a mere trickle of water at the edge of snowpack which others can't do with their bag/bottle water collectors. Having a nice 3" or more deep water source is fine & is all that is needed for bag/bottle water collectors, however, there isn't always going to be a nice deep enough stream of water to collect out of with bag/bottle water collectors.
As long as there is a mere trickle of water, I can harvest/filter it with my MSR Trailshot. Yes, I cover the pre-filter on the end of the inlet tubing with a coffee filter to block larger particles from plugging up the MSR pre-filter.
The micro squeeze bags will start coming apart after 2 trips, I went trough 5 of them, and the filter itself gets clogged very easily. You get what you pay for. It's the katadyn pocket for me.
Though I would try the squeeze a few times before I replied to this mail as at the time of filming I was mad as hell at MSR.....My mini works is now working fine again BUT I'm done with the mini works, I have used the squeeze with two CNOC bags now and have to admit like it ......I like it a lot...LOL time will tell and hopefully i dont have the same issues as you have had and there you go the KATADYN yep i would like one of those, they could revert me back to the pump im sure but for now im squeeze, thank you TheSaint135 regards Matt 👍
I'm having the same issue with the MSR & Katadyn.
Had the exact same thing happen to mine on its first outing. Got an initial couple liters and then complete failure drawing from clear to the bottom mountain streams. After the initial liters, It took me one hour to get two more liters of water, despite field stripping and needing to scrub the filter every 4oz to get the water going again and then nothing. Micro particles or not, it's completely unacceptable and obviously not a field maintainable issue anymore. I also will never rely on this filter in the backcountry again. I had a sweetwater guardian for 20 years and it never failed me in the field with cleaning. MSR needs to address this issue and own it. I have also moved on to the sawyer. Best of luck and safe travels.
A lot of folk Rob missed the point I was trying to make and that was i simply dont trust it anymore i was acused of being over dramatic yada yada yada but if it fails when you bleeding well need it because it was given another chance to fail again then shame on us for letting that happen I would say. thanks for your comment Rob right with you on that one 👍
Shame you've had a failure Maff. There is a chance that the filter is blocked internally. There could be some ceramic or carbon if it's the older style filter element blocking the internal channel and exit point. The moving parts of your filter were fine as you demonstrated and unless you physically break something the only point of failure are the seals which are all replaceable. Replacement filter elements are also readily obtainable. The Sawyers are great for backpacking, but I'd much rather have a filter with a larger flow rate, such as the Miniworks or Katadyn Pocket at camp.
Hi mate when i got home i flushed and serialised it again and it worked fine, have had a chat with a few folk now, it would appear that it could also be micro particles as the pump was working fine for about 40 seconds and then stopped, the katadyn does seem to be very popular, I was gutted my miniworks failed as i loved that filter ...until now lol thanks for the heads up and advice regards Matt👍
@@MaffTUK Hopefully you can get the filter element flushed and working again. Nice to have both options depending on the volume of water you need to filter.
This happened to me on the second time using it. What a shame.
All those filters have a limit on how many gallons of water there good for up to 2000 liters of water however if your just throwing it in the stream like you were doing your liable to get more than just water in it. It is best to use like a collapsible bucket which is what I like to use to get your water then I go a step further and run that water through a food grade filter if the water is hazy. I have found that my filters last a lot longer that way. MSR makes the best filter out there in my opinion. I have heard of handles breaking before but that could be just from force of pushing to hard. I heard you say you had that filter for 2 or 3 years so it would depend on how much use you put it through.
👍Thanks for the heads up, in the past, and on this vid I’ve used a pre filter coffee filter as the standard end does indeed let a lot of partials through. If the filter had not had been 100% clean and sterilised as recommended by MSR and i had not looked after the device in the way i did, i would indeed expect issues and the device at some point to fail. But, it was in perfect condition or as i though? At the end of the weekend i went through the entire recommended cleaning process once again and i can say it works fine again, saying that i don’t trust it anymore, i looked after it second to none 40 seconds and stop! I appreciate your comments and thank you. As I said , I simply lost the love.
Why not just buy a new filter element 😳
Another great video Maff. Already looking forward to your next video.
Cheers Marc got lots coming up just need the time to do them, regards Matt
Looks like an advert for Sawyer buddy.
2 is 1, 1 is none. More bubbles less troubles. The Sawyer filter you've bought filters REALLY SLOWLY. The next size up is so much better.
I usually work on that principle myself Stephen (2 is 1, 1 is none) i always have puri-tabs in my kit for emergencies but the water tastes like shite lol, i will have to look at the next size up but to be honest the msr was a lot slower than this filter over a minute per lt (about 80 pumps) this one comes out at 1 lt in about 40 seconds so im already on a winner from my perspective but thanks for the heads up i will look at big brother also 👍😁
just as a matter of interest the new sawyer does 0.1 micron and old MSR did 0.2
if your car broke down when you need it the most would you stop driving NO you fix it so replace your ceramic filter
things deteriorate whether you use it or not nothing last forever and after 3 years of usage don't you think it's time to replace it
you said it never failed you so i think that's something worth the repair
Yer that soya filter looks much better mate smaller, neater, lighter, and less machanics to go wrong a defo must have
I think so camo time will tell mate, tight lines bud
Hello Mat new friend here Bill from the Philippines,what happen to the product?
Still got it Bill, after washing it out again and sterilising the filter it started working again, it appears its possible micro particles bypassing the two filters and clogging the filter in 40 seconds or so. This is still not acceptable as you will be constantly cleaning the filter with the water you just pumped through so you cant win in the particular scenario
GREAT information thank you ...👍
its a real shame that stopped working Maria as i really liked that filter but when it lets you down like that it has to go 😥
@@MaffTUK its very good that your information is been pass on to others and the best ones are coming from customers that has use the product ...
@@mariasalazar7576 We have to do it Maria :-) UA-cam is great for information and for finding out stuff although 90% of UA-cam can be fake and made up nonsense unless of course you believe we didn't go to the moon, the world is actually flat and aliens live amongst us already LOl 😂😂😂 Regards Matt 👍
You could have limescale damage, you need Calgon! I hear washing machines live longer with Calgon
Thank u for that tip im gonna use some on my washer and see if it will take some of the hard water stains on my washing machine cuz it not even that old and i can start to see it form 😞
I sung that out loud lol
Mr finch i have been singing that bloody advert all day so im going to return the favour and simply mention the music to the wombles, you know
"the wombles of Wimbledon common are we" I hope your old enough to WTF im talking about LOL
@@MaffTUK haha! and yep! I sung the wombles tune, I'm 47 btw.
Hi Matt thanks for making this video I will be carful with my filter of that variety know
This is your mistake the ceramic surface is plugged thats why it comes with a scotchbrite pad and and that little red gauge on the bottom of the cover cap it was blocked your membrane was plugged you messed up
A company with bad customer relations is a bad company and their products should always be considered negligible at best.
Really surprised Sam, you just think a company that big thats reputation is from word of mouth from its user's would have better customer service, oh well never mind mate 👍
@@MaffTUK Once bitten,twice shy Matt.
Incidentally Matt, did you try running some Calgon through the filter...maybe a limescale buildup ...English Water™ LOL
@@samc705 your the second person to mention that Sam so im going to give it a go :-) nothing to lose
@@MaffTUK The water down there is notoriously chalky, although not sure if that's just farther south than you are or not. It was just a thought that I had.
Good choice.
Lets hope so ZD cant see any reason this why this would be a bad choice 😁👍
id say its your one way valve is letting water out
Its possible Daniel although I had carried out a complete maintenance routine the last time I used it including lube as recommended by MSR. I was very disappointed with its fail as I looked after that filter like it was made of gold but I can’t trust it anymore. I cannot afford to be in a similar situation again
And not a bleeding word from MSR!
Maff T UK wow thats pretty bad they haven’t got back to you . When you did the maintenance did you change out the duckbill valve and the umbrella valve ?
@@danielrazzino2279 no i just checked it was all in good order (which it was) added the lube from the maintenace kit sold by MSR and thought everything was in perfect working order ......
Maff T UK that’s sucks ! Bit of a shame seems like msr is having a lot of issues with there water filters of late
You should try the Grayl purifier.
How rude of MSR not to respond to you, that's not good. Enjoyed watching you. Take care 🤗
Thank you Joanne cheesy balls ( love that name) yes its a shame they could not be @rsed to respond, I was just hoping the would say "oh did you not carry out the bla bla bla" and give me some sort of feedback but hey not to be, cheers JCB regards Matt 👍
Feel free to send it to me, I would love to have it and try to repair it.
Thank you very much for that offer, but FYI it now works fine again I re sterilised getting home, the valves were working fine as they did on the day, i just think it was micro sediments that just clogged the filter in seconds but thanks again regards Matt
Thats what the scrub pad is for
@@aviationnationhd3760 lol yes I know, but 40 seconds of use from clean and you have to stop strip it down and scrub...... nope ..... I'm done with it in trying alternatives but thanks anyway 👍
Ive had mine for years and never any problems with it.
I to have had a lot of problems with this filter after 3 Orings kits and 2 filters I smack it with a rock in many pieces picked them all up and throw it away. For the price I pay for it I expected a lot better quality. But I guess paying more for parts is how msr makes more money. And if you're like me you will NEVER hear back from msr.
Hi Maff bet MSR get in touch with u if they c this video, burn baby burn. On a lighter note nice ad for Trakker top right at the start of the video
LOL how very observant of you Tim, 10/10
i didn't see it until post production, thats the tracker BBQ its very good BTW yes hope they do get in touch as i would like any kind of feed back to this problem , regards Matt 👍
Damn,, I just got one.
John im sure you will love it, it is a good filter mine just failed ....many many dont
Matt, I am a massive fan of MSR, I own a ton of their gear, from stoves, tents, cooksets you name it, it has always been a brand that has never let me down. So I know how you felt sat on the bank of that stream, unable to filter your needed water. It is unacceptable that it failed without any prior warning, but even more unacceptable is the lack of response from MSR/REI (who are celebrating their 50th birthday) who claim to hold the customer experience very highly indeed. A good tale here I think, well told by yourself, food for thought for all of us. ATB Dave
Dave, gutted mate i thought my filter and i were on a lifetime of journeys together i treated it like a god even bought the specific maintenance kit to go with it i couldn't figure out why it stopped working after less than a minute? I could see it wasnt silted up and i had my coffee filter on the end to act as a finer filter so how was it blocked? works fine now but that one time when its let me down, I cant trust it anymore to back me up it had to go and im gutted but not to get a reply from MSR is mad! i thought at least I would get some sort of response oh well life goes on Dave :-) 👍😁
@@MaffTUK I totally agree with you, trust in your gear is everything, and even a polite response telling you to buy a new filter insert would have been nice, So double fail MSR there. Hoping the watch your video 👀👌😏
its looking like Dave it could have been microparticles bypassing the coffee filter, bypassing the standard filter which is why it took 40 seconds or so to clog up and when i got home and flushed it all out again it worked fine, probably a logical explanation no ghosts or aliens involved LOL
@@MaffTUK Lol
Similar situation as myself I don’t trust it anymore
Me as well and none of the stores near me carry the filter. Definitely getting a different one.
Thanks
I'm willing to bet your coffee filter was releasing small fibers that impregnated your filter that you couldn't scrub off.
never thought of that ? i have used the coffee filter previously with no problems but that filter despite not being used befor had been sat on the end for some time. Iteresting thought, thank you, regards Matt
Mine has the same problem straight out of the box
I just purchased the MSR system yesterday for $100 and today I watched your review, now I'm doubting my purchase, hopefully it will work as intended but I'll definitely be packing along a Life straw incase the MSR fails me.
There are many many very happy folk who defends this product strongly Shann... im sure you will be fine, as i said from the start i did really like this product but it let me down. i hope yours will give you years of service 👍
Its clogged. Use the scotch brite
40 dollar filter.. highly plausible you just had a 1 off, worth it to bring both filter options.
You didnt get a return email due to Covid no doubt mate
Carry a extra filter
User error
Get yourself a Milbank bag nothing can go wrong with that
I had the same problem
Scary, I will dump my MSR
Thanks totally not acceptable from MSR
Ive ran into this same issue with mine. Scrub hard with ane sos pad and it will work. Just because you dont take proper care of is dose not mean its shit.