Dietz vs Feuerhand oil lanterns : There’s still a clear winner
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- #oillamp #hurricanelantern #feuerhand #dietz
Amazon affiliate links for both of these lanterns are below. Affiliate links can provide the channel a commission if used to purchase, but at no cost to you.
Feuerhand #276 Lantern (blue)
amzn.to/3XJ5y4L
Dietz #30 Lantern
amzn.to/3XNOIlt
Note:
The glass of the Feuerhand comes from the German company SCHOTT, which has been around since 1884 and is known primarily for the production of special glass and glass ceramics for industry and pharmaceuticals. You can't get better quality than this.
not to forget, they also produce the glass for Ceran-stoves. The company is famous for their very surable glass
You can even get indestructible Schott Glas Bongs for smoking.
Your pronounciation of "Feuerhand" is WAY BETTER FOR MY GERMAN EARS than in your previous Video ;)))) Anyway good Video about a basic item. Thank you man.
Ich hab tatsächlich verstanden was er gesagt hat. Im ersten Video war ich so verwirrt xD
I heard someone call it a "fruhand"
The Feuerhand ( Fire Hand ) is first Galvanised and then Powder Coated, NOT Painted, hope that helps.
I like your correct pronunciation of Feuerhand :-) Greating from Germany.
Have some Dietz-Lanterns with different sizes and some Feuerhand-Lanterns, and one rare jewel of an old Petromax-Lantern. This lanterns give a warm, cosy light.
Yes the Petromax lanterns are great as well. Actually he should test them too.
If you want a Dietz lantern, buy a good used one from the days they were made in the USA. Even if the tank leaks, it is easily repaired permanently with one of the good tank sealers such as Red-Kote. With any other repairs needed, the metal is usually think enough to make the lantern like new again. Thank you for your excellent video.
I got a Feuerhand from 1943. And it works just fine.
lööks a ´lill´ dinn eer ^??^
wenn die soldaten durch die stat marschiert 🎼🎵🎶
When I woke up this morning, I never thought I would order a Feuerhand Lantern. Matter of fact, I didn't think lantern at all. But because of your video, I just ordered one (11/13/24). Got it from W. T. Kirkman Lanterns, lot cheaper than Amazon.
In Germany it's 28€ + 5€ delivery. Thanks for the videos.
Great breakdown. Appreciate you sharing.
I have a Feuerhand of 24 years old. All kinds of fuels, now still 🔥 burning.
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I have a couple of the old style oil lamps with the glass chimneys. I usually keep a couple gallons of lamp fuel on hand and extra wicks in case of long term power outages. I don’t have any of the hurricane lanterns but I’ll definitely get the German one if I do
The Feuerhand is galvanized and then is powder coated. It's also available in a galvanized version only.
Yes & there's a whole range of colours too.
Thanks for the comparison - I have had my eye on the Feuerhand - I may have to grab me one of those...
I grabbed the German one based on your recommendation. Thanks for making this video.
Dietz was once a quality made American product. Today the Dietz name sits on Chinese made garbage. Feuerhand is the only quality hurricane lamp left.
Yup. That's for sure. I bought a modern Dietz Little Wizard and the font leaked. Terrible manufacturing.
nope, the real king of quality and performance is the Petromax HK500 (also german) ... if you have around 300 bucks.
The last two Feurhand I bought had problems with the screw on lid and was dripping kerosene. Have had at least 20 of them though. Maybe their quality also have dropped
Id argue that dietz is still good for the money, better than other brands like stansport for example
I'm tired of chi-nah !
You can find the older Dietz lanterns (Pre 1950's) that were made in America in antique shops and various online selling venues, but you need to know what you're looking for. I wouldn't buy any Dietz that was not made in the USA. The old ones have that stamped on the metal and glass parts. The old ones made in the USA are very good quality. I picked one up last weekend locally for $15. Once I cleaned it up, it was basically like brand new. My understanding is that when WW2 occurred, they had to use a cheaper metal due to the war effort, which meant they had to coat them with paint to prevent rust. Anyways, I loved the video. I live very close to Lehmans Hardware (Kidron, OH) there is a large population of Amish in the area and they cater a lot of their products to the amish style of liv9ng off grid. Great store!
Feuerhand needs to make larger sizes to cover more needs.
Agreed
Yes this! I'm looking for an extra large fount (2-3 days operation) with Feuerhand quality. The Dietz Jupiter seems to be hit or miss on quality.
They do, go find an antique
Feuerhand is basically Petromax. HK 500 is quite big.
@@Strandbacker so true so true
I have two modern Feuerhand 276 Baby Special lanterns and I love them... Probably will last as long as I don't submerge them in acid for 6 months. They are small though. Feuerhand needs to make something bigger for sure, a lantern that uses a 7/8 wick!
Yes!👍🏻👍🏻
I find the dietz knob to be a better design and the wick moves marginally smoother as well. A you said, it uses a slightly larger wick. And it has a larger globe, so i find it is slightly better at illumination. I didnt find either to be perfect in their paint jobs. But the feuerhand is better its just basic high heat paint but its way thicker than the dietz. Ive got a NY dietz from just before the move to china in the 50s and its coating is very thin and scratches off in places through normal use such as raising the chimney. However, that same ny made dietz is extremely well made.
For the Feuerhand you are able to get two different glasses one is the clear one, the other one is milkglas. And you are able to buy all kinds of spareparts for the lamp .
Nice
In strong winds you need the "Feuerhand Sturmkappe", this lamp head is designed to be storm-proof. I still have 4 Baby 276 with storm caps from the Army and take very good care of them.
I have a lot of kerosene lanterns, after the 276 Baby, with Sturmkappe, comes very close the Dietz Air pilot
I recently acquired a olive green fuerhand and a green dietz 76 and I love both.
Great video! Not that I was going to buy a Dietz anyway but after watching your Feuerhand vs Chinese one and this one, you've convinced me to buy one, in military green though 😍😎
Bought both after your first review and received both a week ago, actually same color too by chance… You are 100% correct the Feuerhand is better, especially the glass is clearer.. the Deitz has a sharp edge on the round of the wick dial.. Good review. 👍🏻. PS you’d swear you get more light out of the smaller one, maybe just,an optical illusion because of the difference of the glass… Also due to the 1/8” smaller wick they probably have similar burn time. Like your video shows the shape of the flame on the Feuerhand is nicer. Maybe trimming could get them closer. Cheers
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I was looking at Deitz lanterns on Amazon last night.
Just ordered the German one from Lehmann's
Glad I saw this before I made a decision. I'm also looking at Thous Winds - could be your next review!
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The Feuerhand is galvanised and powder coated. That is what you should buy. There are also Feuerhand lanterns that are only galvanised, I can not recommand them, they tend to rust. My deep Blue one has no rust at all after years of (outdoor-) use.
I just ordered my Mom a Deitz as a gift before I saw this video I immediately canceled it and ordered the good one😂😂thank you so much
With nearly 60 years experience using hurricane lamps of many “breeds & sizes”, in my opinion, it basically comes down to personal choice. By this I mean that each lamp requires a personal touch so to speak. Depending on the fuel you are using, paraffin, kerosene or citronella will require different tuning. Over the years it all comes natural to the user, but I’ll say this, they work great with citronella as bug repellent devices.
We would use 4 on the row boat when estuary fishing at night and no bugs. Equally, in later years when we moved inland, riverbank fishing only required 2.
My parents both grew up without electricity as kids so they were pretty darn good at wick trimming and could fine tune the wick to give different shaped flame for different purposes, flat, triangle or rounded.
I’m getting on in years now but we still have 7 or 8 floating around the house, youngest is about 30 years old, my brothers “stole” the older ones 😂😂 (around 80 years old).
You put a bloody bee in my bonnet now 😂, I’ll have have to fire some up for the grandkids because the last time I used the was when the eldest was about 2 and that was 17 years ago 😂😂 (showing my age now).
Cheers to you my friend, thanks for posting.
All the best from downunder 👋👋👋
You make informative videos thanks. So, actually those are correctly referred to as tubular lanterns. Those are each the "cold blast" versions. If you want a really good lantern may I suggest an antique made before 1950 and as far back as 1890. A good lantern of this era is an Embury no. 2. It has a large fount or reservoir. Also a 3/4" wick. Replacement parts are readily available. The flame should be adjusted to the point of little or no smoke. A basic height is about 1/4" above the cone. This may seem incorrect. You should be able to run your lantern for quite a long time, days, weeks, months without having to clean the inside of the globe. Both of your lanterns in this video are turned up way high.
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Bro. Your shop is so clean I can't take you seriously. 😉
I've got both. I find the Dietz to be a little more "flimsy" but it lights just as bright as the Feuerhand. The Feuerhand seems like it would stand up to more abuse but I'm not using it in a mine or chasing cows in a blizzard. The Feuerhand glass does remind me of Coleman lantern glass. For everyday use I think both are fine.
I got two Dietz oil lamps, and left them on my balcony for a winter. No direct rain, but road salt is abundant around here. They both got a bit of rust, even inside the cradle, just after one winter.
The Feuerhand is OK. You get it for under 20 USD in Germany if you look around a bit. Worth the price.
I am still with the old brass piano lamp my parents inherited decades ago. (A piano lamp has the gas tank offset to the side. If you put it on top of the piano case, you can have the wick and the screen giving light from above to your score and your keyboard.)
Petromax HK500 if you want the ultimate in German lanterns....but it's almost 10 times more expensive than the Feurhand
I’m eyeballing those
So Worth the Price. It is bloody bright .
@@GearGadgetReviews The Coleman-variety of pressurized Kerosene-lanterns isn't bad either. And probably MUCH cheaper in the USA than any Petromax.
@@GearGadgetReviews Guess you're a lantern reviewer now, weird niche
@@19ghost73 The Petromax HK500 has 400W light output.
-Wick size makes a big difference. And Dietz (even the new China ones) are pretty good lanterns.
-Everybody - please always do a leak test on even NEW fonts before you fill them up with lamp oil. To can seal a leaky one with gas tank sealer.
-I don't know why anyone would have a lantern and not want to maximize light output, so that is why I'm still partial to the Dietz models with the 7/8 wicks. D-Lite, Blizzard, Jupiter 2500, etc.
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I know feurhands is superior in terms of fit and finish + glass quality, but the jingoistic, borderline bigoted response to affordable, reasonable quality Chinese product is hilarious and sad.
I use these lanterns for ambience in my back yard and own a number of both. I enjoy all of them but the feuerhand lanterns are noticeably better quality and are my favorite even if the light output is slightly less because as stated I use them for ambience and not concerned about the slight difference in brightness.
bruh
I have found old Dietz from way back that were used by The City of LA, and some of the Railroads. They look the same (basically) on the outside but seem to be of much better quality. I wish a lantern expert would interject here and let us know when and what Dietz lanterns were USA made. I didn't know about Feuerhand until this UA-cam. German engineering and the old world craftsmanship never disappoints!
Thanks!
I believe Dietz stopped US production in 1956, and moved manufacturing to Hong Kong. The older US made Dietz lanterns are high quality lifetime(if cared for properly) lamps. You can still find vintage working order US made Dietz lamps for sale at a reasonable price, sometimes cheaper than the Chinese cheap trash.
I don’t think those are handles on the side. They are part of the air chamber for taking in fresh air. They are a cold blast type lantern.
They carry flame- heated air down to the flame!
have myself a Petromax since years, like this things
A USA made Dietz will have stamping on the right side air tube with patent dates etc. Moved to Hong Kong or China in 1957 I think. I have some of both USA and foreign, both are good but obviously rather have US.
One of my favorites is an Elgin sold by Sears, a rebranded Embury lantern.
Now you get to compare the new Dietz lantern to an old Dietz lantern. Build quality will be much more in line with the German one. I have many old Dietz lanterns going into the early 1900’s. Even the ones from the 50’s are way better than the Chinese modern ones. As long as they are stamped with New York. NY on them, they should be good. Replacement parts are also readily available. I do have one of the German models, and it is a good lantern. I have been buying and restoring antique lanterns and oil lamps for several years now as a hobby. In general, I prefer the older ones over most of the new stuff available these days.
Enjoyed the video. Good comparisons. Kirkman makes a Dietz clone with a few upgraded features but it still is inferior to the Fuerhand. The first difference I noticed was the fuel fill cap. The Fuerhand screwed on and off very securely. But the Kirkman felt a little mushy. If I wasn’t careful, it seemed like I could easily cross thread the cap.
Thanks👍🏻
I also have both, but, my Feurhand is the larger of the two. Yes, both are older models made in the 1940's. And yes the larger one puts out more light, duh.
For real light get a center draft with the circular mantles. Aladdin are the most common but I have an older one that works just as well. The Aladdins also can be haed with the mantles whicch are extremely bright (think Coleman camping lanterns).
A step up is the larger circular mantle types called shop or store lights.
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Agreed - the newer Dietz is not near the quality as the Feuerhand lantern. Several companies have gone to
China for manufacturing their products - often resulting in cheaper built products. For only $ 10 more - go with the Feuerhand lantern. Excellent review.
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As an avid lantern collector myself I actually like both of them, the quality of the Feuerhand is great but also the performance and history of the R.E. Dietz company lantern as well as their American made lanterns to me it’s pretty much a toss up but do appreciate the video and your conclusion 👍
I love my Feuerhand lanterns and they also have a more classic look than the Dietz. You can actually see the difference in quality between the two from a distance.
Good comparisons. But for me it's light output. I have to buy the one that's going to be useful.
If you are using an oil lantern at all in this age and in an advanced country, it's at least partly for sentiment. The quality of the Feuerhand just makes using it feel better.
First, congratulations on you improved pronunciation of Feuerhand since your previous video, still not great but I can tell that you are trying. LOL. I am in my mid-sixties and kerosene lanterns were a thing in rural areas when I was a child. My Grandfather did not say "kerosene" he said "coal oil". The light that they put out is warm and friendly, much more so than any LED lantern. Your video prompred me to buy a lantern, a Feuerhand to be exact. The difference in quality is readily evident both to see and to hear in the video. One thing I came across in looking for a lantern was a Czech lantern called "Meva". I would expect the quality to be on par with the German lantern. Would you be interested in doing a video adding a Meva to the comparison? Thanks again for your videos.
Thank you👍🏻👍🏻
The Feuerhand is galavanized which prevents it from rusting.
I have used Feuerhand for decades. In the last year - months appart - I bought two. Both had problems with the screw lid. Not tight
I think in the house for looking at Dietz for me is the win. More light more heat and looks better on the mantel. But, I totally agree with the Feuerhand is made better. I would like to have a few of these for as you said I could use camping in snow not worry about globe break. Again the glass in the Dietz is not impressive. Mine was getting scratches just trying to mess with it first use.
I had a small dietz comet for camping and my shed it was pretty good but after several years it rusted through the tank and I had to throw it away. Now I just have 2 tabletop oil lamps. I keep looking at the Aladdin lamps maybe someday I will pull the trigger on one
Jaaa! Deutsche Qualität!❤
Try W.T. Kirkman out of Romona, Ca. He supplies many of the living history locomotives their lanterns. Not to mention all of the movies his creations have been in.
1:30 I bought the silver colored "Feuerhand" for $47 (Ebay}. Ironically, all the other colors were $10 more, except the "speckled iron," which cost even more!
This makes perfect sense, as they are all coated with zinc (galvanized). The solid colored ones have a coating applied on top of that, a powder coating, which is a dry paint that is then baked to form a durable finish.
Dietz lanterns were made here in Syracuse, New York. There are still many of the older lanterns found in antique shops around Central New York. I have several. Certainly a quality lantern. Sad that they sold out overseas.
They would do well if they could make them back in the States.
Make America great again.
Dietz started production in the far east in the 1950s under a Republican president. Donald Trump who came up with the tagline you put at the end of your comment, gets his merchandise made in the far east as well. Including tacky $100,000 watches because he’s a massive hypocrite.
Agreed.
Also, every Dietz lantern I own leaks. It "seeps" out around the seam on the bottom of the resevior. My Feuerhand is Guaranteed to NOT leak and it never has! I LOVE them!
I've heard many times that many of the dietz lamps have a oil leak problem.
Dietz are also Chinese these days. I ordered one of theirs first due to brand recognition from the past. Long story short, it was junk, so I went with the German made Fire Hand. Cheers.
Personally I would just get an old embury #2 air pilot nice streamlined lamp. I think embury made about the best lamps.
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Feuerhand Has Better Quality But Basically Only Comes In Two Models And The One You Have Is The Only Model You Actually Can Find. Dietz However Comes In Many Models And Sizes.
For me the number of models a brand makes has no bearing on what I would choose to purchase. It’s the quality of construction that contributes to my decision-making.
They make only one model now surely, the 276? I'd be interested to hear what the other model is please?
Feuerhand is german over enginering at its finest.
Classic design (focus durable),
immortal in the hands of someone with a "I can fix her attitude"
and efficient in doing its job.
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Enjoyable video thanks.
It all comes down to the flame and will it burn 🔥 true. And walk out into the rain 🌧️
😊 Feuerhand has a better unit
I'd agree with you that Freuhand is a much better built lantern, I've got several and they will last generations. I also have several Deitz lanterns. And of those my favorite is the little Wizzard with the larger fuel tank. The Deitz little wizard is probably the smoothest working of all the deitz.
Coleman lanterns are still made in Wichita Kansas
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You just say it, u can give it somedays to your kids, thats allways a sign for best quality!
My baby 276 was 45.00 and is slightly but noticeably better quality than my original '76 dietz, i paid 24.00 for it. They are both solid and perform pretty equally. For your buck and utilities' sake the dietz is a better buy purely cause its cheaper. But he is right, the feuerhand is worth the extra 10-25 bucks to someone who will pay more for better. Neither are very expensive. Both are great.
But my old NY dietz lanterns really leave nothing on the table, and the WT Kirkmann remake of the dietz is better than a feuerhand, but its larger and more expensive.
In 2018 I traded in my last Mercedes for a KIA Sportage, best choice ever
The Dietz lantern is nothing more than another cheap China lantern. It leaks hard to get the cap on thin Steele.
And old beach glass is an absolute major find!!! When that glass gets hot it glows and is brighter than the flame itself. The catch is no one has been able to figure out how deep is used to make that glass do that to modern geese glass you get with the etched dates logo, is the new dietz, if it's embossed on the glass you've got a major find, and it's worth finding the type of lantern it takes that it fits to use it
I have a Dietz from the early 1900s it's bail is the same as the one you have.
Did you not notice when you put the glass down after lighting the firehand the light will get white that's why I love them 😅
I have never seen a feuerhand in germany, we use Petromax that may or may not been stolen when in mandatory service.
They are much much brighter, very sturdy and they made all kinds of add-ons for them for heat, cooking, etc.
That's a weird thing to say, because you can find Feuerhand lamps everywhere.
Petromax is also nice, but way more expensive and a complete different system.
Since the fuel is under pressure and it uses a gas mantle and not just a wick.
Always a slap in the face when some conglomerate company buys out a company with a good name and makes them a zombi brand.
my 2 cent on knowing how to carry these type lanterns when walking out side or inside----carry the lantern with arm hanging down normal you will see it is best not to carry lantern at eye-chest level as i see many do.
Howdy---if you want a good-quality Hurricane lamp try a W.T Kirkman #2 C.B.---mine is over 10-15 years old now--still working as good as the day i bought it. sad part for you is not much in color choice. lol.
My Dietz, just like the one pictured, leaked like a sieve when it was brand new. My $8.00 Walmart one works and doesn't leak...hmmm!
Cheap petroleum lanterns are sometimes even available in China on Aliexpress for 2.95 euros! The normal price is somewhere between 8 and 14 euros. I trust the experience of the German Feuerhand lanterns, which were bought by PETROMAX after their 100th anniversary, but continue to operate in Germany with the old machines and the old patents. BUT Feuerhand lanterns are not “liquid-tight” either, as a user you have to know that. But I was able to buy a new Feuerhand Baby Special 276, a transport bag, a large additional reflector and 1 liter of petroleum for 50 euros on eBay!
I would chose the lantern with better light out put because that is the whole purpose with the lanterns.
I appreciate and agree with all your observations on quality issues. The Chinese clones are really cheap feeling. HOWEVER, the idea of "handing one down for generations" is delusional. This isn't the 19th century.
I restore old lanterns. The old American made lanterns are excellent. I prefer the Embury lanterns I think they are better than the Dietz but I do have a lot of Dietz lanterns as well. I have one that was my grandfathers that was made in 1906, not my oldest lantern but still cool to have a lantern that was used by my grandfather.
Your Feuerhand is looking to have the same specifications than my Meva from Tchekoslovakia.
Please try the petromax hk500.
If my recall is working today, the Dietz No.8 Air Pilot is the only original Dietz design still in production, though there are other later models produced. Not sure if that would make a difference. I have an old No 8 made in the USA that is a very good light. Sadly, all are imports now.
In the UK Deitz is £20 to £40 dearer than the Feuerhand on Amazon
Can you hang these from a ceiling?
Would sesame oil work in these?
The old dietz were good when made in US. Some good ones available. Made of real US iron.
only trouble is in buying used, the people selling them want more than new pricing.
at least here i cal.
What's going on with the air holes on the bottom part of the chimney on the Dietz lamp? They seem unevenly spaced and randomly placed.
Much safer than our Coleman and not nearly as fussy plus the fuel is safer to carry.
Dietz is made by the PRC, Feuerhand is German made. Love my 276
I bought a feuehand lantern after your first vid. I had about 8 Dietz lanterns prior, bought about 5 years ago.
My 5 year old Air Pilot was my favorite but after buying the feuehand, i bought a brand new Air Pilot for $30 and it's total junk.
I now have 4 feuehand lanterns and they are the best. They just seal better and you can crank them up.
I disagree with you on the flame, i think the feuehand has a whiter, hotter flame and they sip fuel compared to the Dietz.
A german brand name doesnt make a german product. ;-)
Great video.
Regards from Brandenburg
Do they have the GERMAN lamp in a nice GREEN? That purple hurts my eyes!
Come on! Call it Firehand! 😮or better....Firefist! 😊
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Should have compared it to a Dietz 76 so it was similar sized lamps
Great video
The whole point of making things in China is to make them cheaper. Not necessarily less expensive, you understand, just cheaper.
Funny thing is I'm pretty sure that Mr. Dietz was a German as well. 😂 "Dietz" can be only a german name cause of the ie ( for a long pronunciation of an (i) and the tz on the end.
Thanks for the comparison. Is there still a 'W' in front of 'Germany' on the Feuerhand housing? The W. Stands for West Germany. Little story! As a jung man, I worked for the Nier company (original manufacturer) of this lantern. At the time I was told that the W had been removed, but there were questions from customers (miners) who wants to know if it was still the unchanged original. I'm not sure if the story is true, but the W came back on the lantern.😂
No. Why should there be a w on it? There is only one Germany, since some decades.
@@karlnovac1726Maybe it's still the old tool.