Optimus Nova vs Polaris, surprising results!

Optimus Nova vs Polaris, surprising performance results!

[@jackt6112]

Thank you for taking the time for this video. I may be needing a stove soon. My thoughts: - If you are planning to use gas, then get a gas stove. It would be cheaper, faster, more efficient, and lighter. The Jetboil Flash will boil a liter of water in 100 seconds. - If you are concerned about fuel availability, or working under all conditions, go liquid with the Nova Plus. - The Polaris, due to design compromises, combines the worst of both worlds. It doesn't have the rapid heating and light weight of gas, and it is temperamental and anemic on liquid. It probably produces 60%-65% FEWER BTUs than the Nova Plus on liquid fuels.

[@tidypog3272]

This comment changed my mind. I'm going to buy the Nova, since the Nova+ seems like it's designed to save cost. I'd rather have the regular valves

[@Max_Marz]

you can hear one of them sputtering, did you keep the bottles pumped up really well?

[@Outdoor-Ostfriesland]

I think something Went absolutely wrong. My Optimus Never took That much time to Boil 1 Liter of water. Normally about 3-4 Minutes.

[@TheTurbomoose]

You have to note that this was not a test to show how fast these two stoves (can) boil water. The test was not performed under optimal conditions to get a short boiling time. There were many parameters that can be improved to decrease the boiling time eg. fule (most important), temperature, humidity etc... The test only shows that under these specific conditions with liquid fule the old Nova performs much better than the Polaris even if the Polaris stove is rated with higher power out put. I think the Polaris is designed for use with Butane/Propane fule and the Nova is designed for liquid fule. Both stoves run great on these fules and you can reach the boiling times you are talking about under good conditions. But if you switch the fule between the stoves, both stoves will run quite bad with pulsating noise. But they will run.

[@Paulteee]

My pulsates like a helicopter on everything but gas. I have many good stoves and have come to the conclusion that the Polaris is unfit for universal fuel use. It makes too many compromises for marketability of universal jet

[@damianhill6704]

Just ease the valve nearest the bottle back towards the off position to stop the spluttering.

[@hfokdvik]

Hi. I was looking through your video. I have a polaris myself and did the same test with my stove. I used standard 1,5 liter kettle from Trangia. 1 liter water from the spring at 5°c 170m above sealevel. White gase from primuse as fuel. Testcondisions inside at 20°c. My stove Optimus Polaris used 3 min and 55 sec to get to 100°c.

[@TheTurbomoose]

Normally I get a boiling time around 4 minutes with good fule. But the fule I used in the test had quite low energy so the boiling time was very long. I never got the Polaris to run good on liquid fule so I only run it on Butane fule and it works great with that and have good performance. For the most I use the old Nova because I think it's a better stove for the need I have.

[@LexLuthor1234]

@@TheTurbomoose Maybe the jet from the Nova is more suited to the liquid fuels than the Polaris, which has to try and cover more fuel types, after all? I do wonder if one can switch the cleaner needle and jet from the Nova to the Polaris burner unit, (should their dimensions allow it), and if this would neutralize the differenze you see here.

[@dt719]

@@LexLuthor1234 The Jet part number for both Nova and Polaris are the same. They use the same rebuild kit.

[@LexLuthor1234]

@@dt719 weird, you might be right mind you, but then why does the nova, (allegedly) burn kerosene better than the polaris?

[@srendavidsen3445]

Your flameplate on the optimus polaris dosent seem to get hot. My flameplate gets glowing red ?

[@spicecrop]

No fucking way the Polaris took double the time. You have a dirty jet. Shake the shaker jet and try again dude.

[@scheisstag]

I have to admit: I havent watched the whole clip. I just came for a quick comparison: at 7:29. The Polaris has over 1000 W more, but still takes double the time?

[@Saltfly]

Incorrect priming and starting procedure.

[@TheTurbomoose]

What do you think I'm doing incorrectly? I use the same starting procedure for both stoves. What is different in the starting procedure for the Polaris compared to the Nova? I have used the Nova for 20 years and thousands of starts without problems.

[@Saltfly]

@@TheTurbomoose you lit the priming fuel before you let the fuel get to the priming wick. That’s why it didn’t prime correctly. You have to let the fuel soak the wick. Maybe turn the fuel valve a little further to allow more fuel to the wick. Those two stoves are almost identical and your priming process was not.

[@Asryko]

I just test my Polaris, 500ml water need 4:30 and my stove is new. I think it is a problem, how to fix it? I need some help.

[@pyromaniac1491]

My Polaris primes the same as my nova and omnilite. I wonder why it took so long?

[@_multiverse_]

I’m convinced the only difference is the bore of the jet... burn more fuel get more heat.

[@G00NERJ80]

The priming of the Polaris is not done correctly it never gets hot enough and the pressure is too high in the bottle hence the stuttering.. this is not an accurate test

[@truthseeker104]

Thanks for the review, I have a Polaris but it doesn't take as long as that to prime in my experience it is similar to the Nova you show in this video. I think there must be something wrong with the Polaris, was the jet secure, was the bottle sealing washer working properly? These are 2 problems I experience.

[@TheTurbomoose]

I think I have another explanation for the Polaris priming issue. My Polaris was brand new and it was the first time I used it. You can see in the movie that it was difficult to get fule through the main jet during priming. I think it was some grease from the assembly of the jet, needles and o-rings blocking the fule the first time I used it. It dosen't take that long time to prime now, when I have used it a couple of times. But the Nova is faster to pre heat because it has larger fins compared to the Polaris.

[@truthseeker104]

Yes that would explain it then. Is the Nova you have an older model as I was under the impression that the Polaris and Nova are very similar stoves, for example the spares kit is the same for both? If i was "splitting hairs" I would say that Optimus could work on the Polaris to achieve a smoother operation as I have found it a bit "spluttery" for want of a better term. It heats ok but fuel delivery isn't as smooth as I would have hoped for such an expensive stove. The other problem I had was that the flat washer used to seal the pump to the bottle leaked so I replaced it with a round cross section washer (old style MSR washer) and that has been much better.

[@TheTurbomoose]

Yes, my Nova is an older Swedish made model as I write in the end of the movie. The Polaris is also more noisy and have pulsating sound. But all Polaris have that pulsating sound, so I guess that's how they should sound. The Nova runs smooth all the time! Maybe it's the dimension of the fule line that makes the difference. My Novas fule line and fittings have much larger dimensions than the Polaris.

[@truthseeker104]

I have wondered about the dimensions of the fuel line as I have a Whisperlite International that runs very smoothly, a Primus Express Spider with the liquid fuel conversion kit, this also runs less smoothly and has a narrow fuel line, so perhaps it is the Lindal Valve attachment or the fuel line that makes the difference. I had noticed that other videos of Polaris on KZbin have pulsating sound so I guess that is normal for them!

[@TheTurbomoose]

I think it's the Lindal valve that is the bottleneck. I will make a test with the Nova fule line and pump on the Polaris and see what happens. Could also be interesting to use the Polaris fule line and pump on the Nova.

[@cycloneranger5354]

which one sounds like a diesel engine running? because i want the other one lol

[@TheTurbomoose]

The Polaris sounds like that when using liquid fule. It's quiet when using butane or propane.

[@jennycelmejia8380]

Hi. What brand and model of pan is that? Is it light?

[@TheTurbomoose]

It's Primus but I don't know the model. About 10-15 years old so I don't think that model are available any more. Quite light, made out of thin stainless steel.

[@jayk3784]

상향식 저소음연소캡잇써요

[@nicholaslumb7775]

You are using petrol in the nova and paraffin/kerosene in the Polaris so this is not a valid test.

[@TheTurbomoose]

You have obviously not seen the beginning of the video where I declare that the same type of fule is used in both stoves.

[@nicholaslumb7775]

@@TheTurbomoose and I am saying you are not. It is obvious from the way the fuel catches and whooomps on one and can barely be lit on the other. These fuels are not the same.

[@mudmug1]

That's what I saw too

[@cezarpotolin4080]

Run the test again using exact same size of pan to achieve convincing results..maybe it"ll change ....

[@TheTurbomoose]

I don't think it will change so much because the difference in size is only 2mm at the bottom of the pots. That is about 2-3% difference in heat transferring area and I used the bigger pot to the Polaris. So the Polaris actually had an advantage over the Nova in this matter.

[@ypkr]

afaik this is not the correct result even if the polaris has bigger orifice diameter for its own jet. I'm not a fan of Optimus stoves anyway this is not a proper testing that I think. 8min : 17min, it's way too far, nobody uses polaris to have 17min for boling a liter of water. Howver I agree with that polaris has been poorly designed that's why i don't like it. msr dragonfly, primus omnifuel ii is much much better than this. one jet for every fuel, sucks. even jupitor cannot do it with the best combustion.

[@AndrewOliverHome]

Great video