Anyone from Coleman listening???

[Guest]

Tied two new mantles on my dual fuel Saturday morning on the kitchen table before heading out. Lit them up to pre-burn them (without the gas on). Everything looks good so far - - wait, a dime-sized hole just appeared in one mantle. After a little tantrum, I opened up another pack and tied a new one on (being extremely careful not to damage the ONE good one). Pre-burned this one, and finally, two good mantles. Carefully re-installed the globe and turned the gas on low and lit. Oh look - - a pea-sized hole in a mantle. Later out on the ice while carefully pumping the lantern, one mantle broke halfway off.

Am I doing something wrong??? The instructions on these Green Tops are very vague, and are basically just some generic little pictures. I know I'm not the only one fed up with these pieces of ****. Can't you guys come out with a more durable product?!?! I don't remember ever having these problems with the Gold Tops.

[mr marbles]

Make sure your only using the heat of the match for pre burning the mantles, hold that match away from the mantle, sometimes ive noticed when you get that match flame to close it thins the fiber itself. It also could just be flawed mantles. good fishin

[redhooks]

Also be very careful not to touch the lower portion of the mantles- I heard that oil from your hands will break them down when burned so I try to only touch the top green portion as well as the strings-hope that helps.

[kwkfsh]

I have had good luck by not fully preburning the mantles. I lite them and as they are smoldering I turn the gas on and lite the lantern. This seems to puff the mantles out to a nice round shape. I cannot ever get them round if I don't do this and they seem to hold up much better than if they are wrinkled and kinked. I know this is not what the directions say but I find it works quite a bit better for me.

[Guest]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I doubt it's oil from my hands, although I could definitely see how that could be a problem. By this time of year, I have about the dryest, ugliest cracked fingertips you can imagine. About the only moisture coming from them will be after a few more outings when the cracks in them actually start bleeding (ouch!). Maybe I'll try lighting without pre-burning them. I'm also going to try some of the RV mantles like someone suggested in another thread I started a week ago in my search for Gold Tops, which I found out they stopped making in 1990!

[Scoot]

I have a duel-fuel Coleman lantern and have the same old mantle problems too.
Since your question was answered, I'll barge in and ask one of my own. When I light mine, I get pretty big flames from it for about 1-2 minutes. The flames come about 8-14 inches off of the top of the lantern. It just doesn't seem safe and I don't like it. If I bring it back to Scheels will they replace it after having it for about a year? I'm not a fan of 1-pound tanks, but I'm thinking about getting a lantern powered by propane.
Scoot

[Guest]

I don't know much about these lanterns or how the generators work, so maybe someone else can tell you if it sounds like you need a new part. I always make sure mine is pumped up really well, then turn the gas way down for a few seconds after lighting it. This seems to keep the flaming to a minimum. After 10 or 15 seconds of burning at a low setting, I go ahead and crank it up and then it will glow very bright without the flames. It acts like something needs to warm up for a few seconds. It will flame like crazy if I just crank it up high immediately after lighting it when it's cold.

[Guest]

I gave up on bringing a mantle type lantern icefishing a few years ago. Sure, I liked it for the light and the heat but constantly changing the mantles finally drove me to leave it home. I have adapted to 12v lighting and using a headlamp. Once they come out with a ceramic mantle that won't break, I'll go right back to carrying it again. I suppose they won't ever release a ceramic one because then, no more cash cow in mantle sales. Know anyone in ceramics? Hmmmmm? I think I do. Maybe I'll make a call..........T

[Guest]

Yeah Tbone, that's the reason we use them. I don't want to have to carry both a light AND a heater.

[Pig_sticka]

i have 2 recharable florescent colman lanterns and they have worked great for me. for 30 dollars worth u dont need to buy anything else. use it for a night or 2 then just recharge when u go to bed. they dont produce as much light as a propane lantern but they do the job. i dont know dump about any of that stuff so i go simple.

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Good luck sticking pigs this year!

[I Like Worms]

propane laterns work great. I have the $20 one, comes with a case. can use 1# cylinders or hook up to pole that you can then run your heater off of too. Thats what I do, heater/lantern all in one. no complaints.
I have gas ones, but they are just collecting dust on my storage shelf. no more pumping, getting gas on my hands from refilling.

[Guest]

My buddy has a propane one, and I agree it does work great, but he still cusses at the P.O.S. mantles just like me. I just don't want to have to buy and toss out empty propane cylinders all the time, and a thread here from last year left me pretty concerned about the safety (or lack thereof) of refilling them!

[Guest]

I'm suprised you guys are having so much trouble with mantles. I use my lantern for trout fishing at night on inland lakes, camping, and of course, ice fishing. I don't think I use more than two or three pairs a year.

Scoot,

Since the newer lanterns don't have the cleaning lever, just turn the valve back until the flames stop, then crank it back up.

Mike

[MNice]

I 've been using a coleman white gas lantern for years and really don't have to much trouble with the mantles. Knowing T-Bone, we'll have some new invention in the near future

[Guest]

I buy the quick clip mantles...Clip em' on, put the globe and top back on....Pump her up and light it. They will shrink on there own...I gave up shrinking them.

I drag the lantern in the non-shock-absorbing cheap *** plastic case you get in the "trap" behind the sled over the drifts and such. Haven't had to replace them too many times...But I was probably lucky and have jinxed myself now.

Well oh well. Gas lanterns are good because of the heat factor they give. Otherwise I would go with the battery flourescent ones, or some other lighting system.

White Gas on your fingers though doesn't seem to be a real treat that the Crappies like to smell on your Angel Eye.

PCG

[Matt D]

I'm a fan of the quick-clip mantles too, and I haven't seemed to have too much trouble with them breaking very often. If they do, it's nothing to put on a new one. Same as PCG and others, I don't pre-burn; just put 'em on and light, and they end up nice and full. Stinky white gas is a hassle at times but I stick with it because I hate the waste of the 1 lb. cans and the risks associated with refilling them aren't worth it to me.

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Best FISHES,
Matt

[minneman]

Im with Tbone,12v, battery weight isnt an issue with me anyway, there arent enough times that I go on thin enough ice where I need to be worried about weight so the 12v lights were a no brainer, soon most will be driving out (nock on wood). and ya cant beat the quiet light either.

[HOGEYE]

I don't even preburn mine and it has always worked just fine.

[Guest]

My problem isnt with the mantles its with the cheap thin globes,I seem to break about an average of five a year.More times than not when I break the globe the mantles are still intact,I also dont preburn I just light and turn the lantern on.Anyone have ideas about the cheap glass globes!Sorry but being more careful isnt one of them!lol.

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cal

[Surface Tension]

Ive gone through my share of globes too.
They are thinner then then old ones.
Ive had them break from just the heat of the lantern. My coleman lantern has cost me a couple hundred bucks so far. I'm done throwing money away on coleman globes. Has anyone tried a piece of screen. It should let the light out and slow the wind down enough so your socks dint turn into ferry dust.
I have battery lanterns and they don't put out bright light and the battery is dead in a few hours. They're just not practical on a weekend trip.

[redhooks]

After breaking 3 globes in one winter I bought a screen globe a couple years back at ganderMTN for about 6$-not sure if they still sell them but I'm sure you can find them somewhere or make one easily enough with some screen and staples-it doesn't give off as much light as a glass globe and sometimes the mantles get damaged as the latern bounces up and down in the back of my otter at 40mph but it's definitely unbreakable which is good for a clumsy fisherman like myself and I would rather pay a couple bucks for more mantles than contribute to the coleman disposable globe market-could they make the glass any thinner? It's a scam I tell ya!

[Guest]

Thanks for all the replies and advice, guys. I'll have to stop pre-burning them and see if there is any difference. I have only broken a couple of globes so far, but I try to be pretty careful with the #*%@ thing. We have to tread lightly anyways because our ice doesn't get as thick here in Michigan as you guys'!! Looks like, so far, no one from Coleman IS listening. . . . maybe we should forward this thread to their customer relations department?!?!

[deadeye]

I have had the same problem with all of the things you guys have talked about. I found a really cheap replacment globe at target, not colman but some generic brand and it has lasted the longest, i have had it two years running and I use the lantern every time i go out.(3-4 times a week) I got one of those lantern cases and that seems to have cured the broken glass blues. I'm still cursed with the mantles though. It seems to me that they last longer when i burn them before starting the lantern, when i put new ones on there and just fire it up they get blown through every time.
good luck ><>DEADEYE

[ccarlson]

I've had the same frustrations over the years. Mainly broken globes that I hate. But I finally found the solution. I just got my princeton tech LED headlamp in the mail and used it the other night. I will never carry a lantern ice fishing again. If these things burn as long as they say on a set of 3 AAA batts, I can't see needing to use a lantern. I set mine on the lowest setting while sitting and then touched it up to high when I needed more light. I got mine through the gears and gadgets connection on this site. I love it so far. Now if my glow devils would just get here from being backordered.
ccarlson

[Fishn'Lady]

I have had several Coleman lanterns over the years. The most recent is the duel fuel powerhouse. I rarely have a problem with mantles and I always pre-burn them. I find if I do have a problem I have either over burned them or held the flame on them too long. I find if I just light them at the bottom and take the flame away and let them take their own course, smoldering and all, it seems to be fine. They may not burn all the way to the top but pretty close. Then I light the lantern up before going out to test them. Even though the newest lantern is duel fuel we always burn Coleman's white gas. I too have broken a couple of globes in my time but only because something has accidentally fallen against them.

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Hey! Your bobbers gone!

Fishn'Lady

[Steve Foss]

I've got a Coleman Northstar propane lantern with the single mantle wired at top and bottom.

I rarely have trouble with burning in a mantle. I've used it for three years, catfishing at night on the banks of rivers and ice fishing at night as well. But, for ice fishing at least, I'm shelving the lantern.

Why? The Princeton Aurora Tec headlamp makes it obsolete, unless you need a very bright pool of light, which isn't necessary for night fishing in a shelter, or the extra heat the lantern provides. Too many banged-up and cracked glass globes, disintegrating mantles, etc., for me to keep packing the thing when the headlamp is so much more versatile and hands-free.