Jetboil SOL vs minimo

[kpk]

I can pick up a SOL al for about $30 bucks less than the minimo. Is there anything that makes the minimo worth a little bit more other than the pot shape??

 

[DudeFromOhio]

The Minimo had the adjustable burner so you can regulate temperature. The Sol you can only boil.

 

[Dodgeis4me]

i just ordered the minimo from amazon for $103...

 

[bogeyboy555]

I can pick up a SOL al for about $30 bucks less than the minimo. Is there anything that makes the minimo worth a little bit more other than the pot shape??

kpk - I will just share this brief story with you about JetBoil stoves......

Last year I had a brand spankin' new jetboil sol and the orange plastic (what is black on the minimo) started melting on two occasions when using the burner in a decently breezy area. It was a complete failure. I contacted Jetboil's parent company, (forget who that is specifically), and was basically told to go buy a new one. I ended up buying my THIRD, backcountry stove in the form of a MSR Reactor 1.0L stove and could not possibly be happier. I take it with me in the car on long weekend ski trips here in colorado and keep it at my desk at work to make tea during the day. the JetBoil is like anything else, if it has plastic on it - it is probably more likely to fail that a something made of solid metal like the MSR products.

Additionally, in horrid weather last year i was able to use the burner of the MSR reactor to actually help dry out a portion of kindling to get a fire going when it was pouring rain at 12,000 feet. I just turned it slightly on an angle and was thankfully able to get a dried out piece ignited. The Jetboil design would have completely melted the support ring in this same circumstance (orange SOL part).... the Jetboil lid is also pretty cheap and the plastic easily weakens. I am pretty tough on my gear in general, but in my opinion the SOL has more plastic parts and is better suited for basic use car camping than tough hunting.

if the sticker of the MSR Reactor is scary, which it is, I would for sure try and snag one of their pocket-rockets or something of that sorts that is more versatile and durable. You can usually get one of those for around 50 bucks, they take a bit more fuel because they dont have the wind protection, but definitely worth the no hassle and reliability.

 

[Beendare]

I've heard similar stories to boogy above but the Jetboils continue to take over the butane stove market. ...I don't get it but mainly because they are bulky.

Now they have models that are less bulky...but not as compact as my Crux or comparable.

 

[Mtnboy]

I've had the same jet boil for years and used it in every condition imaginable, no melted plastic.

 

[kpk]

Thanks for the input guys. I may just stick with my pocket rocket. It's tried and true. Something more efficient in wind would certainly be nice, but it's not needed for the length of my trips.