I used my Dragonfly almost more than my kitchen stove over the last 1.5 years. It is great and clogging was never a problem with gas/whitegas. I had it braking twice, but MSR keeps sending me new ones.

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After reading some of the reviews (there were 133 at last count), I detect a bit of a controversy with this stove. I also am a bit disappointed with the flimsy pump (I''ve already broken 2 of them), and I''ve noticed a poor boil time when compared to my whisperlite. Also, on a recent trip to Mt. Baker, at 8300 feet, I had a bit of a hard time melting snow for prolonged periods. It seems the windscreen cuts down on the oxygen circulation, and the stove starts to die. But when you open up the screen a little to improve airflow, you lose some efficiency and still don''t get good performance. I never did figure out how to fix this, aside from using my whisperlite up high in the mountains. Down low, I''ve had no burn problems, but it is a bit loud. As far as durability goes, I used it on and off for a whole year and never had to clean the valve, but recently the fuel stem broke off of the stove entirely! Luckily I was at home when i discovered this! I returned it to REI, and they gave me a new one, but I am considering trading it in for an optimus nova. The problems I''ve had are relatively minor, but don''t inspire confidence with this stove, which is a shame because I''ve always had good experiences with MSR products in general.

Customer Service

All ican say is: THANK GOD FOR REI!!!

Similar Products Used:

MSR whisperlite internationale

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I have been looking for the ideal stove for years. The stove must be real hot (you just don''t know how hot a stove has to be to fry fish properly until you try it) and it must be able to simmer reliably too. The Dragonfly has performed admirably for me for the past 2 seasons (approx 30 days/season). It has done well in high winds and cold blizzard conditions. It is one of the easier stoves to prime, it has a very stable pot stand and it packs down OK (fits easily inside an MSR 2L pot with a bunch of other stuff). All in all I rate this an excellent stove from the ease-of-use, performance and reliability perspective. My only complaint is the noise. This stove is loud. However, it is not that much louder than stoves of a similar design (Primus Himalaya, Optimus Nova etc, MSR XGK etc. - all of which I have owned). That being said, it is still too loud for me. The noise has driven me in search of a new stove. To this end, I have recently purchased a second hand Optimus Explorer. My tests show it to be slightly hotter than the Dragonfly and it simmers well and it is much quieter. One thing though, it is more difficult than the Dragonfly to prime properly. I haven''t used it on a trip yet so I can''t comment on the Explorer''s general usability. Its probably a moot point for most of you though, the Explorer is discontinued. If it weren''t for the noise I would have given the Dragonfly 5 stars.

Customer Service

Not needed yet.

Similar Products Used:

Optimus Nova, Primus Himalaya, MSR XGK, MSR Wisperlite, Coleman Peak 1 multifuel, Coleman Feather 400, Coleman Max Extreme, various propane stoves, Optimus Explorer

I originally got the stove for the simmering option. However, this "conversation stopper" hasn't had exceptional boil times for me, but excellent fuel burnage/simmering for those times you accidentally packed the NONinstant oatmeal. If you need a stove for boiling water, stick to the whisperlite. If you prefer a more stable base stove with variable heat output, then the dragonfly would be a pick. Just be warned that Metallica would be jealous of the decibals you can conjure with this device for all the wildlife to run away or mosh to.

Similar Products Used:

coleman, gaz, peak1

I used this stove on Operation Cannibal which was an attempt to summit Mount Whitney (highest mountain in 49 of 50 states) on January 14, 2001. Tent Team Two also had a Dragon Fly. Both stoves worked very well at 8F (well below zero) and at an altitude of 9, 400+ feet. We both had the heat shields too. We were feeding and watering 5 adult males and the stoves met all of our expectations. The stoves never clogged, broke, etc. Yes, it is a little loud and requires priming. The cartridge stove used as an auxillary stove was easier to start but not nearly as reliable to maintain for serious snow melting. Maybe MSR shipped all of their garbage stoves to Australia?

Customer Service

Never had to use it

Similar Products Used:

MSR XGK

Why is it that Brits and Aussies are the biggest complainers about everything? What has their countries produced to make backpacking more enjoyable? Anyway, I've had the dragonfly since it first came out a few years ago and I have never had a problem. Then again, I take care of my equipment and understand how to use it. I have really nothing negative to say about this stove. Stable, adjustable flame, multi-fuel use and durability made it my pick of the liquid gas stoves.

Customer Service

no, it's been reliable thus far

Similar Products Used:

trangia, zip, solid fuel and canister stoves

I used the Whisperlite until I was seduced by MSR's slick marketing of this product.

The stove simmers well as promised but I did notice boil times where slow. I tested it against my Whisperlite and to my surprise the Dragonfly took 70 seconds longer to boil a litre of water. I tested both stoves again using a wider based pot and the aluminium heat shields fitted. This made all the difference, turning the tables on the previous results, it boiled a litre in 3:10 and the Whisperlite 4:15. It seems the heat shield dramatically affects the performance of this stove, much more so than the Whisperlite.

The "cool-fuel" valve clogs too much and needs frequent cleaning, particularly if you are using less than pure fuels. If you are traveling in less developed countries, that's what you'll be using.

The Whisperlite spreads the flame more evenly too, whereas the Dragonfly emits a small cone of flame which concenrates most of the heat in centre of pots, which sit higher over the burner than the Whisperlite. Maybe this has something to do with why the stove's performance plummits without the heat reflector and windshield?

The pump is made of plastic, rather brittle plastic, and at sub zero temps it will become more brittle still. It's junk, pure and simple. MSR should be ashamed. I accidentaly dropped mine from less than 3 feet and it shattered. This is supposed to be a piece of equipment designed for years of use in rugged outdoor conditions - what a joke. I had a spare Whisperlite pump but the Dragonfly fuel tube was too big for it. So for piece of mind you need to carry a backup (more weight) because chances are the pump will break or melt at some point. MSR pumps are not cheap either - it's an insult considering how crap they are. You should not have to worry about this. The pump should be metal.

In summary I wouldn't recommend this stove. Sure it simmers, but it's loud, the cool-fuel valve has to be tended like a baby to keep it running sweet, the pump is pathetic, it's not particularly light, and it's overpriced. After having used it now for about six months I can say that there's no way I'd feel good about having to rely on this stove for an extended period in the mountains, where my life may depend on being able to melt snow etc. I'm going to get rid of mine and will probably try an Optimus Nova, which simmers, has an aluminium pump, burns almost anything, is quieter (so I'm told), and is built better.

So do yourself a favour and look around a bit before purchasing a Dragonfly. You can find much better.

Customer Service

The Australian MSR distributor sent me a pump body to replace the shattered one with no hassles. They only charged for the postage. In hindsight I should've asked them for two!

Similar Products Used:

Whisperlite
Whisperlite Internationale 600
Coleman duel fuel
XGK II

Great stove, very stable pot and pan platform, simmers great.
A little bulky and really loud (not sure if that's a bad thing?)

Similar Products Used:

MSR whisperjet - inexpensive but not as easy to cook with

I'm glad i read all of these reviews because i was having problems with my dragonfly as well. I called msr and they told me to get the maintenance kit for the sooted up cool fuel valve. The loudness didn't bother me. I bought it mostly for the platform. I've actually been using the xgk in its place. It's about the same loudness, but I've also been using it very hard (about 30 to 45 days a year for 5 years). It's all bent up and probably needs a cleaning soon. It's the stove I recommend to all of my friends. It simmers well enough to cook rice and that's about all the cooking i do anyways. To msr's credit, their products are usually superb, but the cool fuel valve idea is a little new to them. For anyone looking for turn key simmering, i would suggest the optimus nova. With svea under their belt, they've got over a hundred years of "cool fuel valve" experience. I'm glad that msr put the xgk over the dragonfly this year in their lineup. I know that last year it was around 80 dollars and this year it is unchanged and 110. It's truly the only stove you'll ever need. I think the dragonfly is still good for people going car camping or those who take good care of their gear. It's just a little more maintenance intensive than I would expect from MSR. I'll definitely keep the stove around as my luxury cooker.

Customer Service

excellent customer service

Similar Products Used:

None

Attention: If you're not very intelligent and expect to have it both ways, then don't buy this stove. The rest of us will continue to enjoy this versatile gem. I got this stove the first month it came out a few years ago and it continues to function flawlessly. Sure it's loud, but are there any silent,reliable gas stoves available that can simmer?

Customer Service

mediocre service

Similar Products Used:

whisperlite, trangia, zip, snow peak