I have owned the MSR Whisperlite International stove for 7 years without any problems at all. I bought the Dragonfly because I wanted finer control for simmer, the Whisperlite really doesn't do that well, it's pretty much either on or off. The only exception to this is if it's a completely still without any wind, then, you maybe able to reduce the flame to slightly above a simmer without it conking out.

Here is my review of the Dragonfly - within the past week I have owned it:

The Dragonfly is larger than the Whisperlite that's for sure, getting it and the fuel pump into my 2L MSR pot kit is pretty challenging.

Noise wise it's not really that bad! The Whisperlite runs on liquid fuel too and still makes a bit of a roar when going full pelt. The Dragonfly is nothing like some have described i.e. a jet warming up or being deafening. You certainly know it's on, but I can still have a conversation with others around me. Until they make a silent liquid stove there will always be people complaining; Children in camp grounds are much worse LOL.

Good Points:
1) The Dragonfly is very good at getting hot!
2) It seems very economical on fuel(I use white gas/shellite exclusively) on par with the Whisperlite I'd say
3) Seems strong in construction
4) Simmer function is very good and easy to control- Major bonus for anything other than boiling water!
5) It is fast to get up to operating temperature i.e. quick from priming to full flame, in my experience it is quicker than the Whisperlite
6) Wind doesn't seem to bother the flame too much (compared to the Whisperlite which really doesn't like any breeze at all) it kept going strong even with breezes going through it
7) I actually like the sound of it! Scares those other pussies around me using canister stoves :P
8) The underneath side of the stove is only warm to touch after 10 mins running at full pelt! this is great if you need to put it down somewhere that doesn't like too much heat
9) It takes many fuel types. As I said earlier, I use Shellite exclusively, but to have other options is a good thing if I'm in an area that only had diesel, unleaded fuel or kerosene.

Bad Points:
1)Sure it's a little louder than the Whisperlite International but it's not that bad considering the whole package
2) I really don't like how the fuel pump for the Dragonfly can not be interchanged with the other MSR fuel pumps... If this fuel pump breaks then I can't just use the Whisperlite International pump :(.
3) There is a number of solder points on the fuel tap tube attached to the burner. I think this could be a point for metal fatigue, particularly over time. This wouldn't be good i.e. EXPLOSION!

Summary:

So far in my week of owning this stove I am very happy with this purchase and have even bought one for my friend for xmas :)

Customer Service

No need to return yet

Similar Products Used:

Whisperlite International

Primus stoves

Bought the dragon fly stove on a motorcycle trip to Glacier Park BC Canada.My Coleman Apex 11 pump cracked and I needed a new stove fast. The Dragon Fly burned much less gas than the APEX and cooked faster and did simmer very well.Was very noisy but less fuel used so was a good trade off. compact and would buy again. Worked well on motor cycle packing. Parts very available .

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

peak Apex 11

I recently bought the MSR Dragonfly stove, and for me, so far, it has worked quite well for it's intended use. I write this review just ending it's 5th time in use.(5 to 6 day hiking/fishing trips with my 2 grand boys) The heat control is excellent and simmers extremly well. I've always used the heat shields since I had this stove. It says it will boil a liter of water in 3.5 min., however I find that the real time is more like 5.5 min. Not a problem. I think this is still quite a quick time to boil. So far I've used white gas for fuel and this little stove's fuel consumption is amazingly low IMO. I've cooked quite a number of trout with this stove where the heat control is very critical in creating a good fish dish to serve. The Dragonfly stove has proved to be a champ in the arena of heat control for this type of small (8") skillet frying/cooking. I've read reviews where the pump has failed with this system so I bought a spare for just in case. However, if it does become a problem, I think it will be after quite a long time in use before it may fail. Possibly the earlier year pump designs had problems but this pump seems more than sturdy enough to stand quite some time of use. It is noisy as with every white gas stove I've ever had but not as bad as some other reviews have claimed. IT'S A LIQUID GAS STOVE! I've always found that liquid/white gas stoves have performed much better at altitude than compressed gas stoves in my experience. The weight may be considered by some as "heavy" for backpacking and it is just a tad over 14oz. (less fuel bottle and fuel weight) I'll sacrifice some weight for the convience of having a stove that I can cook well with. I reccomend this stove and would buy it again.

Customer Service

I bought this stove from REI and I havn't had a problem with this stove. REI has been more than fair in past exchanges or problems with other equipment.

Similar Products Used:

Jet Boil stove for solo mountain hiking. REI 4 piece TI WARE titanium cookset.

Overall this is a good stove. Although it is a little more expensive then other stoves I feel it is worth the money. I used this stove in the BWCA many times and have never had any problems. It heats water very quickly and doesn't use all that much white gas. I found another great review of this product that gave me some good info at http://www.wildernesswaypoint.com/Camping/Equipment%20Reviews/MSR%20Dragonfly.html.

This is my second MSR stove. The first, a Whisperlight, lasted me for over 10 years and countless days of backpacking with no problems that a new needle valve couldn't solve. It finally got so grotty that a new one was needed. This Dragonfly was used for about 7 days, required frequent disassembly and cleaning, and finally, on the first night of a planned 4-day backpack trip, had a catastrophic failure of an O-ring. At least that's my guess. When the screaming, dirt-throwing, and gear rescue was over, there wasn't enough of the plastic pump remaining to diagnose the failure. Trip over. No more gas stoves with plastic parts EVER! It is telling that MSR now sells what they call an Annual Maintenance Kit for this stove.

Similar Products Used:

Optimus 8R
MSR Whisperlight

This gear is a must for any Family Camper or Extreme Camper as you can simmer very easily anything and get things boiling very fast. It is extremely reliable and safe to use. The only bad thing about the Dragon Fly is it is very noisy (even loud). When you use it with people that are not acustomised to Camping and White Gaz Stoves, they find it a very anoying. It is very economic in fuel compared to a propane Stove. I estimate 10 times cheaper in fuel then bying propane cans or other simular gaz. I can camp 3 full night with only a 666 ml bottle. I appreciated very much my Whisperlight, but this one is much better!!!

Customer Service

no service required yet

Similar Products Used:

MSR Whisperlight International (12 years of great usage)

This is my 2nd dragonfly...my son sort of inherited my old one which is still working...the pump has a cracked piece on it and I glued it back together and it is still working.
Now I bought a new one because I am flying a small aircraft into backcountry of Idaho and going to Alaska. we were trying to use Avegas, airplane fuel, it is clogged up. Loses pressure...Avegas has lead in it...is this the problem.

I purchased this stove back in 2000 and was very excited about the simmering capability after years of wisperlite use. I constantly had problems getting the fuel line to seal with thet pump. New O rings and adequate lubrication would not remedy the problem. This was only a minor annoyance until one day the pump/fuel line connection started leaking partway through cooking. The resulting fireball melted the pump and damaged the line. I had to sit back and watch the entire stove melt down. I thought that the flames would subside once all of the pressure bled out of the fuel bottle, but the flames heating the bottle autopressurized it. I was lucky no one got hurt and a wildfire didn't ignite. Plastic parts have no place on a stove, especially critical items like the pump. I have since switched to a Brunton Optimus Nova, which has all metal construction.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Whisperlite International
Optimus Nova

Having previously used a Coleman Apex II stove which we borrowed from a friend, the differences between the Apex II and the Dragonfly were astounding. With the Dragonfly's pre-heat wick, it takes the hassle out of warming up the shaker jet and once pre-heated, it is ready to operate at your command. Very packable, although the fuel line is a bit too rigid toand awkward to fold away (Could be because it is still relatively new anf not quite broken in all the way). One of the best features for us is the extremely sturdy legs and cooking surface, you won't have to precariously balance pots on it. Overall I highly recommend the Dragonfly over the Apex II and the MSR Whisperjet (It is worth the extra money.

Customer Service

We have always been fans of MSR and their products. We have used MSR equipment for the past year, and haven't had the need to contact customer service yet.

Similar Products Used:

Coleman Apex II - MSR Whisperjet

I bought this on the advice of a desert rat friend and i must admit i was skeptical at first. i was reluctant to stop using my whisperlite. the whisperlite seemed like such a quintessential backpacking stove but it was clogging all the time in the desert. the whisperlite is easy to clean but sand was getting in it like every other day, and getting my hands regularly covered in soot was no fun! all of you fellow desert-packers know the desert is the proving ground for gear. if it's gonna break it'll do it out there. sand and sandstone everywhere getting into everything... anyway i've been using the dragonfly for three years with about 4-5 long trips in the desert per year. never a clog, never anything but super easy start-up. i'm pretty rough on gear and it hasn't broken yet! flame control is incredible. you can get a candle sized flame out of this thing! granted, you won't get the full-bore insanity of a whisperlite but who needs it? being able to turn the flame way down has allowed me to do five day trips with only one eight-ounce fuel bottle. that's hot water in the mornings and a hot dinner everynight for two people. (!) the whisperlite wastes way too much fuel. finally, this thing, for some reason or another, produces no soot! i don't get it - same fuel as the whisperlite but it never gets dirty.

Customer Service

haven't had to use it.

Similar Products Used:

whisperlite standard and internationale