I wanted lanterns that ran on different fuels, but were similar in construction. The gas and propane lanterns are all generally the same type, but the battery operated lanterns come in many different shapes and sizes. The one I choose most closely resembles the other two.
This test is where the propane lantern shines…literally. Putting out 1500 lumens, it is the brightest of the three. Then it was the gas lantern at 860 lumens, followed by the LED at only 360 lumens. The LED battery powered lantern is the one you should get. After a full season of use, this is the lantern that I always grabbed when I needed light. My second favorite lantern is the gas powered one, and coming in third place is the propane powered lantern.
Note the air tube along the left side of the fuel pickup tube, which is necessary for the Instant Lite feature. From left to right above is, gas, Led, propane (northstar), and Justin’s propane lantern. His propane lantern has two mantle bags, whereas mine has one long mantle that stretches from the top to the bottom.
The brackets in the middle portion of the ventilator center the mica globe (image above). The detents in the bail tabs (image below) hold coleman canopy the bail upright. Model 227 preceding (right image) has flat spaces in the ventilator where these brackets and bail tabs were not used.
This picture shows pretty clearly the difference in brightness and color. The other thing to notice is the the color of the light. The gas lantern gives off a very warm yellow light. The propane lantern is still warm, but not as yellow as gas. The LED was much different with its white, daylight balanced light.
The plastic base is not very durable nor does it stay on when you lift the lantern by its handle. Model L227 is a Quick-Lite model with a wide ventilator. This version, in Dwayne Hanson’s collection, is the most well known with a flat capture nut to hold the ventilator and several indentations in the ventilator (right). Coleman made the L220 (above) and L228 (below) for a short time in 1928. To accommodate the pump, which is mounted into the center of the fount, the fuel pickup tube had to swivel for removal (below the 2nd set of threads).
The mica globe is a reproduction by Fred Kuntz. Model E20, the Quick-Lite Jumbo Gas Lantern, with a built-on pump (left), and the Quick-Lite Poultry House Lantern, without a pump (right),both featured a 1 gallon fuel tank. Steel wool and a coil of asbestos “rope” inside the globe rest kept dust from clogging the air intake and fuel from dripping on the floor. These lanterns are in Jerry Engbring’s collection.
Fill the fount at least half-full of fresh gasoline or camp fuel. Tighten the filler cap and give the lantern 20 pump stokes. Allow it to sit for a few minutes while you watch for leaks. Any leak is unacceptable and must be located before you light it.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, both writing and images, without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. The lightweight Coleman® Kids 44 Lumens Adventure Mini LED Lantern works well when camping with kids or as a portable bedside light. It has one of the longest runtimes you’ll find in a light of its size—up to 16 hours on 4 AA batteries (sold separately). Plus, the lifetime LEDs run cool and never need to be replaced.
By November, 1951, Coleman’s Model 200A had been introduced, replacing Model 200 above. These earliest 200A lanterns had green painted steel founts and, by November, also had the Coleman decal. The ball nut on this version of Model L227, dated stamped Feb. 1929, is separate from the vent and the ventilator lacks indentations as above. Coleman shipped Model L227 from Aug. 1927 through Dec. 1932 (Strong cited by Becker).