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Stand Alone Wood Stove Experience

Started by Pulphook, August 12, 2018, 08:12:21 AM

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Pulphook

Comments on experience with wood stoves ?
% of heat, brands/models, cords burned per year, species, cat or non cat, pros/cons, years of use.
Seems most here I read have OWBs.
I like our heat inside, direct, and close (romantic ::) ).
Two wood stoves ( Jotul Rangely ,Jotul Oslo ) heating 99 44/100%
24/7. No central heat. 6-8 cords firewood from the woodlot /year. Low low tech: ATV with trailer, 3 saws, 2 electric splitters, a worn pulphook, peavy, climbing line for skidding, Fiskars 27, an old back getting older.

thecfarm

Does this count?
Home Clarion.

                                           



We have a Asley in the basement. Use to burn a lot of softwood in it. Or I should say tried. It worked,but was a bother. Hemlock did the best,at least it would caol down a little.
Between the wife and I we could keep the cook stove going all night. But I only burned hardwood in this one.
Now I have a OWB. Like it so much better. I can burn dead wood in it,even cedar and have a controlled burn.
 
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

69bronco

We've always heated with a woodstove. My favorite was an Ashley, also the ugliest! It took a 24" stick, had a tin shroud with a simple spring activated draft control. Second best was a Vermont castings, don't remember which model but it loaded from the end and also took a decent piece of wood. Have a Garrison now with a soapstone top, my least favorite by far. Also have a little box type with two level flat tops on the porch, does a good job of making you hungry when there's a pot of beans or soup simmering ! Hope that helps.


Pulphook

Looking for the more recent EPA stoves like Jotul, Blaze King, VC, Quadra Fire, etc....
Ashleys were creosote factories and ugly to boot. The cook stoves take some skill for cooking; our neighbor still cooks year-round on one. She makes her husband cut those 12" sticks to fit for morning beans and bread. Nice smelling the smoke now when it's so *DanG hot.
The few OWB users up here make so much particulate incomplete burn smoke that even some of us wood stove people hate to see them burn.
Two wood stoves ( Jotul Rangely ,Jotul Oslo ) heating 99 44/100%
24/7. No central heat. 6-8 cords firewood from the woodlot /year. Low low tech: ATV with trailer, 3 saws, 2 electric splitters, a worn pulphook, peavy, climbing line for skidding, Fiskars 27, an old back getting older.

wesdor

We had a Pacific Energy installed 5 years ago and love it. We have a high efficiency propane furnace but tried to never have the house above 68 in the winter. 
With the wood burner we do our best to keep the house under 80. My wife likes the extra warmth and so do I. 

I cut all my own firewood and have built pallets that hold about a face cord of wood. I bring them into our attached garage with my tractor which makes moving wood rather easy. We have a 13 year old home that is well insulated and burn not more than 12 pallets in a winter. 


47sawdust

We have heated with wood for 40 years.Our current and best set up is a Hearthstone Mansfield soapstone stove and a Waterford Stanley cook stove.The soapstone provides very even heat.Both stoves see constant use from October to late April.The Mansfield has a water jacket to heat domestic hot water.
 Dry wood is a must.We burn about 8 cord a year.
Mick
1997 WM Lt30 1999 WM twin blade edger Kubota L3750 Tajfun winchGood Health Work is my hobby.

bluthum

I've heated my little house with a Fisher mama bear with daytime help from an attached greenhouse for the last 39 years. My wood shop is also heated with a wood stove and passive solar, I started with a barrel stove kit and have used a Twinlakes [Fisher knockoff] for 37 years.  Neither company now exists, I've often wondered what stove I'd choose if I had to replace either. I don't even know how efficient they are compared to modern but durability is witnessed.

During that time I've replaced the bricks in both a time or two and painted them countless times. It's been a very satisfying experience. Messy perhaps, but a small price to pay.

69bronco

Wow, wish I'd known Ashley's were (creosote factories), I wouldn't have heated my house with one for 15 years.

Pulphook

Quote from: 69bronco on August 12, 2018, 05:19:29 PM
Wow, wish I'd known Ashley's were (creosote factories), I wouldn't have heated my house with one for 15 years.
Hey. No offense, but Ashley stove in Florida for the winter ? :snowball:
They were big creosote producers when not used right: wet wood, air damped down, chimney fires.
Two wood stoves ( Jotul Rangely ,Jotul Oslo ) heating 99 44/100%
24/7. No central heat. 6-8 cords firewood from the woodlot /year. Low low tech: ATV with trailer, 3 saws, 2 electric splitters, a worn pulphook, peavy, climbing line for skidding, Fiskars 27, an old back getting older.

Raider Bill

The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

Klunker

We had a Vermont casting Acclaim, heated well enough. But has all the draw backs of a woodstove.

Used lots of wood, needed tending every 4-6 hrs or so. Would heat the house but the temp thru out the house was very uneven, room with stove was 80-90, lowest level would get into the 40's and the upstairs would be in the 60-70's. House was a "tri-level". 4 actual levels, 1/2 basement/lowest level, next level up had stove, level above that and highest level with bedrooms.

Our new house we had a Masonry heater built in it. It is the best way to heat with wood, very efficient, nice even heat uses very little wood and have to tend it only once/day on most days. Really cold days maybe twice.

Only downside is initial cost.

Weekend_Sawyer

My house has a fuel oil furnace with radiators. It will keep the house toasty but the cost is high

I ran a pair of Sierra wood stoves in my house for over 10 years. one in my living room and one in my basement. They are rated for a 26" log but really fit 22" much better. They had the catalytic converter in them but they both burned out, warped and I finally removed them.

I am still running the one in the living room which heats the whole front of the house but needs to be loaded every 2 to 4 hours. The one in my unfinished basement worked just ok to add some heat to the back of the house. My basement is a wide open cavern about 1600 sq feet and that little stove definitely made a difference but it wasn't balmy!

3 years ago picked up a used US Stove indoor wood furnace and am very happy with it. I had to run some duct work because I did not have central air in my house (Old house) but that was pretty easy.
During the day and early evening I only put a couple of logs in it at a time and run it wide open to burn out any creosote that has built up and just before I go to bed I load it full (5 - 6 logs) and damper it down and It will burn for 10 hours with no problem.

I hope this helps.
Jon
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

Pulphook

Quote from: Klunker on August 13, 2018, 03:54:06 PM
We had a Vermont casting Acclaim, heated well enough. But has all the draw backs of a woodstove.
Used lots of wood, needed tending every 4-6 hrs or so. Would heat the house but the temp thru out the house was very uneven, room with stove was 80-90, lowest level would get into the 40's and the upstairs would be in the 60-70's. House was a "tri-level". 4 actual levels, 1/2 basement/lowest level, next level up had stove, level above that and highest level with bedrooms.
Our new house we had a Masonry heater built in it. It is the best way to heat with wood, very efficient, nice even heat uses very little wood and have to tend it only once/day on most days. Really cold days maybe twice.
Only downside is initial cost.

Looked carefully at masonry/russian heaters when we built in northern New England in the 90's. A few drawbacks besides cost.
First, the masonry heaters need a strong foundation for the mass and weight.
The special foundation is $$$; it will not do on a slab like we have.
The home has to be built AROUND a masonry heater; more $$$, more space.
As efficient and clean burning as they are, the heat can't be controlled in shoulder season, or shut down.
With 2 EPA wood stoves we control the heat better.

Wood stoves are space heaters, not for a whole home unless you're willing to adapt to colder rooms ( why heat bedrooms ? ) and temperatures varying during the 24 h cycle. In mid dark winter, the morning temps will be in the 50's in early morning. Load the stoves, run the coffee,  and back to rooms' temp fast where we spend time. No big deal, no discomfort.

That VC Acclaim was a dud for the original VC people. It was a Klunker. :laugh:
Two wood stoves ( Jotul Rangely ,Jotul Oslo ) heating 99 44/100%
24/7. No central heat. 6-8 cords firewood from the woodlot /year. Low low tech: ATV with trailer, 3 saws, 2 electric splitters, a worn pulphook, peavy, climbing line for skidding, Fiskars 27, an old back getting older.

DMcCoy

Hearthstone Soap Stone wood stove.  It's been over 18 yrs ago so the model may not be the same but looks like the Mansfield unit, but a bit smaller.

Hands down the best wood stove we have ever owned.  Glass door is a feature I though was frivolous at the time -- but you get to see the flames and with a quick glance see if it needs wood.

It is EPA certified and uses the secondary air method.

Smooth even heat and brushing against it has yet to cause a burn on my skin or even pain. 

My test question is this "If the stove got stolen tomorrow what would you buy to replace it?"

I would buy another one of these in seconds flat without giving it a second thought.

https://www.hearthstonestoves.com/en/wood

https://www.hearthstonestoves.com/en/Appliance/Cast-%26-Stone/Wood/Free-Standing-Stove/Mansfield/Enamel/Black/Manufactured/MANSFIELD/p/8012-4120

John Mc

I have a Hearthstone Phoenix stove mostly soapstone with a cast iron front, 60,000 BTU.

We have an open floor plan first floor, with a cathedral area open to the second floor. A balcony/hall on the second floor allows access to the bedrooms. The house is very well insulated & sealed (6" SIPS for walls). We can heat the first and second floors with just the wood stove, even down to below 0˚F weather (though an extended period - several days or so - much below zero I will eventually lose ground and have to kick on the boiler). When the weather gets really cold like that, I really have to keep the stove stoked. Generally, I kick on the boiler in that kind of weather with the thermostat turned down a bit just as a failsafe, in case I don't get to the stove frequently enough.

I've been very happy with this stove. We'd had it for 15 years and it has provided 75%+ of our heat for most of those years (we get lazy on occasion and let the propane boiler run from time to time). We have had zero problems - I've replace the door seal and that's it. I would buy another in a heartbeat.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

62oliver

I have 2 Regency wood stoves, a 3100 in my garage and a 1100 in the cabin.
I bought both of them used, they are very well made stoves and burn nice and hot, just feed them good, dry wood and there is no real visible smoke once they are up to temperature.
Husqvarna 266, Case 90xt, JD310C, TJ240E, 02 Duramax

alan gage

Quote from: Raider Bill on August 13, 2018, 09:03:56 AM
No not buy a Englander.
JUNK
Englander is all I've used for the last 10 years. Have had 3 different Englander stoves in 3 different houses. Currently running the 30 and it's my favorite so far. Mostly just because I was using the 17VL in my previous house and I can't get over how the 30 can swallow up such huge chunks of wood.

The 13 and 17 seemed like they  had to be babied when starting a fire from scratch by leaving the door open a crack until the fire was fairly established, otherwise it would snuff itself out. With the 30 I can light the kindling, shut the door, and it keeps right on going.
The 17 was my least favorite of the three. Seemed the most poorly designed of the three and despite having it connected to outside air it still drew a large amount of inside air. Didn't feel like it gave as much control when shutting the air intake door either.

But overall no real complaints from me about Englander stoves but I have nothing to compare them with either.
Alan
Timberking B-16, a few chainsaws from small to large, and a Bobcat 873 Skidloader.

OH logger

i am having a blaze king-king ultra put in my basement soon. are they good bad or what? the guy at the stove shop is very knoweledgable and that's what he recommended.  thanks
john

Raider Bill

Quote from: alan gage on August 20, 2018, 02:44:15 PM
Quote from: Raider Bill on August 13, 2018, 09:03:56 AM
No not buy a Englander.
JUNK
Englander is all I've used for the last 10 years. Have had 3 different Englander stoves in 3 different houses. Currently running the 30 and it's my favorite so far. Mostly just because I was using the 17VL in my previous house and I can't get over how the 30 can swallow up such huge chunks of wood.

The 13 and 17 seemed like they  had to be babied when starting a fire from scratch by leaving the door open a crack until the fire was fairly established, otherwise it would snuff itself out. With the 30 I can light the kindling, shut the door, and it keeps right on going.
The 17 was my least favorite of the three. Seemed the most poorly designed of the three and despite having it connected to outside air it still drew a large amount of inside air. Didn't feel like it gave as much control when shutting the air intake door either.

But overall no real complaints from me about Englander stoves but I have nothing to compare them with either.
Alan
We bought 2 back in 08. Not sure which models. Mine is a bit bigger than the other but we have the same problems. Both are connected to outside air for draw. Both have glass doors.
The fire box intake hole is about 1/2 inch. It comes in on the bottom. Only way we can keep a decent fire going is to either keep the door cracked a bit or pull the ash dump plug up some.
Both "baffles crumbled within the first 2 years. When I went back to the Englander store to get more they told me to use hardy board. I can tell you how long that lasted, about a month. The channels on the side that hold the baffles up rusted out.
Calls to Englander went unreturned. Their office was in Virginia if I remember.
The same store sold Buck Stoves. I wish I had spent a few dollars more.
I'll bad mouth Englander every chance I get
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

Pulphook

Calling out to you higher end recent EPA  wood stove users like Hearthstone.
How about Jotul, Blaze King, Pacific Energy, Morso, Woodstock, or the "new and improved" ( they say ) Vermont Casting stoves ?
BTW: not such a great idea to put a wood stove in a basement, unless insulated and where you spend time.
Seems like this is a big OWB place.
Two wood stoves ( Jotul Rangely ,Jotul Oslo ) heating 99 44/100%
24/7. No central heat. 6-8 cords firewood from the woodlot /year. Low low tech: ATV with trailer, 3 saws, 2 electric splitters, a worn pulphook, peavy, climbing line for skidding, Fiskars 27, an old back getting older.

OH logger

why not a wood burner in the basement? because of not being watched so a bigger fire danger? with concrete being all around it I figured it was a decent idea?? that's a common setup around here and everyone I talked to seems real happy with it
john

47sawdust

Basement is a great place for the stove,warm floors,no mess upstairs.Here in Vermont it's common to have a wood furnace or stove in the basement.
Mick
1997 WM Lt30 1999 WM twin blade edger Kubota L3750 Tajfun winchGood Health Work is my hobby.

samandothers

We hope to use a Woodstock stove, but no experience at this time.

thecfarm

Unless someone thinks they are going to heat the whole house with one in the basement,with no duct work. It worked good for me. Or I thought it did. I did not try to keep the house real warm,by getting it 90 in the basement. The cook stove kept it warm enough,with the stove in the basement.
I have a friend that put a hood over a All Nighter,with what I think with 2 pieces of 6 inch duct work. Keeps his place nice and warm.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

John Mc

Quote from: samandothers on August 21, 2018, 09:31:09 PM
We hope to use a Woodstock stove, but no experience at this time.
Woodstock makes some of the best wood stoves on the market. If you run them properly, you can't beat them for clean burning and efficient use of wood. (My sister and former brother-in-law had one, and he researched the hell out of it before he bought.)
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

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