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Outdoor Wood Boilers what is a good choice ?

Started by grousehunter, February 10, 2014, 03:22:36 PM

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grousehunter

I have 2 2008 E-classic 2300 and was wondering if anyone has purchased any other brands other than Central Boiler and have they had good luck?

I was considering selling my 2 2300 next summer and switching to something that requires less maintenance during the burning season and less ongoing investment in parts.

I have some individuals up here in Northern VT and Northern NH recommend the new Wood Doctor Boilers but the reviews on the old wood furnaces give me pause.

What experience have others had positive and negative with other brands on the market?

Thanks

gspren

   I like my P&M conventional but there are probably people that have problems with them also.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

Corley5

They all make water hot  ;) ;D  I've got Heat Master SS.  My parents and Grandmother have Heatmors.
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

thecfarm

I have the older style Heatmor. A very simple design. I can not speak of the newer Heatmors. But from what I was asking my dealer about them,they still are pretty simple OWB. But those things are mighty pricey now. I brought mine a few years before everything went stupid high.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

r.man

Most conventional OWBs are fairly simple. I think the Empyre gasifier is fairly simple as well but it does have air holes to keep clean. I really like the plain older Heatmor, I have loaded my friends many times and I can't say enough good things about them. The internet is a great way to research problems with products after they have been available for a few years.
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

snowstorm

taylor tuffer than a bag full of hammers. every 2to 3 weeks shovel the ashes out and run the brush thru the smoke pipes and thats it. its the t1000 and holds about 900gallons. one thing i like about it is the big door its the same size as the fire box

Randy88

I've got a wood doctor, had it exactly 5.5 years this past summer, it sprung a leak, and I don't really want to bash any company in public, I will say don't believe their 30 year warranty claims they have on their firebox, if you want specifics on what happened and how the company handled it and treated me, pm and I'll give you a step by step description of how things went.   

I own the second to the largest unit they make, and its not large enough for my current needs and am looking to trade it off for a larger unit, which slims down the brands and models there is out there to buy.    I've looked at and heard everyone complain about their owb in my area, there are several made identical to the wood doctor and those haven't fared much better than mine before they leaked and caused problems.    Most brands have issues of some sort to contend with, none are bullet proof, despite what the sales people tell you.       

As for what I'd buy next time or recommend, I'd opt for a pressurized water jacket the next time.  Depending on how long my firebox lasts, I just may build my own owb the next time, I've talked to all the machine shops in the area, listened to all their complaints about the downfalls of each brand and I've discussed building one or having one of the local shops build me one, which is what I might have to do to get one big enough to handle the needs I have now, we have discussed going with a chip furnace but the costs have held me at bay on those.   


Gadrock

Do these OWB that have been mentioned use pellets or wood? Being from Mississippi they are not so popular. We generally add ice to water and not heat...except for coffee.

I amconsidering an OWB for hot water to heat a kiln.

David G


carry on
LT40 G18,   bent Cresent wrench,   broken timing light
Prentice 280 loader, Prentice 2432 skidder, Deere 643J fellerbuncher, Deere 648H skidder, Deere 650H Dozer

thecfarm

I know Heatmor has a pellet one. Seem like when I brought mine about 6-7 years they had a corn OWB too.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

LittleJohn

GROUSE HUNTER, you are running 2 - eClassic 2300.   What kind BTUs are you pushing thru that thing?  Cause I have a 2400, and I am heating about 7000sf in EC Minnesota (design day is -12F, have had weeks of -20 to -30 this year)

grousehunter

Thanks for all of the input.
To answer the question on BTUs should have mentioned two different houses in NH.
One in the White Mountains where winter runs about 6 1/2 months and is heating a 3400 square foot house.
The other house is in south western NH about 3400 square foot as well and the burning season is probably 5 1/2 months and about 10 degrees warmer than the northern house.
Plenty of heat out of the 2300 just constant repairs and upgrades.
the ribbons and channel cleaning is time consuming especially with 2 units and I understand they have improved upon that design so it is easier but I have noticed any glowing reviews on the blogs for  many of the new designs.
All of these boilers are expensive and I guess the only good thing is that the payback is quicker with fuel prices so high, down side is fuel prices are high.
Do like being able to turn the thermostat up and not really being concerned about the cost.
Sounds like many of them have issues, maybe hold onto these and give it a few more years to see if someone builds a positive track record with improved technology.

Thanks

leonz

Not to hijack the thread but have you looked at coal stokers?

Please don't yell at me about the question.




Pea and rice sized coal is easy to get in the northeast here
and you would be very pleased with how far two tons of
rice coal will last you in a heating season without depending
on wood, the oil burner, propane or natural gas. 


:P




Please send me a PM if you would like to learn more about them.

thecfarm

I worked for the state on insulating low income homes. Went to one house and this guy was bragging about coal. He had a bucket by the stove and said that will last all night easy. Better than bringing in wood,he said.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

NWP

I've had a Heatmor for 6 1/2 years. Love it and would highly recommend one.
1999 Blockbuster 2222, 1997 Duratech HD10, 2021 Kubota SVL97-2, 2011 Case SV250, 2000 Case 1845C, 2004 Case 621D, John Deere 540A, 2011 Freightliner with Prentice 120C, 2012 Chevrolet, 1997 GMC bucket truck, several trailers, and Stihl saws.

grousehunter

Had not considered a coal unit.
Probably not a bad Idea to research.
My firewood is free other than my time and some fuel.
Although it seems like its taking more and more time especially this year and last where I have had to get into the next years wood because the winter has been cold and the burning season seamed a couple weeks longer last year.

Thanks

reswire

I purchased a Shaver wood boiler last year on ebay.  I think it was around 6000. delivered, and probably cost me 7k installed altogether.  I am satisfied with everything, but is a simple, no frills type of boiler, which in truth is what I like.  I heat a 2500 square foot farm house in central Virginia, and it does just fine.  With split oak, I fill it twice a day, once a day if it is 45-50 degrees F.   
Norwood LM 30, JD 5205, some Stihl saws, 15 goats, 10 chickens, 1 Chessie and a 2 Weiner dogs...

smoothED

I have a Earth-rancher 360. Best heat i ever had. Burns about a wheelbarrow of wood a day,(2 with these colder temps), about 1800sqft plus hot water. The only maint. i do it shovel ashes out of the ash door and add anti corrosion to the water. The waterjacket is 1/2" thick and the flu comes down about 6" off the bottom of the firebox,no tubes or anything else to clean.
    I was working out of state this summer and the hot water quit on my wife,I told her on the phone how to start it up and every few days she'd lite a fire in it and get her hot water back up. Worked good till i got home to fix it. ;D

J 5

 I have had 2 Empyre 450 ,outdoor furnaces. The first all regular steel, new in 1999 had some leaks around the door ,which I fixed up and its still going  14 years later at the neighbors. My second , a stainless model is 8 years old and needed a pinhole welded [Bad weld} at the front of the ash pan  last winter. These outdoor furnaces are like buying a car ,everybody makes the best one. But I would buy another ,I don't want to go back to a wood furnace in each building.
                                 Regards J 5

thecfarm

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

boilerman101

Grousehunter, I installed the CB Eclassic 2400 in 2010. No problems and no issues so far. Lot's of improvements that make it run better and more user friendly than their initial Eclassic 2300 model from what I've seen. Remember guys, Grousehunter is in a Phase 2 gasser required state. Sounds like by 2015 all states will require that only Phase 2 labeled OWF's can be sold.

den

If I were getting a boiler, there is only one I'd consider, Wood Gun.
They don't keep changing models #'s trying to fix their problems.
You'll need to put it in a little shed.
Homelite SuperXL, 360, Super2, Stihl MS251CB-E, Sotz M-20 20lb. Monster Maul, Wallenstein BXM-42

Brokermike

I live in VT and need a lot of BTU (around 225k btu). I ended up with a POLAR G-3. Very simple design, no electronic boards to worry about, seems pretty efficient, and works well. Also it has the VT stamp of approval from our idiots in Montpeculiar
Don't Jersey Vermont

martyinmi

Mike,
Is that G-3 as easy to operate as the salesmen tell us they are?
I saw one in Ky at the Louisville farm show 2 years ago and I was really impressed.
Just move a lever to clean heat exchange tubes, right?
Any issues with it yet?
And speaking of idiots, it sounds like by 2016 the entire US will have the EPA's Burn Wise rules forced on us. :-\
No God, No Peace
Know God, Know Peace!

Brokermike

Actually, it's probably easier than they tell you. Once you figure out that it likes round wood under 8", and not small split wood like they advertise you'll be very happy. It also takes about 30 days of buring for the door seals and stuff to get a good seal. At first mine burned more wood than I thought it should, but once I stopped burning small wood stove sized stuff and the door seals swelled up a tiny bit it has been INCREDIBLE.

The only odd thing is that it has steel wall plates which will periodically need to be replaced, they protect the water jacket, and protect the air inlet nozzles. I view them as cheap insurance.
Don't Jersey Vermont

superwd6

I to seen a wood doctor unit leak at year 5.Had it been a pressurized unit it would've leaked in 3 years as it eat out on the wood side not water side of metal  :(

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