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Best wood stove for me?

Started by Wedgebanger, November 03, 2019, 12:34:16 PM

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Wedgebanger

Hey all, looking for a wood stove for the house. House is 1500 sq. Ft., Looking for a UL listed stove (insurance) and something with a glass front capable of being loaded from the side. What has worked for everyone and what's a good option for me? Thanks

doc henderson

I would research brands then size it to you home size and degree of insulation ect.  I am a fan of Lopi, although my home and shop have Avalon.  I have the biggest stoves they make.  you do not want to oversize, as I feel it is good to be able to burn all out now and then to keep things clean.  not sure about the glass front side loading.  We used to get earth stoves, but decided to avoid gimmicks.  not sure as an example that soapstone adds anything to the true operation of a wood stove.  
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Wedgebanger

I have heard high praise of Lopi, will check out their line

47sawdust

Don't know where you live but I live in Vermont and use a Hearthstone Mansfield stove.It has a glass door on the front and is made of soapstone.The heat from it is very even.I installed an outside air intake and the glass stays very clean.I do burn dry wood.
Mick
1997 WM Lt30 1999 WM twin blade edger Kubota L3750 Tajfun winchGood Health Work is my hobby.

John Mc

Quote from: 47sawdust on November 03, 2019, 04:29:10 PM
Don't know where you live but I live in Vermont and use a Hearthstone Mansfield stove.It has a glass door on the front and is made of soapstone.The heat from it is very even.I installed an outside air intake and the glass stays very clean.I do burn dry wood.
Hearthstone makes some great stoves. I have their Phoenix and love it. I don't believe either the Phoenix or the Mansfield are made anymore (and at any rate, the Mansfield was likely too large for the 1500 sq ft space that Wedgebanger described - wasn't the Mansfield a very large stove?) They do make some newer models that may fit your needs.
Another brand that has won all sorts of awards is Woodstock. They are known for high efficiency, clean burning, and a wide range of adjustment for heat output. My sister and brother-in-law have one of their larger models and LOVE it. I know of a few others who own their stoves, and all just rave about them. (If I didnt already own my Hearthstone Phoenix, I would order a Woodstock.) Their Absolute Steel Hybrid Wood Stove would likely be a good option for you: glass front, side loading (can be ordered with either a left or right side door), and a heat output range of 10,000 to 48,000 BTUs: enough to heat up your 1500 sq ft area quickly, but turns down low enough to avoid driving you out of the room in not-so-cold weather.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Peter Drouin

80° at my house all winter.  ;D ;)


 
Made from a kit- doors and legs.  I had it for over 25 years. 
not airtight to gum up the chimney.
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

Peter Drouin

Even this leg wood will fit in it. :D :D


A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

samandothers

Woodstock stoves have several sizes and worth checking into.  They are very efficient.

Pine Ridge

Quote from: Peter Drouin on November 03, 2019, 08:44:30 PM
80° at my house all winter.  ;D ;)


 
Made from a kit- doors and legs.  I had it for over 25 years.
not airtight to gum up the chimney.

That looks to me like that would be a very good setup !!!!

Husqvarna 550xp , 2- 372xp and a 288xp, Chevy 4x4 winch truck

Weekend_Sawyer

Sorry but not knowing where you are located makes it hard to give woodstove advice. Might I suggest updating your profile with a little more information.

I have been using a Sierra wood stove in my great room since 03.
It will take a 22" log comfortably. has a glass front door and side loads.
Heats the whole front of the house. I like it.
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

doc henderson

you can buy the barrel kits at tractor supply, but I know the barrel would not be UL approved and prob. should not go inside a habital (home) space.  they heat well and are used a lot in shops in the Midwest.  yours looks great with all the brick work @Peter Drouin .  the barrels will burn out over time.  
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Pine Ridge

Lots of people have the barrel stoves, but thats the only one i've seen with the brick work, looks nice and simple to operate, no pumps or blowers to go bad, and i'll bet it does do a good job heating.
Husqvarna 550xp , 2- 372xp and a 288xp, Chevy 4x4 winch truck

curved-wood

One mistake that a lot of people make is to install a stove too big for the square footage of the house. They have to choke the stove because it is too hot inside the house and choking help to form creosote in the chimney

Pine Ridge

Curved-wood you are right about that. When i was a kid we had an old potbelly stove, old house with high ceiling, no insulation. My mother kept it stoked up and burning hot all the time in cold weather, never had a problem with creosote.
Husqvarna 550xp , 2- 372xp and a 288xp, Chevy 4x4 winch truck

Peter Drouin

 
I have burn wood my whole life. I burn 5 cords a year. When I clean the chimney in the spring I get a ½ full 5-gallon bucket of ash in it. When the power goes out the thing will still work. and I have a kitchen wood stove to cook on too. [old one]
Back in the day, everybody cooked on wood, The old cast iron stove was not UL listed.

In NH I guess we do stuff differently.
I remember a  guy down the road had got a pelt stove. When the power goes out it will not work. He and his kids came over to stay warm. Same with the outside big stove, No power no heat.

I don't like tight houses. Or caps on chimneys. But that's just me. ;D :D :D
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

doc henderson

@Peter Drouin you have installed yours in a grand way with a non combustible surround with thermal mass and all.  
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

hedgerow

Not many barrel stoves around here anymore the insurance company's have seen to that. 

Old Greenhorn

I like your stove setup Pete. Over the years I have had at least 4 stove barrel kits here and there. I had a double barreled job in my shop for a few years and it had 20' of near horizontal run the get through the wall. I had to take that chimney apart every two weeks to clean it and I could fill a grabage can with creosote. 
 I heated part of my house here for 20 years with a 25 gallon barrel. 3 years ago while doing fall maintenance, I realized it was rotted through and unsafe to use. I finally went with a proper insert, and although it was 3 grand I didn't have, I have no regrets. More heat now that ever before.
 As I recall, that double barrel will generate 240,000 BTU's. One time I made the mistake of throwing in a wheel barrow of cedar shingles. That stove was dancing all over. I was throwing bar stock up against the feet to keep it in place. Man that thing was cherry red!
 AH, good times. ;D :D :)
 I still like those barrel stoves.
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

tim in New York

Another Hearthstone user here.  The Heritage has a glass front and side load door.  You can order which side you want the door on.  We burn around the clock for about 6 months and use around 3 full cord a year. But we only heat a couple of rooms in the old farmhouse with it, so we don't burn it real hot very often. 

This stove just went in last year and replaced a 30 year old Hearthstone II, same stove just a few generations older.  That one we burned the heck out of - 6 full cord a year before we had the house insulated upstairs.  We abused it and it still worked fine, just cheaper to replace it than to repair it.

I would not buy any other brand.

Tim

Raider Bill

I have a englander. I would not buy another one. Poor design and the worst customer service I have ever had the displeasure to be involved with.
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

Al_Smith

I have a plate steel glass front Lopi that dates back to the mid 80's  an insert with a blower .It does well .Built solid as a battle ship ,heavy plate fire brick lined .
Those barrel stoves are  a throw back to the making of the AlCan highway during WW2 .Made out of "tundra daisies " , discarded oil drums which were plentiful .I think you could heat a barn with the doors left opened with a double barrel .Lots of heat .I've made several using the "Stotz kits" which I haven't seen in a while .Those were air tight .

Bandmill Bandit

There are quite a few of the Double barrel stoves in use in this country but  they are made from 24 to 30 inch waste pipe from pipe line installs and the several I have seen are built to be pretty air tight. You get a 4 footer of those heated up it takes a week to cool off. 

A friend did one out of 36 inch pipe 5 feet long with a water jacket and a thermally controlled damper system and uses it to heat his house and shop. It burns for up to 3 plus days when full. I think the pipe wall is 1/2 inch.   
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

Al_Smith

There is a local pallet works that have a variation of a double barrel  stove,several as a matter fact .Large circular things about 4 feet in diameter made of rolled plate steel and about 6 feet long .My bud Ron who owns a fab shop made them .
Ron is my go to guy if I need any aluminum welding as I don't have the to  means myself 
 .He's not real bright on electrical stuff but has my phone number . ;)
I might add that pallet works also has a rubber tired reclaim saw they use to cut down old pallets to make light weights from the salvaged oak lumber .Using abrasive blades it goes right through the old nails slick as anything .With all the scrap lumber their heating bill is basically cost free .

doc henderson

my brother used to build roads and work outside.  they made an outdoor version of a two barrel stove.  they welded two together top to bottom like a tall chimney.  they cut the bottom out of the top can,  welded some exhaust tube through the can at an angle about a foot up from the bottom to let in air.  they would add 15 gallons of waste oil in the bottom and throw a lit rag into the mess.  when it got going it was like a rocket stove with air swirling around the bottom, flames out the top. and red hot metal melting snow in all directions for 50 feet.  do not try this at home. :o :) 8)
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Al_Smith

I once made a stove for a buddy who was a masonry contractor to heat sand in winter for mortar .Two barrels welded end for end .
He burned old  ties which were cut in pieces when they were replaced .Surprisingly once they got going they didn't smoke that bad .
Those old sleepers which were oak would coal up real nice and hold fire over night .
Over the week end the fire would go out when it wasn't tended .He just filled the stove and dumped a gallon of kerosene down the flue and toss in a burning rag .It didn't take long before it was burning real toasty .

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