Vogelzang Ponderosa

[Huntindog1]

I thought I would post about the new Vogelzang Ponderosa, since I have a Vogelzang Performer.

I really like my Performer Wood Stove. For the price its a heck of a deal. I got it onsale last fall at Menards. I have looked at other stoves on displays and my stove is very well built.

So anyways the New Designed Ponderosa is rated at a 87% Efficiency as tested by Omni Test Labs.

That is dang high for a non-cat stove.

The Ponderosa has a second control lever you dont see on other non-cat tube type stoves. Its called the High Burn Control but I dont know what its actually doing.

The firebox is 18.5" x 26" and the stove has 6 burn tubes in it, maybe the extra tubes make it extra efficient. Plus maybe since it has so many tubes that may point to the extra control lever as being some type of secondary air control.

But I thought I would shed some light on this stove as the 87% efficiency rating is one of the highest I have seen in a non-cat stove. Even higher than the hybrids. I am sure Omni test labs use the same test protocol as on other stoves.

I will post this pic as what is the thing sticking up at the bottom of the door frame inside , that looks to be something different as maybe in air flow or something.

EDIT: FOUND OUT TODAY THE STOVE IS RATED 81% EFFICIENCY NOT 87% STILL HIGH NUMBER FOR NON-CAT STOVE

 

[EatenByLimestone]

It's probably a doghouse similar to what the 30 has. It spits a shot of air directly into the wood that you are burning.

Matt

 

[corey21]

I thought I would post about the new Vogelzang Ponderosa, since I have a Vogelzang Performer.

I really like my Performer Wood Stove. For the price its a heck of a deal. I got it onsale last fall at Menards. I have looked at other stoves on displays and my stove is very well built.

So anyways the Ponderosa is rated at a 87% Efficiency as tested by Omni Test Labs.

That is dang high for a non-cat stove.

The Ponderosa has a second control lever you dont see on other non-cat tube type stoves. Its called the High Burn Control but I dont know what its actually doing.

The firebox is 18.5" x 26" and the stove has 6 burn tubes in it, maybe the extra tubes make it extra efficient. Plus maybe since it has so many tubes that may point to the extra control lever as being some type of secondary air control.

But I thought I would shed some light on this stove as the 87% efficiency rating is one of the highest I have seen in a non-cat stove. Even higher than the hybrids. I am sure Omni test labs use the same test protocol as on other stoves.

I will post this pic as what is the thing sticking up at the bottom of the door frame inside , that looks to be something different as maybe in air flow or something.

Nice.

That thing in the front is maybe doghouse air.

 

[Huntindog1]

Well my Performer has the doghouse air but not like that but my stove is only rated 76% efficient.

One more thing to make note of is that the extra mixing of the air by the 6 burn tubes may point to the extra efficiency as alot of stoves this size only has 4 tubes.

My smaller Performer at 2.12 cu ft fire box has 4 tubes in it, alot for its smaller size.

 

[corey21]

Well my Performer has the doghouse air but not like that but my stove is only rated 76% efficient.

I agree that the six burn tubes probably make it more efficient looks like great unit.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

For a long time all I'd see was something like 63% efficient, yet grams of particulates per hour kept coming down. I don't know if I'd take that number literally, it seems if the particulates were burnt the stove was burning more efficiently.

Matt

 

[Jclout]

Holy smokes Batman 6 tubes??? Nice Quad 3100 - only 4

 

[begreen]

It's probably a doghouse similar to what the 30 has. It spits a shot of air directly into the wood that you are burning.

Matt

I think doghouse air is what the extra control is for by the manual's description. The secondaries don't appear to be controlled, but I could be wrong. Look on the underside of the stove and see what ports the the air controls are valving.

 

[Woody Stover]

The Ponderosa has a second control lever you dont see on other non-cat tube type stoves. Its called the High Burn Control but I dont know what its actually doing.

The firebox is 18.5" x 26" and the stove has 6 burn tubes in it, maybe the extra tubes make it extra efficient. Plus maybe since it has so many tubes that may point to the extra control lever as being some type of secondary air control.

Unfortunately, they don't have a link to the manual on their website yet.
I don't see any holes on the rear tubes; Are they pointing toward the back of the box? There also looks to be some type of channel across the top back with larger holes in it...maybe that's injecting air from the back. The Buck 91 that I picked up has an air control that injects air about half way back in the box...

 

[BrotherBart]

Here is the manual.

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pdfImages/40/4040f21f-cb75-46ee-9958-e9f0df0188e7.pdf

10. The high burn control lever (B) is used to deliver
additional air to an established fire when the primary
control is set at 3⁄4 to fully open (all the way
in) position. Push the secondary (right) control in
to open/high burn position. When adjusting the
primary air to a lower setting, close (pull out) the
high burn (right, “B” lever) by pulling control fully
out.

 

[Huntindog1]

For a long time all I'd see was something like 63% efficient, yet grams of particulates per hour kept coming down. I don't know if I'd take that number literally, it seems if the particulates were burnt the stove was burning more efficiently.

Matt

The EPA listings only list 63% as thats the requirement to pass EPA for non-cat stoves. I dont know why the EPA never listed the actual test results.

You will notice 72% is listed for all the Cat Stoves.

 

[Huntindog1]

I didnt notice but your right there is a channel in the back with holes.

Also there is no Ceramic Blanket on the baffle boards like on my Performer.

 

[Huntindog1]

Diyrye just installed one of these, maybe he can give us some details of how this stove's air control looks to be working.

I am sure this is over rated but its listed for a 14 hour burn time. My Performer is listed at 12 hours and I got 10 hours maybe a couple times last year with a really good load of wood. Most times I easily get 8 to 9 hours as in a nice hot bed of coals to restart on. For example if I check my stove 9 hours later I have to have a decent amount of coals and they have to be good and hot for me to to be able to restart another load on to count a a 9 hour burn.

 

[BrotherBart]

The manual shows a ceramic blanket.

 

[corey21]

The manual shows a ceramic blanket.

I saw that also.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I think doghouse air is what the extra control is for by the manual's description. The secondaries don't appear to be controlled, but I could be wrong. Look on the underside of the stove and see what ports the the air controls are valving.

All stoves should come with an extra lever or two. They don't even have to be connected to anything. That way you cold walk by and fiddle with something without screwing something up. I could sit in front of the fire and move a slide or twist something acting all busy... It would be great! Even better if the levers were plated in brass or something so they looked important.

Matt

 

[Huntindog1]

All stoves should come with an extra lever or two. They don't even have to be connected to anything. That way you cold walk by and fiddle with something without screwing something up. I could sit in front of the fire and move a slide or twist something acting all busy... It would be great! Even better if the levers were plated in brass or something so they looked important.

Matt

LMAO !

Thats me but I really have to believe there is some theory on how it works to get me to buy in on it.

 

[n3pro]

Thanks for the review. It's nice to hear about some of their good better quality products. Too often Voglezang is only known for their not so quality products. I'll be interested to hear your impression using it.

 

[Huntindog1]

Hearth.com member Diyrye just put one of the Vogelzangs Ponderosa in maybe he will chime in. I am keeping my Vogelzang Performer a while as I just got it last fall.

 

[diyrye]

Hey I just came across this thread and I just got my install done this morning. I did do a few burns already before I had my liner top trimmed and cap on and block off plate in. The stove definetally has the ceramic blanket on top of the baffle boards.

As for the secondary air control that's a good question, I have only had a few fires to burn some of the paint off a little at a time but havent gone much over 350 on the flue temp yet. Plus its too dang hot out still even with my doors wide open it hit 80 pretty quick in the basement.

I can't wait for it to get colder so I can really test it out. It seems with good draft, that the secondary air control might not even really be needed? Only on startup maybe it's necessary? I did end up installing with an elbow right on the top of the stove which I was trying to avoid but couldn't. The stove so far works great with no draft issues.

Once it hit about 300 degrees and the secondaries took off the smoke completey stopped coming out of the chimney. No whisps of smoke at all. It's kind of nice in a survival situation noone would ever know you were hiding out inside keeping warm other than smelling the smoke. With only about three small logs the whole top of the firebox was full of flames.

Here are a couple pics.

http://s106.photobucket.com/albums/...795-00000495139DDC99.jpg&evt=user_media_share

http://s106.photobucket.com/albums/...908-0000019BA59AD944.jpg&evt=user_media_share

Those were taken before I had my liner straightened out and block off plate in. I still have to put the trim pieces around the bottom of the pedestal and maybe add a few plate steel shims underneath, one disadvantage of the solid stone hearth.

 

[DAN66]

Diyrye those flames look great. The stove looks nice with the wall behind it.I bet it will put off some nice heat too.

 

[diyrye]

I forgot to say I got it at northline express for $997 free shipping but I see now they went up to $1199. I think they price match though and northern tools has then still for $999 plus shipping. Home depot started carrying them for $1299. I hooked it to a rockford stainless steel double wall smooth bore insulated liner 25' long for 639$ on eBay with free shipping.

 

[Huntindog1]

Be carefull calling it a secondary air control as we dont know what its doing yet. It maybe be a just an additional primary air control as in most of these stoves secondary air going to the burn tubes up top is uncontrollable. But secondary air is kind of controllable with primary as when you close the primary air control this causes more suction by the flues draft to pull in more air thru the secondary air tubes. I also think having a manual flue damper helps controls the draft thus helps control how much air is being drawn into the stove.

That setting in your basement will all that stone fireplace in the back, its almost the whole wall back there looks like, it will absorb the extra heat from that stove as that stove is a pretty big one , 26" deep North/South, will be putting out alot of heat. That wall will act like a storage device for you.

Nice setup, I would like to trade my Vogelzang Performer in for the bigger Vogelzang Ponderosa just to learn how it works but I know that stove is too big for me.Especially since I put a new wall up in my basement..

 

[Huntindog1]

Found out today that the stove is actually rated at 81% efficiency still pretty good for a non-cat stove.

 

[begreen]

Be carefull calling it a secondary air control as we dont know what its doing yet. It maybe be a just an additional primary air control as in most of these stoves secondary air going to the burn tubes up top is uncontrollable.

Agreed. As far as I can tell that controls primary air to the boost manifold. It would be great to have this confirmed. Maybe you can check using a punk or incense stick down near the primary intake? Close off the primary air, but open up the boost air and see if you get smoke coming out of the bottom, front center of the firebox.