As an admin on a Star Wars forum I always like it when members not only take but actually give back to the forum.
I had every intention of going to get the jotul. I stood at the Preston Trading post ready to buy when I got cold feet.
Two months later our CEO announced major layoffs and we knew better. The company would be shutting down for good. Thank goodness I went with my gut. Money in the bank is always good right before unemployment.
All of 2012 was crisis mode preparing for the worst and trying to save and pay off bills.
Fast forward to this past January. My prediction came true. We had several cracks on our VC Resolute. I knew it was too small for our house and our over firing finally caught up with us. It's still usable as its only the inner rear wall but we have issues with the damper not staying closed and the glass panes keep falling in. I rigged the glass pains to last us through this winter and we "rigged" the damper to stay closed when needed.
I saw a sale at Preston Trading Post and wanting to save money I planned to go grab the jotul 600. While I was there I looked at all of the stoves trying to see if I could save some more money than jotul 600. I came across the newer F55 Carrabbassett. I spent a few weeks reading up on it and reading reviews. Well, the Carrbbassett is now sitting in our living room right next to the old VC Resolute. I'll hook it up later this summer.
My first impression is wow
!
Pros
It's several hundred dollars cheaper than the 600. With the tax breaks and current sale I walked out paying $1900 shipped.
The look is great and my wife likes it better than your standard steel stove. It's a steel box stove with cast iron panels attached to the sides. The top is also cast iron. It's a very nice looking stove.
Nice big front door. And only one door vs the two on the jotul.
Huge unobstructed window vs the more cluttered view of the 600.
Only ember protection for the floor.
Reduced clearance as it came with a rear heat shield.
Boasts an impressive 83000 BTUs vs the 600 at 81000. I know those numbers can vary and are sometimes off but it will be much better than our underpowered VC Resolute that only had 30000 BTUs. This stove will more than heat our house.
Cons
No side door.
Maximum 18" logs.
Overall I'm very impressed with this stove. I'm eager for next fall when I can fire it up. Next year midwinter I'll be sure to give you all a review of my new Jotul Carrabbassett.
We also looked at the F50 TL. We love top load stoves because you can really pack them and its easier not having to bend down. The F50 IMHO is a waste. The opening is incredibly small. You can top load but the hole is so small you'll never pack it full. I'd guess the opening was about 6" by 18-20". The 6" is just ridiculously small. Plus the reviews were a bit shaky with the added parts. There's a side lever you must move first. The side lever rotates the baffles from the top to the back of the stove. It just seems like a poor design and waste.
As for the job. I'm still here and we're limping along. Seniority has its advantages. If I'm lucky I'll get to the end of the year. That's probably not going to happen but I can hope. If anyone has an "in" at the airlines for pilot positions I'm ready to go.
Hopefully my review next winter will be an airline review as well.
To those that helped me with the decision, thank you again. Even though I went with another stove, you all gave me a lot of info to think about and in the end that helped me pick the Carrbbassett.
