Jotul F50 vs. F55

I have another thread going about possibly getting a new stove next year. I have gotten a lot of good replies and advice regarding new stoves. I just noticed these stoves and am very interested in one or the other. I have a few questions regarding the differences between the F50 and the F55:

1. Can you cook on the top of either of these stoves with something like a cast iron pan?
2. Which would be a better fit for a 1654 Sq/ft ranch home in Mid coast Maine as a primary heating source?
3. Will a stove like this burn us out of the room that it is going to go in?
4. What can I expect to pay for either of these stoves?
5. Anyone with experience with either of these stoves have any issues?

Thanks,
Jason

jzinckgra said:

Welcome, Mainer! I have the F55 and very happy so far. Much better than the Hampton I had before. We have a 2250sqft open floor plan with 26' cathedral ceilings and loft area. Lots of cubic space to heat and working well so far with a large ceiling fan to circulate the heat. I'd think the F50 would be more than enough for your house, especially if you've got 8' ceilings. I got an awesome deal from a guy on craiglist at $1600, still on the crate. Local dealer wanted $2200 I believe. You can certainly cook on the top of either stove. The F50 has a top load door, the F55 does not. F50 has ash pan, F55 doesn't. I don't think you can go wrong with either. Where in Maine? Seems like you're the 2nd newcomer from ME in the last week.

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Thanks for the welcome,
My Wife and I are in the process of moving from NJ to Maine. Our house is outside of Bucksport. We are very happy to be moving and should be in the house by January. Would going with the F55 be too much. How does it do with partial loads? What kind of burn times are you getting?

Thanks

jzinckgra said:

Haven't been able to really load it up and see what the burn times are, but others here have posted 8-12hrs. The primary air damper is very sensitive and I have been trying to understand the burn characteristics (secondary combustion) as I go along. I recall looking at the F5o and thought the top load door was small as well. Unless you really want the convenience of the ash pan, I'd go with the F55. I moved up to Maine back in 1983 from NJ.

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I am leaning more towards the F55. I would greatly appreciate it if you would report your burn times after a couple of full loads and figuring out the dampening system. It looks like a really nice, low maintenance stove which is what I am looking for. The only stove that I have used was a Vermont Castings Vigilant at my parents house many years ago. They still have the stove but don't use it anymore. I remember having to change gaskets on that thing and it was not that fun. The stove in our basement in Maine is a Cawley Lemay 600 which is nice but we would also like a stove upstairs to replace our insert. Our hope is to not have to use that much oil as we have an abundance of firewood and oil is pretty expensive. Whereabouts in Maine are you located?

ddddddden said:

AFAIK, the F55 is the F50 firebox without the top-loading mechanism, so the firebox in the F55 has a bit more room at the top. Some have posted that they find the F50's top door too small to be useful for loading. Unless you really want the WinterGrill, I would go with the F55, but I have no experience with either stove.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...-jotul-rangeley-or-jotul-carrabassett.110610/

You need to post some details on the insulation/weatherization of your house, if you want a good answer about appropriately sizing the stove for the house.

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Since we are not living in the house yet, I really don't know much about the insulation/ weatherization. I only know that when I was there in October that we had a couple of small fires in both the wood stove and the insert, and they seemed to work well together keeping the house warm at night. Since it was not really that cold (upper 30's/ lower 40's) at night, it was relatively easy to keep the house at around 72-75 degrees. I am expecting it to be much harder to do that when the weather gets colder with our current set-up, especially in Maine where I am told that it can get pretty cold.

Knots said:

I don't think there's a lot of difference between the two when it comes to heating capacity. To me, it comes down to whether you value the extra features of the F50.

I like simple, so I went with the F55.

I bought mine in the spring and payed cash so they knocked $200.00 off. Including the OAK, I got it for $2068.00.

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That sounds like a good price. I also like simple and would rather not get a stove that requires a lot of maintenance. I liked the top load feature on my parents Vigilant but certainly don't need it. I have not seen either stove in person but from what I have read, most people think that the top load door is too small anyway. It is also another gasket to have to worry about.

woodsmith said:

I'm also in Maine with an F55. We chose this stove because of its firebox capacity, awesome clearances, and simple design (low maintenance). Just one gasket on the entire stove and one lever to adjust the air. I looked at the F50 briefly, but felt that the top load feature was awkward. Our house is a 1750 sq. ft. single story ranch and this stove seems to be a perfect fit. Two months with it and I've had no issues.

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That is very encouraging. I think that I have made up my mind and will go with the F55.