Anyone have any experience with this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Rutland-Prod-...4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1284410111&sr=8-4
Price is right
http://www.amazon.com/Rutland-Prod-...4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1284410111&sr=8-4
Price is right
Good stove thermometer?
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cmonSTART
Minister of Fire
We have a couple of those. They seem to work fine for us. I have found the needle is even a bit movable so it can be "calibrated" if your neurotic enough to go through the trouble.
I have two, one made by rutland and one by condor and they are 100-150 off of each other so now I guess I will buy an IR tester to see which one is correct.
Treacherous
Minister of Fire
I picked up this IR tester for $29 from Harbor Freight.
http://www.harborfreight.com/non-co...hftusa&utm_medium=hftusa&utm_campaign=buylink
Temperature range: -4° F/-20° C to 968° F/520° C
Accuracy: +3° F/+2° C or 2% of reading
It may be a get what you pay for but so far it seems accurate enough.
http://www.harborfreight.com/non-co...hftusa&utm_medium=hftusa&utm_campaign=buylink
Temperature range: -4° F/-20° C to 968° F/520° C
Accuracy: +3° F/+2° C or 2% of reading
It may be a get what you pay for but so far it seems accurate enough.
Oh, I have Rutlands and I have Condars, and no, they don't all read the same...but what difference does 50°F or even 100°F make when you're talking about a woodstove? Not a hell of a lot, I think. This coming from an obsessive-compulsive Mechanical Engineer. It ain't rocket science. %-P Rick
Green Energy
Feeling the Heat
I have a Rutland and a IR temp gun. The Rutland doesn't get lost as it stays stuck to the stove. The IR is more accurate and the Rutland is in the ballpark. But as Fossil said, 50F difference is not a big deal. The temp across the top of the stove varies that much or more. You get to know your stove and if the magnetic thermometer is always in the same place, it is a good indicator of what your stove is doing.
Todd
Minister of Fire
When I compared my Rutlands with my Condars the Rutlands were always 75-100 higher once they got up in the 500 range. I like the Condars better.
grommal
Feeling the Heat
Bought a Condar Inferno last year. It agrees with a surface thermocouple probe to within 10-ish degrees at 400, 500, and 600. Oddly enough, I bought it to replace a 23 year old VC branded magnetic stovetop thermometer, figuring that after all that time it has to be reading incorrectly. No so. The old VC agrees well across the range with the new Condar.
Is your old thermometer by SandHill with a white face behind glass? If so, we have the same. Ours is approaching it's 30th birthday and is still pretty darn accurate according to the IR thermometer. Wish this model was still available. I'd recommend it in a heartbeat.
Unfortunately, not even remotely similar.
For a modern accurate thermometer, TelTru makes a nice unit. Tel-Tru DM-014-750
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/21244/#231799
For a modern accurate thermometer, TelTru makes a nice unit. Tel-Tru DM-014-750
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/21244/#231799
I guessed as much, bummer. It seems like the condar might be the pick of the litter.BeGreen said:
grommal
Feeling the Heat
It does have a white face, but there's no glass. It's constructed almost identically to the Condar.BeGreen said:
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Condar stove thermometer . . . found that the temp was very close to what my IR gun said the temp was. I also have a Condar probe thermometer for the flue . . . although I can't say how accurate it is.
grommal said:
According to Condar, that series was made by them. I must have got one of the earlier batch. If I had to get another, it would probably be the TelTru. They are expensive, but should last decades.
soupy1957
Minister of Fire
Green Energy: You said, ".............The IR is more accurate." I wonder........how do you know that? (serious question). What did you use to prove, or perhaps better said, HOW did you prove out the IR? I have a Rutland, on the stove, and a Condar on the flue pipe, and MY "IR" (a.k.a. Laser Temp Thermometer), didn't agree with either one.
Taking the Condar out of the equation, since that's not a fair comparison, because the Condar is reading the gas temp inside a double-wall flue pipe, and my IR is reading the outside temp of the external pipe, .........that leaves the IR's reading of a location next to the Rutland, and thru the glass.
I've been wondering how I can determine which (the IR or the Rutland) is closer to the more accurate temp.. How did YOU prove the IR's readings?
In answer to the OP, I'd say that Condar and Rutland have been in business for a while now, and they make reliable thermometers for establishing trends with your particular burning style and equipment. I've given up trying to compare MY temp readings to others, (although I STILL would like to know the ACCURATE temps of my burns), since all systems and styles of burning, and woods used, are somewhat different.
Even though I have a Rutland Thermometer on my stove, I've just ordered THIS Condar "Chimgard" Thermometer. I'll put this one and the Rutland side-by-side, and we'll see if they agree. Maybe THAT'S a way to do a comparison?!
-Soupy1957
Taking the Condar out of the equation, since that's not a fair comparison, because the Condar is reading the gas temp inside a double-wall flue pipe, and my IR is reading the outside temp of the external pipe, .........that leaves the IR's reading of a location next to the Rutland, and thru the glass.
I've been wondering how I can determine which (the IR or the Rutland) is closer to the more accurate temp.. How did YOU prove the IR's readings?
In answer to the OP, I'd say that Condar and Rutland have been in business for a while now, and they make reliable thermometers for establishing trends with your particular burning style and equipment. I've given up trying to compare MY temp readings to others, (although I STILL would like to know the ACCURATE temps of my burns), since all systems and styles of burning, and woods used, are somewhat different.
Even though I have a Rutland Thermometer on my stove, I've just ordered THIS Condar "Chimgard" Thermometer. I'll put this one and the Rutland side-by-side, and we'll see if they agree. Maybe THAT'S a way to do a comparison?!
-Soupy1957
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Mrs. Krabappel
Minister of Fire
Thanks for the reminder. I need to shop for this. I need two? To put where?
Condar is right down the mountain from me. I wonder if they ever have a factory sale
Condar is right down the mountain from me. I wonder if they ever have a factory sale
Green Energy
Feeling the Heat
soupy1957 said:
IR Laser Thermometer I have has a rated accuracy of +/- 3.5 F according to the spec sheet:
http://support.fluke.com/raytek-sales/download/asset/mt_bro_1-1101_revf.pdf
The markings on my Rutland are at 25 F intervals. So if the Rutland is more accurate, which I doubt, the read out has the limitation that you can not read it as accurately as the IR laser gun.
As I said in my original post on this thread, the temperatures vary by 50 to 75 F or more across the top of my stove when its cruising. So I am not concerned about 25 or 50 F. I keep track of the temp because I am that kind of guy, but once the temps are above 500 F, I am turning down the air based on maintaining the secondaries. I can usually get the primary air down to less than a quarter, or an eighth, depending on how I have built the fire and the type of wood.
GE
BeGreen said:
I just bought this one....it arrived today. I'll have to wait until November to give any feedback on its performance.
It's a solid little unit though, with glass face and two strong heavy magnets.
My old thermometer was a freebie that came with the stove. I'd already fixed the broken inidicator arrow on it once.
I figured a one-time investment in a quality thermometer was worthwhile. It should help me avoid conditions that'll damage my catalyst and other stove parts (just replaced the 20 odd year old cast iron throat hood that was slumped and eroding on the edge where it tends to glow red hot inside the firebox).
nocdpc
New Member
soupy1957 said:
The condor you show is a stove pipe thermometer and not made for the stove top. It will not show the true reading.
I thought someone posted a while back that placing them in an oven did not work very well for a test.BLIMP said:
kayakkeith
Member
so the one that I just got with my Woodstock Keystone looks like the Condor one - any idea of how good this one is - should I buy another
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