Jotul F 600 Firelight or Quadra-Fire Isle Royale

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robalp

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Mar 1, 2010
49
Hunterdon County NJ
I am looking to replace my old Buck Stove in a very large room with 30 ceiling. I have been leaning toward the Jotul F 600 or the Quadra-Fire Isle Royale. The Jotul seems a bit bigger and capable of heating a bigger space, but not that much bigger. They are about the same price. I have not read a review on this site with one bad comment about the Quadra-Fire, but a few negatives about the Jotul... I would love to hear from some experienced folks.

Thanks
Rob
 
I'm a Jotul owner myself, use the f500 Oslo and I can't say one bad thing about the stove. I know this doesn't answer your question about the firelight but coming from a Jotul owner I had to say my peace. Good luck in your choice and welcome to the forum...
 
Thanks,
I have been enjoying the site for the last few month. I have learned a lot! I even found a great deal on an almost new pellet stove a while back. I have been working to get it installed and am almost done. I took a lot of photos, so I will post them as soon as I can, hopefully the new wood stove photos too!
I am hoping a few folks who have the same stoves might share their thoughts. The reviews of both stoves are not that recent...

Thanks again
 
Both are well-made 3 cu ft stoves and both have lots of satisfied users.

Is the flue 8 or 6"? I'm curious if you considered replacing the stove with a new EPA Buck?
 
I have an 8 inch now. I am hoping I will not have to change it. Both the stoves I am looking at have 6 inch. I hope I can just adapt at the stove, so I don't have to replace 30 foot of good pipe... It is a strait up chimney, no elbows or turns. I have not looked at any Buck's, except I quick visit to the website. The stove (Little Buck) I have now has been very reliable, but just not very efficeint. It eats wood and does not hold the heat very well. It was an insert I think, but is used as a freestanding unit in our home. That said, we would like somethingn not only well made and very good burn times, but something that will enhance the look of the room. The house is an old converted barn. Very rustic...
 
So far I've been really impressed with the F600. I have yet to use it during real cold weather, but so far it's really throwing heat and couldn't be easier to run. Besides the doors, the only moving part is the little air lever. We also are using the 8" pipe left from our Defiant, and the draft is excellent. We have about 24' straight up, so I'd assume that with 30' you're going to be fine.
 
I am also trying to decide between these two stoves. Did you make a decision? If so, what was the deciding factor?

The dealer I will purchase from regularly stocks/sells the IR. He has access to Jotul stoves, but only purchases them for a special order basis. Obviously, he is more familiar with the IR but he feels the Jotul is an excellent stove too.

I like the top loading feature of the IR, but am concerned about the additional moving parts versus the simple F600. For the F600, the past threads that discussed problems with the combustion air controls have me somewhat concerned.

Has anyone else closely compared these two stoves?

thanks!
 
There was an air control issue with the F-600. They have since changed the bend in the lever so it wont bind any more. Both stoves are great products..... I use a Jotul and wouldnt trade it for the world thought! The big thing for me was a true cast stove vs a steel stove wrapped in cast iron. The difference in radiant heat is noticeable. My install is in the basement and i wanted that radiant heat to warm all the concrete up for me. If yours is on the first level maybe the convection would suit you better from the IR.
 
my install will be in the basement, like yours. So, the IR is just wrapped with cast iron? I was not aware of that.

What are the disadvantages of having steel interior? Wouldn't the cast-iron exterior of the IR retain and release the stored BTUs similiar to the F600?

Good to hear that the problem with the combustion intake was fixed.
 
Steel stoves have firebrick liners and cast iron stoves have cast iron burn plates. Fire brick is there to reflect heat and insulate the fire box. The cast iron burn plates are there to protect the outer cast and transfer heat into the room. It is just 2 different kinds of heat.... convection vs radiant. I am 90% all the Quad units are steel wrapped in cast. Im sure there are many schools of thought on this topic here on hearth.com. Maybe you could post another thread asking what every one thinks too?
 
There are lots of exceptions. Different manufacturers use different combinations in their fireboxes. For example, there is also soapstone in some Hearthstone castiron stoves and firebrick behind the burn plate in some Jotuls. The Quad Isle Royale is a cast iron stove with traditional side burn plates, but also has firebrick.
 
I'm on my 3rd full winter with the Big 6 and have no complaints. For your install, definitely spring for a little extra and get the blower - well worth the money. Mine is in the basement of a 2 story bungalow that is poorly insulated (87 yrs old) but keeps things comfortable even upstairs in the bedroom. When windy or really cold (20's or below) I will use gas logs on main floor for a little quick and/or extra heat, but by-in-large the Big 6 does all the work. I had a old Mama Bear clone prior to this, but since the addition of the Big 6, my propane usage has decreased 50% or more (I also have propane furnace which used to kick on a lot more). Oh, I have the sticky-handle version, but it is a non-issue - just like an old toilet - just jiggle the handle a little and it works fine, lol!
 
I hope someone that has changed stoves, and had the same question - specifically, drafting a 6" stove into a 8" existing pipe. Just curious if you have a picture of the current stove and pipe/room/ceiling. How much of that pipe is sticking above the roofline?

I would be guessing, and a big guess, that with a stack that tall, especially if it is interior, you may be able to mismatch the stove to the existing pipe with out draft issues.

The other thing I would consider/ask... is how well does a radiant vs convective stove work in such a voluminous room? I again would be guessing, that you would be better leaning to convective types of stove.

I would be thinking Equinox, 8" pipe i think, but radiant.... in such a large room.
 
I finally bought the F500 Oslo after a lot of research and debate. The only reason I changed from the 600 to the 500 was really the price. My wife insisted on the porcelain finish, which upped the price, so to stay in the budget, we bought the smaller stove. That said, it was the correct choice. The 500 is in a room that is about 40 feet long and 25 feet wide with 20 foot ceiling. It gets very warm if you let the stove run up to normal operating temps. The rest of the house is also benefiting.
The stove itself has been remarkable. I am getting burn times of 10 to 12 hours. If I load the stove fully, at 9 or 10 in the evening, buy 7 am, there are still plenty of hot coals and the stove temp is still in the 200 to 300 range. The single control allows you to control the heat in a simple and very effective way. The side load door makes loading very easy. You can put long splits in and fill it nice and tight since the fire box is not tapered like the other. I would say this is one of the very few purchases I have made in a long time that I am completely happy with...

Good Luck
 
Ah, you looked at the most important factor when it comes to buying a stove . . . what your spouse thinks about the way it looks . . . although to tell the truth my wife really didn't care one way or the other about colors or looks since she is pretty easy going in that regard.

The Oslo . . . as you have discovered . . . is a great stove . . . I hope it works out for you. If nothing else you're already getting some fantastic burn times . . . if and when you need to fix the air control lever which will inevitably get a bit sticky it's an easy fix . . . just remove the two bolts on the doghouse and apply some graphite powder to the sliding mechanism . . . really this seems to be the only issue . . . well other than the ashes dropping out of the front door if you use it . . . but since you're using the side door you should be golden.

I assume you're using a fan on the floor of an adjacent room to push cold air towards the stove . . . this should help in moving out some of that hot air in the room to other rooms in the house.
 
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