Choosing a large insert - BTU Ratings

I think Englander's customer service, and Mike's presence on the forum, give them a leg up here. If Englander made a 30nci....?

I have no doubt in my mind that Englander offers great service. And they are a great product as well. I think it depends where you live and what is available to you: Englander stoves are not known around my neck of the woods. I learned of them from this forum.

It's great to see a stove manufacturer having a representative on this forum. I certainly think that it would be nice if every company had a rep here!

Andrew

Swedishchef said:

I have no doubt in my mind that Englander offers great service. And they are a great product as well. I think it depends where you live and what is available to you: Englander stoves are not known around my neck of the woods. I learned of them from this forum.

It's great to see a stove manufacturer having a representative on this forum. I certainly think that it would be nice if every company had a rep here!

Andrew

Click to expand...

Totally agree. We hear a lot from ESW and Woodstock, two of the favorites. Don't really know if any others pay attention to what goes on here, but they probably should.

I know for a fact that there is at least one SBI rep on this forum. However, he does not wish to "gloat" about their products, he tries to remain "neutral".

Unfortunately, I don't get a cut on any stoves SBI sells

A

It's good to hear such praise for the company that manufactured my stove. I love that damn thing.

I installed my Osburn 2400 insert last fall and I really like it, but I'm a newbie and still learning how to burn the thing, so I can't really compare how it burns compared to others. I purchased it from www.homeclick.com and got free shipping from NJ to PA and it arrived in a couple of days with my multi-flue chimney cap and a few other trimmings all under $2k (not including the flex liner I purchased elsewhere).

My main goal was to get the big firebox for the best price, but I too was a bit worried about quality, given the big price difference. I went to a local store that had Osburns in stock, and while they didn't have the 2400 in stock, I could tell see some differences compared to Lopi or Quadrafire. For instance, the metal collar that connects the chimney pipe was about 30% thicker on the more expensive stoves. The more expensive stoves seemed to have thicker metal elsewhere as well. In general, the more expensive stoves felt a bit "sturdier". I went with the Osburn anyway. I figured it is the bricks that are supposed to hold the heat anyway and since the stove is just sitting in one place, a bit less metal shouldn't be a problem. I think I made the best choice.

My only complaint, the unit's one fan in the fan assembly seems to be offset a bit. If it was an inch to the right, it would be blowing directly into the "pipe" that goes under and around the firebox and blows out the top, but since it's off-center, 70% of it blows into the pipe, and the other 30% blows at the floor under the stove. Looks like a mistake on the assembly line to me, but I'd be interested if anyone thinks it should be this way. I figured at some point I would remove the fan assembly, unscrew the fan and re-position it an inch to the right. Maybe I'll even add a second fan in the process.

So in my experience, I think SBI cuts a few corners, which is fine for me b/c it saves you at least a grand compared to the higher end stoves. You just may have to make a couple of adjustments yourself.

DaFattKidd said:

WYO I don't know why they are so inexpensive but this thing is built like a tank.

Click to expand...

Automation...

Thanks for the kind comments regarding Osburn (I work for them). Osburn is our flagship brand and we try to put a lot of quality into it. Don't want to brazenly advertise but to explain why the pricing can be kept down.

Quebec City is a bit like Washington, a government city where there's not that many welders & tradesmen easily available to hire. In addition, SBI made the conscious decision not to go to China for its manufacture. Therefore the need to heavily invest in automation in order to stay competitive.

If you like machines and steel fabricating (and which self-respecting wood burning, chainsaw yielding dude is not! ) I can explain the process a little. We have a few automated turret presses & laser cutters, we were the third company in North America to acquire a robotic brake press. We have robotic welder, painters and we are the only one in our industry that has robotic sheet metal handlers. This robot in effect is programmed to weight and bring the right sheet of metal to each of those machines. The metal fabrication process can be done without human intervention 24/7. All this automation helps us to reduce cost while maintaining consistent quality. Lean manufacturing has also been heavily implemented to ensure quality and consistency.

We have plenty of other machines that require human intervention and we still need about 200 + people working at the plant for assembly etc...

As far as Osburn is concerned it is designed to compete with many *premium* brand in the market. The top steel in Osburn is now being changed from 5/16" to 3/8". Somebody mentioned the baffle and the cost associated with replacing it. Osburn uses C Cast (ceramic) baffle and you would have to try hard to break this thing. It has a 7 year warranty.

As far as I know Osburn is the only brand that has a lifetime warranty on glass where as a matter of policy we will replace it no questions asked. That is if you close the door on a log and break it or inadvertently throw something against the glass, We will replace it at no cost to you.

If you'd like to see how its done we'd love for you to come visit in Quebec City. It is North America's oldest city and if you've never been to Europe it is the next best thing to being there. Lots of festival, great food, street performers parties etc... If you want to see what it is like follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nttBVyi75sY

Come for a plant tour and we'll treat you right. PM me if ever you are in the area or intend to come for a visit.

Mike.R said:

I installed my Osburn 2400 insert last fall and I really like it, but I'm a newbie and still learning how to burn the thing, so I can't really compare how it burns compared to others. I purchased it from www.homeclick.com and got free shipping from NJ to PA and it arrived in a couple of days with my multi-flue chimney cap and a few other trimmings all under $2k (not including the flex liner I purchased elsewhere).

My main goal was to get the big firebox for the best price, but I too was a bit worried about quality, given the big price difference. I went to a local store that had Osburns in stock, and while they didn't have the 2400 in stock, I could tell see some differences compared to Lopi or Quadrafire. For instance, the metal collar that connects the chimney pipe was about 30% thicker on the more expensive stoves. The more expensive stoves seemed to have thicker metal elsewhere as well. In general, the more expensive stoves felt a bit "sturdier". I went with the Osburn anyway. I figured it is the bricks that are supposed to hold the heat anyway and since the stove is just sitting in one place, a bit less metal shouldn't be a problem. I think I made the best choice.

My only complaint, the unit's one fan in the fan assembly seems to be offset a bit. If it was an inch to the right, it would be blowing directly into the "pipe" that goes under and around the firebox and blows out the top, but since it's off-center, 70% of it blows into the pipe, and the other 30% blows at the floor under the stove. Looks like a mistake on the assembly line to me, but I'd be interested if anyone thinks it should be this way. I figured at some point I would remove the fan assembly, unscrew the fan and re-position it an inch to the right. Maybe I'll even add a second fan in the process.

So in my experience, I think SBI cuts a few corners, which is fine for me b/c it saves you at least a grand compared to the higher end stoves. You just may have to make a couple of adjustments yourself.

Click to expand...

PM me with your serial # and a pic and we'll take care of it.

I think mine has 2 fans and they push the heat very well. They are noisey thouygh, so the company is sending me a new fan set up.

WYO, welcome to the forums

How many square feet are the upper 3 levels? I assume the basement baseboards are on their own heating zone? My home is 3 levels plus the basement, so I understand your frustration. And moving heat "down" is a lesson in futility, I've learned this >:-(

Just a thought, maybe a wood stove in the living room? Depends on the SF of the 3 levels.

FyreBug said:

DaFattKidd said:

WYO I don't know why they are so inexpensive but this thing is built like a tank.

Click to expand...

Automation...

Thanks for the kind comments regarding Osburn (I work for them). Osburn is our flagship brand and we try to put a lot of quality into it. Don't want to brazenly advertise but to explain why the pricing can be kept down.

Quebec City is a bit like Washington, a government city where there's not that many welders & tradesmen easily available to hire. In addition, SBI made the conscious decision not to go to China for its manufacture. Therefore the need to heavily invest in automation in order to stay competitive.

If you like machines and steel fabricating (and which self-respecting wood burning, chainsaw yielding dude is not! ) I can explain the process a little. We have a few automated turret presses & laser cutters, we were the third company in North America to acquire a robotic brake press. We have robotic welder, painters and we are the only one in our industry that has robotic sheet metal handlers. This robot in effect is programmed to weight and bring the right sheet of metal to each of those machines. The metal fabrication process can be done without human intervention 24/7. All this automation helps us to reduce cost while maintaining consistent quality. Lean manufacturing has also been heavily implemented to ensure quality and consistency.

We have plenty of other machines that require human intervention and we still need about 200 + people working at the plant for assembly etc...

As far as Osburn is concerned it is designed to compete with many *premium* brand in the market. The top steel in Osburn is now being changed from 5/16" to 3/8". Somebody mentioned the baffle and the cost associated with replacing it. Osburn uses C Cast (ceramic) baffle and you would have to try hard to break this thing. It has a 7 year warranty.

As far as I know Osburn is the only brand that has a lifetime warranty on glass where as a matter of policy we will replace it no questions asked. That is if you close the door on a log and break it or inadvertently throw something against the glass, We will replace it at no cost to you.

If you'd like to see how its done we'd love for you to come visit in Quebec City. It is North America's oldest city and if you've never been to Europe it is the next best thing to being there. Lots of festival, great food, street performers parties etc... If you want to see what it is like follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nttBVyi75sY
.

Click to expand...

Quebec City has to be one of the nicest in North America. I go there for work every month or two. What an incredible city! NOt many places have parts of the city that are UNESCO world heritage sites.

The next time I am in the area, I will certainly be taking a sidetrip to the factory.

Andrew

FyreBug said:

Mike.R said:

I installed my Osburn 2400 insert last fall and I really like it, but I'm a newbie and still learning how to burn the thing, so I can't really compare how it burns compared to others. I purchased it from www.homeclick.com and got free shipping from NJ to PA and it arrived in a couple of days with my multi-flue chimney cap and a few other trimmings all under $2k (not including the flex liner I purchased elsewhere).

My main goal was to get the big firebox for the best price, but I too was a bit worried about quality, given the big price difference. I went to a local store that had Osburns in stock, and while they didn't have the 2400 in stock, I could tell see some differences compared to Lopi or Quadrafire. For instance, the metal collar that connects the chimney pipe was about 30% thicker on the more expensive stoves. The more expensive stoves seemed to have thicker metal elsewhere as well. In general, the more expensive stoves felt a bit "sturdier". I went with the Osburn anyway. I figured it is the bricks that are supposed to hold the heat anyway and since the stove is just sitting in one place, a bit less metal shouldn't be a problem. I think I made the best choice.

My only complaint, the unit's one fan in the fan assembly seems to be offset a bit. If it was an inch to the right, it would be blowing directly into the "pipe" that goes under and around the firebox and blows out the top, but since it's off-center, 70% of it blows into the pipe, and the other 30% blows at the floor under the stove. Looks like a mistake on the assembly line to me, but I'd be interested if anyone thinks it should be this way. I figured at some point I would remove the fan assembly, unscrew the fan and re-position it an inch to the right. Maybe I'll even add a second fan in the process.

So in my experience, I think SBI cuts a few corners, which is fine for me b/c it saves you at least a grand compared to the higher end stoves. You just may have to make a couple of adjustments yourself.

Click to expand...

PM me with your serial # and a pic and we'll take care of it.

Click to expand...

Much appreciated FyreBug. I will get the info in the next day or two and contact you.