Any thoughts on a Jotul 602?
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They are great little stoves, that unfortunately didnt get used properly by many folks and occasionally got a bad rep. Not sure if they are certified which may be a issue depending upon your inspector. They are not an "all nighter", they are ideal to warm up a small area and be fed wood occasionally rather then cramming full and then shutting the damper down low. There are internal heat baffles that need to be in good shape for an efficient burn. The baffles do wear out, but frequently they are broken by someone trying to force over sized wood into the fire box. A great little stove to burn up short lengths of wood. Note that most folks cut their firewood too long to fit the firebox.
There were a couple of foreign knockoffs of these stove complete with Jotul casting marks. Jotul makes a good casting, so if the casting quality looks poor, be careful as the knockoffs tended to split on occasion.
There were a couple of foreign knockoffs of these stove complete with Jotul casting marks. Jotul makes a good casting, so if the casting quality looks poor, be careful as the knockoffs tended to split on occasion.
peakbagger said:
Thanks for the info. I don't think I'm going to buy it as it might be to small for my needs, though. They guy is selling it for $100.
BrowningBAR said:
my brother-in-law came across one of these from a job site where the customer asked him to replace it with a newer stove. He took it and installed it in my basement last fall. I absolutely love it. There are a few people on this site that can give you a wealth of info on this stove, (in fact i started a thread called jotul 602 in's and out's when i first got the stove), as i am very new to wood burning, nevermind the stove itself!! Check out that thread and read the info that others here gave me on it if you happen to change your mind on getting it. $100 seems like a pretty good deal (if its in burning condition).
Anyways, i totally enjoyed this little stove, and once i got the hang of its operation, it would heat my basement from 57 deg to 75-80 deg (plenty hot enough for me). I believe it is designed for 16" spilts (max length). It definitely needs to be fed every few hours and watched for teperature, as they are easy to overfire (happened to me once). I would think this could handle heating your kitchen with no problem. Its a small stove, but that little sucker can throw some heat!! Good luck with whatever you decide to do!!
I'm one of the devoted admirer's of this little stove. In my book, it's the Volkswagen of woodstoves. If you keep one in good running order and feed it steadily, it is the little stove that could. Through the normal seasons in Western WA we heated our very leaky (at the time) house with it, supplemented by the pellet stove. Until it got below freezing, this stove would handle heating the house on its own. Yes, it wanted to be fed every couple hours, but the heat was respectable and the flue stayed quite clean with no visible smoke while burning. We kept the stove when we remodeled with the intent of installing it in the greenhouse if/when we get it built. It sits in the garage ready and willing to go.
That said, there appears to be some warning signs of high heat in the stove pictures. The light grey exterior splotchiness may be a sign of failed or missing interior liners. Maybe not, it would take some close examination of key areas to be sure. From the pictures it's not obvious if this was top or rear vented. If rear, underneath the flue exit is a stress point. Also needing investigation would be the interior plates and the exterior front top, where the flame reverses around the baffle. Look for hairline cracks on the exterior and inside look for warped, cracked, missing or misaligned liner plates.
That said, there appears to be some warning signs of high heat in the stove pictures. The light grey exterior splotchiness may be a sign of failed or missing interior liners. Maybe not, it would take some close examination of key areas to be sure. From the pictures it's not obvious if this was top or rear vented. If rear, underneath the flue exit is a stress point. Also needing investigation would be the interior plates and the exterior front top, where the flame reverses around the baffle. Look for hairline cracks on the exterior and inside look for warped, cracked, missing or misaligned liner plates.
BeGreen said:
That was my first impression too, BG. That said, if it's crack free and all the innards are there, $100 is a great price.
Im looking to heat my small, upstairs unit in a larger house. Three rooms and a full bath, roughly 600 total square feet in a 1916 Craftsman. My mother and Father both have Jotul's and I came across one recently but would like some advice from the folks here if you have a bit a time let me know what you think! The stove is 350$, and from a 1950's house, definitely used but not much as a stove but currently used as a bedside table by the owner. Any and all comments are appreciated! Thanks
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journey, looks like our stove, but this one is really whorehouse red 
. Ours is a darker red.
If the inner burn plates are as true, uncracked, no warps and solid as they appear to be, this is a decent deal, though a little high for its vintage?. Also check the back of the stove for hairline cracks on the back.
The only thing that concerns me is that the upper baffle appears not to be in place correctly. There shouldn't be a light leak under the upper baffle. It should seat snugly at the back. Check for warping or maybe it is just not seated correctly. That will prematurely age the back of the stove. When the upper baffle is seated correctly, the flame path is forced to the front of the stove for a reburn. If it can escape behind the upper baffle at the back of the baffle, directly up the flue, it will. That leads to high back temps and poorer burns.
. Ours is a darker red. If the inner burn plates are as true, uncracked, no warps and solid as they appear to be, this is a decent deal, though a little high for its vintage?. Also check the back of the stove for hairline cracks on the back.
The only thing that concerns me is that the upper baffle appears not to be in place correctly. There shouldn't be a light leak under the upper baffle. It should seat snugly at the back. Check for warping or maybe it is just not seated correctly. That will prematurely age the back of the stove. When the upper baffle is seated correctly, the flame path is forced to the front of the stove for a reburn. If it can escape behind the upper baffle at the back of the baffle, directly up the flue, it will. That leads to high back temps and poorer burns.
Oh its red without question! I havent seen the stove in person yet, but I will take a look at the back of the stove for cracks, thanks for the explanation. Makes sense if the plate was too far forward. So the plates just slide front to back within the stove body? Is there an obvious "seat" towards the back?
BEER
BEER
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journey said:
yes there is a groove notched out on the inside of the back of the stove in which the rear of the baffle can rest on.
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