Good Morning. I have a Jotul f600. Have had it for almost 10 years. We NORMALLY don't have winters like you guys in Montana, but this winter has been right up there with you. Anyhow, my Jotul heats my 2400 sq. ft. ranch style log home with cathedral ceilings and fans very well. But when the HIGHS are below 30*, I gotta load up my wood burning furnace in the basement to keep us nice and toasty. We keep our home at 70* on average. All of the issues pertaining to Jotul that have been posted here are true. I've had to replace the entire upper section of my interior stove, tubes and all. That was 2 years ago, and I notice a slant happening again from one side. It may just have to be tightened up with the bolts, I hope. I am very careful not to stuff wood too high for fear of loosening the tubes above. I burn seasoned firewood, but have to clean the front window once per week. And I find the air intake control lever located just beneath the front loading door to be flimsy, as it gathers ash inside and becomes difficult to shift position. I keep a stick nearby just for this purpose of raising or lowering the air intake valve. This may not be an issue with the new stoves. Those are the negatives in my opinion.
Now the positives: The heat cranks! 400-500* on the stove is the norm.. I run it from medium to fully open. Like to keep my exhaust clean, and at medium after the over nite, I have plenty of hot embers inside to get the reload cranking in minutes. I push the hot embers to the front just behind the little shelf behind the window. I use this shelf to rest each end of 2 pieces of kindling. and lay the other ends on a long med. height log that goes across the back of the stove. These 2 or 3 kindlings, which are sitting right on top of the hot embers, create a pallet to now cross bigger split logs on top. I empty my easy to remove ash pan at this point, and now my fire is cooking up with a clean ash tray that won't be removed for another 24 hrs. When I lower the front lever to medium low to lowest position, I will have hot embers for 10-11 hrs. Sometimes 12. The size of the stove allows me to really crank out heat upon reload real quick,and that's important after our home has dipped to 60* after a cold day or nite and the stove turned down medium to low.
The side low door is a huge plus. I never load from the front. All my stove tools and wood is off to the side, so this makes everything very convenient.
After living with wood stoves for the past 22 years(had a Lopi insert in my previous town home that we loved), we never tire of the fire"show". When running, the wood stove becomes the focal part of your home. More than the flat screen because around the wood stove, our family has conversation as we relax in the warmth that radiates in front of us. The beauty of the fire inside this pretty stove is hard to beat. Like I say, after 22 years, you really never lose the passion for the fire. It's a way of life. A labor of love, and a major money saver.
This is a big wood stove that is a workhorse. For what it's worth to you, I love this stove. Look around. Enjoy the hunt. There are lots of beauties out there. And don't forget, my stove is already 10 years old. I bet the newer one is even more efficient and I know the front view is less blocked by the metal grates on the newest Jotul. Good luck!
Cheech
