Godin multi-fuel stoves: Heat or Good Looks?

I recently purchased a small, round Godin 3720 stove. I haven't installed it yet but I will soon. Can any size of these Godin's heat well or are they just pretty? We're going to use ours in an old cabin for ambiance and to take the chill off in the fall.

If we were to use the cabin in the winter can these heat an uninsulated room or two. We'll be heating with wood not coal.

Anyone know if these Godin's are any harder to operate than any other old, small wood stove?

Thanks.

- Arnold Z.

The godin are hard to heat with just wood, as they were designed for burning coal. If you can get some chunk coal and put a good handfull in every morning when you start it up and burn the rest of the time with wood it will be allot easier to heat with.

You'll do alot of splitting with a 3720, but don't be decieved! Theyt actually work fairly well withwood. Because you feed the logs straight down the barrrel, and they burn from botom to top, it's not a bad arrangement at all. Doesn't hold much, but if it's to be used as you desribed it should be good enough. Doen't take up much space either. Stovepipe damper might be handy. Try it on coal just for fun. Not easy at first, but if you can get the mang of it, you may love it. Good luck and Happy Heating

The 3720, when it is cranking, can put out 17,000 BTUs/hr. There are several calculators that will estimate the amount of heat needed for various room configurations. One is: http://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/how_much_heat_does_that_room_need . Try the calculator to see what your rooms might need.

Just remember that due to the small size of the stove and ash pan it will need regular tending to put out 17,000 BTUs. According to the manufacturer it has a capacity of about 6 lbs of coal and burns about 1.5 lbs/hr for 15,000 BTUs/hr output. With good dry hardwood the capacity is about 4.5 lbs and will burn around 3.5 lbs/hr for the same output.