jotul 602 owners

[Lynch]

what size wood are you burning in this stove? length and split sizes?
and how many sq ft are you heating with it?

thanks

 

[raiderfan]

I had an old 602 and burned in it for two seasons, before getting my new PE this past year.

I had my wood splits delivered at 16" long. I would have to split some of them smaller than what they came delivered by. (Wouldn't know the diameter for you). I was able to fit two (what I would consider) medium sized splits in it, with one small split on top of those. (I also lined my stove's bottom with 3 firebricks, placed horizontally, from front to back). So that probably cut some space down from bottom to top burn baffle.

Would burn for about three hours that way before I had to reload. I was heating about a 700 sq ft, uninsulated, very drafty basement space with it. Had to run it hot, with reloads coming at 450*, to keep up with my space. Thats why I decided to upgrade to what I have now. I loved it, though!!

 

[precaud]

Have burned both old and new 602's, and found optimum wood length to be 13"-14" and 3"-4" across. If it's a new F602, it likes some space in front and in back, and make sure you leave some room between the bottom pieces so air can get to the back of the firebox.

 

[KP Matt]

I have a new 602 installed in a 320 sq ft cabin in Eastern Ontario. The cabin is on piers, somewhat insulated but with leaky single pane windows, and a set of similarly drafty French doors. The stove is plenty for that space, although I do tend to leave an electric radiator heater on at night, just so it's not quite so cold in the morning and I don't have to get up in the middle of the night.

The three hour burn time sounds right, although I haven't had the opportunity to experiment with a full load of hop hornbeam and the air control closed as far as possible. (will it smoulder, even with a good bed of coals?)

The length and radius (and quantity) of the wood it will accept is a big change from the 70s era Jotul 118 it replaces. But it's so much more appropriate in terms of size than the 118, which I could never burn at a proper temperature without roasting myself out of the cabin, even in the coldest weather.

So, from now on I'm making a point of cutting wood shorter lengths, and splitting it smaller. But while it is more work, I'm guessing that the wood will dry faster this way.

So far I'm happy with the 602 - my only complaint is the fit of the castings in the firebox - the left and bottom plates don't line up very well at all. I've heard similar complaints from other owners of modern Jotuls. But a friend who knows a thing or two about castings says this kind of thing is fairly common. So far it doesn't seem to be an issue, but I'm keeping my eye on it.

 

[Lynch]

Have burned both old and new 602's, and found optimum wood length to be 13"-14" and 3"-4" across. If it's a new F602, it likes some space in front and in back, and make sure you leave some room between the bottom pieces so air can get to the back of the firebox.

so if i had 16 inch wood i wouldnt be able to load it to the top? b/c of the baffles (secondairs)
and with 13-14 you can stuff it full?

 

[Lynch]

thanks for the replies

keep'em comin

 

[precaud]

so if i had 16 inch wood i wouldnt be able to load it to the top? b/c of the baffles (secondairs) and with 13-14 you can stuff it full?

Perhaps, but that wasn't my point. The stove may accept 16" lengths, but that doesn't mean it works best with them. The air systems on the F602 are a bit of a kludge, to be frank, and for them to work, there needs to be some space in front of and behind the wood, as well as in between the bottom pieces.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

I'm currently using an old 602b (1977) in the rear of my house, just as supplemental heat when we get into the teens and lower. The main stove, Jotul Oslo, can usually heat the entire home (2,000 sq ft) until it gets very cold. I use 12" splits with alot of end cuts leftover from the shoulder season. My stove was modified with new side burn plates and a new rear burn plate (which the older models did not have) So the firebox is a bit smaller. The 602 in my situation heats approx 300 sq ft. I probably go through 3 arm fulls of splits in the 602 in 2 days of 24 hr burning.

 

[Lynch]

Would burn for about three hours that way before I had to reload. I was heating about a 700 sq ft, uninsulated, very drafty basement space with it. Had to run it hot, with reloads coming at 450*, to keep up with my space. Thats why I decided to upgrade to what I have now. I loved it, though!!

so i should be able to heat 672 sq ft that is pretty well insulated.
windows are all new, attic has desence insulation but plan to and more this summer. walls im not sure of but i have only gone threw 300 gallons of oil to heat this year and that does heat hot water too, so it doesnt take to much right now. as is.

and no i dont care if its not a 24/7 burner. mostly in the morning, night and weekends.

plus i dont have a great deal of room for a hearth so the less stove space the better.

thanks

 

[Lynch]

anyone?

.

 

[VCBurner]

If you like the 602 check out this 606 from Ebay, what a beauty!

 

[nola mike]

i'm heating my 2000 sq ft house with an old 602. 1915 house, original windows (with storms), inadequate attic insulation, and no insulation in the brick walls. does fine in 30'+ weather, when it gets into the low 20's i'm reloading every 2-3 hours or so, and stove temps low-mid 600' during the hot part of the burn. using 15" splits for the most part. I can fit about 4-5 at a time in there. this is with downstairs temps at 68', upstairs at 63-65'. i don't know why people want their house at 75+', but not me.

 

[roddy]

heat the main floor of 2000 ft bungalow .load it (for night) with two 13-15 inch 4x4s on the bottom,two 8 inch 4x4s on top of those,good for 6 hours with a good coal bed ,i live in eastern ontario,near ottawa,and its often freaken freezen hear,happy i got the 602 in nov 09.oil man thinks i,m an a-hole now.....

 

[Lynch]

thanks guys

anyone else?

 

[begreen]

Heating a 240 sq ft greenhouse now with the 602. We had it in the house a few years back. It was a nice shoulder season heater and supplemental heater for a pellet stove in the livingroom. The stove could hold it's own until temps dropped below 40 heating an old, 2000 sq ft house. In the greenhouse, I don't start it up until temps start approaching freezing outside. It's usually about 5-10 degrees warmer in the greenhouse. Once it is warmed up it will take the interior temp up at about 10 degrees an hour. I burn any size wood that will squeeze in there.

 

[Lynch]

so best guess is that it would work out just fine for me, just cut and split small.
now if i could get the stove shop guy to get a move on!