Narrowed it down... Oslo or Castine??

[eightpilot]

I am having a heck of a time choosing which stove will work best for me. Price is close and not really a factor. I can fit the oslo on my 20" hearth but it does look pretty big for a hearth mount. The 400 fits the hearth nicely but will it put out enough heat for a whole house? This is my dilema. What are the differences in firebox volume between the two? Also, is it possible to burn just a few logs at a time in the Olso and still get some heat out of it? The firebox looks pretty large. Thanks guys. 8

 

[eightpilot]

Forgot to mention. 1825 square ft open concept type home. 26ft by 23ft great room with open loft master and 18ft ceilings. Lots of windows in great room...20 to be exact. Thanks. 8

 

[begreen]

The F400 is about 1.5 cu ft firebox, the F500 is about 2 cu ft. If you can fit it and are set on buying a Jotul, go for the Oslo. You have a lot of cubic footage to heat and a lot of potential heat loss through the windows.

 

[eightpilot]

Thanks for the reply...8

 

[ansehnlich1]

I'd definately put the OSLO in there. I have about the same square footage on my first floor and it does a nice job. If I had it to do over, I'd put the F600 in my place just for the larger firebox.

 

[jbrown56]

8,

I changed my stove last fall after using the same steel box stove for 26 years. I was aprehensive about changing stoves and in the end I was more than pleasantly satisfied. I heat 2100 sq. ft., 24/7, open concept home with vaulted ceilings on the second floor. We load at 10p and at 6a there are still plenty of caols to get the fire going again. We started burning in mid Oct., stopped in mid Apr and burned 4 cord of wood. That is about a third less than with the old stove. We empty the ashpan every three days. More heat with less wood, the fire is a joy to watch through the glass and the secondary burn is spectacular. After a week or so the glass devolps a whitishn haze, but it wipes off easily with plain water. I really love the the new stove. I would get the 500, you can make a small fire in a big stove, but you can't make a big fire in a smaller stove. Hope this helps.

Jim

 

[eightpilot]

That' a good point... I would rather open a window every once in awhile then have to run the castine wide open all the time. I locked the price of my Oslo in at $1800 last week with a deposit. With the installation and new chimney liner it's a pretty big investment, but LP gas is no longer an option above $3.00. Thanks again for the input. 8

 

[begreen]

Both stoves work reasonably well with a partial load of fuel. They don't need to be stoked to the gills in order to achieve good secondary burn. This means that you can have smaller fires in the fall and spring that you let burn out (morning and night fires). Then you can progress to all day, moderate fires (400-500 deg. stove top temps) until it gets really cold. At that point fill her up and let her rip (550-650 deg stove top temps).

 

[Jags]

Congrats on the Oslo. You made a fine choice. Will this be a DIY project, or are the pro's gonna whisk in and make it happen?

Welcome to the forum.

 

[eightpilot]

I would love to DIY this project, but my insurance company demands a professional installation. Its about $400 to have them come in to sweep and re-sleeve the 8" chimney that I currently have. I guess it will buy me piece of mind. I can't wait to be able to have a fire going all day. I loved having my fireplace going in the evening, but I would burn through a ton of wood to do it. Not to mention pull all the heat out of the room in the process. I will take some pics when they finish it. 8

 

[Jags]

I would love to DIY this project, but my insurance company demands a professional installation. Its about $400 to have them come in to sweep and re-sleeve the 8" chimney that I currently have. I guess it will buy me piece of mind. I can't wait to be able to have a fire going all day. I loved having my fireplace going in the evening, but I would burn through a ton of wood to do it. Not to mention pull all the heat out of the room in the process. I will take some pics when they finish it. 8

I was in the same boat several years back with the insurance company. No biggie....400 bucks...its pro installed, and you will gain that $400 back by thumbing your nose at the fuel guy.

You will be AMAZED at how much less wood your stove will consume compared to the ol' fire pit.

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

This will be my 4th winter with my Oslo and we just picked one up last May for my Father in law.
You'll love using the side door.....the Oslo can hum right along at 400 with a log or 2 just fine. Bear in mind
that these new EPA stoves with burn tubes are very picky about dry wood. This is the straw that usally breaks the camels back this time of year.
I'm hoping you have some ready or at least know someone who actually delivers dry seasoned wood. Just my 2 cents, I see many posts here in the winter
about smoldering hissing fires. If your a seasoned vet then just ignore.....just trying to help.

WoodButcher

 

[eightpilot]

This will be my 4th winter with my Oslo and we just picked one up last May for my Father in law.
You'll love using the side door.....the Oslo can hum right along at 400 with a log or 2 just fine. Bear in mind
that these new EPA stoves with burn tubes are very picky about dry wood. This is the straw that usally breaks the camels back this time of year.
I'm hoping you have some ready or at least know someone who actually delivers dry seasoned wood. Just my 2 cents, I see many posts here in the winter
about smoldering hissing fires. If your a seasoned vet then just ignore.....just trying to help.

WoodButcher

Good info. I am new to woodstoves and have some experience with fireplaces though. I have 2 cords of Hickory and Maple that are about 1.5 years old. I am getting some more seasoned stuff delivered in AUG. I will start cutting my own wood starting this fall for nexr year. That way I will be sure about what I have and how dry it is. I don't expect miracles right away, I know its a learning process that will develop with time. 8

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

This will be my 4th winter with my Oslo and we just picked one up last May for my Father in law.
You'll love using the side door.....the Oslo can hum right along at 400 with a log or 2 just fine. Bear in mind
that these new EPA stoves with burn tubes are very picky about dry wood. This is the straw that usally breaks the camels back this time of year.
I'm hoping you have some ready or at least know someone who actually delivers dry seasoned wood. Just my 2 cents, I see many posts here in the winter
about smoldering hissing fires. If your a seasoned vet then just ignore.....just trying to help.

WoodButcher

Good info. I am new to woodstoves and have some experience with fireplaces though. I have 2 cords of Hickory and Maple that are about 1.5 years old. I am getting some more seasoned stuff delivered in AUG. I will start cutting my own wood starting this fall for nexr year. That way I will be sure about what I have and how dry it is. I don't expect miracles right away, I know its a learning process that will develop with time. 8

Thats good to hear! Hickory on secondary burn gives a nice show with pretty blue flames in the Oslo. Can't wait to see your install pics. I live in North Eastern CT, burn 24/7 and on average (depending on how cold the winter months go)
I burn about 3- 4 cords of wood per season.


WoodButcher