Plainsman stove any good??

[emilywlow]

Hi,

I have very little time to decide whether or not to buy a cast iron stove that appears to look like a Jotul Black Bear - only its old and green and a Plainsman, not Jotul.

I can't find anything on the internet about Plainsman stoves....anyone have any experience - will it perform anything like a Jotul, or are looks deceiving?

Thanks so much!

E

 

[emilywlow]

Hi again,

Maybe this is a better question -

What should I ask/ know when buying a used stove sight unseen? I usually look up the stove specs online and look for reviews if older, but I can't find anything on this one.

Thanks,

Emily

 

[summit]

There are alot of 118 jotul knockoff out there that are pre-epa stoves. acutually, they so closely resembled the jotuls, that some of the castings are interchangable. The old jotul 118 (now called the black bear 118) stoves are very dependable, and i would bet that this one would have comparable characteristics. The only worry you would have, is the castings themselves; typically these knockoffs were made in china, where lesser quality cast iron was used back in the 70's, 80's. If new jotul parts could fit on it, then they are pretty expensive because they come from norway.

 

[emilywlow]

Thanks so much, I never thought about parts for the stove. Your post really helped.

Emily

 

[TreePapa]

mamabear ... you sig says "Northwest" ... if that is in Washington state, you should know that pre-EPA and non-EPA stoves are not allowed in WA state.

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[begreen]

You might ask if it says Made in Taiwan anywhere on it. Often this is on the back casting. Personally, I'd pass if it's this stove:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/for/1193975153.html

However, there is what looks to be a nice (if the ad is correct) Jotul 602 in Tacoma. What size space are you trying to heat?

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/for/1193845949.html