Wow, Cold Temps and burning the Black Locust = Happy Fireview owner.

[Woody Stover]

I've burned white oak which is suppoed to be even better but the BL consistently burns hotter and better.
Anyone know why BL burns hotter then white oak even tho W.O is more dense?

The charts I've seen have White at about 25.7 M BTU/cord and BL at 28+, so it's a bit more dense than the White...

http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/W/AE_wood_heat_value_BTU.html

I've got some BL but haven't burned much at all, a few splits here and there. With these mild temps, I can burn medium-heat woods, and maybe a little Ash or Red Oak overnight, and keep up OK. I can take a while to burn down coals without losing much room temp...so I continue to sit on my stash of high-output wood.

 

[Oldhippie]

<<< snippage >

Besides it must be good . . . I mean all the LL Bean catalogs show a bunch of white birch in the firewood holders beside the roaring fireplace or woodstove.

Ya right, good one!

 

[Waulie]

With its growth rate and hardiness some of you far northern folk ought to grow it like a crop.

Just keep in mind that BL can be quite invasive. Once established, it is almost impossible to get rid of it and will easily choke out native species.

 

[Woody Stover]

With its growth rate and hardiness some of you far northern folk ought to grow it like a crop.

Just keep in mind that BL can be quite invasive. Once established, it is almost impossible to get rid of it and will easily choke out native species.

I don't see it deep in the woods here, just in groves along the edges. Maybe because of the small leaves it needs a lot of light, and can't get enough in the tall timber (just guessing.)

 

[Waulie]

I don’t see it deep in the woods here, just in groves along the edges. Maybe because of the small leaves it needs a lot of light, and can’t get enough in the tall timber (just guessing.)

That is true. It won't get started in an established forest. But, planted along the edges or in the open and it will start to take over like crazy. I call it the weed tree.

 

[oldspark]

With its growth rate and hardiness some of you far northern folk ought to grow it like a crop.

Just keep in mind that BL can be quite invasive. Once established, it is almost impossible to get rid of it and will easily choke out native species.

I don't see it deep in the woods here, just in groves along the edges. Maybe because of the small leaves it needs a lot of light, and can't get enough in the tall timber (just guessing.)

I guess that explains why I had trouble getting it started in my grove, keeps dying off and sending up new shoots, I wish I would have know that when I planted them 25 years ago, not sure I will live long enough to get anything out of a new planting but I might give it a shot.

 

[Woody Stover]

planted along the edges or in the open and it will start to take over like crazy. I call it the weed tree.

Luckily, it seems rather short-lived. I'm not seeing very big trunks on these grove trees before they die off or fall in storms. If I were going to cultivate it, I would sure figure in some maintenance time to keep it under control.

I tossed some smaller splits on last night, just for the heck of it. It was late and I went to sleep, but it looked like the stove was settling in just below 500 stove top on a cat burn with the air shut off. Definitely a bit warmer than a low cat burn with the other woods I use.

 

[timusp40]

No doubt about it. Fireview owners are some of the most satisfied stove owners in these forums. Some day there will be one in my home. Here's a question for you. There is a site out there called "The Chimney Sweep" that consistantly steers people away from CAT Stoves. Doesn't sell any of them either. No matter what the question regarding CAT Stoves, they will answer with a lenghty article touting NON-CATs. Initial cost, replacement parts, not really using less wood and so on. Some of the arguements presented (Anti CAT) are pretty convincing, but I find very little to support them here. So if a few readers wouldn't mind, give us your thoughts. Oh and if you should be a advocate of NON CAT Stoves that's fine with me!

Tim

 

[oldspark]

I think the information on the Chimney Sweep about cat stoves is out dated and for the life of me I can not understand why they dont remove it, that was one of the places I based my stove choice on, dont think I would have bought a cat any way but they did not paint a pretty picture.

 

[Waulie]

“The Chimney Sweep†that consistantly steers people away from CAT Stoves. Doesn’t sell any of them either.

Hmmm. Interesting couple of sentences there if you think about it. I have read that too, and I find it biased and frankly untrue, except for older cat stoves (mostly VC) which did cause folks lots of problems and seems to have given cats a bad name.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

No doubt about it. Fireview owners are some of the most satisfied stove owners in these forums. Some day there will be one in my home. Here's a question for you. There is a site out there called "The Chimney Sweep" that consistantly steers people away from CAT Stoves. Doesn't sell any of them either. No matter what the question regarding CAT Stoves, they will answer with a lenghty article touting NON-CATs. Initial cost, replacement parts, not really using less wood and so on. Some of the arguements presented (Anti CAT) are pretty convincing, but I find very little to support them here. So if a few readers wouldn't mind, give us your thoughts. Oh and if you should be a advocate of NON CAT Stoves that's fine with me!

Tim

Tim I agree that stuff is way outdated. I think back when we started looking around for another new stove and one thing at the top of our list was that it would be a non-cat stove! We'd heard some nightmare stuff about them. Fast forward and we ended up with the Fireview, which is a cat stove. That one sentence he has about initial cost, replacement parts, not really using less wood and so on, is all baloney.

Here is just one example but an extreme one: We now burn half the amount of wood we used to and stay a whole lot warmer. I was also reminded that we used to close off part of our house in the winter months but have not done so since installing the stove. I do not think the initial cost was excessive nor the replacement parts. However, the only replacement parts we've purchased is a new cat and a maintenance kit....which is so far unused at all. We have replaced one gasket though. The cost was zero. That is because I was not happy with the way the gasket was installed at the factory. But with zero cost I don't count that as any problem nor was replacing the gasket. Very easily done.

 

[timusp40]

Dennis,
A couple of folks have posted the same about the outdated info on the CATs. I'm definatly going with the Fireview. Even have the wife convinced after reading all the positive views to her. I know I can get into the game for less money, but the Fireview has the looks and performance that I'm after. Gotta keep building the stacks and saving cash. Target fall of this year.

Hope you are on the mend.
Tim

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Thanks Tim. If you would like to see the Fireview in action, put in a request for colder weather and come on up to see it. Just send me an email or PM if you wish to do this.