Would like to share something.

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I forgot to add that i have even extended my chimney for the mag by 4 feet in the past.
 
I'm a little late to this party but I'm one of a few on here that has owned a Mag. Kinda surprised BB didn't call me in.
1st off I think the Mag is not too far off from the Englander and certainly wouldn't sell it to buy something else similar. True if you didn't already have the Mag many would sway you in that direction but now you already have it we just need to work out a few details. The stove IMO seems to be built as well as anything in its price point. I found it to light very easily and produce awsome secondaries. Airwash couldn't have been better. My glass stayed perfectly clean for a month and then was only some fly ash on it.
The Mag was my 1st EPA stove and just like others new to the game a few things frustrated me. But most issues were just getting used to operating an EPA stove.
I did have a problem with over fires and I attributed it to my tall chimney and the primary plate needed to be more restictive for my install. I also developed an air leak around the door and determined the front face of the stove was not flat caused possibly from overfires. The door latch would change how the door shut when the stove was hot and the door pins kept riding up after several cycles of opening and closing (I noticed they have solved that on newer models.)
I determined the stove too small for my space (I was always pushing it too hard) and with the other issues ended up selling it for 400.00. I paid somewhere between 600-700.
 
I'm a little late to this party but I'm one of a few on here that has owned a Mag. Kinda surprised BB didn't call me in.
1st off I think the Mag is not too far off from the Englander and certainly wouldn't sell it to buy something else similar. True if you didn't already have the Mag many would sway you in that direction but now you already have it we just need to work out a few details. The stove IMO seems to be built as well as anything in its price point. I found it to light very easily and produce awsome secondaries. Airwash couldn't have been better. My glass stayed perfectly clean for a month and then was only some fly ash on it.
The Mag was my 1st EPA stove and just like others new to the game a few things frustrated me. But most issues were just getting used to operating an EPA stove.
I did have a problem with over fires and I attributed it to my tall chimney and the primary plate needed to be more restictive for my install. I also developed an air leak around the door and determined the front face of the stove was not flat caused possibly from overfires. The door latch would change how the door shut when the stove was hot and the door pins kept riding up after several cycles of opening and closing (I noticed they have solved that on newer models.)
I determined the stove too small for my space (I was always pushing it too hard) and with the other issues ended up selling it for 400.00. I paid somewhere between 600-700.
I have a couple questions.

Was your side temps hotter then the stove top cause mine are?

What were your burn time mine are 4 hours i cant get a all night fire with coals in the morning it is cold by time?
 
Don't remember about side temps but don't really think that is too important.
As for burn times I remember it would definately have coals in the morning. That was actually my first complaint was how long it would hold coals. Turns out that is a good thing. If the stove is sized right and your not having to push it hard all the time a nice long coaling stage in the 3-400 range can be a good thing. As others have already said, burn times can vary and are dependent on amount and quality of the fuel.
Now I was a bit confused on the mfg recomendation to not load above the firebrick. On a fresh start that ment you where only going to use less than half of the firebox capacity and than after a burn cycle with a coal bed there was no room to reload at all. I pretty much ignored that.
 
Don't remember about side temps but don't really think that is too important.
As for burn times I remember it would definately have coals in the morning. That was actually my first complaint was how long it would hold coals. Turns out that is a good thing. If the stove is sized right and your not having to push it hard all the time a nice long coaling stage in the 3-400 range can be a good thing. As others have already said, burn times can vary and are dependent on amount and quality of the fuel.
Now I was a bit confused on the mfg recomendation to not load above the firebrick. On a fresh start that ment you where only going to use less than half of the firebox capacity and than after a burn cycle with a coal bed there was no room to reload at all. I pretty much ignored that.

The way i see burn time is the time that i put wood in it till time it is down to about 200 250.

The reason i don't go over the firebrick is cause i feel as if i am not in control of the stove when i do that it goes its own way.

The door latch i question that it seems like it may fail.

My oak is par but all my other wood is in great shape.
 
Have you tried playing around with your secondary air inlets for longer burn times? A couple magnets work well for this (especially if it is a single inlet). You can take two magnets and make a "smaller hole". I found the secondary inlet on my stove to be allowing too much air in and sort of "burning up the load" after a couple hours causing huge spikes in temperature despite the primary air being closed fully. I have the US stove 2000, 2.0 cubic fire box. This technique dramatically increased my burn time. I'm getting 6 hours easily out of a 3/4 load of pine or poplar and my stove is way more controllable.
 
Well the mag is back running at 550 on the side of the stove according to the IR gun.

But what i don't understand i have the air set to smudge open and the fire looks very windy coming of the wood with not much secondary action. I am starting to wonder if i have to much draft but then again my internal pipe temp is just 450.
 
Well the mag is back running at 550 on the side of the stove according to the IR gun.

But what i don't understand i have the air set to smudge open and the fire looks very windy coming of the wood with not much secondary action. I am starting to wonder if i have to much draft but then again my internal pipe temp is just 450.
You REALLY need to take some pics of this. Because the fire doesn't seems abnormal as you have described it.

Internal pipe temp seems normal.
 
You REALLY need to take some pics of this. Because the fire doesn't seems abnormal as you have described it.

Internal pipe temp seems normal.

I would take pics if my fancy camera was working but not working............ Having bad luck with a lot of things.

So that sounds normal to you if i did have a problem would flue temp be MUCH higher?
 
i have the air set to smudge open and the fire looks very windy coming of the wood with not much secondary action.

What does the fire do if you open the draft up fully at this point?
 
What does the fire do if you open the draft up fully at this point?

Just walked in and done that and it almost killed the flames.
 
Just walked in and done that and it almost killed the flames.

Did you open it fully or close it fully? Sure you aren't running that air control backwards? It wouldn't be the first time it's happened. Some stoves go fully in to be closed, others go fully in to be wide open.
 
Did you open it fully or close it fully? Sure you aren't running that air control backwards? It wouldn't be the first time it's happened. Some stoves go fully in to be closed, others go fully in to be wide open.

Went and got on the floor and looked the vent is working like it should i wish i could get a pic of it. It was hot under their.

I noticed the flap has one corner missing that is cause the EPA i think.

I have noticed a pattern when i run it when it is warmer out it is more like it should be.
 
Did you open it fully or close it fully? Sure you aren't running that air control backwards? It wouldn't be the first time it's happened. Some stoves go fully in to be closed, others go fully in to be wide open.
That would explain a lot if that was the case.

It would explain the tough cold starts, the odd stove temps, and the comments that the fire is overly active.
 
I will say that when i went and opened the air control it started acting like a candle being blown on to the point of going out almost.
 
I will say that when i went and opened the air control it started acting like a candle being blown on to the point of going out almost.
The opposite should happen.
 
Just to double check, with this stove, as you are standing at the stove, closing the air control should be pushing it in towards the stove. Opening the air control should be pulling it towards you.

pen
 
Just to double check, with this stove, as you are standing at the stove, closing the air control should be pushing it in towards the stove. Opening the air control should be pulling it towards you.

pen

Yeah your correct.
 
Well this morning it done a little better it is at 600 right with more secondary combustion with the air a smudge open.

I wonder if some of the problems i am having are me errors but some i cant explain.

But i cant explain to you all the frustration that i have had with this stove.
 
Maybe wood loading technique? How do you generally arrange the wood? How many pieces?

pen
 
I start off raking the coals forward then 3 or 4 good sized splits in E/W It don't do as well N/S then i start cutting the air back at 350 or 400.

The main reason i don't do bigger loads is because it is so unpredictable it has hit 800 before like that.

Also what would make the paint a different color black there are splotches were it is a different shade of black?
 
I start off raking the coals forward then 3 or 4 good sized splits in E/W It don't do as well N/S then i start cutting the air back at 350 or 400.

The main reason i don't do bigger loads is because it is so unpredictable it has hit 800 before like that.

Also what would make the paint a different color black there are splotches were it is a different shade of black?
800 on a steel stove is hot. But it's not the end of the world. And just because it did it once, doesn't mean it will do it every time.

Paint color could be anything. Hard to say without seeing photos.
 
Also what would make the paint a different color black there are splotches were it is a different shade of black?

On my stoves the hotter spots usually have a lighter shade of black over time. Right over my cat on the BK has faded a bit when compared to the body of the stove.
 
800 on a steel stove is hot. But it's not the end of the world. And just because it did it once, doesn't mean it will do it every time.

Paint color could be anything. Hard to say without seeing photos.

It has done that more then once and i am fine with 700.
On my stoves the hotter spots usually have a lighter shade of black over time. Right over my cat on the BK has faded a bit when compared to the body of the stove.
Yeah the splotches are all over the step top.
 
It has done that more then once and i am fine with 700.
Understood, but if it topped out at 800, sure, it's hot, but it should be manageable and not a cause for fear.
 
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