Bixby Maxfire 115 software

[v-8 volvo]

I recently picked up a Maxfire 115 for $80 on Craigslist. I always thought they were cool, but figured I'd never find one at the right price.
The ash dump actuator rod was disconnected from the gearbox arm and the stove was totally plugged up from upper burn pot to bottom plate holes.
I cleaned the heck out of it while it was still in the back of my truck, reconnected the ash dump rod, threw some pellets in, and it fired right up. I was very impressed with the overall quality and operation of this stove. The next day, it went in the house, in place of our old reliable Enviro EF3. There is something to be said about the simplicity and reliability of the old Dial-a-Fire control. I had replaced the convection blower control with a $5 light dimmer 3 years ago and it was still working fine when I pulled the stove out.
Back to the Bixby, I was almost instantly plagued with the 2,3 codes. After a day, there would be a good 3/8 of fly ash on the upper burn plate. This was with the stove set at level 2 or 3. I messed with fan and feed pots with some change, but still ended up with a sooty lazy flame after a while. Throughout all of this, I have been scouring the forums (mostly this one) at every moment of free time i get. Ive gotten a ton of good info from Rona's posts.
One screwy thing I found was that the right side upper burn plate didnt seem to sit squarely on the gasket and metal ledge. I drilled out some rivets, peeled the gasket up, and saw a pop rivet for the ledge ABOVE the ledge, not in the hole of the ledge. I corrected that, reattached the seal, and used some red silicone to seal any gaps. The gasket definitely needs to be replaced, but it will do for now.
What I really need, is the BixCheck and software update package. I have made a DB9 to TTL type 1 adapter cable, and have an old Compaq laptop ready to go.
I tried to contact Rona last night, but dont want to keep bugging him. Can anyone help me out? My wife is starting to chirp about the shutdowns and lack of steady heat. I'm ok with it as I know this is a big learning curve for me and I'm 100% up for it.
Thank you Guys!

 

[Mt Bob]

Wait for Rona,he stays busy,perhaps he will sell you a copy of the software.Your next chance is http://www.dndfarmsupply.com/bixby-stove-parts.html Now,I have to ask,you purchased a unit that went out of production,long ago,and nobody is making parts for it,why?Being a mechanic,that is like buying a commuter car that you cannot buy brakes or a water pump for.I am not being rude,I am just baffled.

 

[v-8 volvo]

Wait for Rona,he stays busy,perhaps he will sell you a copy of the software.Your next chance is http://www.dndfarmsupply.com/bixby-stove-parts.html Now,I have to ask,you purchased a unit that went out of production,long ago,and nobody is making parts for it,why?Being a mechanic,that is like buying a commuter car that you cannot buy brakes or a water pump for.I am not being rude,I am just baffled.

 

[v-8 volvo]

Well, Bob...I guess I like a challenge. If I can get the software I need, source bearings, sensors, etc., I will keep this stove running until I (or my Wife) get sick of it. Its a matter of personal pride for me. I can't stand the mindset nowadays of the disposability of
things. I can't tell you how many nice flatscreen TVs and other electronics I have picked up, repaired, and sold. Most of the time, its a power supply issue that a few capacitors and components would fix for less than ten bucks. Same thing goes for lawn and garden equipment. Fuel lines, filters, carb kits and even carbs are CHEAP.
So to answer your question...I fix things, and I enjoy that.
I will wait for Rona and check with D&D
Thank you.

 

[Mt Bob]

Well, Bob...I guess I like a challenge. If I can get the software I need, source bearings, sensors, etc., I will keep this stove running until I (or my Wife) get sick of it. Its a matter of personal pride for me. I can't stand the mindset nowadays of the disposability of
things. I can't tell you how many nice flatscreen TVs and other electronics I have picked up, repaired, and sold. Most of the time, its a power supply issue that a few capacitors and components would fix for less than ten bucks. Same thing goes for lawn and garden equipment. Fuel lines, filters, carb kits and even carbs are CHEAP.
So to answer your question...I fix things, and I enjoy that.
I will wait for Rona and check with D&D
Thank you.

LOL,OK,on certain things,I am the same way!

 

[rona]

Wait for Rona,he stays busy,perhaps he will sell you a copy of the software.Your next chance is http://www.dndfarmsupply.com/bixby-stove-parts.html Now,I have to ask,you purchased a unit that went out of production,long ago,and nobody is making parts for it,why?Being a mechanic,that is like buying a commuter car that you cannot buy brakes or a water pump for.I am not being rude,I am just baffled.

You can get parts for it and get the newest software. Truthfully once you understand how they work and replace worn gaskets they will work as good or better then most new units today. As with any other equipment such as a car or pickup the actual parts such as alternator or starter are made by other companys. Same thing with stoves the electric motors are made by other companies and can be purchased from them or a company such as Grainagers or similar places. The igniters are also available. The convection fan motor has replaceable bearings that can be fixed by the owner, the exh fan is the same as fits a St Croix stove.
Way back as in 2006 or there abouts the Bixby Stove sold for 4,000.00 dollars which is a outrageous price but a lot of people bought them. They were very high tech and even a lot of dealers didn't understand them. Actually had one dealer tell me he sold a lot of them but once in a while he got one that didn't work and was a lemon. Usually ended up being a problem corrected by changing the software. But back then a lot of dealers didn't have a computer and had no interest in doing so. Bixby tried to send techs or dealers to school to teach them how to make these stoves work but ended up sending troubleshooters from the factory to finetune these stoves. That was needed because a stove running good at sea leval altitude wouldn't run very good in Denver altitudes. Same way with cars.

 

[rona]

I recently picked up a Maxfire 115 for $80 on Craigslist. I always thought they were cool, but figured I'd never find one at the right price.
The ash dump actuator rod was disconnected from the gearbox arm and the stove was totally plugged up from upper burn pot to bottom plate holes.
I cleaned the heck out of it while it was still in the back of my truck, reconnected the ash dump rod, threw some pellets in, and it fired right up. I was very impressed with the overall quality and operation of this stove. The next day, it went in the house, in place of our old reliable Enviro EF3. There is something to be said about the simplicity and reliability of the old Dial-a-Fire control. I had replaced the convection blower control with a $5 light dimmer 3 years ago and it was still working fine when I pulled the stove out.
Back to the Bixby, I was almost instantly plagued with the 2,3 codes. After a day, there would be a good 3/8 of fly ash on the upper burn plate. This was with the stove set at level 2 or 3. I messed with fan and feed pots with some change, but still ended up with a sooty lazy flame after a while. Throughout all of this, I have been scouring the forums (mostly this one) at every moment of free time i get. Ive gotten a ton of good info from Rona's posts.
One screwy thing I found was that the right side upper burn plate didnt seem to sit squarely on the gasket and metal ledge. I drilled out some rivets, peeled the gasket up, and saw a pop rivet for the ledge ABOVE the ledge, not in the hole of the ledge. I corrected that, reattached the seal, and used some red silicone to seal any gaps. The gasket definitely needs to be replaced, but it will do for now.
What I really need, is the BixCheck and software update package. I have made a DB9 to TTL type 1 adapter cable, and have an old Compaq laptop ready to go.
I tried to contact Rona last night, but dont want to keep bugging him. Can anyone help me out? My wife is starting to chirp about the shutdowns and lack of steady heat. I'm ok with it as I know this is a big learning curve for me and I'm 100% up for it.
Thank you Guys!

I recently picked up a Maxfire 115 for $80 on Craigslist. I always thought they were cool, but figured I'd never find one at the right price.
The ash dump actuator rod was disconnected from the gearbox arm and the stove was totally plugged up from upper burn pot to bottom plate holes.
I cleaned the heck out of it while it was still in the back of my truck, reconnected the ash dump rod, threw some pellets in, and it fired right up. I was very impressed with the overall quality and operation of this stove. The next day, it went in the house, in place of our old reliable Enviro EF3. There is something to be said about the simplicity and reliability of the old Dial-a-Fire control. I had replaced the convection blower control with a $5 light dimmer 3 years ago and it was still working fine when I pulled the stove out.
Back to the Bixby, I was almost instantly plagued with the 2,3 codes. After a day, there would be a good 3/8 of fly ash on the upper burn plate. This was with the stove set at level 2 or 3. I messed with fan and feed pots with some change, but still ended up with a sooty lazy flame after a while. Throughout all of this, I have been scouring the forums (mostly this one) at every moment of free time i get. Ive gotten a ton of good info from Rona's posts.
One screwy thing I found was that the right side upper burn plate didnt seem to sit squarely on the gasket and metal ledge. I drilled out some rivets, peeled the gasket up, and saw a pop rivet for the ledge ABOVE the ledge, not in the hole of the ledge. I corrected that, reattached the seal, and used some red silicone to seal any gaps. The gasket definitely needs to be replaced, but it will do for now.
What I really need, is the BixCheck and software update package. I have made a DB9 to TTL type 1 adapter cable, and have an old Compaq laptop ready to go.
I tried to contact Rona last night, but dont want to keep bugging him. Can anyone help me out? My wife is starting to chirp about the shutdowns and lack of steady heat. I'm ok with it as I know this is a big learning curve for me and I'm 100% up for it.
Thank you Guys!

I can help you get this stove up and running and won't cost a arm or leg either. Gaskets can be bought at Box type stores. Remove all rivets and clean that lip where the deck plates sit. if it has been bent straighten it with pliers etc then clean all the soot off so it is clean and dry. then use high temp gasket sealer and put a fair amount over the entire deck plate. Then I used one inch flat high temp gasket on top of gasket sealer. Then wrapped tin foil on the edges of the deck plates so it wouldn't stick on gasket sealer. then laid bricks on top of deck plates over night to keep everything in place until it dries.
While doing that replace the gasket around where the ash drawer fits. Then there is a heat resistant gasket in the hopper that will be replaced.
While doing that I would replace the bearings in the convection fan. Sounds like both your igniters work
Clean around convection tubes then hold your hand in front of exh and turn stove on. Can you feel air coming out of exh? Is the exh fan noisy? It may have to be replaced The Bixby doesn't have a blow torch looking flame .

 

[v-8 volvo]

You can get parts for it and get the newest software. Truthfully once you understand how they work and replace worn gaskets they will work as good or better then most new units today. As with any other equipment such as a car or pickup the actual parts such as alternator or starter are made by other companys. Same thing with stoves the electric motors are made by other companies and can be purchased from them or a company such as Grainagers or similar places. The igniters are also available. The convection fan motor has replaceable bearings that can be fixed by the owner, the exh fan is the same as fits a St Croix stove.
Way back as in 2006 or there abouts the Bixby Stove sold for 4,000.00 dollars which is a outrageous price but a lot of people bought them. They were very high tech and even a lot of dealers didn't understand them. Actually had one dealer tell me he sold a lot of them but once in a while he got one that didn't work and was a lemon. Usually ended up being a problem corrected by changing the software. But back then a lot of dealers didn't have a computer and had no interest in doing so. Bixby tried to send techs or dealers to school to teach them how to make these stoves work but ended up sending troubleshooters from the factory to finetune these stoves. That was needed because a stove running good at sea leval altitude wouldn't run very good in Denver altitudes. Same way with cars.

I was wondering if the exhaust blower bearings are replaceable. The motor is not the open frame type as in the pellet feed motor. On my EF3 combustion blower, I was able to find some good quality German bearings with metal shields and hi temp grease. Still quiet as a church mouse. On the bixby combustion blower, it doesnt seem noisy, but when you turn it off, you can hear worn bearing as it winds down to a stop. I will definitely change the convection blower bearings as a preventative measure.

 

[v-8 volvo]

Thanks for your reply. Are you saying the deck plate gasket is attached solely by the hi temp sealant ( no rivets )? When you go through a stove, do you replace every hi temp gasket? IE: Lower burn plate above ash drawer, door frame to firebox (with the flat head allen screws).
Igniters are both good, combustion blower is noisy on shutdown. Frequent 2& 3 codes, frequent ash dump, sometimes incomplete cycle with actuator arm stopping 180 degrees away from micro switch.
I replaced the ash drawer gasket with a foam rubber one. Thats what the old one was made of.

 

[Mt Bob]

I was wondering if the exhaust blower bearings are replaceable. The motor is not the open frame type as in the pellet feed motor. On my EF3 combustion blower, I was able to find some good quality German bearings with metal shields and hi temp grease. Still quiet as a church mouse. On the bixby combustion blower, it doesnt seem noisy, but when you turn it off, you can hear worn bearing as it winds down to a stop. I will definitely change the convection blower bearings as a preventative measure.

There is a youtube video showing bearing replacement,but it is listed under Austroflamm Integra.Should be same motor as yours,I think.

 

[daj024]

I have purchased 2 used ones recently. Still work fine. That makes 4 for me. I purchased my first on while they were still in production. My wife liked them because they were not "big black boxes". The last two were purchased for under $400. Parts alone the 4 igniters can now be bought anywhere from $75 to $90 each. I have not seen the control boards for sale for quite some time but they were like $750. Some of the motors/blowers and be bought new using their characteristics as a cross reference. So these two stoves were a steal. Also a new corn/pellet stove will still cost over $3000 for a good one and may not be as good as these are. In regards to dealer getting a lemon once in a while one of mine is a lemon. Works barely OK in garage now but nowhere as good as the others. Glad to see that this forum is still here. I remember communicating with Rona years ago. Hope all is well.

 

[rona]

I have purchased 2 used ones recently. Still work fine. That makes 4 for me. I purchased my first on while they were still in production. My wife liked them because they were not "big black boxes". The last two were purchased for under $400. Parts alone the 4 igniters can now be bought anywhere from $75 to $90 each. I have not seen the control boards for sale for quite some time but they were like $750. Some of the motors/blowers and be bought new using their characteristics as a cross reference. So these two stoves were a steal. Also a new corn/pellet stove will still cost over $3000 for a good one and may not be as good as these are. In regards to dealer getting a lemon once in a while one of mine is a lemon. Works barely OK in garage now but nowhere as good as the others. Glad to see that this forum is still here. I remember communicating with Rona years ago. Hope all is well.

Still kicking here in sunnyMinn but slacking off with the stoves. I see these bargains you mention and like to find these lemons as they can be made to work as well as the rest. Usually some time with Bixchek and changing a few settings does the trick. I still see times when the new owner doesn't know you can remove the wheel and clean the fines behind it.

 

[daj024]

Still kicking here in sunnyMinn but slacking off with the stoves. I see these bargains you mention and like to find these lemons as they can be made to work as well as the rest. Usually some time with Bixchek and changing a few settings does the trick. I still see times when the new owner doesn't know you can remove the wheel and clean the fines behind it.

Funny stuff! Up to now I have never been able to get Bixcheck to connect to my burner no matter which computer i try. My computer is a Mac so I usually bring home one from work. Now that I have more Bixby's to experiment with I am going to give it another go. I have two versions of Bixcheck: 80315.com and 81229.com. Are their newer versions? Will bixcheck work on a Win 10 system or do I need to find (if possible) an older version. If I can get communications going I will probably ask what you tweak to get a "lemon" to burn better. It starts and burns but the flame never gets as robust as the other ones. But one thing at a time! BTW I attached some instructions you sent me years ago after i purchased a cable from you. Fun times!

 

[rona]

Funny stuff! Up to now I have never been able to get Bixcheck to connect to my burner no matter which computer i try. My computer is a Mac so I usually bring home one from work. Now that I have more Bixby's to experiment with I am going to give it another go. I have two versions of Bixcheck: 80315.com and 81229.com. Are their newer versions? Will bixcheck work on a Win 10 system or do I need to find (if possible) an older version. If I can get communications going I will probably ask what you tweak to get a "lemon" to burn better. It starts and burns but the flame never gets as robust as the other ones. But one thing at a time! BTW I attached some instructions you sent me years ago after i purchased a cable from you. Fun times!

Funny stuff! Up to now I have never been able to get Bixcheck to connect to my burner no matter which computer i try. My computer is a Mac so I usually bring home one from work. Now that I have more Bixby's to experiment with I am going to give it another go. I have two versions of Bixcheck: 80315.com and 81229.com. Are their newer versions? Will bixcheck work on a Win 10 system or do I need to find (if possible) an older version. If I can get communications going I will probably ask what you tweak to get a "lemon" to burn better. It starts and burns but the flame never gets as robust as the other ones. But one thing at a time! BTW I attached some instructions you sent me years ago after i purchased a cable from you. Fun times!

Shoot me a e-mail at [email protected] as I don't usually look at these forums every day.

 

[piddle]

I recently purchased a cabin that has this bixby maxfire pellet stove. I've never seen one in action but very interested in trying to get this one working. The previous owner was not very handy and only said the heard the igniters were not working. It was very dirty but I did find the igniters and check the ohms on both read as open circuit so I plan to replace both (still has the original ceramic ones). These seems like a good winter indoor project but would really appreciate some help from some of you seasoned owners.
1) how do I open the front panel that covers the igniters so I can replace? Was going to order replacements from dndfarmsupply.com.
2) Where can I get a copy of the bixcheck SW and cable. And more important how to use it to checkout the function of the stove components.

Rona, any chance you could sell me a copy of the SW/cable or indicate how I can get a copy? What operating system will it run on...? I still have an older PC running Windows 2000... because it just won't die.