20 years on my USSC 6039..

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SidecarFlip

Minister of Fire
Feb 7, 2010
5,273
S.E. Michigan
Been basically flawless. Runs anything I put in it, cheap pellets good pellets don't matter. Loves corn (and so do I). I typically mix 3 parts corn to 1 part pellets (keeps the corn clinkers under control.

Replacement parts have been very few. Couple agitator rods and a couple door gaskets and one distribution blower and that is it but then it gets serviced regularly and every spring, the gearboxes get greased and motor bearings get oiled and the combustion fan comes out and cleaned as well as all the venting gets taken apart and washed inside.

I did have to replace the view glass once, my fault, I closed the door too abruptly and cracked it.

I will have to replace the venting sometime this next summer, the nitric from the corn has eroded the stainless liner in the venting to the point where it's getting pin holes in it.

Other than that, no issues at all.

I do fog the inside of the stove every spring when I mothball it for warm weather with Stabil fogging oil and toss in a large desiccant pack to keep the moisture under control.

Been a good (and cheap) 20 years and I expect it will last until I'm gone with proper maintenance.
 
Flip why do you love corn? I know it might be cheaper for you and your good with your money and is that the main reason why? Does it burn hotter or more better?..Just curious thanks clancey
 
Because I'm a farmer for one and secondly, I get it for free (I'm cheap). Yes corn burns hotter, the lower the RM is, the hotter it burns and the corn I burn is typically about 10%RM or less. Problem is, I have to mix it with pellets or I have a clinker issue.

Corn isn't for everyone because most stoves are incapable of running it. In my case, my stove will run any grain including oil seed (soybeans), but I refrain from soybeans because they burn way too hot. Might mix a tad bit in in the dead of winter but only then.
 
Thanks and its looks like a real nice stove...but they say discontinued and out of stock and so so many of these beautiful stoves are discontinued and i wonder why...Have you ever had one of those large furnace with the hot water tank next to it? Just wondering...Picture..clancey
 
They replaced it with a newer model but the operational guts and the electronics are still the same and the new one is a true multifuel unit as well. Still the same 4 button board and you can still custom set the algorithms though USSC won't tell you how to do it. I custom set mine but went back the the default settings as the work just as well.
 
Your a smart man who has much know how now get your house warm so that you lovely family is warm especially your better half...Hey my wood stove I really like and was just wondering about these larger furnaces and do not they do corn and other stuff too? clancey
 
Only one I know about is an Amaze a Blaze. Guy I got my corn from heats his shop with one.
 
Wow, 20 years is a good run! But you know how to maintain them and take care of it. My P43 will be 10 years in December. Just replaced combustion motor and noise distribution motor last winter.
 
Over the years thanks to this forum and the defunct IBC forum and Kappel and FirePot Pete and my inherent mechanical ability (and having a well equipped shop with everything under the sun to work with), I've honed it to a fine art. Just mixed up 4 30 gallon plastic trash cans full of my corn / pellet mix and it's sitting on the back deck courtesy of my forklift. I won't start running mix until it gets a might colder out as running corn on a low setting (it's on HR2) right now it will go out so I'm running straight pellets and have been since I started it a week ago. It has to run on HR3 or better to keep the corn / pellet mix combusting and it's not cold enough yet for that. House has been averaging about 73 (and I have the central furnace blower on manual so the whole house is at 73.

Just cleaned it and restarted it. Handfull of pellets, some hand sanitizer (makes excellent fire starter, a wooden match, close the door and off she goes.

Sure wish it would dry up a bit. Have potatoes and Yams to dig and I need to put my farm equipment to bed for the winter too.
 
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That's for sure, this forum has helped me through the years and answered many questions.
Having the tools to do the job helps. I learned about using the hand sanitizer on here,and keep some on hand just for that.
Last week I thought igniter went out, it's still original one so used sanitizer to start stove. Got to thinking about it and remember it did that before and was packed with ash on top.
So loosened the two bolts holding igniter to move it around and sure enough was packed with ash. working like new now.

Hopefully it will dry up and you can get outside jobs done.


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I'd like to gie my potatoes and yams out of the ground before they rot. That would do it for me. Far as hay goes, negative and the corn, questionable.
 
Keep in mind that I wore out an Englander positive pressure stove before I bought the 6039. Never. never have another positive pressure stove, glad they quit making them. Every once in a while I see a used one for sale, usually beat to heck.

USSC still makes a 6039-41 variant but mine is relegated to the antique pile. Fine with me, we get along just fine.

Still remember venting the Englander through a window with the glass removed and a sheet of plywood in it's place. Those were the days and the days of IBC. I wonder if Mary is still alive, she was a corn fanatic.