Two Fisher stoves are made with outdoor air intakes. Goldilocks, and Honey Bear Convertible for mobile home use.
An intake can be made for any stove installed on an outside wall, or close to the stove with PVC and a screen on the outside end. Elbow upwards inside, elbow downwards outside. This prevents warm inside air from dropping down out of the house, or cold air from coming in unless a mechanical blower such as a range or bath fan draws it in. This is not a direct connection, but better than allowing air to be pushed into the home far from the stove when the stove is burning. If cold air coming in an intake headed towards the stove is not acceptable (the stove will get the same amount of air from anywhere it can across the house) You can make an air mixing box from a piece of furnace ducting, if over a basement, one intake from outside leads into box, another from basement leads into box mixing the air allowing the moderated air up though a vent near the stove.
Other than items mentioned above, keep air intake dampers and hinge pins greased with high temp grease or silver anti-sieze. These are the only wear points.
Cracked firebricks are not a problem, they only need replacing when chunks are missing. Ash will pack between cracks filling the gaps. The rear ones usually get broken from tossing wood in carelessly.
Depending on chimney, a baffle is highly recommended.
Some like cast iron stoves due to transmitting heat faster and longer than steel plate, but they are made with many parts that require maintenance to keep them from leaking at joints and are not as easy to repair or weld as a steel plate stove. The deep, narrow shape of the Mama and Papa have many advantages over more square stoves that are loaded sideways. The older stoves also burn standing dead, damp, or not premium dried wood better. It is never good to use wet or unseasoned wood, but a newer stove that relies on keeping the firebox hot to maintain combustion of smoke particles won't burn any cleaner than an old stove when smoldered. The fireboxes on the newer stoves generally need to be smaller to maintain higher temperatures above the fire. I like to be able to load more wood for longer burns without reloading as often as a newer stoves requires it. This may be because I only have experience with smaller new style stoves that won't be burning after 8 or 10 hours. For instant high heat output, you can't beat an older stove. Just depends on what you need.
