I would hope giving detailed information about a stove wouldn't turn anyone away from this website. The Fisher thread with over 50,000 views has certainly helped more than I ever thought would find the information. If you feel anything I posted is incorrect, please let me know to correct it.
I bought my Fisher new, I am the Grandfather, and my Grandson cuts and splits the wood for me. He won't get it until I die.
Yes, Bob looked over stoves for sale at the time before building one for himself. Because none suited him! They were all cast iron. He was a welder, and came up with the idea of steel plate. No one came up with that idea since the Franklin stove was invented in the 1700's. If you know of a steel plate stove before Bob's, you can rewrite history. History is corrected all the time, maybe someday it will be proved that he stole the idea. Until then, he has been credited with inventing the air tight stove.
Actually when I responded January 12, to the original poster asking for thoughts on the stove, I remembered seeing some All Nighter ads on Craigslist looking for Fisher stoves and accessories. I use websites that search by mileage away like you can search eBay, and went back to those sale ads. They are still current and for sale;
(broken link removed to http://newlondon.craigslist.org/for/2775734464.html)
(broken link removed to http://appleton.craigslist.org/for/2739679689.html) (the one with the butt crack showing has a metal spring handle?)
So no, I didn't have them saved and ready to pounce on anyone. It didn't take long to find a couple with problems like missing handles, or burned out tubes. Here's the reason this seller claims his tubes burned out;
Needs Welder, had a friend weld some pads over blower vents cause after 40 yrs must have cracked... not a problem after all I never had or used a blower on the stove.
So maybe that's why you've never had a problem with burned out tubes? You keep them cool running air through them. So here's a wood stove requiring electric to avoid damaging itself?
Here's why I'm not sure about trying one (other than it being against the Fisher Religion);
My installation is in the center of a large kitchen. New tile floor that I don't want to drill a hole through the floor to get a cord to it. Getting power to the stove becomes a trip factor. I'd be concerned about the low clearance as well. I have 24 ga. sheet metal over the sub-floor with cement board and tile. I use either a Goldilocks since January 1985, or a Mama Bear this year with bottom shield. The floor is cold under each of these models. Does the All Nighter have a shield on the bottom? A brick pad would be a trip factor with the stove in the middle of the room.
And finally, it would look funny with a set of $400 Bear Feet. Yes, a set sold for $400 on eBay this week, the highest selling set to date. Any accessories for All Nighters increasing in value that much? I have a set on every collector Fisher in my collection ! (that was correct for that year) Another reason I collect that brand.
Out of the 4 All Nighters on eBay right now, 50% need handles ! The spring handles for Fisher are still available. Same as Draft Caps. They are still being made. What is an All Nighter customer to do that needs a new handle? I have a lathe, maybe I should duplicate them and put them on eBay. I'll bet there is a good market for them. Do you have a picture of
your original handle?
Searching Craigslist, most are missing handles, some have makeshift springs added, very few (one or two within 300 miles of me) have the original wood. They don't say if they're ready to fall off.
Now show me a Fisher requiring a part they can't get. And I'll send them the part. Is there a source for All Nighter parts?
The seller of the first stove pictured below answered this question on the completed ebay auction;
"
Q: is it air tight, does it have a blower, heats how many sq. ft? thanx"
"
A: It is air tighht. It has a place to mount a tiny insignificant blower..... "
This was the seller trying to sell the stove ! And he's a stove retailer !
I don't know who to believe.