Any Sierra Wood Stove Owners Out there?

[mellow]

Seems to be a rare stove in general, never been able to find much about them on google or anywhere for that matter. Since the company was sold they only bought the newer models so anything about the older ones like mine is gone. I have put alot of hard work into refurbing this unit and I am VERY happy with its performance so far, this is my first cat stove so I am getting used to the ins and outs, but so far I love the heat this thing puts out for being an older stove. I love the fact I can damper down the primary air on this stove and have it barely burning and still cruise at 450F on the stove top. I got lucky and found a Cat that would fit it on ebay, totally freak thing, I had bought the cat to convert my old Craft stove to a cat stove, then come to find out this stove is a cat stove and its the same size as the cat I bought, very lucky on that.

Would love to hear some input/tips from other Sierra owners.

 

[mellow]

Just thought I would bump this, are Sierra wood stoves really this rare? None of you guys have one?

 

[fossil]

I had a little Sierra stove in a weekend place on the Shenandoah River in Virginia. Wasn't anything like yours. It was a little pre-EPA, freestanding, non-cat end-loader with a front viewing window and the old double hand-operated air controls in the end loading door. It did have a bypass in the flue for startup, and a rudimentary airwash flow. Other than the simple fact that I once owned a Sierra stove, I haven't anything to offer. Sorry. Rick

 

[BrotherBart]

I heated this place with a 1985 Sierra T4600 Royale for 21 years before retiring it three seasons back. No tips that would apply to a cat stove. It didn't have a cat.

This picture was the night before the last time it burned.

 

[pulldownclaw]

My parents have a freestanding one that sounds alot like your old one, Rick. Freestanding, front loading and side loading, pre epa. They live in MD, so it's funny to see people in that general area talking about them. I think they were manufactured in VA?

Mellow, why did you convert yours to a cat?

 

[mellow]

Even finding pictures of older Sierra stoves is hard. Thanks for including a picture.

 

[BrotherBart]

My parents have a freestanding one that sounds alot like your old one, Rick. Freestanding, front loading and side loading, pre epa. They live in MD, so it's funny to see people in that general area talking about them. I think they were manufactured in VA?

Mellow, why did you convert yours to a cat?

They were in Harrisonburg, VA. After the company closed, everbody came to work one day and got sent home, the company that bought the name and designs started making cat stoves to meet EPA requirements.

The Sierra name belongs to a company in California now.

 

[fossil]

Yeah, the stove I had was made in Virginia. Was exclusively a side-load, the front viewing window portion of the stove wasn't hinged, but it could be removed for gasket replacement. I'll look back and see if I can find a pic. Rick

 

[fossil]

Nope, sorry, can't seem to find a pic of the little Sierra I had...but this is the house it was in. :coolsmile: Rick

 

[mellow]

Mellow, why did you convert yours to a cat?

The sierra was already a cat stove, was just missing the cat. My Craft stove I was going to convert to a Cat stove to be more efficient.

 

[pulldownclaw]

Dang Rick, nice pad. If I didn't know how nice Bend is, and how bad the humidity is here, I'd ask why you'd left. %-P

 

[fossil]

That's not where we lived. We lived in Fairfax. That's a weekend place we had out in Page County between Front Royal and Luray. Fairfax is no place to be retired. Rick

EDIT: Still lookin' for a pic of the Sierra in that place.

 

[mellow]

Just wanted to chime in that the stove has been going 24/7 since I installed it and all I have to say is.... WOW I am in love with Cat stoves, my wood consumption has dropped like a rock and I keep my downstairs at 78 and my upstairs at around 68. The stove usually hovers around 350-400 with the cats lit and really cranks out some serious heat. Funny, at one point and time I thought I was going to have to chunk this stove, but a little tlc and hardwork has really paid off. Finding a cat on ebay that fit this stove was just about a miracle, seeing since I could not find ANY paperwork on this stove and the manufacture doesn't have the manual either.

Sierra makes a seriously good stove, if you find one you better snag it.

I am looking at maybe upgrading to a new one next year.

 

[CATREAL]

Hey everyone, I stumbled across this forum looking for info on the Sierra stoves. I found one in Arkansas just sitting in this old guy's yard. He let me have it for $20. I later found out that was a darn good steal! I went to the fireplace store in Memphis and was told that the company went out of business in the 70"s I believe. I had mine put into my fireplace. They ran a pipe up thru the fluke and put a damper in the pipe. I can't adjust the damper because the opening between the stove and the fireplace is totally closed in. I've been hearing about a blower. Anyone know anything about them? My stove doesn't have one on it. I'll take pics and post them when I'm done, but it has 2 doors with a window on each door, two knobs that turn on each door (Im told those are dampers), and a screen to place in front if I want to leave the doors open. The guy at the fireplace store says they are darn good stoves and when Sierra was in business, they were one of the best makers.

 

[mellow]

Sounds exactly like this one:

(broken link removed to http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130282595992&category=41987)

Should clean up nice with some high temp paint and some elbow grease. Don't forget to change the door gaskets. Sounds like you got a deal.

 

[mellow]

I just put up some videos that I took of the Cat working in my Sierra, incase no one has seen a Cat at work it is pretty cool even when there is no flames present.

Video of cat engaged with no flames:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOh4iHULr44

Video of cat engaged with active flames:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ceaV_kOuqM

 

[bohunk]

There is a Sierra wood stove installed in a cabin we bought in the eastern Sierra Nevada....appropriate huh?
It was installed into an existing manufactured fireplace.
Unfortunately they used the old 8-9" stove pipe and draft was awful.
Had a new 6" liner installed as well as a wind beater cap.
The guys tell me it it drafts like crazy now "sounds like a heliocopter.
It's a side loader with a front glass that is removable with four brass knobs.
The previous owner used a grate in this stove.
I've had a Vermont castings and now a Hearthstone Phoenix and I was looking at inserts as a possible replacement for the Sierra. None use grates and more often strongly warn against using one.
Anyone know anything about these stoves....it's pre cat.
Thanks

 

[mellow]

Wow, talk about a blast from the past. Your making me really miss that ol cat stove.

Is it a Sierra 2000?

 

[bohunk]

That's it! But It doesn't have a cat in it.
At least not that I saw.
A single slide handle opens the flue.
Two very squeeky knobs on the side screw open and closed for combustion air.
There are little sliding vents just below the front fixed glass.
Feel like a train engineer when I fire it...
I was all set to take it out and replace it with a newer stove or insert but I'm having second thoughts if the draft is corrected.
Did you use a grate with yours? Not sure ifthe guy just put the grate in because of the poor draft or what?
What do you think of this stove?
Thanks

 

[bohunk]

Actually that one is a little different.
Ours has a fixed glass in front. That one appears to have a screen of some kind.
The slide flue damper handle is located upper right side, and slides straight in and out.
Looked up the model 2000 (don't know what ours is) and found a couple for sale.
They appeared to be the same stove as ours.
Cats are available.....now I'm wondering if someone removed the cat because of the above mentioned draft problem.
Where would the cat have been on this stove?
Thanks

 

[BrotherBart]

Actually that one is a little different.
Ours has a fixed glass in front. That one appears to have a screen of some kind.
The slide flue damper handle is located upper right side, and slides straight in and out.
Looked up the model 2000 (don't know what ours is) and found a couple for sale.
They appeared to be the same stove as ours.
Cats are available.....now I'm wondering if someone removed the cat because of the above mentioned draft problem.
Where would the cat have been on this stove?
Thanks

The old 2000 wasn't a cat stove. Yours should have a steel baffle in the top of the firebox. Cats started way later with the 2000C.

 

[bluedogz]

Here's my boat anchor...

 

[bohunk]

Your boat anchor....my steam engine.
Got a feeling I'll be changing it out, especially if it really goes through the wood.
The eastern Sierra is all pine forest.
I plan to bring oak from here in Southern Ca. mtns. where we live....got 54 acres of it. But trucking ain't cheap at diesel near five bucks a gallon and the cabin is ten hours away....so if it burns to much I'll somehow have to justify a new stove....sounds like Washington D.C. logic...spend $3,000 to save on wood that's free....duh.
Wondering if I should be looking at an insert or another hearth heater.

The cabin's living room/ dining room/ kit. has one small baseboard heater which is useless. And power outages somewhat frequent so dependable heat is a must especially if three or four feet of snow dumps on us.
Also looking at a direct vent furnace like Riinai as backup.
One thing I can say is that old Sierra gets cookin when you stoke it......."fireman, more steam!"

 

[valley ranch]

Valley ranch 1 is in the Tahoe area in the Sierra range. The Sierra wood stove was very popular up there in the past, I think many are still being used. If one shows up at a reasonable price I will sure pick it up, they were well made and desighed.

 

[bohunk]

We are outside of Bridgeport at Twin Lakes.
If you google Sierra 2000 wood stoves, I think there was a couple for sale, one in Nevada but I don't remember where exactly.