Anyone have a Jotul F500 V3 Oslo stove?

[Pennsylvania Woodsman]

I posted this here in the wood stove forum last week and for some reason I got a message saying it was "moved", don't know why since it's a question about wood stoves, messaged them back but never was told where it was moved to so I could check back on it so I'm putting it on here again; thinking about replacing my 1993 Dovre Aurora wood stove and was told about this stove, checked it out and it looked good, but I would like to hear from those of you that actually have one, any advice good or bad.

I'm not doing this to upset anyone that runs this site, but I want to check into this before I spend thousands of dollars. I don't know which other thread I should put it in??

 

[kborndale]

Its still here, just in the Jotul subsection.

 

[begreen]

I posted this here in the wood stove forum last week and for some reason I got a message saying it was "moved", don't know why since it's a question about wood stoves, messaged them back but never was told where it was moved to so I could check back on it so I'm putting it on here again; thinking about replacing my 1993 Dovre Aurora wood stove and was told about this stove, checked it out and it looked good, but I would like to hear from those of you that actually have one, any advice good or bad.

I'm not doing this to upset anyone that runs this site, but I want to check into this before I spend thousands of dollars. I don't know which other thread I should put it in??

It's been unusually quiet this summer. Not many regulars on the forum. The best bet is to read owner reports in the Jotul section of the forum. This is where the prior posting resides.

Jotul

This forum is for discussions and information regarding Jotul stoves.

www.hearth.com

 

[Todd]

I went to a local stove shop a couple days ago for some paint and asked about the F445 and F500 v3. He said he hasn’t seen any problems but also hasn’t sold any in about three years. Said most people were buying Blaze King, PE and Hearthstone.

 

[Pennsylvania Woodsman]

I went to a local stove shop a couple days ago for some paint and asked about the F445 and F500 v3. He said he hasn’t seen any problems but also hasn’t sold any in about three years. Said most people were buying Blaze King, PE and Hearthstone.

Interesting, thanks...

 

[John Lehet]

I had my chimney cleaned a few weeks ago. I guess because I had just gotten the new Progress Hybrid (a local company), and I was the last sweep of his day, he was unusually chatty. Since I am unusually stove-geeky, we got into it. We talked about all kinds of stoves (and he had some worries about the Progress -- he has seen some stoves that have warped the plate around the catalyst. He worries this will generally happen to these stoves). We talked about easy/hard to access cats (VT Castings and Hearthstone still haven't learned they need to make the cats easier to access, he said). And it sounded like he didn't like these new Oslo 500s. No bypass for the cat. When the cat clogs, and it probably will eventually unless you check it to an unusual degree, you will start a fire and start to get smoke in the house. There is no bypass and nothing you can do about that smoke situation, pouring into the house. I didn't ask if he has had one or multiple calls with that situation, but he didn't sound like he was being theoretical.

Me, I would look for a used v2 version of that stove in good condition over the v3.

 

[Pennsylvania Woodsman]

I had my chimney cleaned a few weeks ago. I guess because I had just gotten the new Progress Hybrid (a local company), and I was the last sweep of his day, he was unusually chatty. Since I am unusually stove-geeky, we got into it. We talked about all kinds of stoves (and he had some worries about the Progress -- he has seen some stoves that have warped the plate around the catalyst. He worries this will generally happen to these stoves). We talked about easy/hard to access cats (VT Castings and Hearthstone still haven't learned they need to make the cats easier to access, he said). And it sounded like he didn't like these new Oslo 500s. No bypass for the cat. When the cat clogs, and it probably will eventually unless you check it to an unusual degree, you will start a fire and start to get smoke in the house. There is no bypass and nothing you can do about that smoke situation, pouring into the house. I didn't ask if he has had one or multiple calls with that situation, but he didn't sound like he was being theoretical.

Me, I would look for a used v2 version of that stove in good condition over the v3.

That is interesting to know, thanks. Yikes

The choices are somewhat limited anymore it seems, many companies packed it in rather than deal with the EPA and their restrictions. One stove I saw online that is actually made through Dovre is the Sierra Flame Lynwood W-76 but I want to see it in person but no one even close to me sells them, and I'm surely not going to order one and cross my fingers and think "Gee, I hope I like this" so that shoots that.

I might just get a new stovepipe put up and give the old '93 Dovre Aurora a shot with that; I know his "quirks" but can work around them, and I don't care what these stove guys said I cannot believe that an indoor pipe from 1989 doesn't have some issues, some rust and smells? I think I might go that route, and if it works out great, and if it does become obvious that it's time to replace the stove then at least I'll have the new pipe in place to make it easier.

Thank you!

 

[begreen]

The W-76 is made by Norflam (Dovre). It's known as the Harbor Light 760 in Europe. At 1.5 cu ft, it's smaller than the F500. I'm not certain, but I think both of those stoves are smaller than the Aurora 700.

 

[Pennsylvania Woodsman]

The W-76 is made by Norflam (Dovre). It's known as the Harbor Light 760 in Europe. At 1.5 cu ft, it's smaller than the F500. I'm not certain, but I think both of those stoves are smaller than the Aurora 700.

Yes it is smaller than my Aurora, I can tell by watching videos of it. But it doesn't matter because I can't get it anyway unless I order one to be shipped to my house and "hope" that it is okay lol!

 

[begreen]

Look at the Pacific Energy Summit or Alderlea T6 if a non-cat is desired and a Blaze King Ashford 30 if a cat is ok.

 

[stovelark]

I was always a Jotul person when it came to cast stoves, and loved the F55 Carrabassett original stove. The latest V3's have seemed to have a lot of people stressed out, the idea of not having a bypass to get you through if you have a catalyst issue I think is valid, I'm assuming the MFR think if you maintain it properly, you shouldn't need one, blah blah blah. I too would look for an older Oslo, or move towards the PE's like BG said. Blaze King is the preferred cat stove here by most people. Nothing seems worse to me than spending thousands on a stove, hoping its the cat's meow, then realizing it isn't what you thought it would be... good luck.