I guess the reason peoply call them junk and hype might be do to the fact it is so easy to take the ashes out with a shovel. Just saying!
Ash pan vs No Ash Pan
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Lest this thread get off track, I should be clearer that all ash systems are not created equal. There are decent ash systems out there. The better ash systems seem to be on stoves that that come from a foundry where the ash grate is cast and integral to the base of the stove. With a steel stove or one that has a firebrick base in the firebox, this is often not the case. Some of these stoves have systems that appear to be engineered by someone that never ran a stove 24/7. I think these are the systems that get the negative reports. The rest of the stove can be excellent, but the ash system appears to be tacked on like a marketing afterthought.
Having worked with both, I find a system that I can go a couple weeks between ash cleanout works the best for me. That's mostly because I don't feel like dumping ashes after a day of work and long commute home. It's not going to get dealt with until the weekend. For the OP, looking for a steel stove, I would not place the ash pan as a priority option.
Having worked with both, I find a system that I can go a couple weeks between ash cleanout works the best for me. That's mostly because I don't feel like dumping ashes after a day of work and long commute home. It's not going to get dealt with until the weekend. For the OP, looking for a steel stove, I would not place the ash pan as a priority option.
Of all the things I hated about my Homestead the ash pan was a decent positive. Could be messy, but that was my fault for putting too much into it. I just ordered an Ashtrapper which should be here in a couple days and it seems a very good compromise between an ash drawer and shoveling into a bucket. It'll work well in this firebox of the Elm. But it should work well in just about any firebox. To me a lid is the key. Stoves which have a well designed ash drawer with a lid are a good thing. Not many do and it's just as easy to watch ashes spill over the edge of a drawer as off your shovel. This Astrapper seems the ticket. Scoop them up, close the lid, done.
I pretty much share Grommal's feelings on ash pans . . . but then again I have always had a stove with good ash pans and the Jotul Oslo is no different. Very few coals . . . lots of fine ash. Dumped once to twice a week in middle of the winter when burning 24/7 . . . much easier, cleaner and faster for me than scooping out with a shovel (which I also tried) . . . 1) open ash pan door, 2) remove ash pan and take outside (after closing ash pan door), 3) dump and replace. No muss, no fuss.
For me this is a good feature in my stove . . . but others have had ash pans that were not designed well . . . still others have never had an ash pan. My own take is that for me having an ash pan isn't one of those must-have features, but if you're going to have one it's nice to have one that works well.
For me this is a good feature in my stove . . . but others have had ash pans that were not designed well . . . still others have never had an ash pan. My own take is that for me having an ash pan isn't one of those must-have features, but if you're going to have one it's nice to have one that works well.
Love the Soapstone and I think most of the people that say they don't like them have never owned one. Plus they cost
more and we know how "tight" some people can be.
Beautiful even heat that doesn't drive you right out of the room. Plus they are not "stone" cold in the morning like some
of the steel stoves. And yes...they are beautiful. Better than a big black steel box sitting in the middle of the room. Just voicing my opinion
like the steel stove people do.
As for the ash drawer...never use it...waste of time and energy!
more and we know how "tight" some people can be.
Beautiful even heat that doesn't drive you right out of the room. Plus they are not "stone" cold in the morning like some
of the steel stoves. And yes...they are beautiful. Better than a big black steel box sitting in the middle of the room. Just voicing my opinion
like the steel stove people do.
As for the ash drawer...never use it...waste of time and energy!
I had a firelight and the ash pan could be messy if I didn't keep up with it.
I was so used to a shovel that the first couple times I let it overfill and the fire down low enough and made such a mess I just went back to a shovel.
Creature of habit I guess.
The airwash worked a little better if you kept up with the ashpan.
It didn't help with the mess you got if you opened the front doors.
I was so used to a shovel that the first couple times I let it overfill and the fire down low enough and made such a mess I just went back to a shovel.
Creature of habit I guess.
The airwash worked a little better if you kept up with the ashpan.
It didn't help with the mess you got if you opened the front doors.
Only used my ash pan a couple of times. Much easier to scoop out the ashes into a bucket. One thing the ash pan gives me though is extra insulation so my hearth flooring doesn't get as hot.
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