Basic Stove Tools

[emsflyer84]

Hey all, got an Osburn 2000 wood insert being installed and it’s my first run at wood heat. I’m looking for some basic recommendations for tools I’ll need to keep by the stove for basic fire maintenance. There are a million sets of tools out there, just trying to figure out where to find some quality tools and what I should start with. Thanks!

 

[Montanalocal]

The only tools I really use are a poker and an ash shovel. Most of the ash shovels in the sets you see advertised are too long. I like my traditional short shovel so I can get inside the front of the stove and scoop crosswise across the front of the ash bed when I am doing a hot reload. You are also going to need a steel bucket to put the ashes into to transport them outside. A good set of welding gloves come in handy also.

 

[stoveliker]

Ash shovel (I have the same as Kenny, shirt is good), and if burning a lot of oak, a metal cat poo scooper (long handle better for me there), and an ash rake (solid, i.e. no teeth) to take coals at reloading. Ash bucket with lid.

All the rest on those sets is nonsense. Unless you have an open fireplace and need to move burning pieces.
And a handheld vacuum.

 

[ABMax24]

Poker and shovel are necessities.

Mine also came with a little broom to sweep up any ash that might fall out of the stove.

 

[ABMax24]

Oh and a good set of gloves, ideally welding gloves. Both for loading and an "oh crap" moment when a coal or log rolls out the door.

 

[emsflyer84]

Oh and a good set of gloves, ideally welding gloves. Both for loading and an "oh crap" moment when a coal or log rolls out the door.

Good call on the gloves.

 

[xman23]

Second the gloves. For me with side door loading they are extra long, past the elbow.

 

[highanddryinco]

X3 or so on the "oh crap" moment gloves.

 

[j7art2]

I don't use a shovel; I use an ash rake I made. It looks like a small garden hoe. I also have a poker. The rest of my set isn't used and is going in the shop for storage.

Rather than use welding gloves, get yourself a pair of fireplace gloves. I got some from Minutemen on Amazon, they're labeled as "womens" but go up to my elbow. Leather is softer than welding gloves, but also more insulated inside the gloves than welding gloves. I've grabbed and moved flaming/charcoaled logs dozens of times and simply moved them by hand rather than using the poker. I wouldn't use my welding gloves for this purpose, I'd easily get burned.

 

[sixer]

As previously stated:

• Short ash shovel (a foot or so, including the handle)
• Ash bucket (metal, with cover)
• Poker (with a side hook, helps to move logs/coals around)
• High-temp gloves that go up to the elbow
• Ash rake/hoe

For the last item, I took the long shovel that was included in the fireplace tool set and bent it 90° into a hoe shape. Perfect for raking coals forward for an overnight burn. The only other tool I use from that set is the poker. The "log grabber" thing and the mini-broom are fairly useless, but they complete the set.

 

[emsflyer84]

Thanks for all the good recommendations, I'm headed in the right direction now.

 

[Mutineer]

Late idea for something I use all the time- a bellows. I can get a blaze started in a couple of minutes from a coal the size of a small grape with the trusty bellows and a couple pieces of kindling.

 

[emsflyer84]

Late idea for something I use all the time- a bellows. I can get a blaze started in a couple of minutes from a coal the size of a small grape with the trusty bellows and a couple pieces of kindling.Atthis point I’m getting the bellows just for the memories

Late idea for something I use all the time- a bellows. I can get a blaze started in a couple of minutes from a coal the size of a small grape with the trusty bellows and a couple pieces of kindling.

Great idea, thanks