Buck Model 81

[smmm]

Thought I would share some of the things that I have learned about my stove. Maybe this will help anyone that purchases this stove. It has been a learning curve and it may have to do with my setup which is a tee support one...

-Stove likes small/medium hot fires for the first 3 loads. Likes to have air supply mostly open. Keeps the temperature pretty consistent and the glass clean. After the stove is hot, I can choke it down a little for the middle 1/3 of the fire.

-Small to medium starter fire and as soon as I light it close the door... I have tried to leave the door open until it gets hot and this causes a smoke build up when I do shut the door. If I close the door right away it gradually builds and lets the draft catch up. Also need to use thin fry pieces on start up.

- Open the air all the way last 1/3 of the fire.

- Stove likes running around 500-600 degrees. Does not like roaring flames on large load as this seems to cause haze on the glass. It does like it hot. Just doesn't like flames close to or against the glass.

Thanks for all the help on this site...

 

[PLAYS WITH FIRE]

I have a 74 and it also likes it hot! A friend and I put in an 81 about a month ago. It takes a looong time to kick the blower on when in auto. When the blower comes on though, holy crap. It is loud but really puts out the cfm compared to my 74(both are inserts).

I don't like the baffle for these though,i.e. metal plate with ceramic blanket. Mine is just a ceramic fiber board that does not deform from heat. We put new ceramic blanket in and it was difficult to make sure it was all the way to the back. The next time he has to replace the blanket he will use the board like mine.

His burns very similar to mine get it hot and close almost all the way. We have very strong drafts and his a little more than mine because he is a central masonry fireplace. Even thought his blower is loud, it moves air like a jet engine!

 

[brian89gp]

My 85 is the same way.
-The blower takes forever to kick in to the point I think it is broken.
-I can't keep a good secondary burn going unless it is in the 600-700 range stove face.
-It won't draft well on start/restart unless the door is closed.
-Have to open the air up in the coal stage or else I will end up with 6-12" thick of cool coals. I usually open it up 100% and throw a small ugly/long in there, keeps the stove temp up for an hour or two and it burns down the coals real well.

I don't like the baffle for these though,i.e. metal plate with ceramic blanket. Mine is just a ceramic fiber board that does not deform from heat. We put new ceramic blanket in and it was difficult to make sure it was all the way to the back. The next time he has to replace the blanket he will use the board like mine.

Where did you / could you get the ceramic fiber board? My plate is horribly warped and I have the same issues with the blanket.

 

[PLAYS WITH FIRE]

Mine came with the ceramic board when purchased new. For you take the plate out and bend it straight, simple!

 

[smmm]

Seems like this is the the way the Bucks burn. Brian, exactly what you said for my 81. My secondary burn is at 6-700. I ordered a new baffle plate and they sent me the rigid foam replacement. Thought they did this by mistake and sent it back and reordered. Sent me another rigid board before I realized I could use it for my baffle plate.

 

[brian89gp]

Might have to order a new plate and hope I get a ceramic fiber one. I bottom up clean which requires removing the plate and insulation blanket and it tends to fall apart after handling it a few times.

I was on the phone with Buck tech support once trying to figure out how the air intake system works (primary and secondary air are combined BTW, no separate openings) and had the guy asking the certification/testing engineer about a maximum temperature. Even the engineer could not/would not provide an maximum operating temp range leaving it with a "these things are tested to run really really hot, unless something starts glowing I wouldn't worry about it"

Another odd quirk I have noticed is that since there is an air channel between the top of the firebox and stove top that the blower blows air through, the stove face temp and the heat output of the stove are somewhat unrelated. In the coal burn down example previously mentioned, when I open up the air to 100% the stove face drops from 300 to below 200 rather quickly but the temperature of the air exiting the stove increases drastically.

 

[PLAYS WITH FIRE]

Yea, they said the same for me about the stove temperature. Something along the lines, "what temp are you burning?", "oh, about 600 to 650", " you ain't gonna hurt that stove!"