castine vs. oslo redux

[potter]

I am going to the Jotul dealer tomorrow to buy a Castine or Oslo. I've exhausted all the threads on this subject and they seem to fall in two camps-
Those who say go big and build smaller fires, and those who say this is inefficient and to go with the smaller stove. It seems that there is at least some correlation between folks opinions and how intense their winters are. The last couple of winters have been mild- I would want to be confident in heating my @1100 sq. ft. during sub zero temps. Many comments in reviews wish they had purchased bigger. I worry about the draft, I think my chimney is more than adequate, but won't have dealer install to go back to.
Be Green was very helpful in laying out the btu outputs- which don't seem that different 3-4,000 btus at the bottom or top. And the oslos' 2 cu.ft. firebox seems within recommendations.
Sorry if this is beating a dead horse. I was not going to post again until buying, but I am making propane pre-buys at the same time and if I choose wrong, and had to use more gas it could be an expensive mistake.

Potter

 

[begreen]

Either stove will suffice. It's more a question of how frequently it needs to be fed. If you have a good selection of seasoned wood and can run low btu wood (poplar, pine, soft maple) in the shoulder seasons and hardwood in the winter, then I think the Oslo will give you the performance you're looking for. Now be sure to have lots of dry wood stashed for the new stove!

 

[potter]

Thanks for your reply (and patience). I have probably 8-10 hardwood face cords that were seasoned when I got them and have been in the barn for a year.(And some from several years before that.) I'm getting 12 more face cords of seasoned hardwood this weekendthat the guy says is ready to burn, mostly to be used next year.
The salesman I'm dealing with at Cricket on the Hearth in Rochester is good, he's on the fence as to which stove, definitely not trying to sell me the larger one. His only comment which matches yours and others is that the stove should be burning with a temp on top of 500 degrees to be efficient and clean.
I really don't have an agenda with the oslo, just want to not buy propane for the house.
Thanks again.
BTW I phoned another dealership, described my situation as I have here, and they tried to sell me a F600 Firelight! :bug:

 

[begreen]

I think you'll find that the Oslo will start firing off secondary combustion at a lower stove top temp. The Castine often started burning good secondaries at 400 stove top temp. That was burning softwood, which I would suggest getting stocked up with. It should be cheap in your area and will give you more control.

 

[04074]

You can build a small fire in a big stove but not a big fire in a small stove. That's my theory , I went with the oslo. Also for the better draft.

 

[myzamboni]

Western New York? Go big, you won't regret it.

 

[potter]

heading out the door. Will take my wife and get her input- usually far more rational than me.
Thanks.

 

[potter]

Bought the Oslo- here we go.... it's in my van, so maybe I need a new thread on moving 400 lb. stoves into the house! :ahhh:
Be Green, I will start asking around about some pine or other softwoods. I have a building full of mixed hard and soft edgings stacked for my business but don't want to raid too much cause the're hard to come by.

 

[begreen]

Woo Hoo, congratulations potter! You are going to be leaving the longjohns in the drawer this winter.

Be sure to have the camera handy. Get some buddies or pay some of the local high school jocks to give you a hand moving the stove. If you have 4 people on the stove it's not that bad. A heavy duty handtruck with a a couple rachet straps makes moving it easy. Good luck with the softwood. Should be some around.

 

[fossil]

...You are going to be leaving the longjohns in the drawer this winter...

Only if he stacks his winter's worth of wood in the house before burning season begins. :lol: Rick

 

[potter]

My wife is a college teacher so I'm already working on getting some students up here......
though they're art majors soit might take a few more. %-P

 

[Opportunist]

I just bought a Oslo. Is the Oslo still in the crate? Take all the loose parts (door, blocks, etc..) off the stove to lose some weight. Do you have any steps to go up or down? While keeping the stove on the bottom part of the crate, use a few dowel rods or pipes to roll the stove right into your house.

 

[04074]

If you do take the door off be careful not to lose the washer on the bottom hinge.

 

[potter]

I'd thought of taking off the door and removing the hardbrick. The egyptian rolling method is a welcome idea. I have ramps for loading my lawn tractor thought with enough hands and maybe a rope to brake it would save directly lifting.
There is a metal panel with the loose parts- near as I can tell a heat shield for under the ash pan? Is it necessary if I'm installing on concrete with no combustibles for many feet? I can't find any reference in the assembly instructions, only am guessing it's use from parts diagram. Flat painted with flattened wings.

 

[potter]

Stoves in the house! Chimney sweep coming Friday to hook it up and inspect, if all goes well should be breaking it in by Friday evening. It was actually cold enough last night here to use a small fire.
Thanks again for advice.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Too cool.

 

[PitPat]

I'm jealous.
I ordered an Oslo last week and was told it would take 6 weeks to get it in.
Its probably for the best, I certainly don't need to start going through wood in August.

 

[polaris]

I have both the castine and the Oslo. They are both great stoves and you would have been fine with either but I agree with the posters who reccomend going bigger. I find myself wishing that I had the f-6oo(although I don't need it).The Castine needs about 25 degrees more to fire off the secondaries but seems to heat up a bit faster. Anyway, you did well. Congrats.