Do you SIDE load your wood?

[soupy1957]

My Avalon Rainier 90's one drawback, from the get go, was that it didn't have (and still doesn't have.......lol) a side door for side loading.

I remember considering the value of that, and thinking that I'd like that, but in retrospect, I'll never know just how valuable it may have been to have chosen one WITH that feature.

Could those of you who use a side-loading stove (obviously you can load from the front as well), talk a bit about the lessons you've learned with side loading? Has it really been THAT much of a "plus" or is that all hype. Is it "6 of one, half a dozen of another" or what?

What advantages do you find with it, or has it turned out to be more of a pain in the Glutimus Maximus?

-Soupy1957

 

[SolarAndWood]

My old stove was a top load and could only be practically loaded EW. The new stove loads NS and has several advantages over the original stove. You can fill it to the top every time without worrying where the load is going to roll through the burn cycle. You can easily shovel ash out the front every week or two without the fire going out. And lastly, I find it burns better. There are advantages to top, side, front or combinations thereof, but I am very happy with the front door, high ash lip NS front loader.

 

[soupy1957]

You said: "My old stove was a top load"..........thanks.........I was asking about a side load meaning left side or right side.....wasn't taking into account a "top load."

-Soupy1957

 

[SolarAndWood]

my apologies didn't notice the guard rails were in so tight on this single lane road ;-)

 

[firefighterjake]

I would hate my stove if it wasn't for the side loading door . . . I use the front door some . . . but most of the time I use the side loading door since the front door of the Oslo has an annoying habit of allowing ash to build up and drop on to the front lip.

I also like the ability to open both doors and get good access to the stove when cleaning it out in the Spring.

Quite honestly . . . like folks that have had top loaders and prefer them . . . I'm now that same way . . . I really like the idea of being able to use a side loading door.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I've had top loaders and side loaders but not front loaders. I can see no big plusses or minuses to either top or side. You get used to either one and that is the end. A firebox door is simply a way for you to insert wood into the firebox. Usually the more important factor is where the stove is located and what is the easiest way to load it. We could use either, the stove came with side door, no problem. However, we did raise the hearth so that we would not have to bend over or stoop down to load the stove.

 

[soupy1957]

Backwoods Savage: Your stove has a heart?

Is there any benefit with regard to errant sparks, using a side loader? I'd think the risk high on a top loader, since sparks will follow the heat flow upward just like an outdoor campfire. That's not to say of course, that I don't get sparks out the front door, because of course I can get them. I only open the door about an inch at first, let the fire ease down, and then open it fully.

Ash on the door frame..........yep, that happens on mine.......figured it happens on side door frames as well. No?


-Soupy1957

 

[Backwoods Savage]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

That's called poor editing! I'll fix it.

Opening the door as you do is the right thing no matter where the door is located. Actually, the right way is to open the draft full and wait a minute or two before opening the firebox door. That will tend to suck any ash back into the stove. As for sparks, that does not happen often but is always a concern.

 

[firefighterjake]

Backwoods Savage: Your stove has a heart?

Is there any benefit with regard to errant sparks, using a side loader? I'd think the risk high on a top loader, since sparks will follow the heat flow upward just like an outdoor campfire. That's not to say of course, that I don't get sparks out the front door, because of course I can get them. I only open the door about an inch at first, let the fire ease down, and then open it fully.

Ash on the door frame..........yep, that happens on mine.......figured it happens on side door frames as well. No?


-Soupy1957

Random thoughts . . .

All stoves have a heart . . . haven't you ever heard the stove ticking before?

Actually, there is a negative with some side loaders . . . some stove companies do not want folks to use the side loading door on corner installs . . . there is some debate on why this may be . . .

Sparks . . . can and will go out either side or front doors . . . ditto for hot coals . . . which is why more is often better than just the minimum when it comes to clearances on the hearth.

Ash on the door frame . . . due to the Oslo's design it tends to get a lot more ash on the door frame . . . which is then dumped on to the lip or hearth when you open the front door . . . few issues with the side door though.

 

[ansehnlich1]

I'm shovin' in the side door and I like it that way. I had a top loader and it may have been a tad better but that's debatable. I wouldn't want a front loader due to the setup of my hearth. I have a stool and can sit on that, reach my wood splits, spin around and shove em in the side door without getting up. With a front door I'd have to get up and go over and get the wood, then go back There ya have it!

 

[soupy1957]

My wood ring is just to the left of the stove, so I can do a "reach, grab & place" with just a pivot of my body........no big deal as far as distance or inconvenience is concerned. There's always gonna be a spark or two that takes me by surprise, but I don't sit there with the door open, on a steady-burning fire, for any length of time.

In retrospect, had I the chance to "do over" again (the stove purchase)........I'd probably have bought THIS one (water over the dam now, really):

 

[mikepinto65]

My old stove was a top load and could only be practically loaded EW. The new stove loads NS and has several advantages over the original stove. You can fill it to the top every time without worrying where the load is going to roll through the burn cycle. You can easily shovel ash out the front every week or two without the fire going out. And lastly, I find it burns better. There are advantages to top, side, front or combinations thereof, but I am very happy with the front door, high ash lip NS front loader.

Wow, how long a burn does 13+ splits get ya with that thing?

 

[SolarAndWood]

Wow, how long a burn does 13+ splits get ya with that thing?

Depends on how much heat you want, I had no problem reproducing the 40 hr burn claimed in the glossy brochure. I normally do 12 hour burn cycles when its cold and 24 when its not so cold.

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

It is much easier to load my Oslo before I go to bed with the side door (if I really want to pack it.) Fit them in like a puzzle and let it rip.
I do use the front door quite a bit during the day with the occasional log or 2. To each his own.................


WoodButcher

 

[Todd]

Sometimes I wish I had a front load because most side doors are smaller and sometimes you can't get those big chunks in there. I find I have to load the largest splits first or they might not fit later cuz the other splits get in the way.

 

[northwinds]

My wood ring is just to the left of the stove, so I can do a "reach, grab & place" with just a pivot of my body........no big deal as far as distance or inconvenience is concerned. There's always gonna be a spark or two that takes me by surprise, but I don't sit there with the door open, on a steady-burning fire, for any length of time.

In retrospect, had I the chance to "do over" again (the stove purchase)........I'd probably have bought THIS one (water over the dam now, really):

That's a nice lookin' stove. But I'd be worried about front loading any hickory with that wood floor.

 

[precaud]

I side load it into my truck...

 

[Bone1099]

It seems that with the dragons front loading was N/S and side loading was nonexistent or at best odd. I currently operate a front loading Fisher insert. Loading the splits long ways seems easier to me cause you can just toss em in and pack em' tight with very little effort or burned hands. So my vote is for the N/S loader whether it is front or side but i guess with most modern stoves side loading is usually N/S for the wood. As for the 13+ splits thats nothing hell I could load 13 logs in that Fisher. Im not trying to brag or anything but you guys are gettin 12 hr burn times. On my 13+ logs i get a good solid 1-3 Hrs. More if i choke-n-smoke. In the double doors you could load mama bear in this thing. OK im done braggin about the efficiency of my dragon. I did operate a front or top loading VC Vigilant for a while it seemed to have a short ash lip and spilled ashes if it was'nt cleaned every day and was difficult to load fully from the front without having the load in the floor. And top loading was hard for me to grasp at first but with a good chimney and good draft you dont get smoke out the top and very little sparks if opened and loaded properly.

 

[ddddddden]

I think the issue is perhaps most accurately described in terms of north-south vs. east-west loading. It seems like ~95% of those who have the choice, either by having 2 doors or a deeep firebox, go with n-s "endwise" loading. Easier to pack, and better burns reported in some of the deeep stoves, where the wood is actually turned 90 deg in the firebox instead of going through a side door. See "N-S N/S North-South" thread(s). As for me, other than the occasional tossing crosswise on top of the pile, loading the deep firebox of the ol' dragon N-S never occured to me. . .these hearth.com fellers are just full of fancy ideas!

 

[Slow1]

My first stove was top or front load - I liked to use the front load first, then top it off (literally) once it was mostly full. I think this comes from my desire to place each piece exactly where I want it and reaching down into a hot stove to lay logs into place just wasn't my thing. Some folks like to have scars as conversation starters, I don't

Now the Fireview is side load only.

There are pros and cons to all but I generally agree with what has been said already - it is just a door to get in the stove. The main thing I notice is the size of the door being smaller which does make loading weird shaped splits harder. I'm also always loading splits lengthwise (as if going NS from a front loader with a large firebox) which of course is different than I did before as the old stove I always loaded EW and had to concern myself with logs rolling forward at me. Never get that loading from the side.

For my install it works out rather well - my wood rack is against the wall and I can open the stove door, reach over and pull wood right off the rack to feed the stove. Previously I would have to bring wood around to the front of the stove to feed so this is a bit of an 'ergonomic' benefit for me.

Bottom line is that I don't think it would be a deciding factor one way or the other in buying a stove. I was happy enough before and am happy now. I didn't envy the side loaders and I don't miss the front

As a general stove design thing the FV side door is smaller and much simpler in design than the double doors on the Encore that I had and thus I expect it will be easier to keep a good seal longer on it (no overlapping doors, simpler, less gasket to seal and not overlapping seams to begin with). Not really a side vs front load issue although I expect few side doors are going to be glass and/or double doors so they probably will be simpler to gasket and thus if used as the primary door perhaps easier for long term maintenance (?).

 

[ddddddden]

Sometimes I wish I had a front load because most side doors are smaller and sometimes you can't get those big chunks in there. I find I have to load the largest splits first or they might not fit later cuz the other splits get in the way.

Maybe for your Fireview, but if the Keystone had a front door, you would've had to extend your hearth, eh?

 

[mikepinto65]

I do too

 

[pyper]

I only open the front door on my stove to clean the glass. Since the fire usually goes out over night, the glass usually gets dirty at the tail end of the burn. It doesn't usually get dirty enough to prompt me to clean it until five or six nights accumulate.

 

[Todd]

Sometimes I wish I had a front load because most side doors are smaller and sometimes you can't get those big chunks in there. I find I have to load the largest splits first or they might not fit later cuz the other splits get in the way.

Maybe for your Fireview, but if the Keystone had a front door, you would've had to extend your hearth, eh?

Yeah, good point, that 8" front clearance comes in handy for my Keystone.

 

[jlow]

I find that with my EQ, I can add long large splits much easier from the side. Angling them in through the front is a pain.