dutchwest 2479 WORST STOVE EVER

[ecocavalier02]

Ive been fighting with this stove now for 2 and a half years. I've read everything on this site and tried everything. Just can't take anymore. If anyone has any new suggestions to try please shed some light. Also my wood has been split and drying for 2 YEARS and is super dry.. Im more than likely looking for a new stove. any suggestions?

 

[madrone]

describe your symptoms, and setup, especially chimney.

 

[ecocavalier02]

have about a 24 foot inside chimney that i lined. 3 foot section inside the room with one elbow in to a tee. Sometimes i can get it t work and other time i have to screw around with it until ive burn threw the freaking wood. about 75 percent of the time i have to screw around with it for 3 hours. Not suitable before i go t work at 630 in morning. just been an ongoing battle.

 

[Rob From Wisconsin]

What kind of wood are you using (species)?

 

[ecocavalier02]

Oak and maple

 

[Fsappo]

But it's made by Vermont Castings, they were good back in the 80's. What did your dealer say who you bought the stove from? Did you have them out to look it over?

 

[stockcarver]

"But it’s made by Vermont Castings, they were good back in the 80’s. "

(grin) This is true only if you compare it to a very cheap potbelly...

The Federal line in my experience is a good example of a marketing gimmick, I fell for it back in 87. The internet was not yet available, and the numerous magazine advertisements made it sound like a real breakthrough in wood burning technology, so I ordered one by mail. NOW the internet is opening our eyes to real technology and user experience, and I have a chance to tell others of my experience.

The statistics and wonderful claims of burn efficiency, airtightness, etc. may have been reached in a lab enviornment for one burn, but in real life, the federal is a joke, this was my experience as an owner.
As I recall the castings on mine were chinese, and there are a ridiculous number of parts held together with cement, cheap stove bolts and screws. The Federal is a classic "chinese puzzle", warpage is going to happen, and near impossible to seal airtight. The firebox is unable to hold much more than a load of kindling. On the other hand, a small load of wood in a Federal is a good thing, preventing the stove from cracking wide open from an uncontrollable fire. Customer support told me it was my fault for burning it incorrectly (Note to self- my fault for burning it at all.)
If you want a somewhat attractive stove to sit in the house and look nice, this is OK. If you want to burn wood for reliable heat, bitter dissapointment is yours until you are rid of it.
If you want to light a fire and leave it unattended without nagging doubt, buy a blaze king. Here again, I am speaking from personal experience. You can try to save money and buy a cheaper stove, but when you finally get past the pain of spending the money, you will never look back. Try and find a B-K owner that uses it and regrets the purchase.

 

[Highbeam]

Rather than try to find an unhappy BK owner, try and find a happy VC owner. I should say a happy current VC owner, they're all happy after ditching the VC.

Is the DW in question a cat stove?

 

[ecocavalier02]

Its a non cat. I don't know what to do its pretty frustratng and spent a lot of money on this thing.

 

[trailblaze]

they are tricky!

i still don't know what problems you have.

is it not getting hot enough to close the main damper and engage the everburn? is it over firing?

i'm getting a good 8-10 hour burn between loads out of my med DW non-cat stove. granted, the burn is not "hot" enough as per the stove pipe temp (300-400 when damper is closed) and usually it falls to 200 after a awhile and by the time i load it it's 100-150 but there is not any wood left then...just hot ash. but hey it puts out heat and when i load it again i burn it hot to "clean" out any creosote that may have been starting to build up at low temps.

just this weekend i kept a small fire going (one log at a time) all day. never got really hot and i'm not worried about creosote.

had the chimney cleaned last yr after 1 burn season and the sweep told me it was not needed.... just ever so slightly built up.

 

[ecocavalier02]

thats about the same thing that happens to me. But it seems as for all the stuff i've seen that it should have no smoke coming out the chimney. and the rumble usually stalls after a few minutes then drops down to the 200 or 300 hundred range. bout 500 internal. if i play with it constantly i can get it to go and it will burn at like 700 to 1000 range internal and thats how it should run if your getting an everburn. but its a lot a lot a lot of freaking work to get it there poking the logs 500 times. and this is with a huggggge coal bed.

 

[ecocavalier02]

im also reading now from something burningislove wrote. If you stuff coals in throat of the shoe thats ok but to stuff wood right in front of it will choke it. Thats something i do is shove it right in front. and i stack in it in pretty tight. maybe ill try that.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Dutchwest 2479 WORST STOVE EVER

Agreed.

Even a soapstone stove is not worse.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Its a non cat. I don't know what to do its pretty frustratng and spent a lot of money on this thing.

Lemme help: Sh_tcan it.

 

[trailblaze]

im also reading now from something burningislove wrote. If you stuff coals in throat of the shoe thats ok but to stuff wood right in front of it will choke it. Thats something i do is shove it right in front. and i stack in it in pretty tight. maybe ill try that.

right... i also stopped "scraping out" my ash in the bottom all time. i let it fall naturally by just ever so slightly poking the hot coals around. load it up, but not tight against the "shoe" and let it go for about 10-15 mins on like 50-80 % air or until it's all lit and then i close the damper.

i found not cleaning the ash out to be helpful. it's a balance thing... cause if you don't clean it at all then you get too much in there... so find a perfect medium.

 

[trailblaze]

Its a non cat. I don't know what to do its pretty frustratng and spent a lot of money on this thing.

Lemme help: Sh_tcan it.

thats not easy to do once one spends serious money on a stove.


it just takes a learning curve.

if a person can't drive a stick shift should they take it to the scrap yard???

 

[webbie]

Did you read Trader Gordos Manifestos and watch his video?
No doubt the downdraft system is different than most and takes some experience.

Videos at bottom of this page:
http://www.gordosoft.com/woodstove/
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Downdraft_Stove_Operation/

also do an advanced forum search on member name tradergordo

lots of info.

 

[ecocavalier02]

oh yes ive read everything and seen all the videos multiple times. thinking i missed something every-time. like i said its been a real fight. hours ive spent reading all the the threads watching the videos over over. Trying a flue damper thinking to much drafter. tons and tons of fighting. been a real joy let me tell you.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Its a non cat. I don't know what to do its pretty frustratng and spent a lot of money on this thing.

Lemme help: Sh_tcan it.

thats not easy to do once one spends serious money on a stove.


it just takes a learning curve.

if a person can't drive a stick shift should they take it to the scrap yard???

After two years? Yes.

 

[ecocavalier02]

well for this year know choice but to keep it. wifey won't let me can it yet. But i really want to start researching a new stove. Not sure if i want to go with a cat stove yet. But what are some good suggestions on a everburn stove or cat stove i really want to resarch this hard this time. I'm not real sure how the cat stove works yet but would like to hear some good ideas.

 

[BurningIsLove]

Sorry to hear its being such a pain, I know exactly what you're going through.

What is the outdoor temp/pressure for the ones you've had this year? I havent lit mine yet this season as I still need to sweep the chimney from last season and replace a few gaskets, paint it, and other scheduled maintenance tasks first. But I do recall in temps above 35, the temp/pressure differential is too small to get an effective draft going which as you've read 100x, is critical to this stove working in it's optimal zone.

I'll admit, if something serious on mine breaks/wears out, which most likely will be the refractory material, I likely will not repair/replace parts and I will replace the whole stove. I'm rather tired of the constant monitoring this stove requires over others that I've used in the past.

 

[ecocavalier02]

Well t was little warmer bow that think bout uit. Prob low 40s I'm waiting for thje colder weather to see what happens. But next ye*r I'm almost positive I'm buying a new stove. The bk looks bpretty tempting.

 

[stockcarver]

I don't think anyone expects you to literally throw your stove into the dump. You can sell it to someone and re-coup at least part of your money. It really hurts to fork out several thousand dollars for a blaze King, but you won't regret it for long. On the other hand, if you only want to take the chill off now and again, or only need heat for a few hours a night, there are a lot more options available. Check Craigslist for a good idea of what doesn't work for other people, a blaze king with cat is a rare bird there.

 

[firefighterjake]

well for this year know choice but to keep it. wifey won't let me can it yet. But i really want to start researching a new stove. Not sure if i want to go with a cat stove yet. But what are some good suggestions on a everburn stove or cat stove i really want to resarch this hard this time. I'm not real sure how the cat stove works yet but would like to hear some good ideas.

My personal opinion . . . I would rather get a stove that I liked . . . a stove that worked for me and my needs . . . a stove that gave me some good, reliable heat . . . than to try to get by with a stove that has been and continues to be a pain to use.

Sure, it may cost a little more money now . . . but the pain in the pocket now would be offset by the joy that would come from a woodstove that works well.

Don't just toss the stove on the junk pile . . . but take advantage of the fact that this is the time of year when folks (many clueless) are looking to buy used stoves . . . as evil as it sounds . . . sell the stove . . . and apply that money to a new stove . . . and be sure to take advantage of the 30% tax credit to boot.

And as for me personally . . . if I were to go with a cat stove in my own mind there are only two choices: Blaze King and Woodstock. I personally find the BKs ugly looking, but love the figures I've hearing for long burn times . . . and I don't really care for the ornate styling of the Woodstocks . . . but again, that's a very personal thing.

Again, just my opinion.

 

[efoyt]

Does your stove have everburn? If so I think I can help.