DutchWest Stove.....Should I?

[Idomeneus]

Hi all,
There is a DutchWest 2461 for sale super cheap near me. It needs a new top plate ($166). I am considering it. I am attaching photos. What else should I be looking for as problem areas? thanks for the help.

 

[Idomeneus]

As a follow up....how hard it is to put on a top plate?

 

[begreen]

Not sure but this looks like a 'neverburn' model. If so, it has a history of being a cranky stove that needs frequent replacement of the refractory parts. And then there is this warning sign. I'd walk away from this stove, quickly, even if it was for free.

 

[Idomeneus]

Not sure but this looks like a 'neverburn' model. If so, it has a history of being a cranky stove that needs frequent replacement of the refractory parts. And then there is this warning sign. I'd walk away from this stove, quickly, even if it was for free.

View attachment 200106

I noticed that too. I haven't seen in person yet but they say that is just the lighting and blackening, that it isn't missing metal.

I would I tell if this is a model to avoid? FYI, it is basically free.

 

[begreen]

I haven't seen in person yet but they say that is just the lighting and blackening, that it isn't missing metal.

OK, if it's just carbon then that is good. I did some more digging and see that I was wrong, this appears to be a catalytic model. The owner should be able to supply the model number from the rear UL plate. The top plate is easy to take on and off for servicing. It is held on by four corner bolts just under the top plate overhang.
If the cat needs replacing figure about $150 additional. Check out the damper operation to be sure it works smoothly and check the baffle below the cat to affirm it is not burned out. Inspect overall for any cracks. At this age the stove might also need gasket replacement on the door and glass.

 

[Idomeneus]

Just found out it does need a cat. So cat plus top plus gaskets, looking at around $300 to get it up and running. Wondering it that is worth it.

 

[branchburner]

It's not uncommon to see these on CL for about that price. Many will probably need the cat, but not the top. Is the top plate warped? If so, that would be a sign of overfiring that might mean potential problems for other components. The refractory that surrounds the cat looks a little toasty, too.

"Free" is not an unusual price for stove that have multiple issues. Personally, I wouldn't put more than $200 in to it, but maybe you can find some other Federal Airtights as parts stoves!. Better used stoves are out there for a bit more, but they always pose more risk than a new stove.

 

[begreen]

Agreed. Running right it is a decent heater, but it has several moving parts that we can't see, so hard to say what shape they are in and how long they will last.

What is the goal if purchasing the stove - 24/7 heat or more occasional burning? How large and area do you have for the stove to heat? Is there a safe and appropriate chimney system already in or are you starting out from scratch?

 

[jotul8e2]

re: top plate. It is quite easy to replace - just a few exterior screws.

I once was given a Dutchwest - free. It was the most I ever overpaid for a stove. I broke one of the legs moving it $70), it needed a new cat ($150), it needed cleaning and stove paint ($15), and some gaskets ($35). At its best it was severely undersized for my purpose, required very short wood pieces split very small, and had to be reloaded every three hours at a minimum.

What I failed to do, and what you will need to do, is completely dismantle the stove and replace every gasket and cement every joint. At that point you will have a decent, small stove.

 

[dgarver]

If you are getting this stove practically free, it is most definitely worth getting in my opinion. These type stoves do not come along very often in my neck of the woods, and certainly not for cheap when they do. I have two of the 2462 models, and feel like I never need to get a different model stove again the rest of my life. I love them.

Yours is just a little smaller than mine, other than that nearly the same. These things are built very well, and regarding the comment about moving hardware that you cannot see...there is not much to go wrong. You have literally got connecting rod and a damper door that is held in place by a cir-clip, and has two 1/4-20 bolts holding down two metal tabs for the hinge. There is nothing to break there that cannot easily be repaired.

As for the top plate needing replaced, are they saying why it needs replaced? It would have to be pretty severely warped to not make a seal, and its only purpose is really to make a seal above the catalyst chamber. The refractory has some soot on it, that can be brushed off. The gaskets that I have seen in the pics so far look fine, and you can get a steel combustor for well under $100 for that model I believe. So really, that is a great deal. If you weren't so far from me I would buy the thing just to refurb it and sell it for $1000. I'm not sure what the market is like near you, but wood stoves fetch a pretty penny out here.

 

[Idomeneus]

Update: After I pointed out all the issues and what it would cost to get it up and running they have decided to keep it. Nice that I could do all the research for them.

I am replacing a VC intrepid I, which I love but is too small. We just use it for supplemental heat in a our very large house. I have no illusions that I could heat the whole thing with wood. It is poorly sealed and insulated.

Thank you all for the input. I will keep looking. I would love to find a Jotul F 500 in good shape that isn't overpriced.

 

[erice]

Kinda late to add a reply, but I have a 2461 that needs a new top plate due to warping, and the top plate is cemented in, so is virtually impossible to replace w/o cracking other parts.