Fisher Coal Bear

[Todd67]

Since there are at least a few coal bear stoves still in use today, and the large lack of information on these stoves, would it be possible to start a separate sticky for the coal bear? There is some good information on this forum, but it is scattered around these hundreds of forum pages. It would be nice and convenient to have all things coal bear-related on a sticky, to include a copy of the coal bear manual, the stove's history, where they were made, and so on.

I'm going to look at a coal bear tomorrow, and I thought it would be good to have a "place" for coal bear owners, past and present, to share pictures, stories and thoughts of their coal bear stoves. It is unlike any other Fisher stove made, and it would be nice to have one location for us to discuss how we get the best use out of our coal bears, whether we are using it to burn coal or wood.

Thanks in advance for your consideration!

 

[pen]

If you have had good luck searching the forum and finding posts related to this, one option is to start a new thread and start adding the URL from each relevant thread you find in regards to this interest, to it.

That would make for a great thread starter for a sticky.

pen

 

[Todd67]

Pen, you must be a mind reader. I've already searched this forum for coal bear information & threads, and I'm "watching" those threads. My next step is to attached links to those threads here so that we have a one-stop thread for coal bear stuff.

 

[Todd67]

If you have an owner's manual for a Coal Bear stove, can you please post it here or with the other Fisher stove manuals? Thanks!

 

[Todd67]

Here are some links to other Coal Bear threads...

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/questions-on-a-coal-bear.137635/

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/first-time-owner.148753/

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/anyone-know-about-fisher-stoves.131138/

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/can-anyone-identify-this-stove-door.66430/

Here are two new links added 11/4/18

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/brought-a-coal-bear-home.170670/

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/coal-bear-restoration.171037/

 

[Todd67]

This is the earliest Coal Bear advertisement that Coaly could find, August 27, 1981...

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...BAJ&pg=4679,960583&dq=fisher+coal+stove&hl=en

 

[Don H]

Found this Fisher Coal Stove on FB Marketplace if anyone is interested.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...place_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks.
This is local to me, in fact I know the seller.
Looks like he has 3 Coal and one Baby Bear.

 

[bholler]

Found this Fisher Coal Stove on FB Marketplace if anyone is interested.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...place_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks.
This is local to me, in fact I know the seller.
Looks like he has 3 Coal and one Baby Bear.

Wow $1750 at the end of the season

 

[Don H]

Wow $1750 at the end of the season

Yep, and the coal grates are gone. Wonder if he still has them but felt it was more marketable as a wood only burner?

 

[bholler]

Yep, and the coal grates are gone. Wonder if he still has them but felt it was more marketable as a wood only burner?

That depends on the market I guess. Here it would be worth more functioning for coal

 

[McCoyFarm]

Hi all, looking for advice from actual Fisher Coal Bear owners.

I heat a ~1200 sq ft workshop/garage that’s pretty leaky, but it is insulated. I’m considering picking up a Fisher Coal Bear and running it like this:

• Daytime: burn wood normally (wood mode / plate over grates)
• End of day: let wood burn down to a coal bed
• Switch to coal mode and add anthracite for overnight heat
• Goal is ~10–12 hours of steady heat until morning without tending

A few questions for people who actually run these:

1. How long are you realistically getting on wood only in a Coal Bear?
2. How long are you getting on anthracite overnight once established?
3. Is switching from wood → coal mid-burn as easy as it sounds (wait for coal bed, flip grates, add coal in layers)?
4. Does the Coal Bear heat a drafty shop well, or does it feel undersized compared to a Mama/Papa Bear?
5. Any regrets vs just running a large wood stove (Papa Bear)?
6. Anything you wish you knew before buying one?

For context:
• Straight vertical 6" chimney
• Planning to burn mostly wood during the day, coal only overnight
• Stove I’m looking at needs liners but grates are good (I’m fine rebuilding)

Appreciate any real-world feedback. Thanks.

 

[coaly]

If you are going to burn wood, rotate grates to burn on the flat, closed side. Use upper air for primary air. (You can open lower intake when starting for maximum air flow) Close bottom air intake under grates when wood fire is established. Control fire and output with upper air adjustment.

If you are going to burn coal, rotate grates to the open side. Start with kindling, mixing some coal with it. Add coal on top as coal starts glowing until you are covering entire fire with coal. You want flames ripping up through coal ad it is added. Not starting coal on a bed of glowing wood coals. Leave bottom air open until coal ignites with blue flames. It only takes 10 minutes from starting to an established coal fire. Set bottom air for desired output, only crack upper air slightly with coal.

Shake at least twice daily and empty ash mornings when ash pan is cool.

Use a barometric damper burning coal.

It is either wood or coal, not both. It is much more efficient, and primarily a coal stove.

 

[McCoyFarm]

Coaly...thank you for entertaining my question, but I just went to look at a Coal Bear and I realized my question is completely irrelevant. I didn't realize how small they were and I'm going to guess that 1 foot long logs are about the max for that box. I think if I want to burn wood and coal, I may have to look at a Harman 150 or 250, but those seem way out of the budget... Thanks for getting back to me!!