Fisher Mama and Papa Bear cost/value

[PSUhunter33]

I have been looking at getting a papa or mama bear stove recently and am amazed at the price people are asking. I know the value is what someone will pay but realistically can you find a stove that hasn't been refinished but is in good shape for $250-$400? That seems to be the what I have seen on here as a suggested value.

I would consider the going the Grandma or Grandpa route but I would need to make it fit a 6" flue pipe.

Any info is helpful. Thanks

 

[coaly]

Watch fb marketplace. You can get a good one for a hundred of two. I would stay with a 6 inch stove.

 

[PSUhunter33]

Thanks. I've been looking but $600 and up seems to be the prices I see now. Found one for $800 that was in pretty good shape but needed some fire brick and rusty. And based on some of the other posts I read about brick placement, it only had one upper fire brick on the sides.

 

[coaly]

Thanks. I've been looking but $600 and up seems to be the prices I see now. Found one for $800 that was in pretty good shape but needed some fire brick and rusty. And based on some of the other posts I read about brick placement, it only had one upper fire brick on the sides.

The upper course is an attempt to raise firebox temperature for cleaner burn. With or without upper bricks doesn’t affect the side sheets or paint. Majority of heat is around outlet which is a good reason to install a baffle plate. My like new stoves must be worth quite a bit now. The only ones I paid over 200 for are new, unfired.

 

[bholler]

Thanks. I've been looking but $600 and up seems to be the prices I see now. Found one for $800 that was in pretty good shape but needed some fire brick and rusty. And based on some of the other posts I read about brick placement, it only had one upper fire brick on the sides.

With new prices of everything up used prices have crept up as well.

 

[bholler]

I have been looking at getting a papa or mama bear stove recently and am amazed at the price people are asking. I know the value is what someone will pay but realistically can you find a stove that hasn't been refinished but is in good shape for $250-$400? That seems to be the what I have seen on here as a suggested value.

I would consider the going the Grandma or Grandpa route but I would need to make it fit a 6" flue pipe.

Any info is helpful. Thanks

You could always look at Alaska's or timberline's etc. They all work the same. Or for the prices fishers are demanding now many times you can find a nice modern stove as well.

 

[coaly]

I’m ready to start telling people if you pay more than scrap value for a used stove it’s too much. Time for a market reset. Lol

 

[clancey]

I disagree and I love those old stoves and hope the price remains or even go's up higher...as long as we have people taking an interest and people who have skills who can fix them...Heck one could turn them into a old safe or something--they figure it out and have fun doing and fooling with them...with that glee when they see their first fire in it....It brings a lot to the world with its old history..clancey

 

[coaly]

I disagree and I love those old stoves and hope the price remains or even go's up higher...as long as we have people taking an interest and people who have skills who can fix them...Heck one could turn them into a old safe or something--they figure it out and have fun doing and fooling with them...with that glee when they see their first fire in it....It brings a lot to the world with its old history..clancey

That’s exactly what Fisher did. They became Century Safe Co. Had to do something with all the steel.

My comment is due to scrap prices being so high. You can get almost as much for copper tubing scrap as the new price on the shelf! Steel used to be nothing in the 70’s. Aluminum and copper paid by the pound. Then iron became of value, paying XX dollars per hundred pounds. Now what you get for 100 pounds is getting close or more than what the steel cost when made. Reset.

 

[PSUhunter33]

You could always look at Alaska's or timberline's etc. They all work the same. Or for the prices fishers are demanding now many times you can find a nice modern stove as well.

Thanks. I've seen some Alaska's and Timberline's for less. I currently have a modern stove and it doesn't heat like the old ones. That being said, I used to have the largest Quardifire Step Top and it worked well. Just more than I want to spend for a cabin.

 

[PSUhunter33]

With new prices of everything up used prices have crept up as well.

crept up is an understatement. I am amazed that the asking price for "good" condition stoves are 600-1000 and are rusty, missing/cracked bricks etc. I laughed when I saw one with a piece of welded diamond plate around the vent.

 

[PSUhunter33]

Watch fb marketplace. You can get a good one for a hundred of two. I would stay with a 6 inch stove.

Well, if you come across one for a few hundred I'd be interested in looking. Thanks for all the info you supply, I enjoy reading it.

 

[bholler]

Thanks. I've seen some Alaska's and Timberline's for less. I currently have a modern stove and it doesn't heat like the old ones. That being said, I used to have the largest Quardifire Step Top and it worked well. Just more than I want to spend for a cabin.

Yeah the big old stoves are a good fit for cabins usually

 

[PSUhunter33]

The upper course is an attempt to raise firebox temperature for cleaner burn. With or without upper bricks doesn’t affect the side sheets or paint. Majority of heat is around outlet which is a good reason to install a baffle plate. My like new stoves must be worth quite a bit now. The only ones I paid over 200 for are new, unfired.

I'm seeing a few Fisher's in good shape but they are $500. You said above to not go from an 8" Grandma Bear flue to a 6" exit flue using a reducer correct? Reason I ask is I am limited to that 6" exit flue but really only seeing the Grandma and Grandpa Bear model around.

 

[coaly]

I'm seeing a few Fisher's in good shape but they are $500. You said above to not go from an 8" Grandma Bear flue to a 6" exit flue using a reducer correct? Reason I ask is I am limited to that 6" exit flue but really only seeing the Grandma and Grandpa Bear model around.

I only said I would stay with a 6 inch stove. The reasons are they are more efficient, larger cooktop, logs fit in lengthwise without rolling out loading sideways, and the burn characteristics are better.

Reducing from 8 to 6 is not a stove factor, it depends on chimney. If this is a straight up insulated chimney with top vent stove, adding a baffle and reducing may work well for you. If you need the full btu output, such as in a large pole building or barn where it is outdoor temperature, you may need the full capacity of the stove with the larger chimney that can carry the larger exhaust capacity.

The double door stoves were built for fire viewing. The first Fisher Stoves were the 3 single door stoves, and they were originally designed to set on a hearth using the original fireplace flue with a steel block off plate across the fireplace opening. People missed seeing the fire, so the wider stove with larger outlet was designed as a freestanding fireplace with door open and screen in place. With the word fireplace comes the loss of efficiency. If fire viewing is not a concern you are much better waiting for a single door or Bear Series.

For a legal installation in PA the stove needs to be UL Listed. That will be a Series III in the Fireplace Series, or Series VI in the Bear Series. They will have a UL tag on the rear shield, no angle iron corners, arched top door.

Reducing vent diameter is also against code in PA due to adoption of the International Family of Codes. The Mechanical Code is where you will find ALL appliances must be UL approved with label attached, and reduction of flue venting is prohibited.

People still install older stoves not knowing they are against code, or install and claim they were existing, since the code is for new installation, not prohibiting the use of existing. Many insurance companies will require a UL label as well.

 

[PSUhunter33]

I only said I would stay with a 6 inch stove. The reasons are they are more efficient, larger cooktop, logs fit in lengthwise without rolling out loading sideways, and the burn characteristics are better.

Reducing from 8 to 6 is not a stove factor, it depends on chimney. If this is a straight up insulated chimney with top vent stove, adding a baffle and reducing may work well for you. If you need the full btu output, such as in a large pole building or barn where it is outdoor temperature, you may need the full capacity of the stove with the larger chimney that can carry the larger exhaust capacity.

The double door stoves were built for fire viewing. The first Fisher Stoves were the 3 single door stoves, and they were originally designed to set on a hearth using the original fireplace flue with a steel block off plate across the fireplace opening. People missed seeing the fire, so the wider stove with larger outlet was designed as a freestanding fireplace with door open and screen in place. With the word fireplace comes the loss of efficiency. If fire viewing is not a concern you are much better waiting for a single door or Bear Series.

For a legal installation in PA the stove needs to be UL Listed. That will be a Series III in the Fireplace Series, or Series VI in the Bear Series. They will have a UL tag on the rear shield, no angle iron corners, arched top door.

Reducing vent diameter is also against code in PA due to adoption of the International Family of Codes. The Mechanical Code is where you will find ALL appliances must be UL approved with label attached, and reduction of flue venting is prohibited.

People still install older stoves not knowing they are against code, or install and claim they were existing, since the code is for new installation, not prohibiting the use of existing. Many insurance companies will require a UL label as well.

This is great information, thank you so much. Finding the arched doors seems like a challenge. Most are the squared older models.

I only said I would stay with a 6 inch stove. The reasons are they are more efficient, larger cooktop, logs fit in lengthwise without rolling out loading sideways, and the burn characteristics are better.

Reducing from 8 to 6 is not a stove factor, it depends on chimney. If this is a straight up insulated chimney with top vent stove, adding a baffle and reducing may work well for you. If you need the full btu output, such as in a large pole building or barn where it is outdoor temperature, you may need the full capacity of the stove with the larger chimney that can carry the larger exhaust capacity.

The double door stoves were built for fire viewing. The first Fisher Stoves were the 3 single door stoves, and they were originally designed to set on a hearth using the original fireplace flue with a steel block off plate across the fireplace opening. People missed seeing the fire, so the wider stove with larger outlet was designed as a freestanding fireplace with door open and screen in place. With the word fireplace comes the loss of efficiency. If fire viewing is not a concern you are much better waiting for a single door or Bear Series.

For a legal installation in PA the stove needs to be UL Listed. That will be a Series III in the Fireplace Series, or Series VI in the Bear Series. They will have a UL tag on the rear shield, no angle iron corners, arched top door.

Reducing vent diameter is also against code in PA due to adoption of the International Family of Codes. The Mechanical Code is where you will find ALL appliances must be UL approved with label attached, and reduction of flue venting is prohibited.

People still install older stoves not knowing they are against code, or install and claim they were existing, since the code is for new installation, not prohibiting the use of existing. Many insurance companies will require a UL label as well.

 

[coaly]

This is great information, thank you so much. Finding the arched doors seems like a challenge. Most are the squared older models.

You are looking for not only a stove with the arched doors. All from 1980 up had them, but not all are the Listed type. The arched doors started in 1979 as an option, and were the only style available from 1980 to 1988. Most fabricators continued to make the unlisted version with angle iron corners and no shields for use on hearths and where a UL Listing was not required near non-combustible materials. So anything made after 1980 had the arched doors. They were $100 cheaper made to the old drawings before the tested models without angle iron corners. So you will find many with the newer arched top door built to the non-UL specs.

 

[Mckee]

I got a a grandpa yesterday after loosing out on a mama and papa that sold instantly after being listed.
I jumped on the grandpa within an hour of the seller listing it. I paid big bucks and had to pull it out of a basement.
I paid $650, which was more than the seller was asking.
It was in pretty good condition with the original fire screen but the screen had the wrong latch installed that wasn’t secured to the screen, the latch was a modern truck camper latch.
The stove needs new firebricks but otherwise in good condition. The seller also gave me some chimney pipe. The pipe that comes directly off the stove is a straight pipe with a damper and reducer that goes from 8 inch to 6 inch. Also got three 6 inch two foot long pipe and a 6 inch elbow. A metal ring that covers the hole where the pipe goes through the wall an old poker, ash bucket and old kettle.

I definitely paid two much considering it needs new firebricks but I got tired of dealing with shady sellers who promised to save the stove for me but sold it out from under me. It was tough to find a good old fisher in central Kentucky that is in decent condition and when they pop up I recommend to jump on it, beg the seller to sell it to you and pay them over asking price.
worked for me.

 

[Mckee]

Here is the stove that I got.

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