Front Loading Jotul question.....

[Krylon]

Hello,

I have watched this site as a voyeur for a long time and now i'm jumping in hoping to pick your collective brains for help! I apologize in advance if this has been addressed before - just bear with me!

After many years of chugging along with our old reliable Federal Airtight - we are finally updating our woodstove (and the room it lives in ). We have spent a many many months (well, more like years as this has been coming for a while) looking at the different freestanding woodstoves out there. We finally decided on a Jotul (F 400 Castine) - our only question/concern is that this particular model loads from the front only. My husband and I are wondering if anyone out there can offer some advice on the "front loading" aspect - will I regret this choice? is it difficult to fill the stove this way? Any opinions/advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks.

 

[wahoowad]

I've never had a side or top loading stove, but can say I don't have any problems with a front loader. Others have recently commented side loaders are nice, citing less of a chance for a log to roll out. Personally, I've never had a log roll out but am sure it happens from time to time. My frontloader is certainly not difficult to load, but I suspect a side load might be slightly easier to load. Not enough to deter you from choosing a frontloader if you find one that fits all your other requirements.

 

[Mike Wilson]

I'd venture to say that by far the majority of stoves sold are front loaders, which are perfectly safe, load fine, and work well. Mine is a front loader, and I have never had a log roll out... heck, splits are usually triangles, which don't tend to roll very well.

All you do is pile splits on top of and next to each other, as tightly or as loosely as you want, depending on your desired burn. Front to back loading works very well too, but you have to have shorter splits.

-- Mike

 

[ansehnlich1]

I have the Oslo, and only load from the side. To load from the front would be a messy undertaking as the design lends itself to a big ash mess when you open the front door. Definately a design flaw on the Oslo if you want to front load, unless your stove is in an area where you don't care if a load of ash spills out each time you open the front door.

I'd check the Castine front door to make sure it is NOT designed as the Oslo is.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

I was at a shop yesterday looking at the Castine, and had the same concern. After the door is opened, the floor dips down to create a sort of lip. The sales guy (an older dyed in the wool Mainer whom I instinctively trusted) said logs rolling out isn't a problem. I can only think that if it were a major issue, Jotul would have done something by now.

 

[adrpga498]

welcome Krylon,

I have the older 2 door model castine. As far as having any logs roll out it hasn't happened. When loading I only open 1 door and as Mike said most of my splits are just that ,splits. Keeping a flat side down to prevent any roll. I also fined no ash spill out either. Can't speak for the newer 1 door model, but I'm sure you will keep us posted as to how you like the stove. Best of luck.

 

[Krylon]

wow! I went out this a.m. to get some Christmas shopping done and I have returned home to all this great information! Thanks to all. I am going to the shop this week to order the stove, will keep you posted. Thanks again. I will def. compare the function/style of the Oslo as compared to the Castine.

 

[jbrown56]

Hi, I just started using my stove about five weeks ago after using the old stove for 26 years. I burn 24/7, heat 2100 sq. ft. and heats the house very well. I have the Oslo and the only time I use the front door is to load a really big piece of wood, otherwise I use the side door. It is really nice having the two door option. Opening the front door can be messy, but so is burning wood. I get a kick out of people here who complain that wood is messy. I really love the new stove.

Jim

 

[begreen]

I have the Castine, and will probably get the wrath of your dealer, but you are correct. Logs can and do roll forward from time to time. I've learned to anticipate this and now feed the stove so that most of the time it won't happen. But occasionally, as the fire burns down, one will roll into the door and then you need to open the door very slowly and carefully, with a poker in hand. This is why a generous hearth in front of the stove is so important.

If you can accommodate the F500 Oslo and use the side door, this is a non-issue.

 

[wahoowad]

I thought about this thread a lot this weekend while burning 24x7. I now think a side loading door would be preferred if my stove supported it. I could have packed it a little bit better.

 

[Gunner]

Hello,

I have watched this site as a voyeur for a long time and now i'm jumping in hoping to pick your collective brains for help! I apologize in advance if this has been addressed before - just bear with me!

After many years of chugging along with our old reliable Federal Airtight - we are finally updating our woodstove (and the room it lives in ). We have spent a many many months (well, more like years as this has been coming for a while) looking at the different freestanding woodstoves out there. We finally decided on a Jotul (F 400 Castine) - our only question/concern is that this particular model loads from the front only. My husband and I are wondering if anyone out there can offer some advice on the "front loading" aspect - will I regret this choice? is it difficult to fill the stove this way? Any opinions/advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks.

I will probably get in chit for this, but a stove with only a front door that loads E/W (logs left to right instead of straight in) is a bad idea. Functionally it just does not work WELL, probably why side loading and top loading is popular on stoves that are wider than deep. The possibility of rolling logs aside, you just can't load as much wood. When loading straight in (N/S) you could effectivly load right to the glass straight up, 2 or 3 splits high and nothing will roll. With E/W you will always have to load shy of the front on your second or third "layer" or risk a log rolling up against the glass.

 

[Bill]

I just upgraded from a front loader to a side loader this year, and side loading is much cleaner, and I can get more wood in my stove, sliding them from the side. I almost never use the front doors.

 

[Gooserider]

With my Encore, I load from the top, I have opened the front doors ONCE back when I first owned the stove in order to light it. Now I light it from the top as well... Before that I had a side load, which worked pretty well, but does require somewhat greater wrist strength to keep the splits horizontal while holding them by one end and sliding them in.

I haven't tried an East / West front loader, but it seems to me like that design would be much harder to load effectively for the reasons stated earlier. Now that I've done top-load though, it would take a LOT for me to go any other way...

Gooserider

 

[Krylon]

In reading all this information (Thanks to ALL!) I neglected to mention the positioning of the new stove. The old stove lived on a straight wall - for space purposes in this particular room (long and narrow - approx. 21 x 11) I am sliding it down the wall to a corner installation. I'm not sure how far out into the room the stove will have to sit to accomodate the side loading door. (All this great info. is steering me towards the Oslo for the benefit of both front and side loading) And yes!, I have gone to the Jotul website to check the specs/dimensions on the Oslo (you guys are training me well!) Any thoughts on the corner install? I don't think it will protrude too far into the room but I thought I'd throw it to the experts. Thanks

 

[begreen]

I believe that Jotul says that the side door is supposed to be locked and not used in a corner installation. What I think you will have to do is a modified corner install with an offset to accommodate the left side loading. Yes, it will put the stove further in the room. This was one of the reasons the Oslo lost in our installation.

 

[bird]

Since many of you have Jotuls, what do you think Castine vs. F3? My dealer says the F3 is great a putting out the heat. Only advantage to the Castine is a longer burn time. What's your experience?

Gotta say--I love the top loaders. Wish Jotul had this feature.

 

[jbrown56]

Hi, I use my stove in a corner and the back rear left corner is about 12" off the wall. This works well for us. The walls of the hearth area are brick.You can see pictures of this on this site listed as New Pics Jotul 500.

 

[myzamboni]

Since many of you have Jotuls, what do you think Castine vs. F3? My dealer says the F3 is great a putting out the heat. Only advantage to the Castine is a longer burn time. What's your experience?

Gotta say--I love the top loaders. Wish Jotul had this feature.

I love my F3 (corner install). It does put out great heat, but don't expect it to heat a large house. Their literature claims 1300 sqft, but I think anything over 1000 sq ft and you will have to run the stove hot and use more wood.

I'm also in a milder climate than you, so look at what others in your area are running.

 

[begreen]

Yeah, a mid-sized Jotul top-loader would be super-sweet.

I've owned both stoves. They are pretty different animals. The F3CB is like the little train that could. It puts out good heat for it's size, but does require frequent loading. 18" log limit. The F400 has a bigger firebox, that affords longer burn times - and accommodates longer logs. The F400 also will put out more BTUs due to the larger capacity and will consistently have hot coals ready for a restart in the morning.

Unless you are heating a small space or have a super insulated home, the bigger stove will probably work better for you in Wisc.

 

[bird]

Thanks for the thoughts on the different models. I like the idea of coals in the morning.

 

[Tone]

I had the f3 before I got divorced, now she has it. Nice little stove but doesn't hold much wood. The front door opening and secondary burn unit make it difficult to load in my opinion. It's rated to take 18" logs but that is a bit exaggerated. 18" splits must be quite thin to maneuver into the stove. I now have a PE Alderlea T5 and love the north south orientation. I's much easier to load and I can pack a lot more wood in it and huge pieces that burn all night.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

I was set on buying an F3, but after measuring the firebox, decided on the Castine. I may instead buy a Quadrafire Yosemite (one of their only two cast iron stoves) because it has a side door. Does anyone use a Yosemite?

 

[begreen]

Quad makes 3 cast iron stoves - Yosemite, Cumberland Gap and the Isle Royale. 2 with steel boxes clad in cast iron (like the PE Alderlea) and one true castiron stove. All of them seem to get good marks from their owners.

 

[jeff in pa]

My 2 cents worth...

I got my Jotul Oslo last year at a neighbor's urging. I saw his run and he had pointed out the plus of the side loading. I love this stove!

Right now its 27 outside and 77 inside and no oil burning!!

The side load is key in my house as I have the Oslo installed in a masonry fireplace. If I used the front load it would be a major pain, certainly dumping ash out the front. I always use the side load and love it. Seriously consider the potential benefit of the side load.

My house is an open contemporary and I heat all 2500 sq ft, no problem.

JD in SE PA

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

I'd love to get an Oslo, but it's way, way too large a stove for my needs. I'd be living outside in a snow bank.