Going to Buy a New Wood Stove

[Simonkenton]

Hello hearth.com! My first post.

I have been burning wood stoves for 40 years. Had a Sotz double 55 gallon drum stove for several years, what a great wood stove! real real big firebox.
In 1988 I built a log cabin in Georgia and installed a VC Resolute, that was a real nice stove.
For the past 15 years, up here in the NC mountains I have had a 43,000 BTU Waterford. Not real wild about it but it is OK.

Now, I am going to do an addition on my house and bring it up to 1,800 square feet. The new room will be a log cabin 20 x 24 with a real high cathedral ceiling. This room is designed for my new wood stove. The new log cabin will be attached to the main house with a 12 foot by 12 foot "dogtrot" which I am designing so that the heat will pass into the main house.

I have for years been looking at the Jotul Oslo. I love the looks and we have a nearby Jotul dealer and I just figured the Jotul was a real good stove. I just started reading reviews yesterday and, to my dismay, read some bad reviews on the web. Several people had trouble with the air intake lever falling apart, and the stove burning on full blast with no way to control it. Inexcusable for Jotul to put a stove on the market with a bad air intake lever.

Also I just read this review of the Jotul Oslo today on this forum:

"Dislikes: VERY picky about needing super dry wood, finicky on startup--need to leave door cracked for at least 15-20 mins to get fire going, needs at least 25' of chimney for good draft, ash spills on hearth/floor when you open front door, air control lever gets too hot to touch, very sluggish from cold startup--takes a long time (i.e. 45 mins+) to get stovetop over 500.

Comments: Lots of people like these--we didn't. Nicely crafted, but could use some design changes--i.e. cool handle on air control lever and no ash spilling out when you open the front door--pretty basic stuff. We've been burning for 20+ years and we cut our own wood years in advance, so it's not the wood or operator error that was the problem. We replaced the Oslo with a Quad Isle Royale--same house, same chimney, same wood, same operator--night and day difference in performance--the IR is great! I would NOT recommend an Oslo for a single story house, you just will not get enough draft to make this stove work well. "

Well, I had already started looking at the Isle Royale last night. I hear some good things about this stove. Is the Isle Royale as finicky about super dry wood as the Oslo is? Is the Isle Royale as tricky to start as the Oslo?

Thanks a lot for your interest and I love this forum!

 

[logger]

It's not tricky starting my Oslo at all, please remember many reviewers do not know the first thing about wood burning and are quick to review their problems before admitting mistakes on their part (poor install/setup, green wood, improper functioning, etc). All new EPA stoves require seasoned wood and the Oslo is no exception to that. Once u got that covered, there's really no other problems w the stove. The front door sometimes let's ash out but we only use the side door which is much easier for loading. Me and my buddy both run oslos and love them. My brother runs the 400 castine and loves it. Our air controls have never given us trouble whatsoever. I've heard of them being a little sticky but graphite powder is the easy fix. My stove is my only source of heat n we love the Oslo.

I've heard wonderful things about quads too, but remember that for all we know that reviewer u quoted could be a dealer or retailer for the company.

Point in case about know-nothing's, that person is comparing an Oslo to an isle royale and their sizes don't match up, the jotul F600 firelight would be a fairer comparison. The Oslo heats up to 2000 sq ft and the royale up to 3000. Stupid comparison and of course it's more heat.

 

[MishMouse]

All modern EPA stoves will require seasoned wood to burn properly.
But, using seasoned wood in a EPA stove you will burn far less wood then a non-EPA stove.

 

[branchburner]

Welcome to the forums.

When a reviewer says "needs at least 25' of chimney for good draft" you have to take the review with a grain of salt.

I can't comment on the frequency of the air intake lever falling apart, but generally people here are pretty happy with there Jotuls, and with their Isle Royales. For a similar cast iron look and generally good reviews, you might also consider PE.

Rather than just search the "reviews" section, spend some time going through threads here in "The Hearth Room" -- a user review tends to be a static snapshot without context, but the threads are dynamic in providing context, extra details, multiple points of view, etc.

 

[webby3650]

Unfortunately there a few people out there that have no experience, unwilling to run the stove properly, and have access to the Internet.
The truth is, the Oslo is a great stove. Like all stoves, there are a few undesirable things but overall these issues are very minor.
They spill some ash out of the front door, not a big deal though. As for the air control, they had an issue with them sticking a little. It's literally a 20 second fix! I've never heard of one falling apart. Most likely the person was trying to fix the sticky air control and didnt put it back together correctly.

You won't be disappointed with a Jotul.

 

[firefighterjake]

First off, never ran an Isle Royale, but several folks have them here and love them.

My own personal experince is with the Oslo.

What I recommend (when researching just about anything) is look at all the reviews and see where the majority fall in terms of happy or not happy . . . and when looking at those negative reviews see if there is a recurring problem or problems that pop up over and over vs. one review or two that may list out issues that the majority of other folks (even the negative reviews) did not post. I suspect if you do this you will see most folks like the Oslo . . . a lot.

Now to answer some questions . . . yeah, the Oslo likes well seasoned wood . . . then again just about every EPA stove does . . . heck, even the pre-EPA stoves prefer well seasoned wood. It's really no big deal though. In Year One I was mostly burning standing dead elm that I cut up that Spring and Summer. It wasn't perfect and sometimes I had to use cut up pallet wood to get things up to temp quicker, but the creosote wasn't all that bad (even though I swept every month to be sure) and the truth is . . . I kept my house (1,800 square foot two story Cape here in Maine warm all winter long.) I should add that in Year Two it was like having a whole new stove since I thought I did well in Year One, but with wood even more seasoned . . . well the Oslo showed me what she could really do.

To address some issues raised by the review.

Yeah, the door sometimes, oftentimes needs to be left slightly ajar when doing a cold start. I suspect you could get away without doing so, but it's just easier to leave it ajar for 10-15 minutes . . . it's not a real big deal . . . many stoves may need the door open a bit to establish a decent draft.

Ash spill out in the front door . . . this is one of the main complaints you will see with the Oslo. There are a few folks who have posted some fixes. My own take . . . I just avoid using the front door unless I am cleaning it.

Hot air control . . . yup . . . it gets hot. Maybe I'm tough, but oftentimes I just tap it a bit to one side or another . . . or when I'm feeling more spindly I use a small piece of slate I have on the hearth to adjust it . . . or sometimes to impress my wife I balance on one foot and use the other foot to adjust the air control . . . in my mind's eye I look like the Karate Kid doing the crane stance . . . in reality I probably just look like an overweight gorilla about to fall flat on his face.

45 minutes to get the stove hot . . . sounds about right. One positive/negative is that there is a lot of cast iron in the Oslo so it will take a while for that metal to warm up . . . with the flip side it also takes about the same time for it to cool down once the fire is out. If a quick, hot fire from a cold start is highly desirable, it's hard to beat steel. If you're looking for even longer heat retention, a lot of folks say soapstone is the way to go. For me, cast iron is a pretty good alternative.

Air control faulty . . . the air controls will stick. This is another big complaint. Also a very easy fix though . . . powdered graphite applied once or twice during the heating season fixes this. As for faulty air controls . . . yeah, there was a batch a ways back . . . haven't heard of any more lately . . . except once in a blue moon you may run across a bad one. It happens though. Bound to be a bad stove in a batch . . . just like there are lemon cars once in a while.

 

[Simonkenton]

Jotul rates the Oslo at 70,000 BTU and the Isle Royale is rated at 67,800 so they are according to manufacturer's specs virtually identical.
As for the ashes spilling out the door, that doesn't bother me. That is what the hearth is for, is to catch ashes, and that is what my girlfriend is for, to sweep them up.
The air control lever getting hot doesn't bother me at all.

Thanks for all the responses it is great to talk to people who know and use these stoves. I do prefer to get the Oslo but am open minded.

I found a Sotz kit on ebay a month ago, brand new-in-box. Sixty bucks. I swear I would buy that and set me up a Sotz for a hundred bucks. That is really a great stove. Talk about a massive fire-box and a long burn time!
But, the girlfriend hates the Sotz just as much as I love it so, no dice. Gotta spend some money and get a pretty stove where you can see the fire.

 

[northwinds]

The size of the firebox is more important than individual manufacturer's BTU ratings. As mentioned, all stoves deserve well-seasoned dry wood. I hope you're open-minded
about sharing that ash picking up job. My wife would be kicking my ash if I didn't clean up after myself.

 

[neumsky]

I have to agree with these guys...we were just discussing my 2nd winter with my OSLO...and it seems as tho...they have convinced me the errors of my ways. Too new of wood. Time to start stacking wood 1-2 years in advance. It's hard to find quality seasoned wood the year of. The ash is a bit of an issue. The quality of the stove is fantabulous! The fire view is great! The cast iron holds onto heat for hours and hours. As far as starting...to me it is so simple. My pipe is straight up and only 19 feet long.

 

[Simonkenton]

I am open minded about the little lady sweeping the ashes from the hearth. I believe in division of labor.
I bought the big Stihl, and the Husqvarna, too. I bought the pickup truck, and the Monster Maul.
I bought the wood stove, and the stainless steel pipe, and I installed it. I cut and split all the wood every year, and we burn lots of it.

She sweeps the hearth.

Thanks for all the reviews of the Jotul, guys, keep 'em coming. Isle Royale reviews are welcome too.


Can someone tell me where the Oslo is manufactured? I know that, ten years ago they were made in USA. Does anyone know where the Isle Royale is made?

 

[webby3650]

Does anyone know where the Isle Royale is made?

Not sure where Quad is made. But I do know the company that owns them also makes furniture. Might as well make stoves too! (Just kidding by the way.)

I just noticed your screen name. Are you an Allan Eckert fan?

 

[logger]

Jotul rates the Oslo at 70,000 BTU and the Isle Royale is rated at 67,800 so they are according to manufacturer's specs virtually identical.

The btu's arent reliable and the isle royales box is over a half cubic ft larger, which is a decent amount in regards to stoves. If you want to compare an Oslo to a Quad it'd have to be their Cumberland Gap. As I said, the Isle Royale is more in line to jotuls F600. I would be looking at firebox sizes and not the company's btu claim.

There was just a good discussion on another thread about btu's. They are way off when comparing different companies, especially when you think of the various conditions/climates they are tested in and what the norm is for one is certain to be different from company to company.

 

[Simonkenton]

Praise God, webby! I have been using that screen name for 12 years and you are the first who has ever ID'd me.
Yes I read The Frontiersmen many years ago and ever since Simon Kenton has been one of my heroes. See, I live in the wilderness in the NC mountains in a log cabin that I built by hand, which includes a stone fireplace that I built, I hunt deer with a Kentucky rifle that I built, I think I knew Simon Kenton in a past life.
But, you don't want to wind up like Colonel Crawford.

 

[Simonkenton]

logger: If the Isle Royale is that much bigger then that makes me like it better. I have been stuck for years with an underperforming stove that is too small.
I am in a 1,200 sq. ft. house but am going to expand it to 1,800 sq. ft.
This winter we had the coldest temp in the NC mountains in 125 years, 7 below, and the little Waterford was Not Ready for Prime Time. Had to run the propane heater quite a bit.
I want a big bad-ass stove that will keep the house warm at 7 below. I own 49 acres of heavily wooded land, I have 2 Stihls and one Husqvarna and firewood is free!
If I get a stove that is too big, I can always open a window, but I want a big bad ass stove that will heat my house at 7 below with no use of propane.

 

[begreen]

Not sure where Quad is made.

Colville, WA

 

[logger]

Simon, I hear you about the big stove. I hope you are pleased with whatever route you take and it sounds like you have it narrowed down to some great options. Your place sounds nice and right down my alley. I too have a log home (didn't build it myself tho) and enjoy hunting. Would have built my own gun if I had the time but have a nice hawken style black powder. Must be nice where you live. Are you right in the smokies? Ive been in the Gatlinburg and Maggie Valley area a few times for fly fishing. Beautiful country.

 

[Simonkenton]

I am right in the middle of the Smoky Mountains and this is the view from my front porch in October





This is the view in January, now you can see why I need a big bad wood stove.

 

[firefighterjake]

Great pics ... to answer your question ... last I knew the Oslo was built in Norway and shipped to the Maine division where I believe they may either reassemble or put the finishing touches on it. The Oslo's steel cousins ... the Rangeley and Greenville ... are fabricated here in Maine I am told.

 

[webby3650]

Praise God, webby! I have been using that screen name for 12 years and you are the first who has ever ID'd me.
Yes I read The Frontiersmen many years ago and ever since Simon Kenton has been one of my heroes. See, I live in the wilderness in the NC mountains in a log cabin that I built by hand, which includes a stone fireplace that I built, I hunt deer with a Kentucky rifle that I built, I think I knew Simon Kenton in a past life.
But, you don't want to wind up like Colonel Crawford.

Awesome! I'm envious. I hunt with a Pennsylvania flintlock, but I didn't build it.
I've got most of Allan Eckerts books, but the frontiersman was my favorite.

 

[neumsky]

Awesome! I'm envious. I hunt with a Pennsylvania flintlock, but I didn't build it.
I've got most of Allan Eckerts books, but the frontiersman was my favorite.

You guys are making me drool!

 

[logger]

Simon, what month works best for my visit to your place? I will have to check out the Frontiersman. I've heard of it but never read it. Read a cool book recently on the adirondack hermit, Noah Rondeau.. good read. I enjoyed the lonesome dove series a lot so I just started McMurtrys Berrybender series. Good reads on the vast west with lots of hunting, drinking, and fights w the Indians, my kind of stuff.

 

[Woody Stover]

I have been using that screen name for 12 years and you are the first who has ever ID'd me.

Huh. Would have thought he was more well-known. I guess it depends on what forums you were hanging out on; Folks here have the pioneer spirit! I learned of Kenton several years back when they had a documentary about him on KET. Then I found out that my brother in WI had read about him....not sure what book. To say that 'Bodler' was larger than life does not do him justice.
You might check out a relatively new stove, the Hearthstone Manchester. It's had a few growing pains but nothing Simon couldn't handle....way easier than the gauntlet. Looks like the Manchester will turn out to be a great heater, and it has a very convective design. Pretty, too. It must breathe even easier than the IR. Manual says it only needs a 10' chimney!

 

[mikey]

There are a lot of good stoves on the market, for cast iron I think Jotul's are the best.

 

[jillybeansisme]

@Simonkenton Those are gorgeous views~! Haven't been in that neck of the woods in many (ok, many many) decades but EVERYBODY should visit the area at least once in their lives. Go big with that stove!