Looking for info on the U.S. 1500 hot blast. Likes and dislikes. One of the many ive ben looking at.
hot blast?
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KindredSpiritzz
Minister of Fire
pretty much the same thing as my vogelzang. I'd say i regret not spending the extra money on a better stove and getting a glass door and secondary burn tubes. These furnaces are pretty dirty. I have to clean mine once a month because i have so much build up. They don't have very long burn times 5-6 hrs tops and they use a ton of wood.. Sure wish i could go back in time and buy a different furnace. On the positive side, they are cheap and they will heat your home, but thats about it.
KindredSpiritzz
Minister of Fire
For a few hundred dollars more, you can get one of these.
(broken link removed to http://www.drolet.ca/en/products/wood/drolet-tundra-furnace)
Be aware that there have been some problems with it, as it is fairly new to the market. Sounds like SBI has been really good about getting things taken care of. Huge thread at arboristsite about it.
(broken link removed to http://www.drolet.ca/en/products/wood/drolet-tundra-furnace)
Be aware that there have been some problems with it, as it is fairly new to the market. Sounds like SBI has been really good about getting things taken care of. Huge thread at arboristsite about it.
Seanm
Minister of Fire
Uss- not the best company to do business with. I have the little one 1300, not happy with it. Auto damper jams all the time mostly wide open, they are wood hogs. I can not trust it, always worried about it going ballistic. The blowers last about one season then the bearings go bad ( chicom junk) Before all the hacking there were a ton of threads on them and mods made. might still be in archives.
Latrapper, could you describe a few details of your home? Square footage, location, insulation levels, etc.
If your on a budget and looking for a decent furnace, I would recommend the Drolet Tundra. The glass isn't the selling feature, but allows you to monitor the fire without disturbing it, and for us it heats our basement without heat ducts.
We heated with a 1500 hotblast for a number of years, it was 25 years old when we removed it. While it would heat well, it went thru quite a bit of wood. Also we tried to burn it hot, and even then we could easily remove almost a 5 gallon bucket of creosote from our chimney every month and a half. We went to a PSG Caddy and wood usage dropped quite a bit, and we get very little creosote from our chimney. We also get longer burn times.
If your on a budget and looking for a decent furnace, I would recommend the Drolet Tundra. The glass isn't the selling feature, but allows you to monitor the fire without disturbing it, and for us it heats our basement without heat ducts.
We heated with a 1500 hotblast for a number of years, it was 25 years old when we removed it. While it would heat well, it went thru quite a bit of wood. Also we tried to burn it hot, and even then we could easily remove almost a 5 gallon bucket of creosote from our chimney every month and a half. We went to a PSG Caddy and wood usage dropped quite a bit, and we get very little creosote from our chimney. We also get longer burn times.
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brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
You will have trouble finding anyone that would buy a second Hot blast (or any of the plain ole fire-in-a-box type heaters). Look at Kuuma Vaporfire, PSG Caddy, Drolet Tundra...
Just looked up the tundra, i like what i c but its getting a little pricey. But if there easy on the wood pile its probably worth it. Im gona b heating a 2 story 1800 sq ft house, not the greatest insulation and some older windows. It would b going in the basement. I live in east central iowa, some winters aint to bad but this ones ben pretty miserable. Ben cold since second week of November.
Was also looking at the daka. Mostly for the price and weight. Ive gota b able to get this thing down my basement stairs without killing my self and my help.
A friend that lives down the road spoke highly of a woodchuck furnace that he had in his last house.
He spoke so highly of it that his neighbor found one used and bought it.
Thing is, his neighbor isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.
He will burn anything in that furnace, doesn't care how green it is.
I have a feeling that one of these days, the fire trucks will be visiting him.
(broken link removed to http://www.meyermfg.com/woodchuck.php)
He spoke so highly of it that his neighbor found one used and bought it.
Thing is, his neighbor isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.
He will burn anything in that furnace, doesn't care how green it is.
I have a feeling that one of these days, the fire trucks will be visiting him.
(broken link removed to http://www.meyermfg.com/woodchuck.php)
I used a 1557 from TSC for a few years, and don't really have anything bad to say about it. It did burn a lot of wood, for sure. I still use it to heat the basement now and then. Actually, I have used it quite a bit this winter.
I had bearings go bad in one blower, and USSC sent me two blowers with bushings as an updated replacement, no charge. It wasn't exactly still in warranty, but apparently close enough. Those are still working fine.
That said, I still wouldn't recommend it. Cheap and dirty, but it was cheap. I was out of work and about broke when I bought it. I haggled with the manager a little , and got it for ~$850 with tax.
I had bearings go bad in one blower, and USSC sent me two blowers with bushings as an updated replacement, no charge. It wasn't exactly still in warranty, but apparently close enough. Those are still working fine.
That said, I still wouldn't recommend it. Cheap and dirty, but it was cheap. I was out of work and about broke when I bought it. I haggled with the manager a little , and got it for ~$850 with tax.
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y ) save the coin and get a quality modern stove. You won't regret it.
KindredSpiritzz
Minister of Fire
well you don't want to have a furnace in your basement easy to get down there and install that runs like crap and your disappointed in its performance. I think the daka's about a 1/2 notch above a hotblast or vogelzang myself.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
Agreed ^^^...1/2 notch (barely) And none of them are light or easy to move in/out of a basement.
Pros...Cheap price
Cons...Cheaply built, inefficient, dirty burn (read: must clean chimney often, risk of chimney fire if not) Short burn times. They will heat your house though, just more work/hassle
UncleJoe
Burning Hunk
I'll add another con.
We had the 1400 in our old farmhouse for 7 years. It was 3 years old when we got it. I don't know if I was trying to burn it too hot to keep that drafty old house warm or if it was a problem with the design.
There is a cast iron frame that supports the shaker grate. After 3 seasons of use the support was warped to the point that the grate didn't ride properly in it's pivot points. If the problem wasn't addressed, eventually the grate would have fallen out. I replaced that frame piece twice in the time we were using the furnace. They go for about $40.00 plus $12.00 shipping.
We had the 1400 in our old farmhouse for 7 years. It was 3 years old when we got it. I don't know if I was trying to burn it too hot to keep that drafty old house warm or if it was a problem with the design.
There is a cast iron frame that supports the shaker grate. After 3 seasons of use the support was warped to the point that the grate didn't ride properly in it's pivot points. If the problem wasn't addressed, eventually the grate would have fallen out. I replaced that frame piece twice in the time we were using the furnace. They go for about $40.00 plus $12.00 shipping.
Well is there a decent add on furnace for under $2000? Ive got a 30 ft chimney and dont need a chimney fire. There so many different brands to choose from, ive never herd of most of them. Yes it would b great if i hauld half a ton down my basement stairs and it worked great.
Huntindog1
Minister of Fire
Most wood furnaces are like you describe, there are high efficiency ones out there and the cost goes up. I used a wood furnace for 14 years , an Energy King with a thermostat controlled air control. Works good to heat your house but burns alot of wood and burns dirty. I used to burn 15 to 17 ricks a year. I burn 7 to 9 ricks now with my high efficiency free standing wood stove heating the same house
New EPA regulations will be putting an end to the older style wood furnaces.
I'm in Northern Iowa in a draft farmhouse. When we moved in there was a 2 year old hotblast here. I haven't even got through one winter with it and just ordered a Tundra. The hot blast is cheap because that's the way it was built. And it's very inefficient. I am going through wood like crazy. I would have gotten a Kuuma if I could have but that just isn't possible, so I ordered a Tundra and think I will be very happy with it.
Im pretty interested in the tundra after doing a little research on it, a cleaner burning more efficient furnace sounds great. Especially after splitting and stacking 2 trailer loads of wood today.
KindredSpiritzz
Minister of Fire
It might take a year or two but you'll end up regretting a hot blast, vogelzang or a daka once you get a little more experience and knowledge under your belt. Wish i had known about this site before i bought mine. I'd definitely look at the Tundra, heat max or max caddy. One of them should be around 2 grand or so i think.
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