Jotul F series stoves (45,50 and 55 TL)

[trucha]

Does anyone own these and have any info on them? I saw them in the catalog and my local dealer doesn't carry them or know anything about them. They are half cast iron and half steel with a top load door. I really like a top load stove and I've always had a stove with one and there doesn't seem to be many with that feature these days. The half steel and half iron really intrigues me and I am wondering how much cast iron on the stove there really is? Is it substantial or just decorative?

 

[begreen]

Search on Jotul F45 or F55 or F50 and you will find many owner reports on these stoves. There are a lot of them. Jotul came up with this design after the success of the Alderleas line by PE. There is a substantial cast iron jacket surrounding all of these stoves. The biggest difference we noticed right away after the radiant Castine is a much more even heat with little temperature swing between loading cycles.

 

[Holzstapel]

I was at a Jotul dealer over the weekend and was looking at the F50 (Rangley) and the F55 (Carrabassett). The top load feature of the F50 caught my eye, but after checking it out the opening seemed rather small and required a decent reach into the stove to place logs.

 

[cuttingedge]

I have the F55 Carrabassett. So far it has been a great heater and I have not had to use my oil heat at all. I looked into a few other stoves but really liked this one because it only has one gasket to replace and offers both radiant and convective heat. I found that the top load feature on the F50 was just too small and not something that I would use. I have experienced good burn times with this stove. After a full reload I can let it go 10-12 hours and it still has enough coals to get a new load going pretty quickly. It seems to like to run hot and on full loads. If you have any specific questions, ask away!

 

[iluvjazznjava]

I just bought a F55 - the dealer is actually at my house installing it right now! I looked at all the models you mentioned and they all have their selling points, but I chose the F55 because:

1. It's a big firebox (almost 3 cu ft) and my house is over 3,000 square feet
2. It's a simple design compared to the other two (no ash pan, side doors or "bbq accessory"). Simple design usually means less problems down the road.
3. Steel firebox with a cast iron outer - should give the best of both worlds - allow for greater longevity of the firebox with the advantage of heat being distributed to your house over a longer period of time.

I really considered the F50 TL which definitely has more bells and whistles, but its smaller size for more $$ was a deal breaker for me.

 

[wvstriper]

I have the Rangeley and have been burning for about a month. My wife wanted the top load and ash pan otherwise I would have went with the F55. That said, I love the stove and the ash pan is convenient. See this post: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/new-rangeley.133073/#post-1807414

 

[ScottinNJ]

We have had our Jotul F55 Carrabassett for over 4 weeks now. We could'nt be happier with this stove. Holds a fire overnight with no problem. Wake up, rake the coals forward, put a few logs in, open the sliding draft vent and we have fire. Heats our entire 2700 sq. ft. home with no problem. It also burns about 2/3 the amount of wood our old Smoke Dragon did. A perfectly engineered stove! Love it!!

 

[7acres]

I have the F55 Carrabassett. So far it has been a great heater and I have not had to use my oil heat at all. I looked into a few other stoves but really liked this one because it only has one gasket to replace and offers both radiant and convective heat. I found that the top load feature on the F50 was just too small and not something that I would use. I have experienced good burn times with this stove. After a full reload I can let it go 10-12 hours and it still has enough coals to get a new load going pretty quickly. It seems to like to run hot and on full loads. If you have any specific questions, ask away!

Our F55 is keeping us very warm this Winter. Very even heat. Lots of complements on how handsome it is. No disappointments.

 

[jeffesonm]

I have both and like them both. One year with the F55 which was excellent... big firebox, long burn times, lots of heat. Happened across a good deal on a F50 TL so I picked it up and stuck that in the basement. Not as much experience with it yet but so far so good, and looking forward to trying the top load and winter grill feature.

The stove is a steel box. There are two cast panels that attach to either side, and I believe the door frame and top are cast as well. I've only had steel stoves so can't make any comparison to a full cast stove.

 

[trucha]

It looks like the F50 is the only top loader. I am surprised that as iluvjazznjava says the F50 actually costs more than the F55. Is this true? It could be the door feature. Also, any F50 owners do you know how that swing door works to access the top load? Does it swing into the stove or up out of the stove? If it swings into the stove I could see the wood getting in the way and not being able to open the door. None of the jotul dealers around me carry these stoves so I cannot look at it unfortunately.

 

[Holzstapel]

The top hatch on the F50 swings up (hinged on the back). You can see a photo of one here - https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/jotul-wintergrill.105082/. This photo shows the Winter Grill option in the opening, but it shows how the hatch opens. The lever on the left side of the F50 rotates the baffle inside to allow access to the firebox. When you lower the top hatch back down, the baffle is automatically rotated back.

EDIT - The F50 from my local dealer is a few hundred dollars more than the F55. I assume this is because of the top load feature with the baffle inside.

Edit - got my stoves mixed up.

 

[trucha]

Do u mean the F50 is more than the F55?

 

[Holzstapel]

Do u mean the F50 is more than the F55?

Ahh shoot. Yes, the F50 is $200 more than the F55. I just checked my dealer's price sheet

 

[john84]

I am also very interested in the F50 or F55, I can't decide between the two. For people who have purchased either recently what did it cost you? question for the people who have the top load, do you tend to use the front door more often then not? Also do you find the wintergrill something you will continue to use or did the urge wear off after the first few times.

 

[wvstriper]

Paid about $2500. I use the front door 80% of the time. I have never used the grill. I don't like the idea of putting grease and fat into my primary heating system.

 

[Hawkeye]

We have the F50. Bought it for the top load as previously had a VC Encore with top load and liked it. However, I do not use the top load on the F50.

Love the stove. Get about 10-hr burn times on it regularly and we generally burn it continuously for days and/or weeks.

I absolutely love the wintergrill feature on the F50. Here's a pic of the first time we used it. Our stove is near the kitchen and we cook in the wintergrill most weekends - mostly chicken wings, deer loins, pork loins, etc. But our favorite is chicken wings. Biggest problem is on a south wind my neighbors can smell them cooking, and then they show up.

 

[deguireb]

I am considering these stoves as well. I calculate the usable fire box of the F55 to be 2.5 cu ft (18"X20"X12"). You get a lot for your money with the F50,comparing it to the F55, the F55 should be cheaper (no damper door, ash tray and 3/16 steel instead of 1/4") but most people do not use these features and 3/16" on the sides isn't too bad. I think they should have used a fatter pin for the handle pivot like Harman uses but that is just an observation.

The F45 is 2.0 cu ft. (18"X16"X12")

Let us know what you decide.

 

[wvstriper]

FYI:
(broken link removed to http://jotul.com/ca/home/save-200-off-any-j%C3%B8tul)

 

[Holzstapel]

FYI:
(broken link removed to http://jotul.com/ca/home/save-200-off-any-j%C3%B8tul)

You rule! Thanks for posting this!

 

[trucha]

I went to a dealer yesterday and out of the five stoves they had on display three are the ones I am considering. They had the F50 there and it was great to check it out. It is a BEAST! the cast iron jacket really makes it seem huge. The top loading option seems great but it looks like it may be more trouble than it is worth. The lever swings the baffle towards you and away from the chimney revealing a small opening which is about half the size of the over all stove box. Plus it is about a foot into the stove body to actually get into the fire box. So, you have to reach your hand way down in there to get the wood in and you would have to use a smaller piece of wood to fit it through the opening.

Thanks for the coupon heads up!

 

[wvstriper]

So, you have to reach your hand way down in there to get the wood in

That's why Jotul provides supper long gloves

 

[john84]

Hawkeye

Do you have anymore pictures of your stove in action?
Thanks

 

[robanov]

I am considering these stoves as well. I calculate the usable fire box of the F55 to be 2.5 cu ft (18"X20"X12"). You get a lot for your money with the F50,comparing it to the F55, the F55 should be cheaper (no damper door, ash tray and 3/16 steel instead of 1/4") but most people do not use these features and 3/16" on the sides isn't too bad. I think they should have used a fatter pin for the handle pivot like Harman uses but that is just an observation.

The F45 is 2.0 cu ft. (18"X16"X12")

Let us know what you decide.

Both F50 and F55 have 1/4" steel according to their manuals. The F45 has 3/16" steel.

 

[john84]

I've decided on a Jotul. Now have to decide F50 or F55. Am I correct that the side clearence is 14 inches? And what can the mantel be reduced to? In a fireplace install

 

[jeffesonm]

I would probably go F55.... don't really think the extra features are worth the extra money, and the F55 has less parts to break.