Jotul F500 or F600 ?

[garybeck]

I've been shopping for a good used wood stove to be the primary heat source for my ~1900 sqft house. (two floors of 950 each). It will go on the hearth in front of my fireplace which already has an 8" stainless liner in it.

I have located a couple F500 and F600 Jotul stoves on craigslist that seem to be in good shape, no cracks, warps, and with decent gaskets. I understand these are good reliable stoves and they are basically the same except the F600 has a bigger firebox and therefore more BTUs. I'm not sure which one to go for and I'm seeking advice ! the issues are:

-The F600 would not fit on the fireplace hearth, it is about 4 inches too high for the exhaust to extend horizontally into the flu. That leaves me two options-- shorten the legs, or put the stove on the floor in front of the hearth instead of on top. If I put it in front, it will change the whole room.
-The F500 would fit snugly right up on the hearth in front of the fireplace.

I was about to decide on the F500 because it is still considered a large stove and it is rated to 2000 sq ft and it is a much better fit for my space.

But then I just read a thread on here where someone bought the F500 and wished he had gotten the F600.

Any thoughts or advice? Is it worth the hassle and space to get the F600?

thanks!
gary in vermont

 

[begreen]

Some discussion on leg shortening for the F600:

Jotul 600 leg modification (shortening)???

I'm in the process of buying a used Jotul 600. The problem is, clearance on my fireplace is only 29" high (nothing combustible, stone ground, stone mantel, stone fireplace). While the 600 is 31.5" tall, the clearance for the rear pipe is 30.5". Essentially, the stove will be in front of the...

www.hearth.com

 

[JVB]

I've owned an F600 since 2004 which I used to heat our older home for a number of years. Picked up an F500 off Craigslist to heat my 18' X 48" metal shop building. The F500 was a complete fail in my shop & was replaced by the F600 when we switched to a coal stove in the house. I was amazed at the difference in heat output between the 2 stoves. After I clean it up the F500 will be back on Craigslist.

 

[rosem]

A dealer just told me the F600s double front doors were a bit of a pain. That was about it for what he has negative to say about it.

 

[garybeck]

Some discussion on leg shortening for the F600:

Jotul 600 leg modification (shortening)???

I'm in the process of buying a used Jotul 600. The problem is, clearance on my fireplace is only 29" high (nothing combustible, stone ground, stone mantel, stone fireplace). While the 600 is 31.5" tall, the clearance for the rear pipe is 30.5". Essentially, the stove will be in front of the...

www.hearth.com

thank you i just read the whole thread. I"m thinking, if I get the 600, I can put it on the floor in front for now, and I can work on a plan to get it up on the hearth. It's only 16" deep so it's not like it's going to take over my entire living room. it would just be a lot nicer up and on the hearth.

 

[begreen]

Regardless of choice be extra careful with crack inspection. Pay very close attention for hairline cracks around the grate area. Wipe down the area with a damp rag to make it easier to inspect.

 

[garybeck]

so if i put the F600 on the floor in front of the hearth, do i need to be concerned about having a horizontal section of flu before it goes up the chimney liner? it would be about 1.5 - 2 feet of horizontal before I connect to a 90. that wouldn't cause an issue with draft would it?

 

[JVB]

Regardless of choice be extra careful with crack inspection. Pay very close attention for hairline cracks around the grate area. Wipe down the area with a damp rag to make it easier to inspect.

Also check the large top cover. The cracks start on the inside edge where they can be hidden by the smaller top cover until they spread out past the overlap area.

 

[weatherguy]

so if i put the F600 on the floor in front of the hearth, do i need to be concerned about having a horizontal section of flu before it goes up the chimney liner? it would be about 1.5 - 2 feet of horizontal before I connect to a 90. that wouldn't cause an issue with draft would it?

That's how my stoves connected, make sure it has a rise of 1/4 inch per foot.

 

[garybeck]

That's how my stoves connected, make sure it has a rise of 1/4 inch per foot.

thanks for that figure! It reminds me when I used to work on drainage systems that had to go down about that same amount. i assume it's OK if it is more than 1/4", that is just the minimum, correct?

 

[begreen]

so if i put the F600 on the floor in front of the hearth, do i need to be concerned about having a horizontal section of flu before it goes up the chimney liner? it would be about 1.5 - 2 feet of horizontal before I connect to a 90. that wouldn't cause an issue with draft would it?

It will slow down draft a little. Pitch it upward toward the tee at least 1/4"/ft. More is ok. How tall will the 6" liner be?

 

[molly1414]

I have an f500 heating my 2400 sf two story house. It is a great stove and puts out more then enough heat. The side loading door is very nice. If you go with that make sure you can load from the left side of the stove. When I looked at the f600 at the dealer the door handle is not attached to the stove. You have to pick it up and then use it to open the door each time. That looked like a pain in the butt.

 

[JVB]

I have an f500 heating my 2400 sf two story house. It is a great stove and puts out more then enough heat. The side loading door is very nice. If you go with that make sure you can load from the left side of the stove. When I looked at the f600 at the dealer the door handle is not attached to the stove. You have to pick it up and then use it to open the door each time. That looked like a pain in the butt.

The handle for the F600's front doors is not attached but the right hand side door handle is. I've never used the front doors to load our F600, only the side door.

 

[garybeck]

The handle for the F600's front doors is not attached but the right hand side door handle is. I've never used the front doors to load our F600, only the side door.

are we talking about the right side when you are facing the stove ? this is an issue for me. the left side when facing the stove is not very accessible.

 

[JVB]

are we talking about the right side when you are facing the stove ? this is an issue for me. the left side when facing the stove is not very accessible.

Yes, the F600 has the side door on the right when you face the stove. F500 door is on the left.

 

[garybeck]

Yes, the F600 has the side door on the right when you face the stove. F500 door is on the left.

that is a significant difference I was not aware of. loadingon the right side (facing the stove) is MUCH preferred for my room layout. and I've heard the double doors on the front of the 600 are a PITA...

 

[JVB]

that is a significant difference I was not aware of. loadingon the right side (facing the stove) is MUCH preferred for my room layout. and I've heard the double doors on the front of the 600 are a PITA...

I wouldn't consider them a PITA but you will get some ash falling out if you were to use them for loading. The side door is a much better option for adding wood.

 

[XmasTreefarmer]

I would go with the 600. I love my 500, but I would hate it if I had to load it from the front. Ash will always spill out of the front door when you open it. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.

I load with the side door and things stay really clean in the hearth area which is how I like it.

 

[paredown]

I wouldn't consider them a PITA but you will get some ash falling out if you were to use them for loading. The side door is a much better option for adding wood.

Yes--we've been burning with an F600 for a number of years--the front door is for those weird octopus splits that won't fit through the side.

The only negative thing about the F600--consider the top cast plates a wear item--they are too light for the job they are supposed to do. Somewhere on this forum is a thread about someone rejiggering theirs to use a different top set up--I may do that next rebuild. The set I have in now are (?)three years old and look like potato chips.

The burn tube assembly/manifolds are also a wear item--two years on those, and I have one tube failed already...

 

[JVB]

I just replaced those top plates in out F600 last Fall. Must be the 3rd time since 2004. Never had a burn tube fail but I have replaced parts of the manifolds in the past. Looks like you have to buy the entire burn tube/ manifold assy. now so mine will keep getting patched with stove cement as long as possible.

After 6 years with my welded steel Hitzer 50-93 & 2 complete rebuilds of our F600 I would never buy another cast iron stove. I see the new Jotuls use a completely different reburn assy. then the stoves like mine. Hopefully the new assys. hold up better.