Jotul Oslo

[tiber]

Well to be fair to my wife I let her contribute to picking out the stove. Basically the compromise was that if she was going to go along with the "hair brained" project she didn't want the lowes Big Box stove. Which is OK, except she walked right past all the little stout woodburners which could have done the job and she went right up to the Jotul Oslo and said THIS ONE IS AWESOME. Yes, she used capslock in the store.

This store incidentally quoted me $9k for the stove install and chimney build - so that I decided that this was now a DIY project. Not that I know anything about building code paperwork government crap but I'll learn.

That being said, we have an 1800SF house and the Jotul Oslo is rated to 2000SF. Will it be enough? What's anyone's opinions on this particular stove? and why does it have two doors? Or, why would I want to load it from the side versus the front?

 

[DAKSY]

[quote author="tiber" date="1256432313"]Well to be fair to my wife I let her contribute to picking out the stove. Basically the compromise was that if she was going to go along with the "hair brained" project she didn't want the lowes Big Box stove. Which is OK, except she walked right past all the little stout woodburners which could have done the job and she went right up to the Jotul Oslo and said THIS ONE IS AWESOME. Yes, she used capslock in the store.

This store incidentally quoted me $9k for the stove install and chimney build

WHAT? $5K - $5.5K is high...$9K is thievery, unless you're having them build a 70 ft smokestack

That being said, we have an 1800SF house and the Jotul Oslo is rated to 2000SF.

Insulation? If you have good to moderate insulation, the Oslo will heat the 1800 sf IF you can get the heat to move sideways
& into the adjoining rooms...

Will it be enough?<.

Maybe...see above...

What's anyone's opinions on this particular stove?

Good unit...classic design, Bear of a heater, sturdy & well-built...One of the most popular of the Jotul line...

and why does it have two doors?

So you can cram more wood in it!

Or, why would I want to load it from the side versus the front?

If you're loading it East-West, you can only get so much wood in the firebox...
The sideload option allows you to fit wood into those areas of the firebox that contain only air...
More wood, tightly packed = longer burn time...

 

[tiber]

WHAT? $5K - $5.5K is high…$9K is thievery, unless you’re having them build a 70 ft smokestack

Nope, you may remember me from such classic posts as "Putting a stove in the basement is a good idea" and other such silly thinking, but I agree I'm getting scammed. Ah well this is why we get estimates.

Basically it's basic black stovepipe until it goes into the ceiling, then it becomes Class A. Frankly - and I realize there's people out there well worth their money - but these guys stuffed about 9 extra feet of class A on the quote. They have the same $250/4ft quote of class A other people do but there's a lot on the quote that's crap.

If anyone is wondering, they're quoting me $2900 for the Jotul Oslo, includes heat shield, screen, but not blower. Not sure if this is what others are paying but it really it an attractive piece.

My house is also decently insulated, when we bought it a few months ago that's the first thing I did was upgrade the 1960s windows and replace all the weatherstripping with a vengeance. Also the chimney cap, but the wife wants to keep the fireplace. We still have two weird sized windows I'm going to hack on but for the most part I'm happy with how tight the house is.

 

[Green Energy]

I paid around $2,600 about a month ago for my Olso, with blue black enamel. No heat shield or screen or blower. I have heard that the blower is not worth the cost. Using a $20 separate fan can be just as effective when you need it. I bought an insulated 25' x 6" SS flex liner for under $700. Did the install myself. I had to make a hearth extension, probably cost $20 for the ceramic tiles and had the base plywood sitting around. From what I have heard, installation of a chimney liner and stove can be around $700 to $1,200 for a straight forward installation.

If you need to install a class A chimney, then there is extra costs for the double wall chimney and more labor costs.

 

[ansehnlich1]

Oh yeah, you're VERY likely to be loading from the side door only if you burn that OSLO hard, cuz ash builds up on the front door lip/shelf and when you open the front door, VOILA!, a big pile of ash falls out on the hearth

I'm a side door loader only, for sure. My front door NEVER opens during heating season unless I want to do some repair or something in there.

 

[semipro]

Oh yeah, you're VERY likely to be loading from the side door only if you burn that OSLO hard, cuz ash builds up on the front door lip/shelf and when you open the front door, VOILA!, a big pile of ash falls out on the hearth .

A lot of users note this as an issue with the Oslo and I experience it myself but I really haven't found it to be a big deal. There's usually some detritus from the kindling/firewood near the stove that I have to sweep every once is a while anyway so brushing some ash off the ash shelf and cleaning it up with the rest of the mess just hasn't bothered me much.

I and many others have found that cracking the side door open a bit during start-up is useful, or even necessary, to get things going too. Jotuls have been know to crack if the ashtray door is used for that purpose.

 

[grommal]

2900 does sound a few hundred $ high, though with the heat shield and screen that might not be outrageous if yours has the more expensive majolica enamel finish. If it's a matte black (like mine) or even the blue/black enamel, then that price sounds high. Did you actually need the extra rear heat shield because of clearance to combustibles, or are you talking about the bottom heat shield that's included with it for no extra charge by default?

Many others have posted that the blower isn't all that useful. I don't have one, and would not even think of using one, but our house is well laid out to distribute the heat.

I had a screen for my old VC. Used it once or twice. Then used it to screen dirt for starting plants so I'd at least get some use out of it. I'd never even consider running my Oslo with the door open and a screen in place. You'll kill the efficiency of the stove, and also not get the secondary combustion going, so it won't even be as good for fire watching as with that big glass door closed like Hephaestus (Greek god of fire) intended.

As for the ash mess on the front, yeah, it's true, but it's not that bad. If you open the door carefully, it drops a manageable amount onto the ashlip. And the ashlip just lifts off, so it's pretty easy to dump that ash into something else if it really bothers you. Having said that, the side door is much cleaner in that regard.

The Oslo is a great stove, and I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

 

[tiber]

yeah it's the enamel stove, he said its easier to maintain. I'm not going to sweat $100, I realize markets vary. I really don't need the heat shield, I could do without it. I also plan on skipping the blower, the room its going in (living room) has two large arches to the foyer (stairs) and dining room. I planned on a corner install but I can set it far enough off to not need it. OK, skip the screen, gotcha. Thanks for the tips and advice!!

 

[hardcore]

Ya, if you can help it, don't put it in the corner. I can't use the side door because mine is corner installed. It was the only way I could orient the stove in my living room, but the manual states, no side door operation in alcove or corner installation.

 

[Blessed]

Tiber,
I have a Freestanding Oslo 500. This is only my second year burning wood. Great stove once you learn how to use it. My biggest learning curve was seasoned vs green wood and primary vs secondary burn but the experts on hearth.com set me straight! We have 1400 sq ft, old, poorly insulated, okay windowed house. The 500 is my only heat source! Saved $2800 in propane last year! I have a corner installation and use the side load door without a problem. Just check your clearances. Only open the front door when I'm cleaning the glass. We installed the stove ourself. I used a chimney sweep to help install the chimney liner. We cemented (theramix) the liner in an old mason chimney and I wanted expertise to make sure I didn't have to uninstall concrete By the way, my wife LOVES the stove; antique looking and easy for her to use. Look forward to seeing your future posts.

 

[Johnnyguitars]

I am planning to corner install my oslo also. I was told by my dealer that the installers will lock that side door due to the fact that it wasn't tested in corner situations. However, they also told me that most people take the locks off and use it anyway. I guess as long as you are careful you will be fine.

 

[hardcore]

I would like to unlock the side door an use it. Unfortunately, my want for insurance of my house is greater.

 

[Green Energy]

I just had my second break-in fire in my Olso this morning. It seems to be a great stove, heats up much faster than my old Dutchwest cast iron stove. No comparison with the clear view of the fire through the front window. I'm looking forward to some colder weather to try out the secondary burn.

 

[jbrown56]

tiber,

I heat 2100 sq. ft., 24/7, open concept home with vaulted ceilings on the second floor and does a great job. I have it in a corner intall and only use the side door. The sidewalls are masonry so I have no issues with heat or sparks. Enjoy your new stove!

Jim

 

[The Dali Lima]

I have an Olso - the brown enamel and I think I paid $2500 a year ago. The side door is a must. By the way, I've never had any issues with the front door ash, but I don't burn 24x7.

The Oslo will heat most 2000 square foot houses with somewhat vertical or open layouts. My main room gets to about 90 degrees but the rest o fthe house is 75. I just crack a window open (fresh air - yeah!).

 

[firefighterjake]

Tiber . . . your wife has excellent tastes.

For some stove reviews you can go to the Stove Ratings section . . . you can find the link at the hearth.com home page and then search for the Jotul Oslo (aka F-500) . . . I think you'll find the vast majority of the opinions there are very positive.

My experience . . . an excellent work-horse of a woodstove. It heats quickly and really pumps out the heat . . . I believe it should suit your needs to a T . . . especially if you have decent insulation.

$9,000? Holy cow . . . the price you were quoted for the stove . . . OK . . . but the install price . . . egads . . . I might suggest looking around for someone else to install . . . check the local sweeps perhaps.

The two doors . . . honestly . . . it's a great feature . . . not that I can use the side door since I have a corner install and unfortunately Jotul prohibits the use of the side door if this is a corner install and of course I would never advocate going against the manufacturer's specs or regs . . . but I can only imagine how I would probably tend to mostly use the side door to reload to prevent a lot of ash from falling out the front door (in my opinion the one and only -- minor -- flaw with the Oslo.)

On the plus side . . . the Jotul looks good and has a lot of glass . . . and while I didn't go for it . . . I think you are right to go with the finish you want . . . my only minor regret is going with the traditional matte black vs. springing a little more for the blue-back finish.

Options . . . skip the screen. Almost everyone who has a stove with a screen says they've used it once or twice and never again. A nice idea, but not practical. Skip the blower . . . even my stove dealer said to hold off on buying the blower. Use a $25 fan instead of a $250 blower (or whatever it's priced at) . . . if you feel you need to add a blower down the road you can do so pretty easily, but in the mean time save your money for other wood burning toys . . . I mean tools. Heat shield . . . nice . . . if you want to or need to reduce your clearances . . . otherwise, not necessary.