M-Flex Liner?????

[joshkeen]

Has anyone used the M-Flex liners? They are 316L & .006 thick. How flexible are they? I can pick up an 8" kit ( Rain cap, Storm collar, Top clamp, Top plate & appliance adapter) from a company for less than $300.00 + freight.The price almost seems too good to be true. Thanks in advance!

(broken link removed to http://www.nationalchimneysupply.com/liners/)

 

[quotejso]

What good is 8 ft

 

[quotejso]

U can get 25 feet of heavyflex 304l for 700

 

[joshkeen]

What good is 8 ft

Sorry I ment 15 ft of 8 inch

 

[bholler]

It is about the same as any other light wall liner but the few times i used it the components seemed flimsy and didn't fit all that well.

 

[webby3650]

We use M-Flex all the time. It's as good as anything out there. Might be a little different, but just as good. It's made in Indianapolis. $300 sounds like cost on an 8" liner, better jump on it!

 

[bholler]

We use M-Flex all the time. It's as good as anything out there. Might be a little different, but just as good. It's made in Indianapolis.

It is very possible we got a bad batch of components. They have been around long enough i doubt they could make long it with the crap i used nothing fit right. I have had illfitting component from other manufacturers before as well but those were from places i used more so i knew it was not the norm. i dont use m flex enough to know And it is as good as any light wall stuff. Not as good as anything out there

 

[webby3650]

It is very possible we got a bad batch of components. They have been around long enough i doubt they could make long it with the crap i used nothing fit right. And it is as good as any light wall stuff. Not as good as anything out there

They are a great company, if you had some crap components they would have made it right if they knew. They make nice stuff, I can't ever remember having any issues.

 

[bholler]

They are a great company, if you had some crap components they would have made it right if they knew. They make nice stuff, I can't ever remember having any issues.

Like i said it may have just been a bad batch. It was stuff donated to one or pa guild workshops from national. And none of the 3 component sets they gave us fit without some serious modification. But the stuff was free

 

[webby3650]

I've had that happen with some other stuff too. It's weird, seems like it would all be the same.
National makes a hell of a chase cover, the price is right too!

 

[bholler]

I've had that happen with some other stuff too. It's weird, seems like it would all be the same.
National makes a hell of a chase cover, the price is right too!

We have dealt with national a few times they are fine but where we are Olympia is much faster. It was pretty bad though they donated the stuff and then had 30 or so sweeps bitching about their crappy components. Not very good marketing at all.

 

[webby3650]

We have dealt with national a few times they are fine but where we are Olympia is much faster. It was pretty bad though they donated the stuff and then had 30 or so sweeps bitching about their crappy components. Not very good marketing at all.

We get our stuff in less than an a week, even custom chase covers.

 

[bholler]

We get our stuff in less than an a week, even custom chase covers.

We get that from olympia but not national not sure what the difference is. On off the shelf stuff usually we get it next day from olympia

 

[BrotherBart]

And so the OP does what?

 

[webby3650]

We get that from olympia but not national not sure what the difference is. On off the shelf stuff usually we get it next day from olympia

We get a shipment every Thursday. They drive it down to us personally, that's probably the difference.

 

[webby3650]

And so the OP does what?

He orders that liner for $300!

 

[bholler]

And so the OP does what?

personally i wont use light wall for woodstoves regardless so that is my recommendation. But if you are going to use light wall there is nothing wrong with m flex

 

[BrotherBart]

Don't know about the rest of the world but I have been burning into and cleaning two .005 liners for ten years now without incident. After I pulled a grand worth of that two ply crap out and tossed it after one season. A guy that is a member here has been installing and cleaning .005 liners for twenty five years and only replaced one. She kept burning coal into it and they warrantied it.

 

[bholler]

Don't know about the rest of the world but I have been burning into and cleaning two .005 liners for ten years now without incident. After I pulled a grand worth of that two ply crap out and tossed it after one season. A guy that is a member here has been installing and cleaning .005 liners for twenty five years and only replaced one. She kept burning coal into it and they warrantied it.

We have replaced allot of liners. Some light wall some heavy wall even some rigid. Many of them are from coal but others are just burnt out. I agree that if you burn good fuel correctly with a modern stove and maintain it correctly then yes a lightwall will work just fine. But in the real world much of that does not happen. And the heavier liner will stand up to more abuse than the light ones

 

[BrotherBart]

Agree. Heavier pipe is better than lighter pipe every day of the week.

Hell, mine may collapse next week when I go up to do the annual brushing. Don't think so, but it could happen.

 

[bholler]

Agree. Heavier pipe is better than lighter pipe every day of the week.
Hell, mine may collapse next week when I go up to do the annual brushing. Don't think so, but it could happen.

I know and i never say that light wall wont work or is junk just that heavy is more durable and that is what we use and recommend. But i absolutely know there are tons of lightwall ones out there holding up just fine. But when i put in a liner i say it will last them atleast 25 years. With heavy wall i am comfortable saying that. With light wall not so much

 

[BrotherBart]

We agree Ben. We agree. And if I was the guy somebody was going to be calling if it failed I would want to put oil well drill casing down the chimney.

But back to the question. The price on that liner is a steal. And M-Flex is good liner.

 

[joshkeen]

Thanks guys! From what i am understanding the m-flex liner is the just as good or identical .005-.006 liner that everyone is selling on ebay for over $400.00. I just thought the price seemed low for 15 foot of 8 inch. I have never installed this before but am going to give it a shot next weekend. I do have do remove part of the damper for the liner to fit on my stove (Buck 2600). I will let everyone know how it goes. Thanks again!

 

[joshkeen]

The install went great! It took a total time of about 3 hours. I think the hardest part was cutting the old cast iron damber out to make room for the liner to come through. Everything lined up perfectly and went together. I ended up buying the smooth wall liner, got the whole kit & boot for the stove for $440.00. The liner itself seems pretty thick too.