Morso 2B Classic vs Standard

[brianbishop]

I'm very green when it comes to woodburning. With the help of all the great forum posts on the subject, I've decided a Morso 2b is my choice to replace the old stove in a small house on my property. But as I'm getting ready to put in the order, I'm realizing I hadn't properly considered the differing features of the 2B Classic and 2B Standard, and I haven't yet found it discussed on the forum. I've tried to collect the differences below, but I have no practical experience with which to evaluate them.

Differences:

• Classic has an Ash Pan (drawer?) - Another forum post educated me that the utility of these depends on whether they're well designed (and personal opinion). Is this one well-designed?
• Classic has a "heat exchanger" on top - To me, it doesn't look like it's designed for much more than looks. What do you all think?
• Classic is about 70% heavier than Standard, for a pure thermal mass comparison. So is it correct to think it'll hold heat substantially better?
• "Technical Burn Times" in catalog: 6.3 hours for Classic versus 7.7 hours for Standard. From the forum, I'm not focusing on the actual times, but this is a 25% difference. Should I care?
• Classic's flue outlet center is 12" from stove rear, Standard's is 5.5". Might not seem like a difference, but for my tiny house with existing chimney connector far from the rear wall, I'd actually get back some of that space with the Classic.
• Per my closest dealer, the Classic is 70% more expensive.

Previously addressed on the forum:

• I saw a comment about the 2B Classic needing higher draft to pull thru the heat exchanger. I'd hope what I have is sufficient.
• I saw a comment about cooking on the 2B Classic being a bit cumbersome versus other specific makes and models. I doubt I'll ever cook on it once the novelty wears off.

My situation:

• I'm upgrading an old and damaged wood burning stove in a 350 sqft, single room house.
• I live in a mild winter climate with daily extremes, about a 35-40 degF change every day. In other words, there can be 10 degF nights but it almost always heats back up in the day.
• I estimate I've got a 16' length straight-vertical factory built 6" diameter chimney with double-wall connector on the interior. It's about 6' interior, 6' thru the attic, and 4' thru open air.

 

[EbS-P]

• Classic's flue outlet center is 12" from stove rear, Standard's is 5.5". Might not seem like a difference, but for my tiny house with existing chimney connector far from the rear wall, I'd actually get back some of that space with the Classic.
• Per my closest dealer, the Classic is 70% more expensive.

Both can easily cook you out if your house is insulated to any degree. What’s the extra space worth? Do you have the rear clearance to combustibles for both? The Classic looks neat. Not 70% more neat to me but to each their own. I guess the extra heat capacity really is kind of useless. Once the firebox is up to temp it’s radiating now you need to keep your stack temps lower longer to heat up the exchanger. Once it’s all up to temp it’s just more area to radiate. I could see if you wanted to really push the stove hard where the Classic could have an advantage. Doesn’t appear that’s your case.

Efficiency is close enough not to really matter I’m just guessing. I was to lazy to actually look that up. If I didn’t have anything better to spend the extra money on the classic is pretty unique. Can’t go wrong either way.

Just some thoughts

Evan

 

[brianbishop]

Both can easily cook you out if your house is insulated to any degree. What’s the extra space worth? Do you have the rear clearance to combustibles for both? The Classic looks neat. Not 70% more neat to me but to each their own. I guess the extra heat capacity really is kind of useless. Once the firebox is up to temp it’s radiating now you need to keep your stack temps lower longer to heat up the exchanger. Once it’s all up to temp it’s just more area to radiate. I could see if you wanted to really push the stove hard where the Classic could have an advantage. Doesn’t appear that’s your case.

Efficiency is close enough not to really matter I’m just guessing. I was to lazy to actually look that up. If I didn’t have anything better to spend the extra money on the classic is pretty unique. Can’t go wrong either way.

Just some thoughts

Evan

Thanks Evan. Luckily, this house doesn't feel very well insulated at all. I believe it was built before there was very much code enforcement in my area, and the windows could be twice as old as me and just as cheap.

I have the rear clearances for both. And the extra space isn't worth enough to win me over alone. I think the classic looks neat too. But I agree, not 70% more neat to me. I appreciate your thoughts on the two options.

 

[EbS-P]

the windows could be twice as old as me and just as cheap.

Lol. I just got new windows but I’m going have to remember that line

 

[begreen]

The high arch is functional as a large heat exchanger. The flue gases are routed through it. This puts out more heat, but the stove should be run a bit hotter so that the flue temps don't drop down below the creosote condensation level. Burn times for both versions seem quite optimistic for the small firebox, more like a best case scenario.

 

[brianbishop]

The high arch is functional as a large heat exchanger. The flue gases are routed through it. This puts out more heat, but the stove should be run a bit hotter so that the flue temps don't drop down below the creosote condensation level. Burn times for both versions seem quite optimistic for the small firebox, more like a best case scenario.

Thanks for that explanation of that consequence. It doesn't sound like a good one for my small space.

 

[begreen]

Agreed.

 

[Fiddler]

I have a 2B Standard installed in my basement. It was put in approx. 7 years ago. Pretty simple. It can be a little fussy getting lit but that may be more due to my basement geography than the stove itself.

 

[peakbagger]

Extra heat exchanger surface area is great unless your firewood is marginally dry. The Jotul 606 design had that problem, super efficient but miserable for folks who didnt read the directions and controlled the stove by cranking the air down. The trick is small fires frequent fires instead of throwing big chunks in the firebox and cranking the air down.

 

[SpaceBus]

I have a classic. What burn times are they quoting? I can load a hot stove with coals at 2200 full of hard maple and come check the stove at 0600-0800 I can still light kindling with the coals left in the stove. It's not putting out meaningful heat that whole time, but it keeps our modest sized house quite warm.

I'm surprised to hear it being draft picky. We have an 8X8 "ID" clay liner that is 25' tall from the floor and our stove could really use a bit less draft, especially when it is really cold. Our 2b Classic can be balky from a cold start and slow to get the draft going, but I bet with an insulated 6" interior chimney/flue you would have no problems.

 

[brianbishop]

I have a classic. What burn times are they quoting? I can load a hot stove with coals at 2200 full of hard maple and come check the stove at 0600-0800 I can still light kindling with the coals left in the stove. It's not putting out meaningful heat that whole time, but it keeps our modest sized house quite warm.

I'm surprised to hear it being draft picky. We have an 8X8 "ID" clay liner that is 25' tall from the floor and our stove could really use a bit less draft, especially when it is really cold. Our 2b Classic can be balky from a cold start and slow to get the draft going, but I bet with an insulated 6" interior chimney/flue you would have no problems.

That's great to hear.

 

[AlM]

I'm very green when it comes to woodburning. With the help of all the great forum posts on the subject, I've decided a Morso 2b is my choice to replace the old stove in a small house on my property. But as I'm getting ready to put in the order, I'm realizing I hadn't properly considered the differing features of the 2B Classic and 2B Standard, and I haven't yet found it discussed on the forum. I've tried to collect the differences below, but I have no practical experience with which to evaluate them.

Differences:

• Classic has an Ash Pan (drawer?) - Another forum post educated me that the utility of these depends on whether they're well designed (and personal opinion). Is this one well-designed?
• Classic has a "heat exchanger" on top - To me, it doesn't look like it's designed for much more than looks. What do you all think?
• Classic is about 70% heavier than Standard, for a pure thermal mass comparison. So is it correct to think it'll hold heat substantially better?
• "Technical Burn Times" in catalog: 6.3 hours for Classic versus 7.7 hours for Standard. From the forum, I'm not focusing on the actual times, but this is a 25% difference. Should I care?
• Classic's flue outlet center is 12" from stove rear, Standard's is 5.5". Might not seem like a difference, but for my tiny house with existing chimney connector far from the rear wall, I'd actually get back some of that space with the Classic.
• Per my closest dealer, the Classic is 70% more expensive.

Previously addressed on the forum:

• I saw a comment about the 2B Classic needing higher draft to pull thru the heat exchanger. I'd hope what I have is sufficient.
• I saw a comment about cooking on the 2B Classic being a bit cumbersome versus other specific makes and models. I doubt I'll ever cook on it once the novelty wears off.

My situation:

• I'm upgrading an old and damaged wood burning stove in a 350 sqft, single room house.
• I live in a mild winter climate with daily extremes, about a 35-40 degF change every day. In other words, there can be 10 degF nights but it almost always heats back up in the day.
• I estimate I've got a 16' length straight-vertical factory built 6" diameter chimney with double-wall connector on the interior. It's about 6' interior, 6' thru the attic, and 4' thru open air.

Hi Brian - Did you end up making a decision? I've been between these 2 stoves for several years (while I save up money) and am curious what your end result was. Also, how would you cook on the Classic? Between the heat exchanger? On top of it? I've looked through threads and haven't found much! Thanks.

 

[SpaceBus]

Hi Brian - Did you end up making a decision? I've been between these 2 stoves for several years (while I save up money) and am curious what your end result was. Also, how would you cook on the Classic? Between the heat exchanger? On top of it? I've looked through threads and haven't found much! Thanks.

I have a classic but wouldn't cook on it, but boiling some water on top would be fine.

 

[AlM]

Thanks @SpaceBus - I guess I should have clarified and said "in case of power outage" which would be mostly just boiling water (or boiling eggs). Do you boil on the area between the heat exchanger?

 

[SpaceBus]

Thanks @SpaceBus - I guess I should have clarified and said "in case of power outage" which would be mostly just boiling water (or boiling eggs). Do you boil on the area between the heat exchanger?

Yes, but it will be fairly slow, even with a lid on the pot.