Morso wood stove - model/yr unknown?

[mtcsottile]

So we're still looking to replace our Glo-Fire in our kitchen but need a front loader, as it's in an antique fireplace and a top loader would be a challenge.

Came across an ad for a Morso wood stove for $225 - Outer dimensions are 13"(w) x 27 1/2'(l) (includes front lip) x 19 3/4" (h). Firebox dimensions are 21"x 12". Photo shows nature scene on both sides of cast iron front loader.

Any idea what stove this is, and is it worthwhile? I wanted to go new, high efficiency but DH is rightfully worried about budget. We'll use it primarily for heating our "ell" - kitchen and pantry, and a smidge of the great room which is perpendicular to the ell. Mostly trying to avoid turning on the oil heat for that section of the house this year. We burn 6-7 days a week from end of Sept thru end of May.

Thanks!

 

[thechimneysweep]

If that's a squirrel on the side, this looks like an old Model 2B on the optional short legs. Pretty good heater for its day, used metric pipe (approx. 4.7"), you'll need an adapter to 5" or 6" pipe, which you can have made at a sheet metal shop.

The thing to check is the door seal: a V-shaped notch in the hasp draws the door inward as it drops downward, bringing the flat perimeter of the door tightly against the flat surface around the loading opening (no gasket). When the door warps, the seal is gone and there's no cure.

This is NOT an EPA approved stove, and might not even be UL listed (later models were: check for the listing plate on the back).

 

[mtcsottile]

Picked it up today - no warping, no rusting. The only thing I don't like is the door mechanism is a little tricky - you have to lift it up and out, a bit strange but I suppose you get the tighter fit. Plus the vent has many more options than our old glo-fire.

It doesn't appear to have any shields or room for them on the sides, just one on the top with space above it going into the stove pipe. Part of the problem with our glo-fire is that we warped the shields, they kept falling off, and one broke. Appears lighter than our old stove, a little bigger and wider. The previous owner gave us the metric conversion ring so we're set there.

How is it in terms of efficiency? I realize it's not approved, that's never bothered me much (I imagine our big wood fireplace in our 220 yr old Great Room isn't EPA approved either

Thanks for the ID!