Multi fuel stove for woodburning only?

[Angus]

Hello All,
I used to have a Morso 3440. It was sold as a wood burning stove, but after I sold it on, I found out it was classed as a multi fuel, ie it could burn coal too.
What I would like to say and its as much of a statement as a question, I find that wood burns better on a flat bed stove ie a wood burner.
The problem I had with the 3440 Morso was that the air intake was long, the air came from the back of the stove, over the top and down the glass, obviously to preheat the air and make the stove burn cleaner, but I found this had an affect of causing the air to be dragged in at a super speed (bit like us breathing thru a straw !). I never used coal on it so I dont know how it would have behaved. The 3440 was difficult to control, either burning rapid or not at all, and the secondry air intake would make it take off, I also had an explosion of unburnt gases when I opened it up (just aswell I hadnt opened the door first) . I know this is not a chimney draught problem as I put a Jotul 602 in it place and it has no issues.
I now know that they produce some wood only stoves, the 3610 is an example and from what I hear an excallant wood burning appliance.
I think that Jotul is for wood and Morso for Multi fuel.
Has anyone out there had a simmilar experiance between owning a MF. and a woodburner?
From my experiance I would only ever buy a flat bed stove for burning wood, and buy a stove with a grate for burning coals (with or without wood)
Angus

 

[Gooserider]

I've never tried a multi fuel stove, but I would expect that a stove that is designed for one or the other would do much better. Wood and coal have different burning characteristics. Wood does better with air from the top, coal needs air to come up from underneath through the coal bed. Wood is low density fuel, and needs a bigger firebox than the same heating volume from a coal stove, etc. A specialty stove can be designed to get the best out of it's designed fuel type, but attempting to build a multi-fuel stove inherently involves design compromises in an effort to meet the needs of both fuels, and thus is unlikely to perform as well with either fuel as a specialty stove would.

IMHO, I think you are best off to pick one type of fuel and stick with it if at all possible, and by an appliance designed to specifically burn that fuel.

Gooserider

 

[webbie]

The other factor is that your Morsos may differ from ours. MF in Europe can often mean coal briquettes, peat bricks, etc.

Here in the USA, it mean coal - specially hard (anthracite) coal. That means a stove need grates and air coming up through them.

 

[Angus]

You guys certainly explained that well. Your right about the differant wording in the, tho I dont know if the products differ too much, I think the laws with in the USA are stricter on product description than in Europe.
Jotul have a much larger product range in Europe, I think Morso does to, whether that due to certain standards or styles , I m not sure.
I would not buy a Multi fuel again to do a wood burning job.