Need some advice on some wood stoves

[Wallace]

I am BRAND new to wood stoves and am going to be buying one in the next two weeks. Propane is ridiculous and hardly affordable anymore! I have a 2400sq ft home all one level. We live in Prescott Az so we get a somewhat chilly winter season. I have pretty much narrowed my stoves to the 1. Jutol Rangeley, 2. Jutol Oslo 3. Harman Oakwood. Really like the idea of a top load as it will be easier for my wife to use? Can anyone give me any advice on what is the giant difference between the cast Oslo and the steel Rangeley? I do prefer the look of cast iron. And lastly, my options are very limited on where to buy. What is a decent price for the Oslo and or Rangeley? You can PM me if you like with the last question I am on a Firefighters budget so I gotta make the best decision I can. Thanks for any help or advice.

 

[ddddddden]

The Oslo is constructed with iron panels joined together with gaskets + cement. These joints will need to be eventually need to be redone, probably after a decade or two. The Rangely has a welded steel firebox, which should not require any maintenance. Rangely also has panels attached to the outside of the stove, which create "convection chambers" to heat air. Oslo heats more by direct radiation, but it's a question of degree. . .all stoves both convect and radiate, just to varying degrees. The Oslo is a tried and proven design. The Rangeley has been out for maybe a year now, but not many were put into service last year. . .still something of a mystery.

 

[ddddddden]

The Harman is a downdraft design, reportedly trickier to operate well.

 

[Mrs. Krabappel]

Do you let that wife drive a car? ;-)

 

[begreen]

Of the stoves mentioned, the Oslo is probably the simplest to operate.

 

[Nonprophet]

If you like top load, cast iron, and ease of use, I'd recommend considering a Quadrafire Isle Royale. Search for them here, you'll find lots of good reviews. Big firebox, well built, nice looking, easy breather (easy to start/burn) etc.

From my own personal experience I would NOT recommend an Oslo for a single story house--they really need a 25' + chimney to draft properly. They are finicky burners to begin with (really need bone-dry wood) and if they don't have a strong draft they don't burn very well at all.


NP

 

[Pagey]

This may seem like a lot a first, but you'll be surprised how quickly you can whittle it down, especially with the knowledge here. But being new, I'd be remiss not to point out of the basics to consider. Hopefully it will save you time, effort, energy, and frustration. Being brand new to wood stoves, please consider and/or research the following:

Main types of stove construction:
1.) Plate steel
2.) Cast iron
3.) Soapstone

Each has its pros and cons, like anything else. Cast iron and soapstone are much easier on the eyes, but plate steel may be more forgiving in an "overfire" situation, for example.

Secondary combustion technology used in the stove:
1.) Non-catalytic (burn tubes in the top of the stove or a "downdraft" refractory package in the rear of the firebox)
2.) Catalytic (stainless steel or ceramic honeycomb treated with special metals that lower the flash point of the smoke/volatiles to about 500F)

Again, pros and cons to each. Non-cats are known for their active, beautiful fires. Cats, though they can produce "active," pretty fires, they are more known for "low and slow" burns and more even heat output over a longer period of time.

Heat disbursement from the stove:
1.) Convection (heats and moves the air around the stove via the use of heat shields on the stove and optional blowers)
2.) Radiant (all surfaces of the stove radiate heat into the living space, but require higher CTC (clearance to combustibles)

Firebox size:
1.) if you want overnight burns (8 hrs with a good coal bed left in the AM), go with at least 2.0 cubic feet
2.) layout - do you want to load the stove N/S or E/W (most prefer the north/south loading, as it can be easier to fill and manage)

Chimney:
1.) If you have an existing masonry chimney with a terra cotta liner, consider lining it with a properly sized stainless steel liner (most of today's stoves have a 6" exhaust)
2.) If you install prefab, you must use Class A 103 HT rated solid fuel venting pipe
3.) Do you want to install the chimney straight up inside the living space or go out "out and up" along the outside of the home

Fuel quantity/quality:
1.) Whether using a catalytic or non-catalytic stove, today's stoves are designed to operate best with fuel that is around 20% moisture content. Drying times vary by geographic location and wood species, but in general, you want fuel that has been cut, split, and stacked for one year (wood does NOT season well in log form or even in bucked rounds).

Home layout:
1.) Clearances to combustibles (radiant stoves often require higher CTCs; jacketed/convection stoves can get much closer to unprotected surfaces)
2.) General home layout (open rooms or many smaller, "carved up" rooms that require setting up convection loops to move heated air

Resources:
http://www.woodheat.org/
(broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/library.htm)
http://www.woodstove.com/ (check their Library links on the right)

 

[firefighterjake]

I am BRAND new to wood stoves and am going to be buying one in the next two weeks. Propane is ridiculous and hardly affordable anymore! I have a 2400sq ft home all one level. We live in Prescott Az so we get a somewhat chilly winter season. I have pretty much narrowed my stoves to the 1. Jutol Rangeley, 2. Jutol Oslo 3. Harman Oakwood. Really like the idea of a top load as it will be easier for my wife to use? Can anyone give me any advice on what is the giant difference between the cast Oslo and the steel Rangeley? I do prefer the look of cast iron. And lastly, my options are very limited on where to buy. What is a decent price for the Oslo and or Rangeley? You can PM me if you like with the last question I am on a Firefighters budget so I gotta make the best decision I can. Thanks for any help or advice.

I love my Oslo . . . but I doubt it will heat your entire home if it is 2,400 square feet on a single level . . . then again there may be a big difference between the climates of Maine and Arizona. . . . for the record the Oslo is wicked easy to use and reliable . . . three years in and I have yet to replace anything and the only "repair" I have to do is take the doghouse apart periodically and sprinkle some graphite powder on the air control lever.

 

[raybonz]

This may seem like a lot a first, but you'll be surprised how quickly you can whittle it down, especially with the knowledge here. But being new, I'd be remiss not to point out of the basics to consider. Hopefully it will save you time, effort, energy, and frustration. Being brand new to wood stoves, please consider and/or research the following:

Main types of stove construction:
1.) Plate steel
2.) Cast iron
3.) Soapstone

Each has its pros and cons, like anything else. Cast iron and soapstone are much easier on the eyes, but plate steel may be more forgiving in an "overfire" situation, for example.

Secondary combustion technology used in the stove:
1.) Non-catalytic (burn tubes in the top of the stove or a "downdraft" refractory package in the rear of the firebox)
2.) Catalytic (stainless steel or ceramic honeycomb treated with special metals that lower the flash point of the smoke/volatiles to about 500F)

Again, pros and cons to each. Non-cats are known for their active, beautiful fires. Cats, though they can produce "active," pretty fires, they are more known for "low and slow" burns and more even heat output over a longer period of time.

Heat disbursement from the stove:
1.) Convection (heats and moves the air around the stove via the use of heat shields on the stove and optional blowers)
2.) Radiant (all surfaces of the stove radiate heat into the living space, but require higher CTC (clearance to combustibles)

Firebox size:
1.) if you want overnight burns (8 hrs with a good coal bed left in the AM), go with at least 2.0 cubic feet
2.) layout - do you want to load the stove N/S or E/W (most prefer the north/south loading, as it can be easier to fill and manage)

Chimney:
1.) If you have an existing masonry chimney with a terra cotta liner, consider lining it with a properly sized stainless steel liner (most of today's stoves have a 6" exhaust)
2.) If you install prefab, you must use Class A 103 HT rated solid fuel venting pipe
3.) Do you want to install the chimney straight up inside the living space or go out "out and up" along the outside of the home

Fuel quantity/quality:
1.) Whether using a catalytic or non-catalytic stove, today's stoves are designed to operate best with fuel that is around 20% moisture content. Drying times vary by geographic location and wood species, but in general, you want fuel that has been cut, split, and stacked for one year (wood does NOT season well in log form or even in bucked rounds).

Home layout:
1.) Clearances to combustibles (radiant stoves often require higher CTCs; jacketed/convection stoves can get much closer to unprotected surfaces)
2.) General home layout (open rooms or many smaller, "carved up" rooms that require setting up convection loops to move heated air

Resources:
http://www.woodheat.org/
(broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/library.htm)
http://www.woodstove.com/ (check their Library links on the right)

+1 Pagey! No way I can add to the info you provided..

Ray

 

[mhrischuk]

Do you let that wife drive a car? ;-)

Maybe she's blonde!

 

[Wallace]

Funny She is blond, and I do let her drive. I guess that's what she calls it I think she is more excited about the stove than I am. Probably cause she writes the checks to the Propane company monthly in the winter months.

 

[pen]

Funny She is blond, and I do let her drive. I guess that's what she calls it I think she is more excited about the stove than I am. Probably cause she writes the checks to the Propane company monthly in the winter months.

I'm with you. I had my chops busted by a few buddies about how small I was splitting my firewood one day. When I explained that someone had to load the stove if I was still at the bar, everyone understood.

It's a 50/50 relationship, I look out for her, she looks out for me

As far as my opinion. If she is that excited worry less about the stove and more about the wood / chimney setup. Choose a stove that you both like that fits your home. With a proper chimney that will give the stove the draft it needs, and well seasoned wood, most any stove on the market that you would consider buying when looking at stoves similar to these options, will make you happy.

pen

 

[Wallace]

We looked at the full line of Jotul's and she actually liked the look of the Rangeley with cast sides the best. Plus the top load was something she liked. If we end up not liking the top load feature, then we will just front load it I am gone for 24hrs at a time on shift so she is gonna be using it a lot by herself. As far as wood goes, we mostly have shaggy bark juniper, alligator juniper (when we find one dead while out cutting) or some oak. The oak out here is nothing like back east or the midwest. We have a fairly dry climate so almost all the wood we cut (unless it's green) is already bone dry. Unless we have had a storm. We are building our hearth as we speak and to have the pipe and chimney done within 2 weeks.