New house and stove: Jotul F500 Oslo or Morso 3610?

[Foxmoor]

My wife and I are in the planning stage of a new house, to be built in northern Michigan. We're looking at an open floor plan, and we'd like a wood stove for supplemental heat/warmth in the central part of the house (kitchen/main room/dining), as well as a focal point. We currently live an older home of similar style with a Morso 1125 stove and enjoy it. I've looked at stoves briefly (this site has helped) and am currently considering the Jotul Oslo or the Morso 3610, both of which are available in the area. I'll be retired, so perhaps wood heat will become more important, but being able to heat the home (approx. 2500 ft2 planned) isn't critical, as we'll have gas central heat as well. The house will have a second story and a basement, if that helps. I appreciate any input and hearing the pros/cons of these stoves and others worth considering. Thanks!

Kent in Michigan

 

[ColdNH]

Ill give you the Pro's and Cons of the Oslo

Pros
Looks EXCELLENT when clean
Throws a TON of heat when its got dry wood
Cast Iron radiates and holds the heat well
Overnight burn time is good with plenty of coals to restart the fire in the morning
Fairly easy to operate and maintain as long as wood is 2-3 years seasoned.

Cons
Front door is absolutly useless as it dumps ash all over the place every time it is open and due to the the design of the ash lip its not easy to clean.
Since the front door is useless you will find your self loading through the side door 100% of the time, which means loading E/W (not prefered for me)
Since your constantly loading E/W logs are constantly rolling against the glass
Since logs are constantly rolling against the glass, this means it gets dirtier faster, which means you have to open the front door (ash falls out) to clean the glass

 

[logger]

If you run a search for the Oslo front door issue, there was a quick fix someone posted a while back. I only use the side because its much easier to load. I dont think loading n/s is an issue at all because no matter what door you load through, your splits must be cut shorter for n/s in this stove. I dont experience logs rolling up against the glass often either. Just once in a while, like most stoves. My glass also stays a lot cleaner than many other stoves I've run, so Im not sure what the issue there is either, wet wood is my guess.
All newer stoves need properly seasoned wood, without it you will face the same problems as many people on this forum do. Its pretty much the problem with 99% of the posters experiencing stove prorblems around here, with the other 1% being installation errors, drafty/poorly insulated homes, or the rare manufacturing glitch. Besides myself, my brother and best friend run Oslo's as well and all of us are more than content with the stove. It is a workhorse that heats our 2000 sq ft no problem and is our sole source of heat. The only issue Ive noticed with this stove is the poor planning of the front door, but as I mentioned, theres a fix and if you dont mind using the side door, its a non-issue. Best of luck w you decision, as I dont know much about the Morso.

 

[begreen]

You would do well with either stove. The Morso is a bit larger, but if this is new construction and well insulated then that additional size may not be needed. Is the stove going on the first floor or in the basement? Does the 2500 sq ft include the basement area?

 

[Foxmoor]

Begreen: Sorry - I should have clarified in my post. The 2500 ft2 is first and second floor and the plan is to have a brick fireplace around the stove on the first floor near the kitchen. This way it will provide heat and a gathering spot for folks. Our old Morso 1125 does a great job when we use it, so I'm inclined to stick with the Morso, though I have read wonderful things about the Jotul stoves as well. All input appreciated.

Kent in Michigan

 

[ColdNH]

If you run a search for the Oslo front door issue, there was a quick fix someone posted a while back. I only use the side because its much easier to load. I dont think loading n/s is an issue at all because no matter what door you load through, your splits must be cut shorter for n/s in this stove. I dont experience logs rolling up against the glass often either. Just once in a while, like most stoves. My glass also stays a lot cleaner than many other stoves I've run, so Im not sure what the issue there is either, wet wood is my guess.
All newer stoves need properly seasoned wood, without it you will face the same problems as many people on this forum do. Its pretty much the problem with 99% of the posters experiencing stove prorblems around here, with the other 1% being installation errors, drafty/poorly insulated homes, or the rare manufacturing glitch. Besides myself, my brother and best friend run Oslo's as well and all of us are more than content with the stove. It is a workhorse that heats our 2000 sq ft no problem and is our sole source of heat. The only issue Ive noticed with this stove is the poor planning of the front door, but as I mentioned, theres a fix and if you dont mind using the side door, its a non-issue. Best of luck w you decision, as I dont know much about the Morso.

you made a good point there i left off, due to the rectangular shape of the firebox, even if you wanted to load N/S you would have to cut your wood really short (12"+/-) and then you would either have to open the front door letting ash get everywhere or you would have to reach in really far into the stove to load it N/S. neither is ideal.

I dont hate the Oslo, but I really dont understand why people on this board think its so great. Most of the issues I have with the Oslo i didnt have with my napoleon which was about half the cost of the Oslo.

 

[BrowningBAR]

You would do well with either stove. The Morso is a bit larger, but if this is new construction and well insulated then that additional size may not be needed. Is the stove going on the first floor or in the basement? Does the 2500 sq ft include the basement area?

Are you sure about that? I thought the Oslo was about 2.3-2.5 cu ft and the Morso is listed at 2.14 cu ft.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Cons
Front door is absolutly useless as it dumps ash all over the place every time it is open and due to the the design of the ash lip its not easy to clean.
Since the front door is useless you will find your self loading through the side door 100% of the time, which means loading E/W (not prefered for me)
Since your constantly loading E/W logs are constantly rolling against the glass
Since logs are constantly rolling against the glass, this means it gets dirtier faster, which means you have to open the front door (ash falls out) to clean the glass

The Oslo is not the only one that suffers from this. All side loading stove with front access have the same hurdles.

 

[logger]

I dont hate the Oslo, but I really dont understand why people on this board think its so great. Most of the issues I have with the Oslo i didnt have with my napoleon which was about half the cost of the Oslo.

If you liked the Napolean more, why would you not have sold the Oslo and bought another Napolean by now? You mentioned on another thread you had issues with unseasoned wood. I'd start looking at that before asking others why they think the Oslo is so great. Besides other forum members who are high on them, I know quite a few people who run them that are pleased with their performance. If it was a mediocre stove Id have no problem saying so and would have upgraded by now, but I've got nothing bad to say about it whatsoever. As I stated earlier, problems with stoves are usually due to wet wood, bad installation, or a poorly insulated house. Was your Napolean pre-EPA? If so theres a world of difference between the two. Also a big difference if you're comparing steel to cast. They fit different needs. The Oslo is definatley pickier with wet wood than some other stoves I've handled, but if the woods properly seaoned, the stove shouldnt be giving you an issue.

 

[ColdNH]

You mentioned on another thread you had issues with unseasoned wood. I'd start looking at that before asking others why they think the Oslo is so great. Besides other forum members who are high on them, I know quite a few people who run them that are pleased with their performance. If it was a mediocre stove Id have no problem saying so and would have upgraded by now, but I've got nothing bad to say about it whatsoever. As I stated earlier, problems with stoves are usually due to wet wood, bad installation, or a poorly insulated house. Was your Napolean pre-EPA? If so theres a world of difference between the two. Also a big difference if you're comparing steel to cast. They fit different needs. The Oslo is definatley pickier with wet wood than some other stoves I've handled, but if the woods properly seaoned, the stove shouldnt be giving you an issue.

Most of the cons I listed have nothing to do with the wood being unseasoned or not. Im not saying its a bad stove, but I dont think its without flaw either and with the price of the stove the ash issue really gets on my nerves. My napoleon was an EPA stove, only reason I have an Oslo now is because I moved into a new house and wanted something that put out more heat and looked a little nicer and all the glowing reviews of the Oslo on this site helped stear me towards it....

 

[begreen]

Are you sure about that? I thought the Oslo was about 2.3-2.5 cu ft and the Morso is listed at 2.14 cu ft.

Wow, my error. I have seen this stove in a large house and thought it was 3 cu ft but just checked, you are correct. Thanks for catching that.

 

[Holiday]

2.14 does sound small seeing as it holds 24" log length. But that's what their site says. Must be around 12" height as I see it's 13.5 for depth.

 

[Toploader]

If you run a search for the Oslo front door issue, there was a quick fix someone posted a while back. I only use the side because its much easier to load. I dont think loading n/s is an issue at all because no matter what door you load through, your splits must be cut shorter for n/s in this stove. I dont experience logs rolling up against the glass often either. Just once in a while, like most stoves. My glass also stays a lot cleaner than many other stoves I've run, so Im not sure what the issue there is either, wet wood is my guess.
All newer stoves need properly seasoned wood, without it you will face the same problems as many people on this forum do. Its pretty much the problem with 99% of the posters experiencing stove prorblems around here, with the other 1% being installation errors, drafty/poorly insulated homes, or the rare manufacturing glitch. Besides myself, my brother and best friend run Oslo's as well and all of us are more than content with the stove. It is a workhorse that heats our 2000 sq ft no problem and is our sole source of heat. The only issue Ive noticed with this stove is the poor planning of the front door, but as I mentioned, theres a fix and if you dont mind using the side door, its a non-issue. Best of luck w you decision, as I dont know much about the Morso.

I agree with this, The Oslo is a great heater, simple to use, very reliable and nice to look at. I don't open the front door very often because it's so easy loading from the side and the glass stays very clean, even when a log touches the glass it's not a problem.

 

[FullCompliment]

I only use the front door to clean the glass once in while. It does burn N-S well if you've got 12" firewood. I don't have many rounds, mostly splits, so I almost never have one hit the glass. If one does, oh well. It generally burns off. Besides, that's what those cool gothic arches are for: In case it rolls hard enough to break the glass, right?

 

[jotul8e2]

I have an Oslo here in Southwestern Mo., and I also built a 2500 sq. ft. house on two levels, plus a full basement. We have a semi-open floor plan - I left four foot wide openings to the bedrooms, kitchen, and dining room. The heat circulates very well. The only mistake I made was to fail to plan for a landing at the top of the stairs with a door that can be closed. Not only do we get a lot of heat up there when the stove is going, but it makes it pointless to try and run the upstairs heat pump. This is a factor because, while the upstairs landing is overheated, when the kids are home the bedrooms get too cold with the doors shut. It would be great to just close off the upstairs and use the furnace up there.

I use, and very much like my Oslo. I am on my fifth or season with it. It is indeed intolerant of poorly dried wood but I can heat this entire house over winter on just 2 1/2 to 3 cords of seasoned oak. The only time I load n-s is when I am cleaning up the odd short pieces that have accumulated; e-w burns great. The front glass door is not an issue - it is much easier to load through the side door anyway. I clean the glass maybe four times a year and it is a snap to just wipe it clean with a damp paper towel. Yes, when you open the front door you get ash on the lip and the hearth. Clean up is quite easy as the lip lifts up and out - you just brush or wipe it off.

And since you are still in the planning stages, let me encourage you to think insulation, insulation, insulation. It is not just a matter of efficiency, but it makes a most profound difference in the overall comfort of the house, especially when you are using a point-source for heat (wood stove). Insulation is cheap when building. It gets pricey to retrofit.

Having said that, I would definitely get a larger stove for your climate. My house is very near super-insulated status with R-30 walls and R-60 in the attic. I use insulated cellular shades on the windows, and I limited the size and number of windows for efficiency. With all that, here in SW Missouri I have to run the Oslo very hard in the coldest weather to keep the house comfortable. Granted, it has never gotten cold enough that I could not keep up, but when it drops to 10 deg. below overnight for two or three consecutive nights the stove has to have a full load every three to four hours, 24/7. That happens seldom here, just every other year or so, but you live with weather like that - and worse - all winter long every year.

I realize you say you want only supplemental heat, but why not get a stove that can give you the option of total heat? If you like the Oslo, look at the larger Jotul F600. There are several other fine choices to be had in three cu. ft. stoves as well.

 

[firefighterjake]

Morso and Jotul both have good reputations for good stoves.

I think folks have done a pretty good job outlining the pros- and cons- of the Oslo -- the only stove I have owned (other than some pre-EPA stoves.)

All I can say is that there have been a few times that I have seen a stove or two and have given some serious thought to replacing the Oslo . . . stoves that are larger, stoves that are prettier, stoves that have longer burn times . . . but in the end I realize that my plain Jane matte black Oslo may not be the biggest, burn the longest or even be the prettiest stove, but it has heated my entire house quite well with zero maintenance issues (well other than the usual cleaning) and I guess that's what it comes down to . . . it just plain works well for my needs.