Osburn 3500 or Drolet HT3000?

[ejsechler]

I have been looking at the Osburn 3500 at my local dealer and i am pretty close to making the purchase ($2170) out the door. But i was looking around for something better or comparable for cheaper and i came across the HT 3000 ($1500) on amazon. Every thing screams it is the same stove minus the blower and some little cosmetic differences. Does anyone know if there is any difference as far as performance goes?

Also if someone has a suggestion on a stove that has a bigger fire box that runs 6" pipe i would also consider looking into that. Price range wanting to spend on stove <$2,500

 

[brenndatomu]

Osburn and Drolet are both lines made by SBI...Drolet is like Ford, the Osburn like Lincoln...just a jazzed up version for the most part...minor differences.
Hard to beat Drolet for most bang for the buck

 

[ejsechler]

Osburn and Drolet are both lines made by SBI...Drolet is like Ford, the Osburn like Lincoln...just a jazzed up version for the most part...minor differences.
Hard to beat Drolet for most bang for the buck

So what your saying as far as performance it is the same stove?

 

[brenndatomu]

I've not investigated these 2 models specifically, but they often do have sister models...which based on what you are saying about them, sounds like this is the case...if so, there will be very little difference between the two in operation.
I'm sure someone will be along shortly with specific knowledge...

 

[ejsechler]

I've not investigated these 2 models specifically, but they often do have sister models...which based on what you are saying about them, sounds like this is the case...if so, there will be very little difference between the two in operation.
I'm sure someone will be along shortly with specific knowledge...

I appreciate it thank you

 

[Mech e]

Take a look at the specs for each stove. You will see that they are the same.

Take a look at this link. Free shipping included.

Home Page

myfireplaceproducts.com

 

[ejsechler]

Take a look at the specs for each stove. You will see that they are the same.

Take a look at this link. Free shipping included.

Home Page

myfireplaceproducts.com

So far the only thing I have really found difference in was
Warranty was a little better on the Osburn 3500
Blower that comes with the Osburn is 30cfm greater
The top of the Dorlet is 1/16" thicker then the Osburn

 

[marty319]

I looked at drolet before I bought my osburn 2300 .osburn is better quality.price I paid from my dealer was just a tad more than comparable drolet.sbi also has outstanding customer service.

 

[brenndatomu]

The top of the Dorlet is 1/16" thicker then the Osburn

I bet that is a typo...I would think the top is the same thickness...if not, the Osburn would be the thicker one of the two

 

[brenndatomu]

Take a look at this link. Free shipping included.

Home Page

myfireplaceproducts.com

That's a pretty good deal...probably about as good as you'll do, since Menards quit handling Drolet anyways...

 

[ejsechler]

I looked at drolet before I bought my osburn 2300 .osburn is better quality.price I paid from my dealer was just a tad more than comparable drolet.sbi also has outstanding customer service.

If you can recall as far as quality goes what was better about the 3500 over the Drolet?

 

[ejsechler]

That's a pretty good deal...probably about as good as you'll do, since Menards quit handling Drolet anyways...

Do you know if that place is reputable?

 

[begreen]

The firebox is identical. The doors are different and hinged on opposite sides. The Osburn will have some nicer detailing like on the ashlip and pedestal, but they are essentially the same stove inside and covered under the same EPA test report for SBI Series 3.5 stoves.

 

[brenndatomu]

Do you know if that place is reputable?

Absoloutley...many here have bought from them...from what I understand, they are basciacally the factory store for SBI

 

[Mech e]

I looked at drolet before I bought my osburn 2300 .osburn is better quality.price I paid from my dealer was just a tad more than comparable drolet.sbi also has outstanding customer service.

Can you define what you mean by "better quality "?

 

[marty319]

Can you define what you mean by "better quality "?

Go look at them both and you tell me

 

[Mech e]

Go look at them both and you tell me

I have owned and used both. Again, how do you define "better quality"?

 

[Ignem]

I have owned and used both. Again, how do you define "better quality"?

When I looked at the two lines, what I saw (as I remember it) was that Osburn has the heavier (high density) fire brick, slightly thicker tops in some cases, and the bypass (for applicable models) was made of c-cast instead of steel (which could warp with heat). Some models might have more configuration options.

As everyone has said, operation/performance will be essentially identical.

 

[begreen]

The weight between the HT3000 and 3500 are identical.

Are you sure about the bypass info? I have never heard of one made out of c-cast and neither of these stoves have one. I'm wondering if you are thinking of the early Austral/Myriad/Baltic line that had a welded in, stainless baffle? This value-line got changed to the C-Cast baffle in the second generation of those stoves. I'm not sure there was an Osborn equivalent of them.

 

[Ignem]

The weight between the HT3000 and 3500 are identical.

Are you sure about the bypass info? I have never heard of one made out of c-cast. Are you sure you are not thinking of the early Austral/Myriad/Baltic line that had a welded in, stainless baffle? That got changed to the C-Cast baffle in the second generation of those stoves. I'm not sure there was an Osborn equivalent of those stoves.

I don't know what generation the Myriad was that I saw when I was comparing (it could have been an older model) but it had a steel bypass.

Similar to this:


But now I go and look at the Myriad II and (just like you said) they ditched the steel and it is a c-cast bypass now:



So, if I was sure about the bypass, I shouldn't be. It looks like I was operating on bad data and not comparing apples to apples in terms of model year/generation.

 

[Ignem]

When I look at the current versions of the Osburn 2300 and the Drolet Myriad II (and III) the only differences are:
-the 2300 weighs 450lbs vs. 424 (Myriad II) and 421 (Myriad III); I assume the weight difference is in the bricks but maybe it is just a difference in side shields or something
-the 2300 baffle is c-cast and the Myriad baffles are vermiculite
-the 2300 can come with legs (which, because my wife wanted a stove with legs, is why we went with that one)

 

[begreen]

Got it. What you were looking at were the value lines. And just like comparing a Chevy to a Buick, there will be cost cuts in places for the cheapest models. The Century line is a similar SBI value line.

Now, back to the original topic, which is comparing the 3500 to the HT3000.

 

[ejsechler]

Well I ended up going with the HT3000, we will soon find out if it will withstand the test of time.

 

[begreen]

Congratulations. I think you will be very happy with it. We'll check back in ten or fifteen years to see how it's doing.

 

[js14]

Well I ended up going with the HT3000, we will soon find out if it will withstand the test of time.

How have you liked the HT3000 so far? I was just convinced not to go with a US Stove model I was looking at, now I am looking at the HT3000 or the Myriad III (the blower and slightly deeper firebox seem nice).