Osburn opinions if you please!

[H-townHellyan]

This is by no means a new question but I've been all over this website and I appreciate all your input and feedback so I'm just looking for what you guys do best! I'm looking to buy a Osburn woodstove and I'm almost certain bigger is better for me for several reasons: 1. I want to heat primarily with wood. 2. My woodstove will be on one side of the house, not centrally located. 3. I live in Montana and it is Effin COLD here! (-20F right now!). I have my heart set on an Osburn because I am going to get one at a very significant discount. I've been looking at the 2200 - like the look with those bay windows, but it seems the box may be a little small for extended burns and I'd be paying for a lot of glass as opposed to performance. The 2300 - equipped with blower and a large box seems a nice candidate but the non-replaceable tubes could be an issue if I want to light my stove in December and keep it going till April....maybe May! Lastly, the 2400 also with a 3.2' box and this one Osburn brags you can get 10 hour burns out of it.
My home is about 1280 sq ft but I've got older windows and the floor plan is not extremely open - especially considering the location of the woodstove. I think I've covered the basics here. Now I turn it over to you boys! Oh a last question though....I am wondering about circulating this nice woodheat-air through my home via my furnace through just the fan....is this possible?? Thanks Guys.

 

[corey006]

I don't know about 10 hours mine seems to do around 6 on average. It might do 8 if you load it completely full of 4 inch round un-split logs?

This is my first year with Osburn 2400, I have never used an EPA stove before and so far so good. But I think a Pacific Energy Summit might be a little better stove(more efficient by 5-7%) but they cost around 700-800 more for an equivalent stove.

The Osburn 2400 definitely puts out heat(it is rated for 100,000 BTU)

It was - 35 deg. Celcius(almost same in Far.) here this morning, and I finally had to turn on my furnace for the first time this year, otherwise I just run the fan to circulate heat.

My house is just under 1400 sq.ft on main floor+a basement. Stove is in utility room in basement.


I have been averaging 5-6 hours of GOOD burn, and coals will keep to about 7(enough coals that you can stir them up add wood and have fire again pretty quick).


IF your stove is going to be in a semi-enclosed room be prepared for that room to be +100 deg.

I am in same boat as you as far as windows and doors. My house was built in 78 so in needs to be stripped, insulated with foam, wrapped, new windows and doors and I would notice a big difference, trouble is $25,000 to get all that done. arrrggg!

Osburn is built by SBI which builds alot of stoves so it is a quality product, I just think Pacific Energy is a little higher quality.

 

[tgloersen]

Well I'll chime in here, seems that my situation matches pretty close here. I have 1474sq/ft ranch built in 1958. Heating with a Osburn 2400i on main level. Downstairs i have a Harmon P-68 Pellet burner.

I will say that the Osburn2400 puts out some amazing heat...sometimes too much. I'm used to packing a wood burner up to get heat but not with this burner. As far as time is concerned i can get about 6-7 hours if i use envi-blocks usually at night with the stove choked down. 10 hours? i think that's a little far fetched, i have had burning embers after 12 but not enough to generate heat with.

 

[H-townHellyan]

Thanks for the input guys! It's funny you mention the Summit because that was my first choice but as I said I'm getting quite a deal on an Osburn so I'm going to have to give one of those a try! I'm still leaning towards bigger is better and you buys seem pleased with your stoves. I'm going to visit with a sales guy and see if he has any strong recommendations. I'll let you know which way I go! Thanks for the help! But if you have any additional info or opinion please don't be shy!

 

[corey006]

I was just doing some reading....and IF I were you I would spend the extra money on the Summit or at least some more research.

I am now regretting getting the Osburn 2400 a little as according to this the Summit probably is the better stove.

I don't think the Osburn is NEAR the efficiency rating of the Summit.

The reason why I went to a HIGH efficient stove is to burn less wood but it appears to me I am burning the same amount of wood as I was with my Wood Chief old fashioned burner.


(broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/hoebt.htm)

 

[ckc14449]

I will offer an opinion. I recently purchased an Osburn 2200 wood stove. I was a bit skeptical after reading some reviews, but I will say now that I am completely satisfied with my purchase. I have a 38 year old home with original windows, 1250 sf, and live in Wisconsin. I am able to maintain the home at 76 most of the time. We had a recent cold snap where temps were below zero for a couple of consecutive days. I was still able to maintain 72 degrees. The only time the temperature would drop would be around 5 a.m. when all that remained was hot embers after several hours of burning, and I would still be around 68 or so. As soon as wood was burning the temperature would quickly rebound.

I must say that I am quite pleased with my Osburn product.

 

[Swedishchef]

I'll add my 2 cents worth.

I recently purchased a 2300. My wood stove is being used as secondary heating to compliment electricity. I heat my basement and if I let it go long enough, the stove is capable of heating the upstairs too. Considering that I have not put any grates in my floor, I find this impressive. My basement temperature must reach 23 C (75F)in order for the heat to start rising properly upstairs. It simply riases by a staircase at one end of the house.

The bypass feature on the 2300 is a GREAT addition. It prevent smoke roll out when reloading. The 5/16th gauge metal keeps the heat for a long time. The variable speed blower is very nice as well.

If you load some hardwood, let's say at 10:30 PM, at 6:30 AM you will have a significant amount of coals leftover and will not require to re-light.

I think we need to be realistic: a stove will not replace a wood furnace. The principle of heating with a stove is based on radiant heat and convection. If you have a furnace (which a few of my friends do), in 20 minutes your entire house will reach 23-24 C (76-78F)

Overall, I am very staisfied. In my opinion, an osburn is a great bang for your buck! It's not the BEST stove but for quality VS price, it's one of the top ones.
I hope this helps

A.

 

[Xanabri]

Long time lurker here. I decided to join to answer your question. I'm on my second year with the Osburn 2400 free standing pedestal. The stove is located in our four season porch/ study/ game room addition (34 deep x 40 long, glass on one end, with 18' cathedral ceilings). It is a beast. We set up a code compliant temporary install to heat the room/ addition during the final phase of construction. It kept the area shirt sleeve comfortable last year in the dead of winter with little or no insulation. Granted we burned a fair bit of wood, but this beast puts out heat. This year (now fully insulated and essentially finished) we can load it up late at night and have a good bed of coals in the morning. The stove isn't overly picky about wood, but certainly performs better with seasoned oak. The stove will still put out enough heat after 8 hours to "jump start" the morning. It is a radiant heater. We recently had the PE Summit delivered for installation in our Great Room. We hope this stove will heat the main level of the house at night. This area is 32 deep x 60 long, all glass on both ends (passive solar), with 28' cathedral ceilings. We went with the Summit for this area not because we don't like the Osburn, but because the Summit has a reputation for significant heat over an extended time period. The Summit has more heat shielding than the Osburn. While the Summit has a comparable fire box, the EBT device takes up some of the volume, so the Osburn may have equivalent practical volume. The fit and finish of the PE is a bit nicer than the Osburn and it has more options (which appealed to my wife), but overall they seem pretty close. That said I'll be able to provide a practical comparison in about a month after using PE to heat part of our home during the coldest part of the year.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Osburn = Good but overpriced stoves

 

[bag of hammers]

I'm actually glad you posted your question here - I think I mentioned in my first post to this forum that I had read some negative reviews of the Osburn stoves (going back a couple years). So it's nice to read some decent comments around these stoves. Looking back (and reading here) I think those reported problems may have been more user related than stove related. All I know is that my unit is really easy to fire up and operate, and it cranks out nice heat as long as the wood isn't crap.

My choice came down to 3 stoves - Kent Stove's "Rose Bay" - to be shipped to me from a US dealer in Washington - discontinued now I think), Pacific Energy Vista, and the Osburn 1800. I liked the look and all the great reviews around the Vista - I think I read a lot of great things about all Pacific Energy stoves. But the Kent and the Osburn both had the bay window that I really wanted.

The Kent stove was beautiful - but my insurance company balked (no CSA sticker - apparently 'cause there wasn't a dealer in Canada - I assume the company never went thru the process...?). It was built like a tank and had all the other stamps - and I'm sure would be as safe as any of the others I looked at - but was not going to argue with the insurance guys even if it was just a pencil and paper argument. Frustrating.

The Pacific Energy - probably the best reviews of all 3 - a bit pricier than the Osburn. I think they claimed to have the cleanest and longest burning EPA stoves out there

Towards the end of the heating season the local shop put one of their last Osburn 1800's in stock out on the floor for clear-out - significantly less $ and much less than the others. And the bay window. Sold.

last year the 1800 heated my space without breaking a sweat. I fired it up dead of winter - it's installed in an addition - at that time no insulation in the walls - kept me warm and toasty while working. About half the space where it sits is all open (close to 700 sq ft in a total of @1400) and the unit is located pretty central. As I got towards the end of the insulating stage of my project, I'm kinda glad I didn't go with bigger stove. With new construction, decent windows, etc. its' pretty tight - I recall I could load in a couple of large pieces of maple, bank it down @ midnight and @ 6:00 a.m. find a good bed of coals - open the air, a couple small splits and away it would go again. I know I never got 10 hours out of it - but I never expected that it would.

I think the models you were looking at are a bit larger? and you probably bought your stove by now - but thought I'd throw in my 2c on my Osburn experience FWIW - no regrets for me