PE Aldera T6/Oslo V3 comparisons, opinions

[dvellone]

I’ve been heating our very small home exclusively with a Jotul F400 for some years now and love its simplicity and performance. No complaints… except for the loading configuration.
I need to buy a new stove for the larger new house and had mostly settled on a PE Aldera T6, but see that Jotul is offering a non-cat in the Oslo V3, so that makes it a consideration for me.
Hoping I might get some input and advice on these two heaters that could help me with this decision. Thanks, Daniel

 

[begreen]

They are quite different animals. The T6 has a notably larger firebox than then F500. It front loads N/S so that one can realize the full capacity of the firebox. It's a simpler, easier to maintain, convective, non-cat stove vs the radiant F500. Clearances are tighter. Then there is the nice swing-away trivet tops. The F500 is a good looker and has enamel options that are attractive.

 

[dvellone]

They are quite different animals. The T6 has a notably larger firebox than then F500. It front loads N/S so that one can realize the full capacity of the firebox. It's a simpler, easier to maintain, convective, non-cat stove vs the radiant F500. Clearances are tighter. Then there is the nice swing-away trivet tops. The F500 is a good looker and has enamel options that are attractive.

Not to hijack my own thread, but when deciding on a convective or radiant heater should the design and extent of insulation in the home be a critical factor in making the decision? Will one type heater perform noticeably better than the other depending on the design of the space itself? I suppose this may be a whole separate thread and can post it as such if that’s so . Thanks

 

[Todd]

The F500 V3 is a hybrid cat/non cat. There is a catalyst above the baffle.

Generally an open floor plan is better suited for a radiant heater whereas the opposite is better for a more convective stove.

 

[EbS-P]

T6 all the way.

 

[dvellone]

the house I’ll be installing the stove in is 2500 square feet and has two floors with an open first floor plan except for one small away room. It’s very well insulated and sealed, and having heated with an old radiant stove last winter, the first and second floor temps remain within a one degree difference. The stove location is just about dead-center in the house.

 

[EbS-P]

very well insulated and sealed

How much oil did you use? I’m wondering if you need something that can do lower output? Like a BK Ashford.

 

[begreen]

The F500 V3 is a hybrid cat/non cat. There is a catalyst above the baffle.

Generally an open floor plan is better suited for a radiant heater whereas the opposite is better for a more convective stove.

True with a caveat, I would add - a large open floor plan. Our house has an open floorplan, but it's not large. It's about 1200 sq ft on the first floor. There wasn't a great benefit from the radiant F400 with the stove located in the corner of the 15 x 20 living room. High clearance requirements at that location were why I didn't put in the very radiant Isle Royale, even though this was my first choice at the time. In our old house, with moderate insulation, we got a lot of room temp swing with the F400 between fires. That all but disappeared with the convective T6. So for our house, with an open floorplan, a convective stove works well enough that most of the time we don't use the blower.

That said, in a large, open room a radiant stove can feel nice due to its line-of-sight, radiant heat, especially if there are very high ceilings.

 

[dvellone]

How much oil did you use? I’m wondering if you need something that can do lower output? Like a BK Ashford.

No oil.

How much oil did you use? I’m wondering if you need something that can do lower output? Like a BK Ashford.

No oil. I’ve been using an old Upland 207, and not much wood since I’ve only kept it between the low to upper 50’s through the winter while I’ve been working .

 

[dvellone]

The F500 V3 is a hybrid cat/non cat. There is a catalyst above the baffle.

Generally an open floor plan is better suited for a radiant heater whereas the opposite is better for a more convective stove.

Jotul’s description is a little confusing: “…a typical non-catalytic wood stove with ground breaking Jøtul High Flow™ Combustor technology…”
Is the High Flow Combustor technology the catalyst above the baffle?

 

[dvellone]

True with a caveat, I would add - a large open floor plan. Our house has an open floorplan, but it's not large. It's about 1200 sq ft on the first floor. There wasn't a great benefit from the radiant F400 with the stove located in the corner of the 15 x 20 living room. High clearance requirements at that location were why I didn't put in the very radiant Isle Royale, even though this was my first choice at the time. In our old house, with moderate insulation, we got a lot of room temp swing with the F400 between fires. That all but disappeared with the convective T6. So for our house, with an open floorplan, a convective stove works well enough that most of the time we don't use the blower.

That said, in a large, open room a radiant stove can feel nice due to its line-of-sight, radiant heat, especially if there are very high ceilings.

I’m completely unfamiliar with a convective stove. Once the unit is up to temp, let’s say in the 500-700 degree range for example, is it that different than my F400 at that same temperature in terms of how you feel the heat output?

 

[begreen]

I’m completely unfamiliar with a convective stove. Once the unit is up to temp, let’s say in the 500-700 degree range for example, is it that different than my F400 at that same temperature in terms of how you feel the heat output?

Yes. If you are anywhere around the F400 (front or sides) you will feel the heat radiating. The wall behind it may be at around 150-160ºF even with the rear heat shield on the stove. In a convective stove you will feel the most radiant heat from the front of the stove and the top. If the stove's sides and back are shielded, there will be a much lower amount of heat radiated there.

 

[Todd]

Jotul’s description is a little confusing: “…a typical non-catalytic wood stove with ground breaking Jøtul High Flow™ Combustor technology…”
Is the High Flow Combustor technology the catalyst above the baffle?

Yes.