Systems are clear checked yesterday - will try the vinegar trick next opportunity as soon as the weather warms a bit.
Thanks for the tip- rjr
Thanks for the tip- rjr
Pros and Cons of your stove
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bogydave said:
awww, you never know when the winds of change might blow through and send me down a different path. Don't be shy :cheese:
Almost exactly one year since I started heating with wood. I started with a Napoleon 1101 insert that was a little undersized for my house. About two weeks ago thanks to all of the great advice i received here on the hearth, I upgraded to a 3.2 cf beast the Osburn 2400 (which is over sized for my house). What I would do differently I did do differently- I bought a much larger stove. I'm also planning and replacing the tiles on my hearth and replacing the mantle this spring/summer. One other thing I wish I could do is raise the hearth about 18-20 inches. This would visually look better, and make it easier to load the stove.
Here's a little analysis of my experience with both.
Pros of 1101:
Great heat output
Great secondaries- Gets secondaries really quick and holds them for hours
Quiet fan, loved the adjustable feature
Easy to use
Nice viewing window
Very light and easy to move around if needed
Cons of 1101:
Small firebox
Needs a deeper drop between door and bottom of firebox so ashes and coals don't spill out when loading
No ashpan
Fan in back of firebox annoying to access for maintenance -however is the reason the fan is so quiet
Pros of Osburn 2400 (I've only had it for 2 weeks but here's my experience so far)
Large firebox (19 deep, 23 wide)
Outrageous heat output
Fantastic secondaries
Powerful fan
Large viewing window on the door
Good burn times
Good depth between bottom of door and bottom of firebox so almost no spillage
Comes out into the room about 7 inches so radiates good heat and has a nice little cook top which I've been using for brewing teas
Has cool Osburn logo carved on the sides
Cons of Osburn 2400:
Fan on high is loud
The thing weighs a ton (Shipped at 545 lbs)
Wish it had an ash pan
I'm not sure of other criticisms yet. I've only been burning in the beast for like 13 days but so far i love this thing. Probably the greatest single item I have ever purchased.
Here's a little analysis of my experience with both.
Pros of 1101:
Great heat output
Great secondaries- Gets secondaries really quick and holds them for hours
Quiet fan, loved the adjustable feature
Easy to use
Nice viewing window
Very light and easy to move around if needed
Cons of 1101:
Small firebox
Needs a deeper drop between door and bottom of firebox so ashes and coals don't spill out when loading
No ashpan
Fan in back of firebox annoying to access for maintenance -however is the reason the fan is so quiet
Pros of Osburn 2400 (I've only had it for 2 weeks but here's my experience so far)
Large firebox (19 deep, 23 wide)
Outrageous heat output
Fantastic secondaries
Powerful fan
Large viewing window on the door
Good burn times
Good depth between bottom of door and bottom of firebox so almost no spillage
Comes out into the room about 7 inches so radiates good heat and has a nice little cook top which I've been using for brewing teas
Has cool Osburn logo carved on the sides
Cons of Osburn 2400:
Fan on high is loud
The thing weighs a ton (Shipped at 545 lbs)
Wish it had an ash pan
I'm not sure of other criticisms yet. I've only been burning in the beast for like 13 days but so far i love this thing. Probably the greatest single item I have ever purchased.
Pros: perfect size for my layout
keeps Lisa and I as warm as (or warmer) than we want to be in our modest home
no maintenance steel construction
large glass to view "caveman tv"
secondary mods make it more efficient and more fun to watch
I also spend a lot of time looking at this stove and it is a dominant feature in the living room. I like the looks, especially with the legs rather than the pedestal. Simple and classic. Looks even better with a fire in it, heat radiating off, and all manner of domesticated creatures lying around it.
Cons: It's not a 13nc. Had I found Hearth.com before my purchase I would have gotten the 13 in the first place.
EW loading only
Ash pan...why bother. I doubt I'd use it even if it were better. I never clean ALL the ashes out anyway.
Sure there are some gorgeous cast iron stoves out there but the price of admission will likely keep me out of that game as will the prospect of rebuilds in the future. I've got enough things in my garage waiting to be rebuilt.
I summmary, we're very pleased with the stove and the wood burning "lifestyle". It sure makes life better in the "season of death". Looking forward to many more great years with this stove.
Btw, great idea for a thread *--Kathleen--*
keeps Lisa and I as warm as (or warmer) than we want to be in our modest home
no maintenance steel construction
large glass to view "caveman tv"
secondary mods make it more efficient and more fun to watch
I also spend a lot of time looking at this stove and it is a dominant feature in the living room. I like the looks, especially with the legs rather than the pedestal. Simple and classic. Looks even better with a fire in it, heat radiating off, and all manner of domesticated creatures lying around it.
Cons: It's not a 13nc. Had I found Hearth.com before my purchase I would have gotten the 13 in the first place.
EW loading only
Ash pan...why bother. I doubt I'd use it even if it were better. I never clean ALL the ashes out anyway.
Sure there are some gorgeous cast iron stoves out there but the price of admission will likely keep me out of that game as will the prospect of rebuilds in the future. I've got enough things in my garage waiting to be rebuilt.
I summmary, we're very pleased with the stove and the wood burning "lifestyle". It sure makes life better in the "season of death". Looking forward to many more great years with this stove.
Btw, great idea for a thread *--Kathleen--*
Jotul Oslo
Pros --
Plenty of heat for my needs
Reliable and simple -- don't hear of too many folks having issues with them
It's objective -- but I like the simple but a bit fancy look with the Gothic arch and metal work
Ash pan . . . a truly functional and useful ash pan
Cons --
On a few rare days of the year I think going up one more size would have been nice . . . of course that's when we're below zero
I dislike the fact that ashes invariably spill out the front door when opened
What I would have done differently . . . just one thing . . . wait for it Shari . . . wait for it . . . I would have splurged and got the blue black "enamel" finish vs. the matte black.
Sometimes I find my eye wanders a bit and I see a stove I think is quite sexy . . . and I would be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by Woodstock's cat/secondary stove . . . but then I realize my Oslo has more than paid for itself and it truly is a good heater.
Pros --
Plenty of heat for my needs
Reliable and simple -- don't hear of too many folks having issues with them
It's objective -- but I like the simple but a bit fancy look with the Gothic arch and metal work
Ash pan . . . a truly functional and useful ash pan
Cons --
On a few rare days of the year I think going up one more size would have been nice . . . of course that's when we're below zero
I dislike the fact that ashes invariably spill out the front door when opened
What I would have done differently . . . just one thing . . . wait for it Shari . . . wait for it . . . I would have splurged and got the blue black "enamel" finish vs. the matte black.
Sometimes I find my eye wanders a bit and I see a stove I think is quite sexy . . . and I would be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by Woodstock's cat/secondary stove . . . but then I realize my Oslo has more than paid for itself and it truly is a good heater.
Country Flame BBF
Pros:
Heats my 2,300sqft house from a fireplace insert.(wish I could try it freestanding)
Large 3.9cf firebox
600cfm variable fan(good for insert use)
Takes 30" long wood in it E-W and 18-19" N-S.
Easy 12-16 hours burns in moderate temps or 8hrs when real heat is needed. Cat is usually still reading in the 400 degree range at that point. I don't consider a few glowing embers part of "burntime" or the times could be much longer.
Cons:
8" flue
Catalytic is pricey compared to others
Wish firebox had a little more height when ashes start to build up
Side glass is always dirty and really not needed
Overall it has been a great heater and kept me warm all winter even in the -20F weather a few nights back. I have the natural gas for backup but the BBF can handle everything if you time reloads properly for the outside temps. I bought a second one for my basement once it gets finished which reminds me of one last negative.(getting a 600lb stove down a flight of stairs)
Pros:
Heats my 2,300sqft house from a fireplace insert.(wish I could try it freestanding)
Large 3.9cf firebox
600cfm variable fan(good for insert use)
Takes 30" long wood in it E-W and 18-19" N-S.
Easy 12-16 hours burns in moderate temps or 8hrs when real heat is needed. Cat is usually still reading in the 400 degree range at that point. I don't consider a few glowing embers part of "burntime" or the times could be much longer.
Cons:
8" flue
Catalytic is pricey compared to others
Wish firebox had a little more height when ashes start to build up
Side glass is always dirty and really not needed
Overall it has been a great heater and kept me warm all winter even in the -20F weather a few nights back. I have the natural gas for backup but the BBF can handle everything if you time reloads properly for the outside temps. I bought a second one for my basement once it gets finished which reminds me of one last negative.(getting a 600lb stove down a flight of stairs)
TL-300
Pros
Top Loading
Cooking Grill for grilling during the winter - I do more grilling in the winter then in the summer
Long burn times when using seasoned wood, very long burn times when using seasoned oak
Heavy well built stove
3 cuft
Cons
AB is tricky especially this year, was a very very wet year causing even my 2 yr cut/split/stacked softwood to become > 20%
Front door gasket issues
20" max wood length
Wish List
4 cuft box
24" max wood length
Larger Grilling surface
24+ burning time.
If Harman came out with a TL-400 that answered my above wishes I would replace the TL-300 with it.
Pros
Top Loading
Cooking Grill for grilling during the winter - I do more grilling in the winter then in the summer
Long burn times when using seasoned wood, very long burn times when using seasoned oak
Heavy well built stove
3 cuft
Cons
AB is tricky especially this year, was a very very wet year causing even my 2 yr cut/split/stacked softwood to become > 20%
Front door gasket issues
20" max wood length
Wish List
4 cuft box
24" max wood length
Larger Grilling surface
24+ burning time.
If Harman came out with a TL-400 that answered my above wishes I would replace the TL-300 with it.
I should of gone bigger. Maybe the F600. Wife talked me out of it. I always thought bigger was better. The Oslo hung in there last night at -22. 5 here now and the stove is slowly heating up the house. I do not burn 24/7. I wish I went to another dealer but the next one is an hours ride away. Mine sucks. Lesson learned.
Regency H2100 Hearth Heater
Pros
For my setup, I have a VERY small prefab so this one works nicely.
We get the benefits of an insert as well as a freestanding stove.
Sits flush with the hearth wall which saves space and makes it safer (we have 3 kids under 3yrs old).
Cooking surface
We have a 2700SF home. It keeps our downstairs 78-80 and our upstairs 70-72. It WORKS!
Big window to see the firey show
Glass, for the most part, stays pretty clean.
Cons
Small firebox and wish there was more depth to I could do better E/W N/S loads without having a big variation in split sizes.
Burn time - getting a good 4-5 hours of heat time (not burn time, but HEAT time). Usually load up at 11PM, but then up around 4AM to put in another load so the wife and kids will have a toasty house to wake up to.
No graduation marks on the damper control to see where you've set the air to. (use to it now though)
Blower needs a medium speed.
All in all, I can't complain too much. We have a very small area to accomdate a stove without alot of modifications. We upgraded from the I1200 this year and I am not regretting it one bit. So much more heat!! This is only my second year burning so I'm still learning alot from you guys. Hoping to get a bigger stove in our next home.
Pros
For my setup, I have a VERY small prefab so this one works nicely.
We get the benefits of an insert as well as a freestanding stove.
Sits flush with the hearth wall which saves space and makes it safer (we have 3 kids under 3yrs old).
Cooking surface
We have a 2700SF home. It keeps our downstairs 78-80 and our upstairs 70-72. It WORKS!
Big window to see the firey show
Glass, for the most part, stays pretty clean.
Cons
Small firebox and wish there was more depth to I could do better E/W N/S loads without having a big variation in split sizes.
Burn time - getting a good 4-5 hours of heat time (not burn time, but HEAT time). Usually load up at 11PM, but then up around 4AM to put in another load so the wife and kids will have a toasty house to wake up to.
No graduation marks on the damper control to see where you've set the air to. (use to it now though)
Blower needs a medium speed.
All in all, I can't complain too much. We have a very small area to accomdate a stove without alot of modifications. We upgraded from the I1200 this year and I am not regretting it one bit. So much more heat!! This is only my second year burning so I'm still learning alot from you guys. Hoping to get a bigger stove in our next home.
I have a old Fisher insert that we have modified with a liner and a big fan. It really works good and puts a lot of heat into the room. I am happy with it because I know it is safe. BUT, It takes a ton of wood and is not very efficient. I would like to swap it out with a D S Machine stove, perhaps one of their circulator models. The D S Stoves are a wood-coal combination. It would have the huge fire box and let me burn wood in the short season. I could burn coal when it really gets cold here in Dec and Jan. As I get older there might be a time when I don't want to fool with wood. Coal has more heat than wood and is not near the trouble with no cutting, splitting, stacking, or drying. Coal is not dirty unless you let it be dirty, but does cost a little to buy. All in all something to think about for the long cold times ahead. David
Pros: it heats the house well and comfortably.
Cons: it doesn't load itself, nor dump its ashes. not the best for pizza so far either, but still working on that.
Cons: it doesn't load itself, nor dump its ashes. not the best for pizza so far either, but still working on that.
Pros -
just right for my setup without any modifications,
it has an excellent combination of insert and stove qualities.
including good radiant heat and a cooktop for power outages!
Firebox is a good size and allows NS loading.
High quality build
Beautiful glass view of the flames and secondaries
Cons -
I'm not that crazy about the paint/finish, it always looks a little bit ashy to me
the bypass damper bar being in the middle of the stovetop makes the stovetop vulnerable to scratches if you aren't careful.
I wish it had a longer burn time, but that's not really a con, it's just the firebox size and it's not a cat stove!
and I wish I had a raised hearth, so it was raised up a bit, but that's not the stove's fault either.
just right for my setup without any modifications,
it has an excellent combination of insert and stove qualities.
including good radiant heat and a cooktop for power outages!
Firebox is a good size and allows NS loading.
High quality build
Beautiful glass view of the flames and secondaries
Cons -
I'm not that crazy about the paint/finish, it always looks a little bit ashy to me
the bypass damper bar being in the middle of the stovetop makes the stovetop vulnerable to scratches if you aren't careful.
I wish it had a longer burn time, but that's not really a con, it's just the firebox size and it's not a cat stove!
and I wish I had a raised hearth, so it was raised up a bit, but that's not the stove's fault either.
Pros - cheap, nice large glass, excellent secondaries with the right wood, glass stays pretty clean, good airwash, only have to wipe haze every blue moon, or someone comes over, adjustable depth, large ash lip
Cons - Cheap, small firebox, blower is more like someone breathing on you, quality is so so, real challenge for n/s loading, thin steel, not much heat retention, baffle is easy to damage, dampener is looseish, like a gummy stickshift, cheap surround (thats not the stoves fault i know)
eh.. heats your backside, to dang small for what i want.
Cons - Cheap, small firebox, blower is more like someone breathing on you, quality is so so, real challenge for n/s loading, thin steel, not much heat retention, baffle is easy to damage, dampener is looseish, like a gummy stickshift, cheap surround (thats not the stoves fault i know)
eh.. heats your backside, to dang small for what i want.
BrowningBAR said:
+1 on tending multiple stoves. One of the reasons I am considering a BK 1107 for our upcoming addition (basement install) is to load it up and forget about it for many hours - almost like a wood furnance if that's a good term. For the comfort, looks and feel, we have the Keystone in our living room. Also, I too like the cat stoves for long clean low burns when necessary.
Bill
Woodstock Keystone:
Pros:
Lots of heat output
Clean low burns
Easy to operate
Ash Pan
Easy on the eyes - great fireviewing window
Cons:
Larger fire box would be nice.
Pros:
Lots of heat output
Clean low burns
Easy to operate
Ash Pan
Easy on the eyes - great fireviewing window
Cons:
Larger fire box would be nice.
My Kent Sherwood
I have a real hard time finding fault with the Kent. Although it's pre EPA, it's no smoke dragon, so I can get a clean burn out of it. The quarter inch steel construction is bulletproof and can easily be pushed when needed. Always coals in the morning and the direct bypass makes restarts so easy. If I had to complain about anything, it's plain. It doesn't have the pretty soapstone or ornate cast iron design. But it does what I ask and for that, I'm happy.
I have a real hard time finding fault with the Kent. Although it's pre EPA, it's no smoke dragon, so I can get a clean burn out of it. The quarter inch steel construction is bulletproof and can easily be pushed when needed. Always coals in the morning and the direct bypass makes restarts so easy. If I had to complain about anything, it's plain. It doesn't have the pretty soapstone or ornate cast iron design. But it does what I ask and for that, I'm happy.
Pros: Great company with great stove. Stove extremely well built. We burn much less wood and get much more heat. Wood burns extremely clean so we don't clean the chimney very often. Beautiful stove. Very low maintenance.
Cons: Heavy beast! But that can also be a pro. Not cheap compared to the box stores but well worth the dollars. We waited too long to buy this stove.
Cons: Heavy beast! But that can also be a pro. Not cheap compared to the box stores but well worth the dollars. We waited too long to buy this stove.
Well, I love everything about my old stove except it is a little hard to keep the glass clean except when it is really cold and I am burning the hottest. Other than that, it has kept me warm with very little effort or maintenance for almost 30 years now. Actually no maintenance except oil the motor every 3 or 4 years.
We are enjoying our first full winter of wood heat in five years. For the story of our season in the wilderness of no woodheat search my other posts....
Our little Jasper Drolet is making a significant dint in our hydro power bill this winter. We are going through more wood than we would have had I bought an EPA stove. As far as this stove goes though it is a good little heater that has made the rec room the place where our entire family wants to be. As we have learned how to fire it and to work the fiddly little draft on it we are getting more and more heat out of it.
Changes that we would make would be to upgrade our open throat fireplace to an insert of some sort. We will likely at one of the Osburn bay window units when the time comes.
In hindsight there are several things I would have done differently with this house project and its heating needs.
As we were in a tremendous rush due to winter approaching fast we hit the panic button on some aspects of recycling a house onto a new basement and one of them was the plumbing and heating. Due to the fact that I felt in over my head I called a friend's plumbing and heating company and let them have at that part of the project. They gave us a reasonable price on the work but we ended up taking out perfectly good baseboard heaters, which were not our favorite type of heat but they worked, and installing brand new duct work and an electric furnace. We also went for central air as well. To top it off we ended up in an almost 4 year p*****g match with insurance companies over the wood stove we had hoped to install.
What I wish we would have done now is a ducted zero clearance fireplace in the basement and an insert in the fireplace upstairs for heating.
Then I would have gone with a combo of much better window coverings to insulate in both winter and summer and a simple central AC unit into the same ductwork as the fireplace.
Because we have an open stairwell for return air we would not have needed cold air returns on the simple system.
We live and we learn but unlike friends who buy homes and flip them we have no intention of leaving unless a heavenly voice makes it crystal clear that we are to sell our property. This means that we will not be rushing to make changes any time soon.
Our little Jasper Drolet is making a significant dint in our hydro power bill this winter. We are going through more wood than we would have had I bought an EPA stove. As far as this stove goes though it is a good little heater that has made the rec room the place where our entire family wants to be. As we have learned how to fire it and to work the fiddly little draft on it we are getting more and more heat out of it.
Changes that we would make would be to upgrade our open throat fireplace to an insert of some sort. We will likely at one of the Osburn bay window units when the time comes.
In hindsight there are several things I would have done differently with this house project and its heating needs.
As we were in a tremendous rush due to winter approaching fast we hit the panic button on some aspects of recycling a house onto a new basement and one of them was the plumbing and heating. Due to the fact that I felt in over my head I called a friend's plumbing and heating company and let them have at that part of the project. They gave us a reasonable price on the work but we ended up taking out perfectly good baseboard heaters, which were not our favorite type of heat but they worked, and installing brand new duct work and an electric furnace. We also went for central air as well. To top it off we ended up in an almost 4 year p*****g match with insurance companies over the wood stove we had hoped to install.
What I wish we would have done now is a ducted zero clearance fireplace in the basement and an insert in the fireplace upstairs for heating.
Then I would have gone with a combo of much better window coverings to insulate in both winter and summer and a simple central AC unit into the same ductwork as the fireplace.
Because we have an open stairwell for return air we would not have needed cold air returns on the simple system.
We live and we learn but unlike friends who buy homes and flip them we have no intention of leaving unless a heavenly voice makes it crystal clear that we are to sell our property. This means that we will not be rushing to make changes any time soon.
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