Sud Chemie Steel Cat

[raybonz]

Last night it rained and got mild here so I let the stove cool down and cleaned the extra ash out and installed my new steel cat and it works excellent! It went catalytic very quickly and even with a small load there was no smoke coming from my chimney! I definately got a great deal on this cat since I found out they are the same ones Condar sells for $179.00 and I paid $59.00 shipped... Gotta love that deal! I bought some interam gasket thinking I would need it to seal around this cat but it was a snug fit without the gasket.. Man this cat is the cats meow!! I keep thinking about replacing this stove then it works so well and has lasted so long with hardly any parts and I keep rethinking the whole thing.. Chris aka VCBurner got the same cat and I want to hear what his thoughts are now...

Ray

 

[homebrewz]

Is that the round cat, or a rectangular one? I bought a steel one for my VC Defiant Encore and so far so good on its second season.
Mine is rectangular, about 12" x 2.5". I've never seen them below $180 or so. If I ever get another cat stove, price of replacement
cat's will definitely play into stove choice.

 

[raybonz]

Is that the round cat, or a rectangular one? I bought a steel one for my VC Defiant Encore and so far so good on its second season.
Mine is rectangular, about 12" x 2.5". I've never seen them below $180 or so. If I ever get another cat stove, price of replacement
cat's will definitely play into stove choice.

This is the 6" round by 2" thick version a very common size.. Man I gotta tell you I am really impressed with the performance as i type this water is steaming away on the polished cooktop!! I hear what you're saying with an odd size expensive cat this stove has saved me a small fortune with its' common available parts.. It really does pay when you look at the maintenance part costs as they sure add up in the long run..

Ray

 

[WoodpileOCD]

Last night it rained and got mild here so I let the stove cool down and cleaned the extra ash out and installed my new steel cat and it works excellent! It went catalytic very quickly and even with a small load there was no smoke coming from my chimney! I definately got a great deal on this cat since I found out they are the same ones Condar sells for $179.00 and I paid $59.00 shipped... Gotta love that deal! I bought some interam gasket thinking I would need it to seal around this cat but it was a snug fit without the gasket.. Man this cat is the cats meow!! I keep thinking about replacing this stove then it works so well and has lasted so long with hardly any parts and I keep rethinking the whole thing.. Chris aka VCBurner got the same cat and I want to hear what his thoughts are now...

Ray

OK.. where did you get it for such a great price?

 

[Todd]

Woodstock gets their new steel cats from them. I'll be needing one soon, going on 4th year with ceramic cat.

Do you find lite offs at a lower temp than old type?

 

[Hardrockmaple]

Last night it rained and got mild here so I let the stove cool down and cleaned the extra ash out and installed my new steel cat and it works excellent! It went catalytic very quickly and even with a small load there was no smoke coming from my chimney! I definately got a great deal on this cat since I found out they are the same ones Condar sells for $179.00 and I paid $59.00 shipped... Gotta love that deal! I bought some interam gasket thinking I would need it to seal around this cat but it was a snug fit without the gasket.. Man this cat is the cats meow!! I keep thinking about replacing this stove then it works so well and has lasted so long with hardly any parts and I keep rethinking the whole thing.. Chris aka VCBurner got the same cat and I want to hear what his thoughts are now...

Ray

That happens to me every new heating season. But, I've yet to find any stove (other than a *large* CDW) that I would want to replace my little stove with. Now, with the Condar Steelcat I've resigned myself to never owning another new stove. The *large* version is now a "want", rather than a ""need". :coolsmirk:

 

[raybonz]

Last night it rained and got mild here so I let the stove cool down and cleaned the extra ash out and installed my new steel cat and it works excellent! It went catalytic very quickly and even with a small load there was no smoke coming from my chimney! I definately got a great deal on this cat since I found out they are the same ones Condar sells for $179.00 and I paid $59.00 shipped... Gotta love that deal! I bought some interam gasket thinking I would need it to seal around this cat but it was a snug fit without the gasket.. Man this cat is the cats meow!! I keep thinking about replacing this stove then it works so well and has lasted so long with hardly any parts and I keep rethinking the whole thing.. Chris aka VCBurner got the same cat and I want to hear what his thoughts are now...

Ray

OK.. where did you get it for such a great price?

E-Bay!

Ray

 

[raybonz]

Woodstock gets their new steel cats from them. I'll be needing one soon, going on 4th year with ceramic cat.

Do you find lite offs at a lower temp than old type?

Yes I found it lit off much faster and much quicker response on reload too... So far so good . Woodstocl is selling them at a very good price you may want to grab one now while the price is right..

Ray

 

[raybonz]

Update on the new Sud Chemie steel cat.. I loaded up the stove with red oak last night and choked the air way down.. It was about 12 degrees and windy here and the downstairs temp was 75 when I went to bed, upstairs around 73.. Got up 7 1/2 hrs. later (it was 10 degrees outside) and the stove was still running catalytic and I had several large coals burning, the temp was 69 degrees both up and downstairs.. My 3 qt. porcelain coated bowl ran dry during the night.. This stove is performing like a thoroughbred with this new cat! I have never seen this stove go catalytic so quickly and burn so clean.. It runs for hrs. with cat temp around 1350 degrees and the water slowly boils.. I am anxious to see what VCBurner has to say about his Sud Chemie cat when he gets it installed.. If I ever see another Sud Chemie deal like this on e-bay again I will buy it..

Ray

 

[Woody Stover]

I definately got a great deal on this cat since I found out they are the same ones Condar sells for $179.00

Whoa, where did you find that out, Ray?!

Woodstock gets their new steel cats from them.
Do you find lite offs at a lower temp than old type?

It went catalytic very quickly

It certainly sounds like it lights off at a lower temp.
May not be as big a price break on Ebay vs. Woodstock. The SS from Woodstock is only $100, as I'm sure you know.

I've yet to find any stove (other than a *large* CDW) that I would want to replace my little stove with.

Looking here, it doesn't seem like there's much to be gained in terms of BTUs. Maybe the Large would radiate more or give a little longer burn time. I've got no trouble getting an overnight burn with the Small, though.
At vermontcastings.com, the Large is rated about 6% more efficient FWIW...less wood burned, I guess.

 

[raybonz]

I definately got a great deal on this cat since I found out they are the same ones Condar sells for $179.00

Whoa, where did you find that out, Ray?!

I called Sud Chemie and spoke to the rep and he told me they make the steel cats for Condar.

Woodstock gets their new steel cats from them.
Do you find lite offs at a lower temp than old type?

It went catalytic very quickly

It certainly sounds like it lights off at a lower temp.
May not be as big a price break on Ebay vs. Woodstock. The SS from Woodstock is only $100, as I'm sure you know.

The price from Woodstock is $125.00 and they will probably go up.. $125.00 is a very good deal and shows that Woodstock cares about its' stove owners.

I've yet to find any stove (other than a *large* CDW) that I would want to replace my little stove with.

Looking here, it doesn't seem like there's much to be gained in terms of BTUs. Maybe the Large would radiate more or give a little longer burn time. I've got no trouble getting an overnight burn with the Small, though.
At vermontcastings.com, the Large is rated about 6% more efficient, FWIW.

I run an old large here and it holds more wood hence the longer burn times and also will generate more heat with more wood able to burn in one load.. With the smoke being burned so completely more btu's are realized so efficiency will go up.. I like the newer Dutchwest stoves and feel they will perform on par with this stove and be a little easier to operate for a new wood burner.. The only refractory mat'l used in the newer Dutchwest is a protected area a feature I really like..

Ray

 

[Hardrockmaple]

I've yet to find any stove (other than a *large* CDW) that I would want to replace my little stove with.

Looking here, it doesn't seem like there's much to be gained in terms of BTUs. Maybe the Large would radiate more or give a little longer burn time. I've got no trouble getting an overnight burn with the Small, though.
At vermontcastings.com, the Large is rated about 6% more efficient FWIW...less wood burned, I guess.

And this is why I bought the 2460 originally and glad I did. 90% of the time the *small* does the job, the brrr cold 10% of the time it's not quite enough, I put on a long sleeved shirt. As to burn time (enough coals to relight without using a match), I routinely get 8-9 hrs and have seen 12 hr. refires. Great stoves IMO.

 

[raybonz]

I've yet to find any stove (other than a *large* CDW) that I would want to replace my little stove with.

Looking here, it doesn't seem like there's much to be gained in terms of BTUs. Maybe the Large would radiate more or give a little longer burn time. I've got no trouble getting an overnight burn with the Small, though.
At vermontcastings.com, the Large is rated about 6% more efficient FWIW...less wood burned, I guess.

And this is why I bought the 2460 originally and glad I did. 90% of the time the *small* does the job, the brrr cold 10% of the time it's not quite enough, I put on a long sleeved shirt. As to burn time (enough coals to relight without using a match), I routinely get 8-9 hrs and have seen 12 hr. refires. Great stoves IMO.

I agree I think they are a good stove and this one is just the next size up and is a good size for my home.. I can relight after 12 hrs. too but there will be little heat coming from the stove and when it's cold I want heat.. Cat stoves are a good choice in this climate as I can run it low or high as needed..

Ray

 

[Woody Stover]

90% of the time the *small* does the job, the brrr cold 10% of the time it's not quite enough, I put on a long sleeved shirt

I have to wear more clothes than you do, it sounds like. :lol:
I'm in the process of getting some of the air leaks in the house taken care of, so that will help. I just stuck a blower on it last night to try it out. The fire was low when I got home and with the blower and a good fire, it went from 62* to 66* in ~ 2.5 hours. It's definitely working. The noise is bad, though. First there's the base noise of the fan which didn't sound too bad in free air, but with the fireplace acting as a megaphone, is pretty loud. Then there's this other harmonic vibe at varying speeds...woooooo, woooo, wooo, woooo, wooooooo. Oy vey! I'm hoping that with the rheostat, I can find a speed where it doesn't do that, and minimize the base noise level. Another bad thing; I was hoping that when I turned the fan off, convective air would still move through the fan and stove passively. Apparently, that's not the case. I don't have the thermostat yet, so when I turn the fan off I guess I'll drop down the block-off plates so that the stove can convect.

 

[raybonz]

90% of the time the *small* does the job, the brrr cold 10% of the time it's not quite enough, I put on a long sleeved shirt

I have to wear more clothes than you do, it sounds like. :lol:
I'm in the process of getting some of the air leaks in the house taken care of, so that will help. I just stuck a blower on it last night to try it out. The fire was low when I got home and with the blower and a good fire, it went from 62* to 66* in ~ 2.5 hours. It's definitely working. The noise is bad, though. First there's the base noise of the fan which didn't sound too bad in free air, but with the fireplace acting as a megaphone, is pretty loud. Then there's this other harmonic vibe at varying speeds...woooooo, woooo, wooo, woooo, wooooooo. Oy vey! I'm hoping that with the rheostat, I can find a speed where it doesn't do that, and minimize the base noise level. Another bad thing; I was hoping that when I turned the fan off, convective air would still move through the fan and stove passively. Apparently, that's not the case. I don't have the thermostat yet, so when I turn the fan off I guess I'll drop down the block-off plates so that the stove can convect.

Sounds like you need a new fan.. I grafted a Dayton blower onto this stove decades ago.. To reduce noise I blocked about half the air on the suction side of the fan and it made a huge difference.. I used some gorilla tape to seal off half the intake air and it is much quieter now plus it reduces the load on the blower motor too.. Try it and I think you will be surprised the sound difference and it costs nothing to do it.. Adding a speed control can actually make it louder as it introduces an electrical hum unless you are using a high end speed control..

Ray

 

[Woody Stover]

I called Sud Chemie and spoke to the rep and he told me they make the steel cats for Condar.

Sweet. My SIL has a Small also, and the Cat is toast. She'll be happy to know that she only has to shell out 1/3 the amount I originally told her. :coolsmile: I've got to get these low-temp lightoff steelies in both of the SILs' stoves. They don't have the patience to operate their stoves efficiently; As long as they're warm, they don't care if they are smoke-bombing the neighborhood.
Maybe I can guilt-trip 'em; "If you'd burn your wood better, I wouldn't have to cut you as much." :lol:
I'm gonna get a steelie for my stove too, and save the ceramic for a back-up.

 

[raybonz]

I called Sud Chemie and spoke to the rep and he told me they make the steel cats for Condar.

Sweet. My SIL has a Small also, and the Cat is toast. She'll be happy to know that she only has to shell out 1/3 the amount I originally told her. :coolsmile: I've got to get these low-temp lightoff steelies in both of the SILs' stoves. They don't have the patience to operate their stoves efficiently; As long as they're warm, they don't care if they are smoke-bombing the neighborhood.
Maybe I can guilt-trip 'em; "If you'd burn your wood better, I wouldn't have to cut you as much." :lol:
I'm gonna get a steelie for my stove too, and save the ceramic for a back-up.

Good luck with that as I have not seen any more Sud Chemie steel cats on E-bay since .. I planned on getting another if I can get it at that price but it seems that those 3 might have been the last of the Mohicans.. Fortunately VCBurner managed to get the same deal as I did.. Must have been my lucky day!

Ray

 

[Woody Stover]

Oops, double post!

 

[Woody Stover]

Good luck with that as I have not seen any more Sud Chemie steel cats on E-bay since

:shut:
I shoulda jumped on that when you first posted about it.

 

[raybonz]

Good luck with that as I have not seen any more Sud Chemie steel cats on E-bay since

:shut:
I shoulda jumped on that when you first posted about it.

If Woodstock stoves ever sells the steel cats 6"X2" for $125.00 I may buy one while it's a great deal.. Right now they only show the ceramic in that size.. I honestly feel this stove has never run better for a few reasons.. I replaced the bypass damper gasket, added high temp insulation around the cat (about 2/3 of the way around) and installed this S/S cat.. It works better now then 20 years ago and that says alot! As it stands now I think it would pass epa phase II requirements..

Ray

 

[Hardrockmaple]

If Woodstock stoves ever sells the steel cats 6"X2" for $125.00 I may buy one while it's a great deal.. Right now they only show the ceramic in that size.. I honestly feel this stove has never run better for a few reasons.. I replaced the bypass damper gasket, added high temp insulation around the cat (about 2/3 of the way around) and installed this S/S cat.. It works better now then 20 years ago and that says alot! As it stands now I think it would pass epa phase II requirements..

Ray

I did basically the same maintenance last fall as you describe above. Received my new Steelcat from Condar in mid Jan. and am impressed with the results as well. I had installed a new ceramic cat last Nov. but wanted to try the steel version so badly I replaced the almost new ceramic unit with the steel one at first chance.

I can say my stove is working better than when I bought it new, but, when being honest with myself I have to admit that this is because I now understand the darned thing.

I really like the early lite offs.

 

[raybonz]

If Woodstock stoves ever sells the steel cats 6"X2" for $125.00 I may buy one while it's a great deal.. Right now they only show the ceramic in that size.. I honestly feel this stove has never run better for a few reasons.. I replaced the bypass damper gasket, added high temp insulation around the cat (about 2/3 of the way around) and installed this S/S cat.. It works better now then 20 years ago and that says alot! As it stands now I think it would pass epa phase II requirements..

Ray

I did basically the same maintenance last fall as you describe above. Received my new Steelcat from Condar in mid Jan. and am impressed with the results as well. I had installed a new ceramic cat last Nov. but wanted to try the steel version so badly I replaced the almost new ceramic unit with the steel one at first chance.

I can say my stove is working better than when I bought it new, but, when being honest with myself I have to admit that this is because I now understand the darned thing.

I really like the early lite offs.

Being honest and I do understand this stove very well it is much easier to operate it now (my wife just wants to add wood to the stove, close the door and close the bypass lol).. Now it seems this entirely possible with this new cat.. Many times I have come home to see the stove smouldering and the cat at 300 degrees.. UGH!! I have used perhaps 3-4 ceramic cats over the years and the only thing I had to learn was give this stove less air and she purrs like a kitten...

Ray