Used Jotul F400 Advice

[Bugnurd]

Hi,

I just looked at a 2005 Jotul F400. It's a friend of a friend and says he would cut me a deal because of that and also to avoid the hassle of craigslisting. He wanted to post it for $800. Our friend thinks we should offer $300, and accept up to $500.

It definitely needs to be cleaned up repainted & re-gasketted.

I didn't notice any cracks or warping when I looked at it, but did recall thinking that the top baffle (the plate with all the holes in it) looked in rough shape and possibly bent. Looking at the pictures, it seems as though the cast piece just above that is sagging in the middle. Is that supposed to be straight across?

Also, the door gasket is missing from the bottom. The seller has not used it, and it is unclear whether the previous (original) owner used it like this.

Any thoughts or advice you can provide on this stove would be appreciated. If I can get it for $500 or hopefully less, should I bite?

Thanks! Here are some pics.

 

[webby3650]

I would. The baffle is warped, but not unserviceable. Look very closely for cracks on the floor of the stove. They will fill with ash and be very hard to see. If it’s not cracked anywhere, it’s worth $500 easily.

 

[Allagash350]

For the price yes. However price out some parts before you purchase it. They are expensive.
The stove was most likely overfired at some point unless it has been sitting for a while.
The gasket on the ash pan door hanging down would imply to me that the stove was running hotter due to this. It could just be from sitting for a while though.
I got mine used in trade, and went through the entire thing and took it all apart. Replaced every gasket, cleaned and inspected everything before I used it.
It’s a great stove

 

[Allagash350]

Also 300 is way too low. 5-7 or 8 hundred is completely reasonable and a very fair price still

 

[begreen]

If air has been leaking through the ash pan door it's possible to crack the base. You'll want to inspect the area around the the grate recess very closely for cracking. This is what you are looking for (pic is of an F500 base). Vacuum out the ash around the grate. Wipe it down with a damp rag. If the base is cracked, pass.

 

[Bugnurd]

Thanks for the input. I think we’re going to pass. Back to the drawing board. I think we’ll more likely look at new stoves from here on out. We’re total wood stove newbs, so I’d like to be confident in what we get right from the start.

 

[begreen]

No problem. You will need dry wood for any new stove and seasoned wood is not easy to find. You should have at least 3 cords fully seasoned wood, stacked and top covered by October.