Vogelzang/us stove co 3200 1week review

[Vg3200p]

Have had our vogelzang 3200 for a week now. It's been a roller coaster . Had the vogelzang 2k sqft model before. It was a solid stove and never gave me a problem. It was just to small for our house. The 3200 though has been nothing but trouble so far. 1st night had a very minor overfire because the ash plug gasket was loose from the factory. After I fixed that it would slightly overfire because they made this stove a very easy breather. So I sealed the (boost) air plate with stove silicone. Had a few good burns after that. Was feeling good about the stove. Then last night it had a huge overfire. Stt got up to 980f or more. Center of stove top was glowing red and bowing down. Flue surface temp was over 700f. This is with air that had been in full shutdown for 30min and the already sealed (boost) air. So for before tonight's fire I installed 2 key dampers. Now she seems very controllable. I really wanted to love this stove and I think I will come to ad time goes on. But I would not reccomend this stove to anyone unless your ready to tinker on it. The way this stove comes from the factory at least with my chimney setup(around 25 to 30ft counting the stovepipe) I think is unsafe. It breathes way way to easy. Now that being said it is a great heater and I've gotten quite a few 12hr reload cycles out of it this first week. And I plan to use this stove as our only heatsource for as long as I can make it last. It also produces long beautiful secondaries when the burn is controled. So for anyone looking to buy one of these. I highly recommend installing a key damper first and be prepared for some overfires. Or better yet buy a better designed stove if you can afford it

 

[3650]

I couldn’t imagine installing A stove without a manual pipe damper. Guess I’m old fashioned.

 

[begreen]

It would be good to provide feedback to US Stove on these trials.

 

[Vg3200p]

I couldn’t imagine installing A stove without a manual pipe damper. Guess I’m old fashioned.

After this experience I never will again. This is my second season on wood so not terribly experienced but the old stove never came close to needing one on the same chimney

 

[Vg3200p]

It would be good to provide feedback to US Stove on these trials.

I think I will begreen

 

[3650]

Did the manufacturer recommend one? I wonder if this is a method US stove uses to pass EPA regulations? Making a stove burn hot would improve emissions wouldn’t it?

A few years ago I bought a US stove 1269e logwood burner. It was late spring and they had a $75 price tag on it. I thought what the heck so I brought it home for s&g. I was looking it over and it was somewhat strange. It had secondaries and a baffle insulated with ceramic blanket material. There was no air control. The secondary air intake began underneath the stove. The door had two holes on it with no way to close or reduce air intake there. The flue adapter had a manual pipe damper in it that was pinned to one position and could not be altered. It was pretty clear this stove was going to be at the mercy of the chimney draft and the permanent setting of that mpd. I can’t recall if they suggested a mpd in the stove pipe. I don’t think they did but I put one in anyway. My chimney has extreme draft. This stove was somewhat difficult to get going but when the winds kicked in it got very hot if I hadn’t had the 2nd mpd there would have been no way to control it as the factory one was pinned to one setting. I just thought this was some method they came up with to meet epa requirements.

 

[Vg3200p]

Manual say nothing about a damper. This stove has 2 air inlets a primary left handle. And a (boost) air right handle

 

[Vg3200p]

I would think this stove would overfire even on a very short chimney system

 

[ckr74]

I think I would try to return it and get your money back. That thing is a danger to you and your home.

 

[VintageGal]

I think I would try to return it and get your money back. That thing is a danger to you and your home.

I'll second that!

 

[Vg3200p]

I think I would try to return it and get your money back. That thing is a danger to you and your home.

While I agree that this stove is dangerous in factory form. The 2 key dampers and sealing the ashplug and boost air. Has made it much more controlable. This will be our stove until it is un usable. I'm hoping for at least a decade. Only time will tell

 

[brenndatomu]

It would be good to provide feedback to US Stove on these trials.

I think I will begreen

USSC won't care...their CS sux.

 

[Vg3200p]

USSC won't care...their CS sux.

We will see I've sent out a text to them.(couldn't find an email address on they're website) explaining the situation and what I think about this stove. If I get a reply at all I expect it to be very generic.

 

[Vg3200p]

@begreen @bholler. Since you guys arguably help more people on here than anyone else I wanted yall to see this. So I found the reason why these stoves run so hot. It's 39 here right now so warm. Draft shouldn't be to strong. Had all air shutdown and 2 key dampers closed. And was still getting 800+ stt with flue surface temps of 400f 18" above flue. This had been after a very slow and gentle startup. Shut air and dampers down way early less than 200f flue surface temps. So I started testing with an incense to see where it was getting all this air. Pulled ash pan and smoke got sucked into huge air inlets that are unregulated. 2 on each side. Each one is about 2" by1". So that's 8sq inches of uncontrollable air. On top of 2 big controllable air slots. Plugged them with tin foil and within 2 min temps dropped a huge amount and Flames became lazy. Just thought it would be good info for people who buy one of these

 

[brenndatomu]

Isn't that your secondary air inlet(s)? Those generally are unregulated on most stoves...if that's what they are, then you don't want to totally block them off...

 

[Vg3200p]

Isn't that your secondary air inlet(s)? Those generally are unregulated on most stoves...if that's what they are, then you don't want to totally block them off...

I don't know what they are but. The stove is damn near uncontrollable with them unblocked. I smoke checked everywhere on the stove and could find no leaks. But these sucked up the smoke like crazy. Like I said it's warm tonight I shut both air controls and both dampers down way early in the burn and fire started slow. Then all of a sudden after air and dampers had been closed for 20min at this point. It starts taking off. Stt of 800+ and flue surface temps of 400+ in my opinion not safe for everything having been shutdown for 20min. I blocked those intakes and right now have stt of 640 and flue surface of 280. Secondaries still burning. Opened up 1 of the key dampers

 

[Vg3200p]

With those ports blocked for Goin on 30 mins still got secondaries

 

[brenndatomu]

Sounds like some sort of horror movie wood stove...ya can't kill it!

 

[Vg3200p]

Sounds like some sort of horror movie wood stove...ya can't kill it!

For real though. This thing breathe scary strong

 

[bholler]

I don't know what they are but. The stove is damn near uncontrollable with them unblocked. I smoke checked everywhere on the stove and could find no leaks. But these sucked up the smoke like crazy. Like I said it's warm tonight I shut both air controls and both dampers down way early in the burn and fire started slow. Then all of a sudden after air and dampers had been closed for 20min at this point. It starts taking off. Stt of 800+ and flue surface temps of 400+ in my opinion not safe for everything having been shutdown for 20min. I blocked those intakes and right now have stt of 640 and flue surface of 280. Secondaries still burning. Opened up 1 of the key dampers

They probably are secondary inlets just pay attention and make sure you still have good secondaries. I have a feeling ussco simply added more air to meet 2020 regardless instead of putting money into actual engineering.

 

[Vg3200p]

They probably are secondary inlets just pay attention and make sure you still have good secondaries. I have a feeling ussco simply added more air to meet 2020 regardless instead of putting money into actual engineering.

I 100% agree. What a horrible design

 

[moresnow]

If both recently sealed openings are indeed the secondary supply.........

Why are you continuing to experience such vigorous secondary burn

May need more foil and goop somewhere!

Kidding. Good luck.

 

[3650]

Maybe try to find a diagram of the stove and understand the anatomy. Might be able to see the air pathways better.

 

[3650]

I read in one review of this stove that the primary intake had jumped track and wasn’t operating correctly. Maybe check that next time it’s shut down.

Another review said that the manual had the directions for setting the air intake controls reversed. Pulling the damper rods out away from the stove closes them.

 

[Vg3200p]

Yes out shuts them down. I have checked controls probably 30 times now lol. Those ports I shut off are the secondary ports but it's uncontrollable with them open. I've checked for air leaks all over tge stove and have not been able to find any