What tools should I buy?

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marajade

marajade

Member
Nov 6, 2014
81
Massachusetts
The hearth is on a truck headed my way and the installer pulled my permit so hopefully I can start burning soon in my oslo

I bought gloves, a thermometer and an ash bucket... Now I'm shopping for tools.

Should I get a mini tool set like this?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0036...SX200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=312tQJjwyFL&ref=plSrch

Why is it so $$? That particular set has a rake; there is a $70 set that has tongs instead.

What do you have and love? I was going to get a moisture Meter as well.
 
Wood ok? You may want a splitting maul. Not every piece will be perfect sized and may need to be split smaller. Someone will try to talk you into a fiskers. Go ahead if you want. I'll spend the other $30 on something that makes a difference. Small axe or hatchet for kindling would be good too. Got a tool set for x-mas last year. It's still in the box. I welded up a rake/hoe and use that all the time. Plus a poker my Dad made years ago. The set you linked to is fine but I like having longer stuff to stay back away from the heat. You'll figure out what you like in time.
 
My only tool at the stove is a great shovel that came with the original Vermont Casting stoves. It's strong enough to use as a poker and a rake.
Someone gave us a tool set and it sits unused.
 
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marajade said:
The hearth is on a truck headed my way and the installer pulled my permit so hopefully I can start burning soon in my oslo

I bought gloves, a thermometer and an ash bucket... Now I'm shopping for tools.

Should I get a mini tool set like this?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0036...SX200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=312tQJjwyFL&ref=plSrch

Why is it so $$? That particular set has a rake; there is a $70 set that has tongs instead.

What do you have and love? I was going to get a moisture Meter as well.
Click to expand...
No don't buy that kit, you have gloves, welders I hope, a poker and a ash bucket. I would get a small garden rake to move the coals forward to reload at night, other than that you should be set. I am looking at my stove and tools as I type and maybe a kindling basket and something to sweep up cold ashes would be my thought and a couple of slaves to bring wood in and split stack- get the message lol
Kevin
 
I have a short set like the ones you show and it works perfect for a wood stove. I wear gloves so a little bit of heat is no big deal. I had a set of tongs also and just ended up cutting them up and making them into other tools.
 
shovel, rake and 4 inch paint brush is all I use. Never owned a tool set. That extra stuff would just get in the way when I'm grabbing for the rake.
 
Poker, shovel, dust pan and a little hand broom. Instead of the bucket, get a long, shallow pan of some sort, one that will allow you to hold it right below the door, angle the shovel down and pull it back, sliding the ashes off the shovel onto the bottom of the pan. Beats dumping them into a bucket and creating a big dust cloud. Tongs might be nice to re-position splits, since you have no andirons.
 
I use the BK supplied tool a lot lot lot. Its just a piece of 3/8 or 1/2 rebar with a 90 degree angle on it about 1.5" from the tip. Well, OK, its nicer than that, but it is about all I use for burning wood anymore. I think I used tongs once this winter, those will be in the shed next winter.

For ashes I use a shovel and basically a metal pooper-scooper for a cat's litter box. My next coal/ ash separator will probably be a small garden rake, about 3/4" between the tines.

Small broom for keeping the hearth swept up, use the shovel for a dustpan. My stove has an ash bin in a sliding drawer under the firebox. The ash bin has a handle on it. Without that I would need some kind of metal bucket to get hot ashes out to the 35gal metal trashcan in the snow to hold ashes. Bungee cord to hold the lid on the metal trashcan when the wind picks up.

Moisture meter, 10-30 bucks, no reason to buy a more expensive one. Humidifier. Compare your local price for distilled water to buying a home distillation unit on Amazon. I went with Mega-Home brand, about $200, paid for itself in about three months at my local Kroger's price for distilled h2o. Some kind of tote or wrap or sack or something to carry wood to the hearth without dropping a bunch of crap on the living room carpet.
 
I make my own tools so have easy access to "try before you buy" and use a rake 99% of the time - shovel when cleaning out ash. All others are decoration. I also have a small brush and dust pan for hearth maintenance.

$130.00 is not a lot for a nice set of tools at all. I sell my custom tools(to your specs) for 100.00 a piece.
 
The Oslo has a great ash pan system so you shouldn't need to worry about shoveling out ashes ... a small dust pan and broom are often used by me to keep the hearth clean. I have a mini tool set but pretty much only use the small shovel to stir the ashes, move wood, etc
 
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