I know this post has been inactive for some years now but I replaced an Amity top loader, which is a slightly smaller stove when placed next to an F3 CB. The Amity needed to be overhauled but was replaced primarily because I damaged one of the front swing open doors(bent forcing a log that didn't fit while stove was hot), which cause an air leak that couldn't be overcome with re-roping, also the Amity was a traditional black cast iron finish, and the Jotul I purchased was brown Majolica.
A little background is in order, so please bear with me, my Jotul was built stateside in Maine(I believe), my parents have a Blue F3 CB, which was built overseas, also my family including the author has extensive experience burning wood over many decades as both a primary heat source for both home(s) and workshop(s) spaces, so I feel comfortable stating that I am quite proficient.
Firstly let me say that I find the overall casting and door operation of the Jotul to be more sophisticated and I find the door mechanism to be generally nicer and not as crude as most other stoves I've operated...that being said I wouldn't be caught dead buying another Modern Jotul!
Compared to the Amity this stove is terrible, the clean burn baffling cramps the fire box and you cannot maintain a coal bed, which is critical to keeping a stove lit particualarly overnight for continuous use, this is further hampered by the fact that this stove will not burn wood that is not both seasoned and kept absolutely bone dry.
Lastly, this stove is now on its 5th season and every year this thing sheds more of the majolica due to improper metal preparation, my parents stove built overseas is several years older and looks brand new, Jotul's answer via my dealer is...well nothing...buy touch up paint.
In conclusion I can comfortably say if you are considering a 3 cb...don't do it!, based on the way Jotul has stood behind this product i'd go a step further and recommend you stay away from Jotul and possibly all modern stoves starting with catalyst stoves forward. I think its safe to say this is another example of regulation putting guard rails on something and in the process forcing and industry to produce something that no one wants.
I am a competent cast iron welder, and my old stove has since been repaired, at the end of this season the Jotul will be replaced by an older 118 that I have from the 80's or the refurbed Amity, I plan to cut the Jotul in half and may even drop it off at the plant in Maine so I can personally give some unsuspecting slob an earfull!
Yes, stay away from any advancement that burns cleaner and extracts more heat from the wood but requires a little larger stove to accommodate baffles and also requires that you plan a little and not cut your firewood the night before the weather turns cold. The paint issue I can see as a legit complaint.
