Cast or Steel

[sdt7618]

Guys,

finally getting round to doing the living room and new stove, have narrowed it down to 2, one is cast the other is steel.

whats the pro's and con's

we currently have a steel and one of the options is the same make aarrow,( uk brand) and have had now worries with it.

Aarrow Ecoburn 11 kW Multi-Fuel Wood Burning Stove

the other is Invicta modean stove uk

both have similar outputs etc.

but the cast v steel issue has reared it's head and got me confussed.

Steve

 

[Fyrebug]

Pros & Cons of Steel vs Cast

Hi Steve and thanks for asking.

The first thing you may want to do is establish a budget of what is the most you can spend. The second thing to ask is: is this going to be your primary heater? or are you more after the looks?

The Pros of Cast is they look great! A good brand to go shopping for is Jotul or Hearthstone. I would stay away from Vermont Casting. Because the material is thicker, they tend to retain their heat longer. The cons are they are typically more expensive and if you overfire them they can crack and then it's next to impossible to fix.

Steel stoves are typically less expensive, they come in a variety of size, looks, options etc... Some excellent value brands in North America are: Drolet, Flame, Century. If you want something more upscale you cant go wrong with either Osburn, Enerzone etc...

If you tell me a bit more about the size of your house, the level of insulation, where you live (state of province), what kind of wood you burn etc... I can help with some recommendations.

All the best!

Bert

 

[MishMouse]

Steel Stove
1) Convention Heat tends to be able to heat a wider area then a cast
2) Less maintenance then a cast stove stove it typically formed as one piece instead of separate pieces.
3) Not as pretty as a cast stove

Cast Stove
1) Radient Heat
2) May need to be rebuilt over time due to the (glue) that holds the castings together wearing off since it is normally put together like a puzzle.
3) Due to castings this stove can be more prettier then a Steel Stove

Both burn wood, both can keep you warm.

The questions to ask yourself is which one will heat the area that you are looking for?
Which one do you want in your home?

 

[Valkyrie Rider]

I think of it as steel stoves are less hassle over time, but the cast stoves are nicer looking and hold the heat better.

I personally like the steel stoves for my application, but if I had a really nice/fancy house... I may have gone for a prettier stove.

 

[jags]

Cast is for wood stoves.
Steel is for snow plows.
:msp_tongue:

 

[blacklocst]

I have a cast iron jotul 600 and and use it a primary heat source. cast iron heat is more comfortable than steel. Also don't overlook soap stone stoves while they might take longer to warm up the heat last longer than cast.

 

[Fyrebug]

I have a cast iron jotul 600 and and use it a primary heat source. cast iron heat is more comfortable than steel. Also don't overlook soap stone stoves while they might take longer to warm up the heat last longer than cast.

Well... heat is heat. Steel whether cast or plate has the same thermal coefficient. The difference is in the thickness. The thicker the material, the longer for it to heat up but on the upswing it also releases its heat over a longer period.

Soapstone for sure is a great look. Wish I could afford one... :msp_unsure:

 

[Henry and Wanda]

Hello,
Cast iron stoves are vulnerable to over heating and thus cracking. I hear that they are hard if not impossible to repair !!! With a steel stove that is one less problem that you will have to deal with. Plus cast iron stoves have to be re-sealed every now and again.......with a steel stove, another problem that you don't have to deal with. Go with the steel and don't look back !!!!!!!


Henry and Wanda

 

[sunfish]

After 30 years of wood heat, I like cast iron stoves better.

The Jotul we have now is by far the best stove we've ever used.

 

[blacklocst]

Well... heat is heat. Steel whether cast or plate has the same thermal coefficient. The difference is in the thickness. The thicker the material, the longer for it to heat up but on the upswing it also releases its heat over a longer period.

Soapstone for sure is a great look. Wish I could afford one... :msp_unsure:

I can tell you heat produced in one fashion is not the same as heat in an other. I have forced hot air as back up it's the worst and don't get me started with electric heat with a blower I swear you could of dry grapes and make raisins in the room.

 

[old cookie]

So if I covered my stove, you could walk in my house and tell me if my stove is cast or steel.Just asking ,I dont know if I can tell.My son has a cast stove we have steel.Next fall Iwill se if I can tell.

 

[sdt7618]

guys thanks for all the input,

the two stove I listed in the original post are the one's " approved " by the wife....... nuff said.

also we don't get alot of the brands you guys get in the US, but I did have a major look at jotul, but they are way to much £

 

[jags]

but they are way to much £

Thats your problem - your buying with £. Try using $. They are much cheaper.

 

[gwiley]

I suspect that cast is better for a stove - my parents swear by their Jotul. Having said that, my OWB has a steel firebox.

One thing I like about steel is that it is a little easier to repair. As a welder I would far prefer to repair a steel stove than cast. Cast iron can be repaired, but it is tricky and requires more skill than welding the mild or stainless steel.

 

[sunfish]

They're both good. Just get the one you like best.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

I've had both

Ran an All-Nighter for almost 15 years. Good stove I really liked the blower feature that it and many current steel fabricated stoves have. If you walked over towards the stove you could feel the cold air being pulled along the floor to the stove to be heated and sent back out through the heat pipes inside.

My last two stoves have been cast, and I feel, though can't prove, they throw more heat for their size than a comparable steel stove. Right now there's a Jotul 118 in the basement that easily heats my raised ranch, 1800 or so square feet. My favorite thing about the Jotul 118 is the 24 inch firebox. If I ever replace this stove my next one, be it cast or steel, will certainly have a 2 ft length capable firebox.

Take Care

 

[sunfish]

I've had both

Right now there's a Jotul 118 in the basement that easily heats my raised ranch, 1800 or so square feet. My favorite thing about the Jotul 118 is the 24 inch firebox. If I ever replace this stove my next one, be it cast or steel, will certainly have a 2 ft length capable firebox.

Take Care

The Jotul 118 is what I have. Lot of heat on little wood. I do love this stove!

 

[blacklocst]

So if I covered my stove, you could walk in my house and tell me if my stove is cast or steel.Just asking ,I dont know if I can tell.My son has a cast stove we have steel.Next fall Iwill se if I can tell.

Old cookie is this an invitation? I might be able to, I'm like a canary in a coal mine, I very aware of my surroundings. Any way I guess I just partial to cast.

 

[Misfit138]

Iron stoves are beautiful, but beauty is rarely practical.
I would always compromise beauty in favor of practicality except where it concerns my wife ( ..she just smacked me).

Some of the most beautiful cars in the world are made in Italy...but they are cost-prohibitive, have no trunk or cargo space, only seat two people, are useless in the snow, and get horrible gas mileage.

Always go for practicality. Verdict: Steel!

 

[sunfish]

Cast iron stoves are just as, if not more practical than steel.

The design is more important than materials used. umpkin2: