Looking for a new wood stove.

[branchbuzzer]

I grew up with wood heat from a Buck Stove, I have a stove in my hunting cabin, and have several friends with wood stoves. I have never seen a stove burn wood like this. I put a damper in my flu, and have tried several ways of controling the air and it stiil eats it. I loaded the stove last night at 11pm before I went to bed (white and red oak) and it was out this morning at 6am when I got up, stove was already almost cool. The stove is about 5years old, fire box warping pretty bad, couple of fire brick cracked, it does put out the heat if you are there to feed it. I think I would do better replacing it before next winter, but it has served it's purpose.

That was one thing I was going to ask and forgot was how old it was, since I think the brand has been around for a while. TSC is selling Wonderwood stoves new. I had been eyeing these and wondered how they compared to the older ones. Mine is at least 25 years old, so it seems odd ( or maybe not so odd considering the times we live in ) that yours isn't lasting well.

Didn't mean to imply you were a rookie burner, but it's good to make sure it's not something easily fixed first.

One more thing about the burn time on these stoves and the thermostatic air control. To get a long burn cycle out of the coals, one has to turn back the air completely at the end of the initial burn, so that as the stove begins to cool off the stat won't put the flap wide open again. For me it's the difference between getting 4 hours of heat or 8 hours. Tough to do when you fill it right before bed, of course.

 

[pook]

been reading "EPA stoves are finicky about moisture in wood" =15%-25% MC per manual. This might be from parrots that memorized the manual but i dunno.
Englander [US] & Vogelzang {kinda china} seem like best deals for new & theres craiglist & theres an expiring tax rebate worth exploring...good lux

 

[Swamp Yankee]

The major brands are all good.

Out of 4 or 5 stoves in 30 years, the Jotul F118CB is the best stove we've ever used.

Agreed

Really nice feature on the F118 is the long firebox. As long as the wood is under 24 inches it will fit. I have customers with stoves that are supposed to take 18 inch length that I have to cut 17 inch max for or they have a very difficult time getting the firebox full.

My F118 is in the unfinished basement / workshop. Basement usually runs around 80 or so while the upstairs is a comfy 65 to 70. Total area heated on both floors around 1800 square feet. Fully loaded productive heat burn time is around 8 to 10 hours.

Take Care

 

[sunfish]

Agreed

Really nice feature on the F118 is the long firebox. As long as the wood is under 24 inches it will fit. I have customers with stoves that are supposed to take 18 inch length that I have to cut 17 inch max for or they have a very difficult time getting the firebox full.

My F118 is in the unfinished basement / workshop. Basement usually runs around 80 or so while the upstairs is a comfy 65 to 70. Total area heated on both floors around 1800 square feet. Fully loaded productive heat burn time is around 8 to 10 hours.

Take Care

Yep! The 24" box is very nice!