OWB, Yours and why

[J.W Younger]

hardy h-2 purchased in 91. all stainless except grate. been a good unit. use about 8 cord depending on species and condition of wood. heating 2000 ft and water year round

 

[mschoff]

Shaver 165 and I love it and I would buy another if I had to but that may be in my next live this owb is just to last a long long time.

 

[welder15725]

Central boiler 5036. 8-10 cords of green wood with a drafty unfinished house.

 

[VINIFIREWOOD]

Shaver 250, It was simple,and thick firebox,good ashpan,I was misled by false advertisement,I wouldnt not buy again,ever,unit has way to many shortcomings,I spent a month working on a brand new OWB after I got it,and it still needs more work to be "done".

John thanks for the reply but I'm a little confused. You like or hate the Shaver?

 

[John D]

John thanks for the reply but I'm a little confused. You like or hate the Shaver?

Sorry I thought I answered clearly,the question was what you have and why you bought it. Some of the advertised features,even delivery dates (and reasons I bought)turned out to be misrepresented.I wouldn't buy another Shaver.

 

[coostv]

Timberwolf 5000

Why, my father in law had one and I liked its simplicity and it seemed to be a good value. The price was outstanding and I have no regrets in the three seasons we have burned with it. I would do it again, even if it is somewhat on the ugly side.

Chris

 

[Biker Dude]

Ancient Taylor T-450

I got my Taylor dirt cheap (traded a set of 38" mud tires & rims for it) and I'm too lazy to build one from scratch. It works fine but I use 12-15 cord per season heating my ancient farmhouse and my shop with it. That's more due to lack of insulation in my buildings than any boiler flaw. Good solid construction, worry free as long as you keep it clean, forced draft so I can burn green wood.

It tends to burn the center of the wood load so I have to rake the sides into the center for a complete burn but I'm used to running it so it's no big deal now.

 

[VINIFIREWOOD]

Sorry I thought I answered clearly,the question was what you have and why you bought it. Some of the advertised features,even delivery dates (and reasons I bought)turned out to be misrepresented.I wouldn't buy another Shaver.

Thanks for the clarrification and input

 

[Ash wacker]

I have a Shaver 290 and yes the fit and finish isn't there... but the thing worked flawless this winter. Heated a 2000 sq ft house and a not so well insulated shop and hot water on two fills a day. I would buy another.

 

[garyischofield]

E2300 central boiler

Not as forgiving of higher moisture content wood as the other CB's i've seen,but real nice considering the neighborhood I live in.With moderately dry wood,it produces very little smoke.Pricey,but so far impressed.I have a buddy with a 5036 which I couldn't use here because of the smoke .Seemed to gobble up the wood ,but the wife got used to a warm house. After years of penny pinching,and a 64 degree house,72-73 degrees was nice!Bridging in the firebox is an ever present aggravation.

 

[abohac]

I have a woodmaster and love it. Seems to have less welds than most and has a combustion fan.

 

[Paul61]

Heatmaster SS 10,000.
1/2 million BTU's, built in Canada.
Will burn coal, pellets, & wood........of course!
I liked the swiveling cast iron grate system & the fact it's built heavy enough for coal, even though I'll never burn it.
I heat over 7500 sq.ft. ( 2 buildings), plan to add the hot water & hot tub to it this year.
Did 100% of the install & plumbing myself, no issues.
Almost bought the Heatmore (my buddy's had one for 10 years) till I saw this unit.
Good luck with your purchase, make sure you take into act. the prevailing wind direction before installation!

Paul

 

[rx7145]

CB 4436 here. It was the best one I could find at the time with a big door.

I would buy a Portage and Main if I was to do it over.

 

[VINIFIREWOOD]

Just talked to a trust worthy source on the OWB subject and found out some interesting yet bad news about OWB's I thought I should share, Look for thread OWB's & the EPA

 

[lspmmp]

Looking at buying an OWB and would like some input. Which brand do you own and why.

I bought a Heatmor 200 and love it. It has gone through 9 heating seasons without a problem. The only thing that I would have changed were the hoses to the door. Mine only lasted about 4 years before needing to be replaced. A very messy job with a water jacket full of anti freeze solution. If you upgrade the hoses, do it before it is filled with water.

 

[flashy]

Central boiler 6048

I went with the CB for design and the dealers reputation. The CB dealer is 50 miles away but several of my neighbors have dealt with him and are happy. I have a woodmaster dealer fairly close, but his reputation is mediocre. I liked the spray on foam insulation and the way the flue comes out the back rather than the top of the firebox on the CB. A fan for combustion air is totally unnecessary and is just something else to go wrong.

 

[Paul61]

I bought a Heatmor 200 and love it. It has gone through 9 heating seasons without a problem. The only thing that I would have changed were the hoses to the door. Mine only lasted about 4 years before needing to be replaced. A very messy job with a water jacket full of anti freeze solution. If you upgrade the hoses, do it before it is filled with water.

My bud has had a Heatmore for 10 + years with no trouble. I almost bought one untill the local dealer raised the prices 20% which brought his installed quote to nearly 20 grand .............(Pi$$ on that).
They make a nice unit, I like the ash removal design.
Why are you using antifreeze? Heatmore recommended not to use it.

 

[windthrown]

I would add that you avoid Royal OWBs as well. Many unhappy cussomers with them.

I last installed a 4436 CB and it was a good design. I prefer mild steel; better heat transfer, far cheaper than stainless, and not brittle like stainless. CB's do not rust if you use the inhibitor that they sell. Its good stuff. No need for a forced draft; natural convestion will do that for you. They eat wood, but we had all the free wood we could want. If I had it to do all over again, I would go with the same thing. I might consider the newer E type now though; and they do not offer the 4436 any more. The 4030 model would have worked just fine for us. I rent now so there are no OWBs in my plans here. Wish I had one though; its expensive just to keep this old house at 65 degrees in winter. And its COLD! Sux, compared to 70 degrees all the time at the ex's place.

 

[farmking]

I really like my Heatmore 200, going into its third season with zero problems. Its been running non stop since it was put in, heating my two story farm house and dhw in the winter, and my 15,000 pool and dhw in the summer. Very simple design, parts that can be purchased and ordered at the local heating and air company.

 

[NC4AB]

20+ year old Hardy H2, reasons:
price was right
no special parts, most can be bought at Grainger
Good track record, several of these running in my area

YMMV