# of OWB manufactureres

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

milkie62

ArboristSite Guru
Joined
Oct 10, 2007
Messages
595
Reaction score
133
Location
upstate NY
Anybody have any idea of the number of OWB manufacturers out there ? Anybody totally dissatisfied with theirs ? How does yours compare to a friends different brand.I am looking to upgrade my 15 yr old CB CL40.I am pretty happy with it but after listening to different dealers everybody claims theirs is better than the next guys.Can't go with dealer service since I have had zero issues with mine after all these years.
 
I bought a Central Boiler and will be firing it up tomorrow for the first time but I did look at quite a few before deciding on Central Boiler. To me I thought the CB had a better heat exchanger design and I liked the chimney going out the back instead of through the roof. The warranty was better than most.

I have friends with Wood Masters and they are very happy with them.

I have friends with Timber Wolfs and they are very happy with them.

One person I know has a Sequoia and he is not happy. There is no baffle in his and all the heat goes right out the stack. He gets about a 6-7 hr burn.

I have heard bad things of Wood Doctors, Hawken, and ? (can't think of it), with water leaks.
 
Was and am happy with the Central Boiler. I would buy one of their new E-classic models that has higher efficiency, less smoke and is certified EPA. When I designed and installed a CB 4436 system, the dealer and the factory were great with support. They also held up their end of the warantee and replaced the controler for free. I have since found a better source of cheaper controlers (same exact ones, from the factory for about half the price). BTW: the CBs got a lot better after about 2000. The old issues of inside rusting and water getting behind the outer metal are no longer an issue. They warantee the boiler for 25 years. They have been around, and will seemingly be around for a long time.

I have seen a dozen boiler companies come and go since I started looking into them (in 2003). If you get another brand, get one of the established ones. I hear bad things about Royal. Some posts here were pretty negative. I have also heard about cracking firebrick issues on the Greenwood systems. Forget the goofs selling on Ebay. Heatmore, Taylor, Woodmaster, Central Boiler, Tarn, and several others all seem to all be pretty good. I used to have a fairly complete list of the larger makers of wood boiler systems, but 30% of them are no longer. This recession will probably flush some more of them as well.
 
I had a OWB and was dissatisfied. It pretty much sucked going outside in the cold every evening to feed the wood eater.. Burn times were poor also. My wife finally refused to go outside and freeze todeath to feed the OWB while I was at work and she insisted tht we get rid of it..
I then bought an INDOOR boiler and put it inside my garage. It is nice a warm inside the garage while we tend the fire and it is WAY more efficient. Not to mention it was about $3,500 cheaper.....
 
I have the heatmor 200 and have had no issues in the year i have owned it. The two reasons I bought the heatmor over the central boiler is, 1) ash removal don't have to shovel out the ashes from the box, just use the auger. 2) the sand and fire brick around the bottom will not corrode and rust through and it helps that the fire box is not complete enclosed and helps prevent firebox cracking. ( in stainless stoves) . Just my main reasons for buying a heatmor!
 
Everyone claims they have a better mouse trap and some actually may be right. I'm happy with my Cozeburn 250...same as Empyre. It seems to be pretty close to the Central Boiler design but has ash removal pan, which I wanted. Most people in my immediate area have this brand and have been happy with them. There is also a lot of Central boilers in the area that are also very happy with them. One of my Secretary's have one and I 1st checked it out when I started getting interested a couple years back. They still love theirs also. I also gave a hard look at Portage & Main stoves, they looked good but I didn't want to be the guinea pig in the area.
 
Last edited:
I also have a Heatmore and love it. I looked at probably 50 different brands brfore I bought it. It is a simple design and not very many parts that would need replaced if it had to be worked on. My FIL also has one. He heats 2 houses and his garage. They seem to be getting more popular around here. Hardy and CB are VERY popular around here too. It just depends on what you like about the features of each stove. Seems like that CB is way more expensive than any other brand around. They are all better than buying gas or oil to heat your house!!!:clap: :clap:
 
I have a Mahoning model 300. It is rated at 225,000 btu's. I'm heating a 3100 square foot house with it and it does fine except for when it gets really cold out. Last week here the coldest it has been this year was 10 degrees maybe and the warmest my house would get was 59 degrees. I have some insulating to do!!!!
 
owb's

well I have a empyre 450 and love it. I have had it for almost 5 years and except for a low water level switch bad from the factory replaced for free . and this fall I needed to replace the aqua stat. moved it to my new house last year .and now heat my house approximately 1,800 sq feet and my dads new double wide 1,200 sq feet and all the domestic hot water on maybe two wheelbarrow loads a day of mixed wood . they are a little pricey but In my mind worth the money
 
I and some others here have Hardy, either H2 or H4 models. I would say if you have had that good of luck with the CB, why switch to another brand. Find a brand that has a close dealer, in case you need a blower, relay or other parts, and upgrade that old antique. :)

ps. my FIL and a few of his buddies are going on 22, 23, and 25 years on their original Hardy stoves.
 
Last edited:
I have a harty Heater and i love it. I heat a 2500 sqft house with a 10-12 hour burn time. (25-30 deg daytime). my wife is not well insulated if you know what i mean so the thermostat is usually on 74 ish. here recently in illinois the temp was constatly highs in the teens lows in the single digits and burn time went to 8-10. I wouldnt trade it for anything. my dad and brother-in-law all bought one after i did. kinda felt like the ginny pig. i have had mine for 4 years and have had 0 problems with the owb even after a 20 mile move.
 
I and some others here have Hardy, either H2 or H4 models. I would say if you have had that good of luck with the CB, why switch to another brand. Find a brand that has a close dealer, in case you need a blower, relay or other parts, and upgrade that old antique. :)

ps. my FIL and a few of his buddies are going on 22, 23, and 25 years on their original Hardy stoves.

how long have you had your harty
 
how long have you had your hardy

This is my second year, it was a used one from my BIL, he upgraded to the H4 when he built a new shop next to his house. My only cost was the installation that we did ourselves, about $800 for the PEX, concrete, exchangers and misc. So I paid for it the first year with my savings of no propane. Was using about $1500 a winter in propane cost.

There are at least 10 Hardy (H2 and H4) within 15 minutes of me, a very popular OWB here in Mid Missouri.
 
Cb5036

My CB has exceeded my expectations. I never looked at any other brand. I knew 3 other friends that had CBs and all thought they were simply awesome. My 5036 does very well keeping up in very cold weather as long as it is tended to within 12 hours. I got a 14 hour burn last night with weather in the mid 20s.:chainsaw:
 
Damper Hygeine

So far I'm very happy with my CB5036 Central...only gripe is damper door occasionaly hanging up.

I keep a 3" metal paint scraper inside the side pump door. I scrape around inside the damper about every two weeks and that keeps things from getting too crusty and sticky there.:)
 
I have the heatmor 200 and have had no issues in the year i have owned it. The two reasons I bought the heatmor over the central boiler is, 1) ash removal don't have to shovel out the ashes from the box, just use the auger. 2) the sand and fire brick around the bottom will not corrode and rust through and it helps that the fire box is not complete enclosed and helps prevent firebox cracking. ( in stainless stoves) . Just my main reasons for buying a heatmor!

Another satisfied heatmor owner here. This is my second year and i have the 400 model. I narrowed it down to the two local distributers cb and heatmor and went with heatmor for the same reasons as forcedintoit stated. I have 3 neighbors with cb and they claim theirs is better. :dizzy: although their dealer is going to court for bad business dealings so their customer service is lacking.
 
FreeHeat Machine

This is third year with the FreeHeat Machine the same old Tenn. company that made the Fisher Woodstoves and love it heating 2200 sq ft. and dhw the propane truck has not been here in two years.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top