shop stove

[sb47]

My old cast potbelly shop stove finally burned/rusted out so I'm looking for a new one. It will be a shop stove so no need for a fancy one or expensive one ether. One issue is humidity in the shop was what really killed my old stove so I'm wondering how well a steel stove will do in that environment. It will only be used about 2/3 months a year and not everyday. Any suggestions.

 

[rarefish383]

I see free stoves all the time. For a shop I'd just check out CL or a few farm auctions, and pick the one that looked like it would be big enough to heat the shop. When they put my new stove in they hauled away my old one. It was a late 80's Russo and still worked great. My wife just wanted a prettier stove. Check with a stove shop and ask what they want for a serviceable used one they hauled away. Or offer to meet them on location and have their guys put the stove on your truck. The Russo was an all welded steel plate stove with a Cat, and they probably got about 10-15 bucks out of it for scrap metal.

 

[sb47]

I see free stoves all the time. For a shop I'd just check out CL or a few farm auctions, and pick the one that looked like it would be big enough to heat the shop. When they put my new stove in they hauled away my old one. It was a late 80's Russo and still worked great. My wife just wanted a prettier stove. Check with a stove shop and ask what they want for a serviceable used one they hauled away. Or offer to meet them on location and have their guys put the stove on your truck. The Russo was an all welded steel plate stove with a Cat, and they probably got about 10-15 bucks out of it for scrap metal.

The only places I see stoves is the big box stores like HD, Lowes, and TS, none of them offer installation that I know of and there are zero CL ads for stoves in my area. The cheapest stove I have seen is 350 for a cast potbelly like the one I had. It didn't last very long in my humid shop conditions. Though I'm sure if I had painted it after each winter use, it would have lasted longer. I think I paid less then 200 bucks for the old one when it was brand new. Now that same stove is 350 or more. The cheapest steel stove I have seen runs between 5 and 6 hundred bucks. I'm not paying that much for a shop stove. The pot belly stove I had would not heat the shop as good as I would have liked it to but at least It made life a little more livable and at least mad it tolerable.
I have scanned the internet looking for stove shops in my area but have found nothing so far. You do have a good idea, I'll keep looking.

 

[babybart]

Build a barrel stove, probably less than $100 depending on what a barrel costs in your area.

 

[lknchoppers]

Look for an Ashley or Suburban Woodchief Stove, I bought mine off craigslist for $100 - 7 years ago and all I had to do was cleanout the stove and replace the fire brick. It's a steel cabinet style stove and is easy to use with an ash tray under the firebox so you don't have to disturb the fire while emptying the ashes. Looks like this picture below. Loads from the side and the stove pipe comes out the back.

 

[homemade]

Build a barrel stove, probably less than $100 depending on what a barrel costs in your area.

I second that motion.
It don’t get much cheaper then this.

 

[4seasons]

For installation you are going to be on your own unless you hire a professional.

Depending on your location in Texas I don't imagine there is a good market for wood stoves. You may have to drive a few hours to find a deal. I see used stoves in my area for under $200 all the time.

 

[sb47]

I second that motion.
It don’t get much cheaper then this.

That would burn out in a few years and it takes up to much room.

 

[sb47]

For installation you are going to be on your own unless you hire a professional.

Depending on your location in Texas I don't imagine there is a good market for wood stoves. You may have to drive a few hours to find a deal. I see used stoves in my area for under $200 all the time.

Look for an Ashley or Suburban Woodchief Stove, I bought mine off craigslist for $100 - 7 years ago and all I had to do was cleanout the stove and replace the fire brick. It's a steel cabinet style stove and is easy to use with an ash tray under the firebox so you don't have to disturb the fire while emptying the ashes. Looks like this picture below. Loads from the side and the stove pipe comes out the back.

View attachment 680516

I have been looking on cl for awhile and there are zero ads for stoves new or used.

 

[homemade]

Well, with no used stoves near by, and not wanting to pay $500-$600 for a new pot belly. And not wanting/no room for a barrel drum kit (you can put them on smaller barrels) sounds like me that your up a creek.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

That would burn out in a few years and it takes up too much room.

How big is your shop if a little barrel stove is too big?

Our shop stove is 4ft around, 7ft long. Heats about 5000 sq ft.

 

[sb47]

How big is your shop if a little barrel stove is too big?

Our shop stove is 4ft around, 7ft long. Heats about 5000 sq ft.

Shop is 40'x20' and it's not just the size of the barrel but the area needed to keep it away from combustibles. 4'x7' + a few feet on all sides would take up 1/4 of my shop.

 

[bowtechmadman]

Sounds like you need overhead propane burner.

 

[sb47]

Sounds like you need overhead propane burner.

Then I would have to buy fuel. I would quickly spend as much on fuel as it would cost for a nice 1000 dollar stove. Wood is free except for the labor. My shop is pretty drafty with no insulation.

 

[CentaurG2]

Used stoves are very easy to find here. I would be looking for another pot belly stove. We heat the shop with an old pot belly. It burns mostly scraps from wood processing but during a Northeaster, I will charge it up with a bag of anthracite coal. It will purr away for hours keeping the shop nice and warm for the inevitable breakdown/repair of snow removal equipment.

 

[4seasons]

You mentioned looking on Craigslist but I find way more stuff on Facebook Marketplace.
A quick internet search for "small wood stove" gave me several cheap options. One at Home Depot for $323:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/US-Stove-Logwood-900-sq-Ft-EPA-Certified-Cast-Iron-Stove-1269E/206442887
One on Amazon for $200:
https://www.amazon.com/Camp-Chef-CS14-Cylinder-shelves/dp/B002G55XXQ?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_2
And a used one on EBay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Small-vint...e-or-wood-stove-/263992180283?redirect=mobile
I have seen the first one for sale used for $50 before.

One other option would be to build you own rocket stove. A 4 inch J-tube with a grease can barrel might fit you needs. If you read up on how to build one it can be done for free.

 

[066blaster]

I was going to put a wood burner in my insulated shed, there aready is a old waste oil burner in there i never bothered to get working, but opted for a propane torpedo heater. I dont use the shed much in winter, only if i need to repair a truck or car. I like the idea of using wood , but wouldn't want to wait for it to warm up..it can be zero out and within 10 minutes its t shirt weather in there, and i am turning the propane heater off. I guess it depends on how much time you spend in there.