Anyone here burn a Hitzer furnace? Daka?

[johnnylabguy]

Have a friend who is remodeling an old farmhouse. Insulating it really well but doesn't want to pay the oil man. He's looking at a Hitzer add on furnace that runs about $1600 but is also intrigued by the $850 Daka clearance at Menards. He's running extremely tight on cash(because of the whole remodeling thing. Closed-cell foam insulation was his latest hit.) so he's trying to get by on the cheap for now. Any help would be appreciated for info...

I guess the Hitzer is amish built(not sure) but it looks like the better unit.

 

[buymore]

I'm using a Hitzer. No complaints. My parents used a Hitzer when I was growing up nearly all the time for heat, very little fuel oil. I've had mine for three years now. When I got it, I had 1/4 tank of fuel.....I still have fuel oil in my tank from three years ago. I keep changing my filters and all and getting routine checks on my furnace, but why? We're really not using it much at all, just on the chilly spring and fall days that are too warm to fire it up. I can give you my dealers info if interested. I live in Mahoning County. I got the biggest Hitzer they made and I had under $1000 easily, but I didn't get the cabinet. I have seen them at Lehmans in Amish Country, but they were rather pricey on the same model. I thought they were made in PA.

 

[flotek]

I would look at home depot for their englander 28-3500 add on furnace
excellent unit and puts out some major heat

 

[jdew1920]

I've got a Daka I've been using since december and am very happy with it's performance. I got it on sale for $800 back in Sept. I'm heating a 30 year old1800 sf ranch easily even on the days we were below 0, but I will say I've sealed up the house pretty well.

If I could of afforded to spend more I probably would of at the time I bought it but now I'm not so sure it would of been worth it in my case. The Daka has been working very well.

 

[Mntn Man]

I burn a Daka 521FB

It has been good to me so far (3rd year). I didn't add it on to our central unit because that was more problematic than it was worth. I just intalled 3 floor vents on the main floor. One is in the back, one in the middle of the house and one in the front at the bottom of the stairs. With basement, my house is 3100 square feet. It heats the main floor great and the upstairs is ok. Because I didn't hook it to the furnace, the fan is not really big enough. I have a squirell cage fan out of a furnace that I haven't put on it yet and I am going to run a vent up stairs if I ever get around to doing it.

When I bought my stove, it was on sale for $698. I put in a $950 chimney and $2-300 to put in duct work. That was paid for the first year of running it. I love burning wood!

 

[toolhawk]

I like my Daka !!!!!!!!!

I like my Daka!!!!!!!!!!! but is all I've known , 2700 sq.ft. 72degrees on the coldest days , about 7 cord a year have not used gas furnace 2 times in 4 years , would buy it again in a minute

 

[sachsmo]

I'm using a Hitzer. No complaints. My parents used a Hitzer when I was growing up nearly all the time for heat, very little fuel oil. I've had mine for three years now. When I got it, I had 1/4 tank of fuel.....I still have fuel oil in my tank from three years ago. I keep changing my filters and all and getting routine checks on my furnace, but why? We're really not using it much at all, just on the chilly spring and fall days that are too warm to fire it up. I can give you my dealers info if interested. I live in Mahoning County. I got the biggest Hitzer they made and I had under $1000 easily, but I didn't get the cabinet. I have seen them at Lehmans in Amish Country, but they were rather pricey on the same model. I thought they were made in PA.

Hitzers are made in Berne Indiana, 6 mi. down the road from me. And yes, they are made by Amish, those boys can weld with the best. Most if not all of their stuff is heavy duty enough to burn coal!

 

[vwboomer]

I looked at the Daka at Menards. It's the absolute most I could spend if I can even spend that much. You know the story - cut hours at work no money...maybe no job

Does the auto thermostat thing work real well? The burner I use now has a similar thing and it's totally worthless - granted it's whoknowshowold. At half setting it can vary between going out or running up to 700f

 

[skid row]

Alot of amish folks around praise the hitzer products. I looked at a hitzer woodfurnace a few years ago and it was very well made. If I didn't already have a good woodfurnace I would consider the hitzer.

 

[jdew1920]

It's just a bimetallic spring - work fine IMO. There's other furnaces out there that use the same type of thing. The thing I like about it is I can set it where I think it needs to be to get the heat output I want, then as it gets hot it reduces the air and hence temp, kind of just cycles the fire that way. I find it works good for overnight burns too. Then again, this is my first year burning wood so I don't have much to compare it to.

But yes, the fire can get pretty hot before it dampers it down - seems like once it gets up to temp though it maintains it OK.

I looked at the Daka at Menards. It's the absolute most I could spend if I can even spend that much. You know the story - cut hours at work no money...maybe no job

Does the auto thermostat thing work real well? The burner I use now has a similar thing and it's totally worthless - granted it's whoknowshowold. At half setting it can vary between going out or running up to 700f