Longer burn time from a Vigilant?

[Mike-M]

Guys with old vigilants, or similar VC stoves - how long does your burn overnight?
From loading it full to the top, I get about 5 hours of good heat burning oak and black locust. After 8 hours I can usually touch the stove with my hand and need to use kindling on what coals are left. Can I do notably better or is this what to expect from an old stove?

 

[CaseyForrest]

Acclaim here... About 25 years old...

Burning basswood I can go 4 hours from packed full to needing to add wood to take advantage of hot coals.

Burning oak, hickory or hard maple I can go 7 hours with enough coals to get another load going.

This is all with the air turned down just till the flames almost stop dancing.

I have loaded the stove in the AM, been gone for 10 hours and the eco fan is still spinning when I walk in the door. Stove still warm but not hot and not enough coals to get another load going. And when I say "enough coals to get another load going" there is enough to add wood and not need to touch the air to get a fire going. I could probably go 8 or 9 on a good load of hardwood if I was willing to play with the air/crack the door.

 

[stihlfanboy]

I have a defiance witch I believe is a little bigger. A full load of cherry, Ash, and hickory mix last me around 5 hours in the burn zone. About 8 hours till the coals are to gone to start a new fire. But I also have amazing draft and burn the stove around 700 degrees because my drafty old house calls for heat. I plan to clean and rebuild my stove this summer. My father inlaw also has a defiance and with poor draft he can get 10 hour burns of the stove being around 400 degrees. He also rebuild his stove and did all the gaskets.

 

[SS396driver]

I have a 1977 vigilant dual fuel stove . My longest burn is about 7 hours . It's a great stove but the dual fuel stoves were better suited to coal . This is mine burning wood, coal I can burn for 12 hours at a clip. I have a lot of wood but coal is so much easier. Really like loading once at night and in the morning.