another wood stove thread

[Soundguy]

hey, if 1 is good 2 is better right?

Ok.. wifes been bugging me to get a wood burning stove. functional one.. but not a spendy one.

We live in florida.. so reality is that unless civilization ends or power is out a long time.. we won't actually functionally need it for heat or cooking..

Anyone got the harbor freight one?

Cast Iron Boxwood Heater / Stove


it's going for 170$ right now. I missed a pot bellied stove for 100$ at a local hardware store last year and kick myself.

I obviously want one with functionality, not complete facade. have seen those for 60$.. just tin and painted black..

opinions or other ideas?

thanks

soundguy

 

[adjusterr]

If you are buying a woodstove to actually use rather than one for looks, stay away from potbellies and painted steel. Those stoves are not airtight, will burn wood about as fast as you can load it and heat is impossible to control. Go for a heavy sheet steel stove with adjustable air vents. I use a Sierra end loader that sits in front of my fireplace and is vented up the fireplace chimney via 6" insulated pipe.I can load the stove at 10 pm and still have fire at 6 am. I live in Western MD where the Winters are kinda rough, right now it's 34 degrees, and use the Sierra as my primary heat source. With an airtight stove you can build as small a fire as you wish and control it. Good luck, you will love sitting beside a wood stove on a chilly Florida night.

 

[Mudfarmer]

For what it's worth the Harbor Freight stove can't be sold in Washington State - too inefficient and polluting. But I suppose you really don't heat with a stove in Florida, so wouldn't be using it much, right???....
Mf

 

[Bigfoot62]

I know you said that you didn't want to buy a "spendy" one, but I think you'll be dissappointed with the cheap China junk.

We have a Jotul. The quality is excellent. It's going to cost more than the H/F stuff, but well worth it. :thumbsup:
Jøtul Wood Stoves, Gas Stoves and Fireplaces

 

[Mudfarmer]

Another thought I had - We use a Napolean certified stove, steel box with cast iron heat shields coated in porcelin (porcelin doesn't stick to steel). Mid range in price and we like it very much - about half our heat comes from it in the winter. BUT, the crappy looking floor pads offered up to meet code cost about the same (we ended up making our own - looks better at a quarter the price). AND the chimney pipes cost the same again. And that didn't include installation.

Mf

 

[k0ua]

hey, if 1 is good 2 is better right?

Ok.. wifes been bugging me to get a wood burning stove. functional one.. but not a spendy one.

We live in florida.. so reality is that unless civilization ends or power is out a long time.. we won't actually functionally need it for heat or cooking..

Anyone got the harbor freight one?

Cast Iron Boxwood Heater / Stove


it's going for 170$ right now. I missed a pot bellied stove for 100$ at a local hardware store last year and kick myself.

I obviously want one with functionality, not complete facade. have seen those for 60$.. just tin and painted black..

opinions or other ideas?

thanks

soundguy

As a kid we had that exact same stove as shown on the HF site and it worked quite well. Now I doubt it was made in China like that one, because that was probably 45 years ago. I fed it many a stick of wood when I was a youngster, and would hold enough and was tight enough so that you would have some coals in the morning. We were quite satisfied with it. The Chinese one there looks identical in every way, but of course I am looking at a photo, not a stove. But I am thinking go for it..

James K0UA

 

[sherpa]

soundguy,
If you can get by until spring time you will get a great deal on a "new" quality wood stove.

I was in Northern Tool about 11 years ago buying something and found a good looking wood stove on display for $160. It had all the papers and owners manual in the stove with the MFG telephone number. I just simply pulled out the cell phone and called the MFG and started asking questings. The MFG praised the stove and had never had any returns or problems. I ask about price and they stated that the price on this particular stove was a lot less than what the MFG sold these stoves. The stove came home with me and is our primary heat source here in the mountains of NC.

If you want a stove now, I would go for a good "used" stove.
Make sure you get a "brick lined" stove.

You will enjoy a wood stove.

Another thing, you will need is a good supply of firewood.
I suppose you have access to firewood where you live?
sherpa

 

[Ken45101]

There are no "inexpensive" wood stove installations. If you get a cheap stove, you still absolutely need an expensive chimney. Our chimney was around $1300.

The cheaper stoves may work okay for occasional use but they will be much less efficient and harder to control and like create more pollution.

Ken

 

[MotorSeven]

SG, do you have your own wood on your place to burn? If so, then why not spend a few more bucks and get one that will supplement your heat? That way you are beating "the man", and that is what it is all about.
Do some research & figure out which stove you want, then take your time and look around for a used one(craigslist). I picked up a older Hearthstone Soapstone stove that needed some work on CL. I have about $700 in a $2800 stove that will heat my whole house.

 

[Soundguy]

SG, do you have your own wood on your place to burn? If so, then why not spend a few more bucks and get one that will supplement your heat? That way you are beating "the man", and that is what it is all about.
Do some research & figure out which stove you want, then take your time and look around for a used one(craigslist). I picked up a older Hearthstone Soapstone stove that needed some work on CL. I have about $700 in a $2800 stove that will heat my whole house.

not much need for heat in florida

seriously guys, wife wants it mostly for decoration.. but if the 'stuff' hit the fan one day and we had to fry an egg on it or huddle around it in an EMERGENCY.. she wants soemthing you could actually burn wood in.. not a tin mock up that loks good in the corner.

I'll check northern.. otherwise i think HF is fitting the bill so far.

soundguy

 

[tglass]

not much need for heat in florida

seriously guys, wife wants it mostly for decoration.. but if the 'stuff' hit the fan one day and we had to fry an egg on it or huddle around it in an EMERGENCY.. she wants soemthing you could actually burn wood in.. not a tin mock up that loks good in the corner.

I'll check northern.. otherwise i think HF is fitting the bill so far.

soundguy

Have you thought about fuel ? A pellet stove or fire place insert might be something to look at.

 

[WilliamBos]

Have you thought about fuel ? A pellet stove or fire place insert might be something to look at.

Assuming he even has a fireplace. By the sounds of his post, he does not want to use a generator to keep warm.

 

[tcreeley]

With the cheap stoves it can be hard to regulate how fast they burn- a lot of heat for 2-3 hours, then its cold. You could put a damper in the stove pipe- help a bit. Look for an "air tight" stove. In college I used a tin stove that glowed cherry every night and we still were cold (dangerous too).
I had a franklin once- fireplace type of stove- cheap and smoked when the door was open to put wood in. - Cast iron, 1/4 " steel, sheet metal steel with fire brick, soapstone are the usual materials.
Good luck.
Many stoves smoke when the door is opened- ask about it - because many stoves don't smoke.
Good luck

 

[Soundguy]

no fireplace.. homeowners wouldn't allow for it..

i'd only pop for a pellet stove if I was really using it..

 

[valley]

If homeowners won't allow a fireplace can you put in a chimney?

 

[Soundguy]

actually yes.. just can't have a fireplace..

to be more specific, can't have an embeded, built in place standard mortar and fire brick, wood burning fire place. gas or standalone enclosed / encased ( heat-a-lator ) type heat device/stove was actually allowable... ( with proper floor treatment, space to wall..e tc..etc..etc.. )

 

[MotorSeven]

actually yes.. just can't have a fireplace..

to be more specific, can't have an embeded, built in place standard mortar and fire brick, wood burning fire place. gas or standalone enclosed / encased ( heat-a-lator ) type heat device/stove was actually allowable... ( with proper floor treatment, space to wall..e tc..etc..etc.. )

Oh, man...I thought you lived in a rural "HOA free" area.....my condolences:tractor:

 

[Soundguy]

POA = PITA

rural.. but still has a poa...

 

[KennyG]

I'm probably going to screw up your budget here, but if the real purpose of this stove is "ambience", you really want one with a glass door. Your wife will like it much more because it's essentially a fireplace with a door on it.

There are various ones available, but I bought the Osburn because of it's "bay window" design. For heating a house, there may be better stoves, but this one looks great.

Wood stoves : 1800 stove

 

[Soundguy]

yeah.. that's nothing like what I'm looking for.. which is the rustic old style looking pot bellied or cast iron box stove..

soundguy