We are going to order a woodstove in September and where wonderring if anyone really loves theres and why. What is a good wood stove and about how much should be expect to pay? We were thinking of orderring from Laymans. Has anyone ordered one from them? Thanks-margie

-- Margie B (Bromens5@navix.net), August 17, 2000

Answers

Wood stove for cooking, heating, or both?

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), August 17, 2000.

We love our Heartland Oval with all of the bells and whistles,retails for just under $4000.00 The two greatest things about it is that the oven is nice and large, and the water resovoir(?sp) is copper lined,big,and if brought to boiling, doubles as a canner!!!!! YEAH...God bless....

-- Lesley (martchas@gateway.net), August 17, 2000.

Margie B - Been lurking here for a while and hoping that I may able to contribute. I do have some experience with wood cooking stoves, barrel stoves, heating stoves mfg out of both cast iron and 1/4" plate metal. Also, I would like to note that I live in MN where is gets a bit on the cold side in the winter. Right now, I only use one wood burning stove to heat the house. Its not the primary heat source but it does help. When its gets 25 to 45 degress below zero F it just can't kept up without a little help from the propane furance.

Your most concern about burning wood should be about the condition of your chimmey. You can bet, your city is worried about it and MOST importantly the company that is insuring your house is too. I don't want to turn you off on the idea. Just do it right. I have been burning wood for 30 years and love it. In my other house I have a cast iron heating stove ( scandia), Where I live now I have a "home sweet" heating stove. There is nothing like a hot wood burning stove to warm the heart on a cold night. Go for It

-- Bill (sticky@2sides.tape), August 17, 2000.

Margie, don't know if you mean heating stove or cooking????? But I grew up with a wood heating stove & my Mother cooked on a woodcook stove---my hubby & I have a "buy/ sell/ trade habit"--& wood stoves are something we turn a lot of! We of coarse deal with used! We are putting in a wood stove on our back porch/sunroom for this winter. Our insurance Co. says, it has to have ULC approved written on the stove before it can be put in or they will not cover us. I have several stoves that are better stoves /but don't have the ULC approved on them anymore/ so I'll go with not my favorite! I keep a big pan of water or tea kettle on top of our heating stove--it puts moisture in the air & you always have hot water! Nothing feels better than to back up to a good fire in a wood stove after freezeing from doing chores. Cooking on a wood cook stove is an art!!! And if you have never cooked on/ one find a nice lady who has/ to teach you her art form! Those biscuts out of a wood stove oven there is nothing like them! As far as price---that is like saying all horses are priced the same! Depends on the type of stove--heating or cooking--or what features it has--condition--new or used--brand of stove--if it has a blower/ size--etc.,etc, If you have never had a wood stove heating or cooking---take some lessons--from someone who grew up with one!!!! I guarantee it will be a great help!!!! Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), August 17, 2000.

I'm still using my Sotz barrel stove that I bought 20 years ago. Airtight and great automatic draft control that they sold. Gosh if it goes bad I would really hate to go back to compromise manual draft settings. Far as I know the company is out of buisiness. Anybody know if some company still makes those add on automatic draft controlls that mount on door of stove. Uses a bimetallic spring. If I ever find another one, I'll buy it as a spare.

And to be perfectly honest, a good chimney with good draw is most important thing. Good seasoned wood is second. I have a friend in KS who uses one of those cheap Taiwan cast iron box stoves with the two lids on top. Nothing tight about it, but she has a good chimney and knows just right amount of wood to add at right time to keep an even fire. I'm lazy type who would rather add wood to an airtight and let draft control do the tending. I dont see point of spending several hundred dollars though.

-- Hermit John (ozarkhermit@pleasedontspamme.com), August 17, 2000.

I guess I should have told you a little more. We are looking at mostly heating but cooking when the power is out. We live in very rural NE and our "city" could probably care less. This house is over 100 years old and had a cast iron wood stove in it that worked to heat the front room to roasting. We know it is not efficent so we moved it to the basement to keep the kitchen floor/pipes from freezing (nice warm floors!). We are putting in new double insulated pipes (?I think that is right) and running it up the old chimney space. PS my husband is from MN so he knows all about cold winters, but me I'm org from the warmer states of SC and CA.

-- Margie B (Bromens5@navix.net), August 18, 2000.

Last summer I bought a Federal woodstove with catalyst, for heating. I had some help installing the stovepipe. I sure did like using it last winter, what winter we had! I didn't think I'd like the catalyst, but when the temp gets to 800 degrees, the smoke disappears--no smoke out the top of the stack at all. I bought mine on sale from a local fireplace shop, for $900, and by the time I bought good quality pipe, heat shields for everything, etc etc etc I spent about another $500. I wanted to be safe so may have overdone things a little. The thing I don't like about it is that if temps outside are above about 55 degrees, chilly but not cold, the stove will 'backpuff' smoke through the draft holes, caused by moderate the outside temps. Apparently if there is not much temp. difference between inside and outside, this occurs. My stack extends about 6 ft above the roof peak, so I know I have good draw. Also, the stove has to be monitored fairly often to make sure the catalyst temp doesn't go above 1700 degrees, which would damage the stovepipe and possibly the stove itself, or so the manual tells me. One good thing is that the stove heats my whole house (1700 sq ft) and burns the wood completely. It's amazing how little ash is left in the ashpan after a burn.

-- Hannah Maria Holly (hannahholly@hotmail.com), August 18, 2000.

I have heated & cooked with wood for 30 years. I think the best heater i ever own was a Sotz, I built 2 of them from kits 20 years ago. I have also heated with coal and if I had the choice that is what i would use. 2 years ago we bought a new heater, a Vermont Castings, Dutch West, the biggest one they have with a catalytic combuster, that was a fisrt for me. The combuster was shot after the first heating season but has come through fine after last winter, Corning replace it for free + postage. I would not buy another one though. We have had many wood cookstoves, the last one was a Sweetheart, very spendy but I did not like it becasue it has too much sheet iron. The one before that was a Stanley (Waterford) that I ordered from Lehman's by far the best cookstove on the market to my way of thinking, truly an airtight. I have had a couple of Kalamazoo stoves, Andes, and another favorite is a wood/gas combanation kitchen range.

-- Hendo (OR) (redgate@echoweb.net), August 18, 2000.

Margie B

Are you from Nebraska or the North East. There aren't many of us from Nebraska on this board.

Thanks

-- Scott (NE) (scotthom@hotmail.com), August 18, 2000.

Scott, We are in southeast Nebraska. Where are you?

-- Margie B (bromens5@navix.net), August 18, 2000.

I have been drooling over the "Pioneer Maid" in the Lehmans catalog. Does anyone have any experience with this one?

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), August 18, 2000.

Hey Hermit John and Hendo. Ad me to the list of the Sotz enthusiasts. I used one in the old place for 15 yrs. When we sold the house I brought the stove to the new place where it will eventually heat the shop. It kept the fire for a long time. I had the dbl barrel arrangement. I'd check the chimney each year but never had to clean it because there was NEVER any creosote build-up.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), August 20, 2000.

Before I bought a new one I would keep an eye on the thrifty nickel type papers as well as the classifieds. Around here (Tennessee) wood stoves for heating are a dime a dozen and you can find every kind, shape, size and condition. $200-$300 seems to be the average price for a good condition one.

Kathy :-)

-- Kathy (DavidWH6@juno.com), August 21, 2000.

Hi, Margie. I am in Minnesota, and I installed a wood stove (for heat) last year. I was on the porch roof on Dec. 24th adding the last section of pipe in the snow, in fact. I got my cast-iron,very old stove free, sanded it down and re-painted it (you have to use high temp paint for this application), and it turned out great. I replaced the door glass with Pyrex for about $15. I've been meaning to etch a pattern on it, but haven't yet.

The expense comes from the Class "A" double-walled pipe. Here, it ran me about $17/ft. The thimble to go through the wall was about $35 and then there's the rain cap, black inside pipe, etc. All told, the pipe ran me about $400. And it is a pretty short run. The one "T" alone was $80. Take the time to get the specs right, so you won't have to worry.

Twice, I ran out of propane last Winter. Once, it was over a weekend. The kids ran around in two layers of blanket sleepers, and slept in front of that wood stove. I was awfully glad I went to the trouble! It does take up a bit of space, since it has to be 36" away from the walls, and I put it in a corner. Nice to have options, and radiant heat. Probably one of the only things I like about Winter.

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), August 21, 2000.

We bought and Englander last fall fro Quality Fleet and Farm. It is steel with a cast iron door and has a window. We really like it.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), August 23, 2000.

Its almost September now, but why wait? Time to buy wood stoves in july/aug when no one else is buying. While laymans has some nice stoves, they are just name brand stoves you can get locally. Shipping cost is going to kill you if your order from laymans. Not to mention needing a couple of big big beef fed guys to help you move any good stove into place. For a good wood heating stove figure $1000 and up. Dont forget the hearth if you dont have one and the stove pipe. Even if you have a chimney it will need to be inspected to make sure its safe.If you need a liner figure another $1000.

-- Gary (gws@redbird.net), August 24, 2000.

We bought our wood stove from a neighbor for $100. It took my husband and the neighbor to 'sleigh' it into the house. They are heavy...

I would buy one second hand if money is a problem. In Idaho you can find them at most garage sales! We bought our outhouse at a yard sale for $25 and it's a really good one...all our neighbors comment on how it is like the one they would like to build!

If money is no object, order one. But if you buy second hand, make sure the firebricks inside are in good repair! And don't forget to take them out BEFORE you move the stove...!

Idaho Cher

-- Cher Rovang (fullcircle@nidlink.com), August 24, 2000.

Hello I just emailed Margie, about my situation, I'm hoping some of you could help me too. I just bought a new woodstove it heats 1600sq feet and it's in my basement. Our basement isn't insulated but I don't even find the stove getting overly hot and we're burning it with the flu thing open and it still doesn't make a difference. You would think that it would get hot enough that you couldn't atleast stand by it right? This was supposed to be our main source of heat and now I'm so discouraged because we spent 2600.00 on the stove and wood and now it's not even heating our house. Does anyone have any advice, I'd reallly appreciate it, thanks Tracey

-- Tracey C (kramer@nb.sympatico.ca), December 02, 2000.

Tracie, what kind of stove is it? We need a company name, model, and a description of the type of stove. Also, a description of your chimney, including height above the roof, and a description of the kind of wood you are burning, and whether it is seasoned. All that said, I've talked to several people over the years who had spent a lot of money on stoves and found that they actually didn't do a very good job of heating their house. If you can return the stove (any kind of a warranty?) maybe some of the people on the forum can give you recommendations for one that would work better. My recommendations would be for a Papa Bear Fisher stove, or a barrel stove from a kit. The barrel stove does an excellent job, but isn't very attractive (to say the least!) and needs a flat plate welded to the top if you want a surface for cooking. I'm not sure Fisher is still in business, but there are still used ones floating around out there. Good luck, Kathleen

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), December 02, 2000.

Tracey, sorry I misspelled your name -- I didn't look back at your post. I just wanted to add that the "flue thing" is called a damper!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), December 02, 2000.

i've been looking at Waterford Stanley and Waterford Trinity does anyone have either and can they let me know what they think of them its ccoolldd in New England and we have a Franco Deluge that isn't cutting it any more

-- pem (espressoo2000@yahoo.com), January 30, 2001.

I have an enourmous Fisher woodstove in my basement family room. It is the type with the dual "draft" wheels on the front door. The stove heats the entire basement like your on the surface of the sun. I was thinking of swithching to a glass door type stove to provide the fire view. Does Fisher make any attachments for this stove to view the fire, or is it just a heating workhorse? Am I nuts for wanting to replace it? The power does go out occasionally in my town for a couplpe of days at a time.

-- Chris Hamilton (chamilton@haslaw.com), August 27, 2001.

Hi Margie,

We are also considering the Heartland Oval. By the answers you have received so far they do not understand the quality and type stove we are interested in. We are also interested in ordering from Lehmans. Just a year ago shipping was free on their stoves. We haven't purchased yet and wondered if you have heard from anyone who already has one.

Russ:)

-- Russ L. Hopkins (rlnvlh@grm.net), September 22, 2001.

I have tried most all of the major brands at one time or another and for me an old Fisher is what I always come back to. It supplies "radiant" heat without an electric blower, which is extremely nice if the power goes out. I used a Big Buck Stove for years in my home in Virginia. It would heat my family room adequately, but it didn't do much for the other rooms in the house. The Fisher however, installed in my basement here in Tennessee, heats the entire 3500 sq. ft. of my three story house! I can even open the attic pull down door and heat the entire attic too! Three large logs will burn all night and keep my family toasty until morning. Well, I probably sound like a Fisher salesman about now, but actually the Fisher Stove Company has been out of business for years. So, if you can find an old one in good condition, I don't believe you will be disappointed on those cold winter nights! Good Luck.

-- Rick in TN (gladstone@tpisp.net), October 04, 2001.

Anyone have some flat stove pipe collars that were made by Sotz they would sell me? These were made for the 35 gal drums and were placed on the end of the drums hence flat not curved like the ones for the 55 gal. drums. Bob in NH

-- Robert W. heslop (rwheslop@conknet.com), October 11, 2001.

I am a big fan of the Sotz stoves. I had a 55 gallon stove and then when I moved I got a 30gal. steel pressure tank for a well and built the 30gal. Sotz kit, with the round door. What a great stove. I now see than Northern has a 55 gal kit in their catalog, made of cast iron. I wonder if it is as good as the Sotz. For yall who are having to put your stoves so far from the wall, you can make a free-standing heat shield. Buy a sheet of galv. steel, 3 feet wide and maybe 6 feet long. Bend it so that the back is 3 feet long and there are two sides, 18 inches long. It will stand on the hearth between the stove and the wall. You need to keep it a few inches from the wall. With this you can move the stove within 10 inches of the wall. When you look down on the heat shield from above, it would look like the letter C.

-- scott lewis (spate@opticalsolutions.com), October 14, 2001.