Fisher Mama Bear (Wood Stove)

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My husband and I are considering buying a used Fisher Mama Bear wood stove. Any information on this stove would really be helpful! We have never owned a wood stove so we do not know much about them. We have a bungalow style house and we want to make sure that this stove would heat it efficiently. Thanks!

-- dominique jordan-tosh (domljordan@aol.com), October 02, 2001

Answers

Response to Fisher Mama Bear

I don't know about the different types of Fishers. All I know is that I heated my house with a Fisher in the early '80s, and I LOVED that stove. It would keep the whole house warm and hold a fire overnight with no trouble at all. It drafted well and fires were easy to start in it.

-- Laura Jensen (lauraj@seedlaw.com), October 02, 2001.

Had friends that had a Fisher in the 80's seemed to like it well enough. Our first wood stove in "suburbia" before we even new what homesteading was all about was a name called a Schrader wood stove. Similiar to the Fisher's. The only problem I thought either of these would have is when you need to empty the ashes you needed to let the fire go completely out because it didn't have a drawer to pull the ashed from. We have our stoves ( 3 of them), a Coal Master, and old 1929 Kalamazoo, and a home made barrel one in the basement.(this one doesn't have a drawer and we do have to let it go out to empty ashes a couple times through the winter)They are on from the end of October until April and this is a plus for us...the drawers to empty ashes from. Our stoves will burn both wood and coal, except the barrel one, so there are grates in ours too. Might just be something to think about....but never heard anything bad about Fisher's Good Luck !!

-- Helena (windyacs@ptdprolog.net), October 02, 2001.

Now that I found the trap ash door underneath the stove it will breathe easier and this will take away from my previous concern about it clogging up the chimney screen often This stove should be awesome this year Mike

-- mkapples (working4you@consultant.com), October 08, 2001.

I have a mama and have used it for over 25 years.It is my only heat.It is great. I can still do it my self at 63.It is a little work but worth it.

-- shirley loyek (liz18436@yahoo.com), October 18, 2001.

We have had our Fisher "Mama" for 24 years. Have never had to even replace the fire brick. It has been wonderful. Holds a fire all night and heats our whole house. Would recommend it to anyone.

-- Susan Foster (milobear@ntcnet.com), October 21, 2001.


Had a Mama Bear for 10 years and loved it, hold a fire all night, screw dampers worked great, limited ashes to remove. Only problem was no air wash on the glass and boy is it hard to clean. Looking for a stove now and would buy another Fisher in a minute if they still were in business.

-- Duncan (dwedd@edge.net), December 05, 2001.

I have had several different woodstoves and inserts. I bought a Mama Bear Fisher used for $135 about 10 years ago and couldn't ask for a better heater. The tag on it says 1979. I have just got through sanding it down and painting it with Plastikote 1500 degree high heat automotive header paint. It looks like and works like new and really heats my 1952 model home that I grew up in very nicely. I also purchased a Papa Bear for $150 the other day that I plan to use in my garage to replace the old Woodchief. You don't have to let these heaters go out when you shovel the ashes out. Just shovel most of it out, rake the remaining coals toward the front, throw some more wood in and away you go. I usually don't shovel mine out but about every 2 to 3 weeks depending on what type wood your burning. If anyone has a Baby Bear Fisher in good shape close to East Tennessee, please let me know. I would like to purchase one. GGGGGGOOOOOO FFFFIIIISSSSHHHEEEERRRRR

-- Blake Rimel (bjrimel@chartertn.net), January 01, 2002.

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