I think the rutland.... but idk cause they are neck and neck until about 450. I usually just either add or subtract 75 to either depending which on I have on the griddle. I really need an IR gun
I got an IR recently with a gift card. Both the Rutland and the Condar are slow to respond to temp changes on the stove and flue. The IR gives me temps anywhere from 10- 60 degrees different, depending on the stage of the fire. I use the IR more now, and the gauges on the stove and pipe are general guides.
The condor seems fairly quick to changes but I get upset when the probe is reading 1250 and the GT is only 400, warm GT=warm room
Got a rutland on the stove top, yes on slow response. This particular one tracks right with IR gun. Guess someone screwed up when they assembled it. If I have the blower running off the back of the stove I have to add 200-300 with either unit for actual temps. In other words if the indication with the blower is 400, then it would be somewhere between 600 and 700 without the blower. I had a few times when the surface gauge is showing 700+with the blower on, I get pretty twitchy about that point. No ill affects to date though. Those nc30's are tough. Not impervious though, but I really rather not find out what the melt down temp is.
I've had no luck at all with the Rutlands. A condar came with the Fireview when we bought it and we then added another on for the flue. After 6 full winters use, both seem to be very close. Occasionally we'll check them with the IR gun.
I have two condars as well and both are fairly accurate within 50F +-. I also have a condar flue probe and it seems to respond pretty fast to flue temp changes. I check them all occasionally with my IR gun just to make sure but for the most part I go by them
I have two of those Rutlands. Maybe they were all made on the same day. Both are within 50°, or less, of the IR. I don't see as drastic a difference with the blower running. Still fairly close to the IR. The blower does cool the stove top, as well as the thermometer. Maybe the heat concentrated over the top of the cat has something to do with it. The BK has two blowers, one on each side of the stove, and the thermo is dead center. The PE has no blower.
We have one rutland on the top left one Vermont castings on the top right and a condor flue prob. The best way for us to tell is to look at both and then the temp is in the middle. ( They are 100F off from each other ) We have tried many stats and they all are junk except condor.... Not one has been truly accurate so we decided to us the middle of both temps.
