From how many years of wood burning to which stove have you owned.

My family started burning with an old small antique coal stove.From there we went to a old large scandia stove.Then a Performer Z wood /coal stove to a Hearthstone 2-Hearthstone Mansfield- woodstock classic-Woodstock Fireview- Pacific Energy Summit-Lopi Liberty-Blaze King King-to a Hearthstone 1.For now that ends the journey.

 

I’ve been burning for 10 years out of a Fisher insert and a no name wood destroying salvage insert in the basement. Prior to those I had a homemade insert I picked up at a trading post for 50

 

My folks had an Ashley stove in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. They installed a Jensen indoor wood boiler in 1985 and still use it to this day. I’ve had a Dutchwest stove, an Ashley for my shop, and currently use a ThermoControl water stove to heat my house.

 

Nashua-32 years.
Summit-2 or 3.
Drolet-5 or so.
Ideal steel-2 months.

 

From now to past
My house
7 years Progress Hybrid
1 year used Fireview
1 year used cast iron English stove. Can’t recall the name
1 year mini moe. This is the beginning of bringing the fire upstairs to see how I liked that.
20 years Jensen Wood Furnace.

The old cast English stove. Anyone recognize it?

 

I grew up with a fisher mama bear, then bought a mama bear for myself. Used it up to 4 years ago when we bought our ideal steel.

 

Over 30 years with an Alpine{or Alpiner-can't remember) then about 6 years with a Regency HE.

 

3 years with a Pleasant Hearth 1800.

I'm a late bloomer.. but it's better to bloom late, than to not bloom at all!

 

Earth Stove BV4000C insert for the past 21 winters.

 

Fisher Papa Bear for 22 years and counting. Not sure what stove parents used when I was a kid.

 

Is this the model you grew up with? That’s what we had.

 

No sir. Ours was a box that looked more like an oversized radio than a stove. Very much like these. I believe Ashley was bought out by US Stove Company and still sells similar stoves at TSC, or at least did until recently. They’re called “Wonderwood” I believe.

 

A friend of mine’s father sold those back in the 80’s, they had one of those in their kitchen.

 

When i owned my house i bought a Pacific Energy insert. I think it was the Summit model. Loved that thing and miss it dearly. This was 2001. Moved out ten years later.

 

Somewhere there's a flat chested woman that is at this comment.

 

My parents started with Ben Franklin, then some oil/wood combo stove in the basement. No idea what make/model.
I started in '10 with a Baker wood/coal, moved up to a larger Baker wood/coal, then recently got an England's add-on wood furnace. Wish I would have started with it.

 

Its funny, we tend to remember the things we don't like and do like about particular stoves:

The Ashley has a small firebox, and is kind of ugly if I'm going to be honest.

However, it has an ash pan which I like, and the thinner metal sides don't hold heat as much as thicker cast iron stoves. Therefore, potential burns for kids, etc is not as bad imo.

The Dutchwest could be loaded front or side and had a glass front so the fire was visible.

The gasket seemed to fall out a lot though, and the heat it threw just wasn't that impressive.

The Thermo Control had about the biggest firebox you could want, you can almost sleep in it, and it throws a ton of heat.

It also uses wood by the wheelbarrow's worth though and has no ash pan.

The Jensen heats the water which is great, holds a decent amount, the loading door is off the ground a ways so less bending down, and has an ash pan.

However, the water aspect is expensive to hook up, and can be a lot to worry about.

 

There were many that spoke well about their old Ashleys

 

Backwoods your story is similar to mine though you started younger than me.My stove days began when I was eleven.My job was to keep the wood/coal stove going.My uncle told me once the coal is going good add damp coal.The wetness will produce oxygen and keep the fire going nicely.I never understood it but it seemed to work.I enjoyed keeping the fires burning.I felt like Davey Crockett and Daniel Boone two childhood favorites.Now I'm hooked for life at keeping the stoves lite.