So who here own a Jotul F500 V3? Over the last 24 hours I found quite a few people who had issues with this model. Some leaking around some of the seams bad cats and the ashtray door not sealing well leading to overheating. I went to another shop after a Dr appointment. I looked at the Blaze king Ashfor 30.2 and an Osburn. The Osborne was very very Basic. The Blaze king was 1k more than ever model I've looked at.
Regarding the ash tray issue, clean it well behind the drawer, then let it fill up with ashes and don't use it. Instead shovel out the ashes. Better than risking over firing damage. A welded steel stove won't have issues with leaking seams.
And that makes a lot of sense that cast stoves would be more inclined to leak. And letting the ashtray fill up his exactly what I'm in Reading. Some have installed thicker sealing rope.
X2 If a stove is the only option you are willing to consider, I'd either go Blaze King, or Woodstock, you so very rarely hear owners have anything negative to say (the ones that do either burn wet wood, or ignored chimney recommendations)
The unfortunate thing about woodstocks is that you can't see one at a stove dealer to be impressed. That's also good because they can avoid the cost of dealerships. If you like the look of that heritage then you might like their largest stoves the IS or the PH. Check out their website. I had a hearthstone heritage for several years and then moved to a BK princess for a much better heating experience. Longer burn times, less wood, warmer house, more durable, but a less pretty stove. The BK brand now has prettier stoves available. The wood savings alone pays for my replacement catalysts twice over! With 4000 SF home you will be using your furnace anyway so long burn times are more of a convenience thing. Are you burning wood to save money? emergency backup? or for fun/aesthetics?
The Lopi is a solid stove that is also made in my part of the country and will throw some big heat. The first stove I had in this current house was a Lopi Freedom Bay insert at 3.5 cubic feet. The BK has much higher efficiency so you burn less wood, the BK has a much wider range of outputs so you can match the stove output to the needs of the house instead of pulse and glide with the Lopi, the BK has a thermostat so you can choose a burn rate and it just stays constant. That constant heat output and steadily warm home results in less fuel burned and more comfort compared to pulse and glide. The Lopi will burn relatively hot all the time and do that well. Hot and fast compared to a good cat stove like the BK that can also burn low and slow if you want it to. Really you're asking the classic question of "cat or noncat?" which is a frequent and good question. With your huge house you can probably better live with the noncat than somebody in a smaller home or milder climate where burn rate control is more important. A good cat stove will do the same job for about 20% less fuel in my (and other forum member's) experience. I don't really prioritize pollution since all modern stoves burn clean but the catalyst does a better job of cleaning the exhaust of not only visible smoke that is regulated but also all of the invisible pollutants if you're into that sort of thing. By burning those other things, the cat captures more heat. Every stick of wood you burn in either stove will save you money by replacing that much fuel burned in your furnace. So if you could stuff (top off) the big BK king full of wood every day and just let it burn unattended that would be the easiest way to save money. You can see in my signature that I also own a big noncat for my shop. I understand and appreciate that there is an application where a hot and fast burning stove makes sense. That big noncat in my shop gets run hard and fits the job perfectly. The only thing better in that building would be a larger wood furnace or wood boiler to feed the underslab heat.
Well I put an order in for a Buck model 81. In the end I just didn't want to deal with a cat stove. Yes they have advantages, but I have plenty of wood, and because it's not my primary source of heat I believe it will suit my needs. After all my current stove is a simple wood box with like 2% efficiency, so this will be a massive upgrade. It was a really hard choice between the 81 and 74. The 81 has a little bit better air control and a variable speed fan. The 74 looks a little better and has a slightly wider box, the 81's box is deeper. Naturally I'm still second guessing my choice, so a little encouragement fellas? Lol
You bought an American made stove that will last a lifetime, and with routine maintenance should perform well the whole time. Great choice. Burn dry wood, keep the flue clean and run the b@lls off it. Happy burning!
Highbeam only thing I disagree with on comment is ability to see a Woodstock in real life. OP is in Ohio.. must be most types in hundred miles; granted fewer where you are at.. Congrats on new stove! Andyshine77 need an install thread
I never said you couldn't see one in real life. Just not at a stove dealership along with that service from the dealer that some folks insist on. Here's a Buck 81. 2.48 cubic feet.
Yeah I wasn't keen on having one delivered, and I've never seen or heard of them until this thread. If I were to go with a cat stove I really liked the BK. For looks HearthStone and Vermont casting than Jotul. I just don't want the troubles some have with some of those. I just paid the down payment. They did have bothe the 74 and 81 in stock, but I wanted the pewter accents.
Must not read FHC too much...there are a metric TON of members with Woodstock stoves! Can't swing a cat at a gtg without hitting a couple of em, at least!
^^^ exactly what I was trying too say and most would invite you to house show you the stove and tell you all about it!!
I initially was going to chime in when I read you were asking about Jotul- but I was late to the game and in the thread as I read down you stated you had already bought the Buck, but I'm getting around to it now... a close buddy of mine has the F500, and someone on his wife's side has the same model and they both have the same problem where the side door doesn't open any more. Couldn't speak to why exactly but only the front works. I'll tell you though, I'm thoroughly unimpressed** by it. The performance is anemic. The old model Englander 30NC while not as pretty to my eye would have been a way better purchase for him than the Jotul. (No experience with a Buck stove so I can't weigh in other than it looks awesome to me.) I hope you do an update once you get it up and running. **Couldn't swear on it being a fault of the stove or the user. Either is entirely possible, maybe a slight lead on it being user....
