I purchased these tongs from Amazon for moving wood and coals inside my furnace: I like them because they are short and the handle loops are large enough for my gauntlet welding gloves. Just curious, are there any other choices for short tongs with large handle loops?
Obviously, I can't move a log with these bbq tongs, but I can move coals and remnant splits that are down to a couple inches. I'll sometimes scoot everything to the back of the box, stack up the front with wood, put coals and a remnant split on top, maybe a fire-starter, then fill the back with wood, and I've got a top-down start, even though the stove wasn't cold.
I bought a whole quality fireplace tool set when I got my stove. I thought I had to have the tongs. Honestly, the only tools I use is the shovel and harbor freight welding gloves. I move splits around in the stove, rake coals, and remove ashes with the shovel. Tongs and broom have been hanging on my wood rack since I got them. The wife and son use the poker.
First time in like 10 years I wanted a pair of tongs to grab a log and move it, a couple nights ago. Something like these that might work in a N/S stove. There isn't a lot of room in a small cigar loader. I use a l-shaped poker and a flat shovel to dig ashes out. That's about it. I spend a lot more time cleaning up around the stove than in it. Which isn't really saying much.
My new favorite stove tool... 4-1/2 foot long peice of conduit with an old kids rake head screwed on. I'll have to touch it with the welder one of these days when I have it out.
