I had some rust from the Tea pot, so a couple weeks ago I sanded the stove and applied stove polish. Had some light surface rust too, but the tea pot did a job on it. I did this in the stove room....Shop Vac nozzle next to the sander, windows open and fans going...said to myself, never again....next time I'll do it outside. Well, I wasn't happy with the result....So today I pulled the stove into the garage and tried again. Used the angle grinder, palm sander and orbital sander. Wire brush on the door. This time I used some Rutland stove paint. Ran out of Rutland, had two cans of high heat rustoleum, so I used them too. I'm much happier with the result, it's not perfect, but the stove hasn't looked this good in twenty years. I'll push it out in the driveway this week and do a couple burns then reinstall it next weekend. The wife was telling me to just go get a NC 30....guess I got a week to think about it.
Nice looking stove! Looks well build, simple and I would assume dependable. I was curious how it worked so searched around and found the owners manual pdf online. Manual says it can get 12-17 hour burns; is that true?
I haven't gotten a 12-17 hour burn out of mine. If I get 8 hrs I'm happy. However, I always have the bottom regulators open to get more heat. Last season was my first season using it....warmest the house has been in thirty years. I do spend a lot of time tending the stove, that's why my wife wants to get a NC 30
I replaced my old stove this year and I couldn't even get 8 hours. I'm so glad I won't need to kindle fires in the mornings any more! Glad to hear it is keeping you warm. I just like the look of that stove. I guess if you get tired of tending it, you have the license to go get a new one, so that's good. Happy burning!
Any update Hammerhead? The old Huntsman is along the same lines as the Fishers that I burn… Tried and true! Nice job on the stove! so now what? Me… I think I'd keep the Huntsman
It's very tempting to get longer burn times and use less wood. I'm still undecided. I haven't hooked the Huntsman backup yet. Hows that saying go....Indecision is the worst decision, seems true.
Do you have a baffle in it? I got about two hrs longer burn times when I put one in my grandma fisher years back and I just re modified it last year, it didn't do much just a thicker plate., The old one was warped bad.
I'm with WeldrDave definitely got better burn times and better burns with the baffle in mine. Going to add a little more to it this year and see.
I think it's built a little different than the Fisher's. It's got a baffle and the stove pipe collar is a tube that extend's over the baffle by about a foot. I'll try to upload a pic from the manual.
Yes they are, your right but some/most came with out a baffle I think, it must be a newer Huntsman. I'm thinking it was added down the line some where in production. If anything, do your change out and save the old girl if you can. Who knows, maybe you'll build something like a garage or shop to put it in. I can say this, you may be able to get a couple hundred bucks for it also.
Yea, it's crazy...I'm having a very hard time letting the "ole girl" go. I had the wife transfer enough for a deposit on a Ideal Steel this morning. When she got home, she asked if I ordered the stove.....I said No...I got home too late to order it.
And Ideal makes a very nice product!!! What ever you do you'll still be warm!, It's funny how you get attached to things and the stove was part of your life for a while! I cook on mine all winter also! . My Fishers are by far the newest technology but I've made mine the best and most efficient as I can, and they do the job well. I'm burning a winter what anyone with a newer stove is for a home my size.
I'd be interested if you were closer and decided to part ways and orphan the Huntsman............... Just missed out on a Mama Bear on CL this AM. What a bummer! Stove was in good shape, looked to be intact etc; for $200 bucks about an hour or so North. I look up these Ideals assuming they are new??
