983 or 503 ?

I am looking to purchase a new insert and can't decide which way to go. I use the insert to heat a 2 story 2250 sq. ft. house. I burn approxiametely 2 ton of coal and 2-3 cords of wood. The 503 seems like the more efficent insert but not real conducive to burning wood. The 983 appears to burn wood well, but is rated for 3000 sq ft. and I would have a hard timing accomodating the 8" flue even with ovalizing. Does anybody burn both fuels in their 503 or 983 and with how much success? Thanks

The 503 with the hopper is handy...
Never pulled the hopper out but there is a bolt so it should be removable...
The 503 heats 2000+ sq ft on The Cape to 74* with the flue damper all the way shut...
It blocks about 2/3 of the flue pipe...
The 983 has no hopper...
you must feed the coal in thru the front...
I am sold on the hopper loading...
No need to use wood to heat...
I do throw in the BioBricks if I just need to take the chill off before the coal season starts...
The BioBricks burn hot and clean...
Sell or trade the wood for coal...
What do you have for an insert now?
Are you burning coal in the insert?

I currently have a Harman Magnifire I purhased used 11 years ago and the steel is apparently starting to deteriorate. The last few years when cleaning the insert at the end of burning season I noticed slithers of metal between the firebox and the top of stove. Anyway I like the idea of having the option of burning wood in the spring and fall.

http://www.hitzer.com/model503.html
The hopper is removable so you can have a wood fire...
Top loading coal with the 503 is a pleasure...

I recently purchased a 503 after burning wood in a Quadrafire 3100i for several years. Not cold enough yet to work with coal, so I have been burning wood. I think the 503 has plenty of capacity for my 3500 sf house. Blowers work well to move air. Compared to Quadrafire, burning wood in 503 takes some getting used to. Given the draft from under the fire, it is very important to limit this draft for a longer--i.e. overnight or daytime--burn. Can be done by closing top vent as much as possible and ashpan door vents nearly completely once a good wood fire is burning. Regarding the hopper in the 503, it is easily removed and the firebox is plenty big for wood. Seems much bigger than the Quadrafire. Regarding 983, I am sure this "wood" also work, but may be more than you need for your size house. Good luck.

If I were to purchase a new unit, I would rather purchase a unit that has the capacity to heat more than what I would be demanding of it, rather than have a unit that is rated just for your sq. ft. and find it struggling to keep the house warm on very cold days. With the larger unit it can also be idled down to heat your house and not work hard where the smaller unit would have to be possibly throttled high to heat your house. If you get a cold snap you know the larger unit will be able to keep your house warm with no trouble and you will not be running the unit at full throttle to do so. You stated you would have a hard time accommodating the 8" flue, could you reduce it to a 6" to make it work. I'm sure other members on the forum will chime in on the possibility of reducing the pipe size or have ideas and solutions to the pipe size issue.

the snowman.

CapeCoaler wrote:The 503 with the hopper is handy...
Never pulled the hopper out but there is a bolt so it should be removable...
The 503 heats 2000+ sq ft on The Cape to 74* with the flue damper all the way shut...
It blocks about 2/3 of the flue pipe...
The 983 has no hopper...
you must feed the coal in thru the front...
I am sold on the hopper loading...
No need to use wood to heat...
I do throw in the BioBricks if I just need to take the chill off before the coal season starts...
The BioBricks burn hot and clean...
Sell or trade the wood for coal...
What do you have for an insert now?
Are you burning coal in the insert?

If you remove the nut and bolt on the 503 the hopper very easily slides out. Once the hopper is removed you have access to the baffle in the top rear. A lot of debris is on top of that baffle. Just lift it up and it will come out easily along with all the ash and debris that has built up on top of it. This will effect the draft.Then it is easy to vacuum out the exhaust area. Then return the baffle and hopper and your good to go.
I just did this last week for a friend who was having a problem with reduced draft on his 503.

Thanks for the cleanout reminder...
The hopper is getting pulled this weekend for a last checkup before it gets fired for the season...