DS Machine or Alaska Kodiak, Which to Choose?

lsayre wrote:I thought the Kodiak was also hopper fed. I also want the hopper feature. Am I missing something here?

Look at the link it shows the hopper door /loading door at top the front door is a viewing door not for loading once the screen is in place you can't load thur that door The S.S, screen is part of the hopper system it keeps the coal from laying agaist the viewing door and in my stove the two side big firebricks are tapered to funnel the coal onto the grate.
This stove holds 120lbs of chestnut size coal

**Broken Link(s) Removed**

lsayre wrote:Thanks, but I'm not mechanically inclined enough (or motivated enough) for the "do it yourself" approach, and I will need a professional install, so I believe that I want to stick with new.

Not hard to install a stove Just need a few guys to help unload it and put in place There is plenty of help on here for the install and it is free . Look at this way what is the coast of new stove plus install cost 1800 to 2200 for New
Now look at cost for a like New stove about half to 3/4 of a New stove price Plus it comes with extra options already saving more money Plus it as features that the New stove does not have like outside shaker Handel and much heaver 6 piece cast fire bricks then the 10 or so cheap small fire bricks .
A new blower fan is around 130 or 135 from Alaska Plus the optional rear heat shield 100 I think New glass is 85.
I guess it all depend on what you want to spend or save That is up to you and no one else can help you with that well except the wife I guess .

Another problem is the roughly 350 mile (give or take) distance (one way) between us, and I have only a Chevy Aveo.

Where are you at in Ohio?

I'm in the vicinity of Wadsworth. I just figured out in another thread that bituminous is not in the cards and since bituminous is the only economical coal around in these parts (at about 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of anthracite) I'm a bit discouraged for the moment. I have an all electric house at present (my oil boiler is dead, my underground oil tank leaks and has some water in it, and replacing the tank may not even be legal any more around here, and I have only a back-up electric resistance boiler unit heating my house right now). But due to some spectacular luck I live in an area where since there are many all electric homes there is a deal and electricity is only 6.6 cents per KWH (whereas the Ohio average is about 11.2 cents per KWH), but even at 6.6 cents per KWH and the high price of anthracite around here it may still save me a bundle in the long run to go with anthracite. And I like the idea of being toasty warm.

lsayre wrote:Is it true that DS Machine has only been around for 2-3 years? That concerns me greatly with respect to their long term reliability.

They have been building hand fed boilers since I believe 1972 and started with stoves soon after.

rji68 wrote:I think your missing another great stove that fits into this fight, Give the Hitzer 50-93 a look. I had the choice of all 3 from 2 local Amish dealers in Western Pa.

I just visited their website, and I think you are right. The Hitzer 50-93 E-Z Flo Hopper Stove stove most certainly should be allowed to participate in this fight.

Are there other hopper fed stoves in the vicinity of 100K BTU's that also should be considered?

Why is bit not in the cards...

Something about a hopper fed coal stove burning the house down firing bit bothers me (though I realise that some hoppers are removable, and this would likely improve the situation somewhat). Also the fact that stoves designed to burn anthracite have deep fireboxes not conducive to good performance from bituminous leads me to think that a different stove type altogether is required for bit. It appears that anthracite needs air from below and bit prefers air from above. Then there are the clinkers that won't pass through the grates (and may in fact damage them), with this situation apparently compounded greatly by low fire conditions. Then there is the soot, the sulfur odor, and the exploding volatiles thing... And lastly, I'm not sure my nearby neighbors would like me sooting and smelling up the place.

Talk to amos about burning bit in DSM stoves...
Maybe DSM downdrafters would be a good clean bit burner...

Can you PM me with his phone # please.

lsayre wrote:Can you PM me with his phone # please.

PM sent.

rji68 wrote:I think your missing another great stove that fits into this fight, Give the Hitzer 50-93 a look. I had the choice of all 3 from 2 local Amish dealers in Western Pa.

I agree! Also look at 50-93. Great stove! Has nice quiet fan. New models have removable hoppers. The 50-93 is a nice looking stove. I'm not sure if D.S. Machine Stoves have a fan. Or does D.S. Machine have a fan model?

Yes, DS has a few stoves with blowers on them. Though, the majority of them don't.

Bituminous is its own beast and some posting and serious reading in the bit section should be done. Some hitzers will burn bit/anthracite and wood (models 354/254 and possibly the 82 and 55) . I would imagine that some of the D.S.M stoves would burn it too if set up correctly. Member Berlin is very knowledgeable about bit and could help you out with what type/characteristics of bituminous to look for. Really a new hitzer, alaska, or dsm will do fine to heat a house, the type and setup is important though. How is the heat going to be distributed. Are you going with a radiant stove, and possibly like a hood over it, or just space heating an area with a fan. If your gravity feeding duct work a hitzer 82 is good, or if your space heating a large room a 50-93 with a fan would be good.