Glenwood Base Heaters and Oak stoves burning wood

We know how great these stoves are burning coal, but are they any good with wood, being airtight and all? Anyone have any experience?

I haven't used mine with wood yet but probably will in the fall or spring when I don't need a long fire. I have a cord or so sitting around so might as well. I do know that DJ used to use his Glenwood #6 with wood and was really surprised at how much better it was burning coal. So, I would deduce that they are considerably better with coal. Certainly their shape is ideal for coal combustion.

Those stoves that have the secondary air ring just above the fire pot should do a decent job with wood. A lined fire pot will also help. I doubt though that it will match the better modern wood stoves.

I used to use my Glenwood #6 with wood full time. Now I only use wood in the shoulder months and to get the fire going. The Glenwood isn't the best for burning wood, not too bad but coal is it's forte...

I'd agree with FrancoB that a modern wood stove would be better if what you plan to use is wood. The older stoves where the pipe goes off the top of the back are better than the Glenwood baseheater burning wood. If I were forced to switch to wood for some reason without the option of burning coal, I'd probably switch stoves.

dj

In accord with the last posts. A specialy insulated secondary chamber with hot secondary combustion air is necessary to have a very hot "Temp." to burn gases, and these secondary burning chambers are working at best when at the top of the stove.

The older stoves where the pipe goes off the top of the back are better than the Glenwood baseheater burning wood.

Why would this be? So an Oak or a pot belly would burn wood better than a base heater cause of the exhaust hole placement?

PJT wrote:

The older stoves where the pipe goes off the top of the back are better than the Glenwood baseheater burning wood.

Why would this be? So an Oak or a pot belly would burn wood better than a base heater cause of the exhaust hole placement?

Not better but the extended flue path of the base heater would probably contribute to creosote formation with its lower stack temperature. The feature would be wasted. Wood also has to be cut shorter in these stoves. Those with provision for burning bit coal (hot blast ring) I am sure would do a better job than those without, but the newer wood stoves will still be best for wood.

I hope William doesn't see this thread . He will lose it . Just kidding . I burn a little wood in my 111 some times . It's so tight and there is so little secondary air I have to leave the load door open a little to keep the fire going . I know William said the 111 is an anthracite only stove .

My Glenwood MO 116 is ok with wood. I've only used it once to cure the paint but then kept it going for a few house and couple of loads. I agree with Franco B and DJ though that their real forte is coal. You have to leave it in direct draft mode and the reason the top venting models work better than rear if just that 90 degree turn the smoke has to make versus the up and out of the top vents. It's not that these are bad wood burners, they are not. They are just average like any old school woodstove. You can't use their best feature with wood, which is that elongated exhaust path that bleeds the heat out inside the house before it gets to the stack.

What the guys are saying is that if you were going to be a full time wood burner, you could do a bit better with a higher tech cat stove like a Woodstock soapstone for instance. They have a new hybrid that is 80% or better efficient and they claim some very long burn times similar to coal (hard to believe that). But if you have once that burns clean, puts out high heat, and is still going when you get up in the morning, then you are in wood stove heaven! These "reburner" cat stoves will circulate (and lengthen) the flame path through a ceramic catalytic converter and reburn the smoke and particulates where a good bit of the energy/heat still resides. If i didn't have access to coal, this is the stove I would have.

I dare to say that the wood stoves made by Amos and Dave Stoltzfus are equal or better than the Woodstock wood stoves. I'm partial toward DS because I would rather see someone buy from a coal stove manufacturer than someone else.

Take a good look at the DS EnergyMAX pictures from the link I'm posting and you'll see the engineering that went into this stove, just amazing!

http://messickstove.com/Stove%20DS%20Ma ... 20110.html

Edit: I just wanted to add pricing. The Woodstock Progress Hybrid 80,000 btu stove is $ 3,095.00 dollars on fall discount. The DS EnergyMAX 110 is less than 2,000.00 any time of the year.

Seem to be well made stoves. The thech. is in good progress with these kind of units.
Thanks for sharing the infos.

That's a pretty nice unit Mark and looks well made like all the DS stoves. Plus it can burn coal and or wood. That is a big plus although usually a dual fuel is not as good as a dedicated wood or coal stove. This could be an exception though.

I do really like the looks of the woodstock and soapstove/cast iron is an awesome material for a wood stove. This hybrid uses a reburner and a cat. I don't know if it's worth the extra grand though but as I said, if I was going to burn wood only and it was going to live on the main floor like the Glenwoods, I would consider it. If I was having it in the basement that DS looks pretty tempting.

I completely agree, Steve!

Cast iron stoves are the best, especially old ones.

I have a cheap but solid Englander in the garage (traded an older pellet stove for it) for those winter days when I'm there and want quick heat to bring the garage up to temp. This Englander has the reburn and I have to admit it is an impressive flame show when they are lit off.

I have to agree that for a main floor wood burner, the Woodstock Soap Stone gets my vote for a very nice looking stove. 3k for a wood stove is getting pretty salty though when you consider all the work and mess that goes with wood as a primary heat source. Coal and natural gas for me please !

That DS is impressive! A combination wood/coal stove for the 21st century it seems. Is there a way to shut off the secondaries air flow for when you burn anthracite?