The Russo #2 w/blower

Just talked to a guy that has PA nut coal from blackshack mines. Bagged @$7.oo ea/ or 2400# pallet $375.00. Near Kankakee, IL

Most here that comment on this thread, I gather getting PA nut coal would be the best for a Russo. At least for my first season. And not try Bitty. First time with this Russo.

Your first season is the roughest. Keep it simple before your experiment begins, the learning curve will be steep enough. Not trying to scare you, but experience comes from bad judgement

2001Sierra wrote:Your first season is the roughest. Keep it simple before your experiment begins, the learning curve will be steep enough. Not trying to scare you, but experience comes from bad judgement

Does your comment mean use the PA coal? I have wood a plenty just to run this winter. I really want to try coal!

Yes, thats what he means. Use the anthracite coal if you are going to burn coal. Your Russo will love you for it. I can promise you this, the Russo will be in it's element burning ant. I'm sure you can burn wood in it but it is first and foremost an anthracite stove and performs worlds better on that fuel not to mention that you will tend it way less than wood.

From looking at your pictures it looked like all the firebrick was poured in as it all seemed angled. My stove has poured( not sure if that is the process) sides and 4 or 5 bricks wide in the back only. I need to replace these occasionally. They sit on a ledge and stay on with an angle iron along the top. You just pull the bottom and they come out. Not sure what the problem is with your situation. New bricks are fresh door gaskets are about all you can do to tune up our new stove. As it gets older you can lightly sand of surface rust and repaint with stove paint.

Anthracite is ONLY coal you should burn. It is clean, hot and is perfect for your stove. Nut size also would be great to start. I always burn nut as I think the size is perfect. Allows you to fit a lot in and it still have nice air spaces between for a proper burn.

I had never had a wood or coal stove growing up. Bought a house that had one in it and started burning coal from day one as the electric heat was deemed too expensive. I did not experience any problematic learning curve. I tend to keep my lower door vent set to 2.5 and down to about 1.5 at night when I want a slower longer burn overnight.

Just keep asking questions and we are all happy to help you out.

Vin.

Vinmaker wrote:From looking at your pictures it looked like all the firebrick was poured in as it all seemed angled. My stove has poured( not sure if that is the process) sides and 4 or 5 bricks wide in the back only. I need to replace these occasionally. They sit on a ledge and stay on with an angle iron along the top. You just pull the bottom and they come out. Not sure what the problem is with your situation. New bricks are fresh door gaskets are about all you can do to tune up our new stove. As it gets older you can lightly sand of surface rust and repaint with stove paint.

Anthracite is ONLY coal you should burn. It is clean, hot and is perfect for your stove. Nut size also would be great to start. I always burn nut as I think the size is perfect. Allows you to fit a lot in and it still have nice air spaces between for a proper burn.

I had never had a wood or coal stove growing up. Bought a house that had one in it and started burning coal from day one as the electric heat was deemed too expensive. I did not experience any problematic learning curve. I tend to keep my lower door vent set to 2.5 and down to about 1.5 at night when I want a slower longer burn overnight.

Just keep asking questions and we are all happy to help you out.

Vin.

I think It is sometimes better to have no experiance with wood when switching over to anthracite coal.

Got 20+ years with wood. Stayed with guy that liked to add brick-size Bitty in his woodstove on top of the wood, I was fascinated by how well it burned & smelled. Stayed at friends farmhouse in KY that he got from his grandmother. We found a pile of coal outside buried in weeds. That coal worked real well too.

Vin, I was able to get all the bricks out, just had to use a putty knife to wiggle out the tight ones. Quite a load w/wood ash behind those bricks. And, yes the grate only move 1/2", It was not jammed. The steel behind the bricks just have surface rust & what looks like the original black paint. Stove had to be one of those "let's have a fire for xmas & New Years"

"Stove had to be one of those "let's have a fire for xmas & New Years " Good score! Your purchase price was oustanding as well, this should be considered with your learning curve. We all can buy easy, but experience is what counts. I have experience 28 years with a hand fed, but "upgraded to easy" with my stoker! Is my slip showing

2001Sierra wrote:"this should be considered with your learning curve. We all can buy easy, but experience is what counts. I have experience 28 years with a hand fed, but "upgraded to easy" with my stoker! Is my slip showing

oh Bet you show


Oh can only think of Stoker. . .

SteveZee wrote:

Vinmaker wrote:From looking at your pictures it looked like all the firebrick was poured in as it all seemed angled. My stove has poured( not sure if that is the process) sides and 4 or 5 bricks wide in the back only. I need to replace these occasionally. They sit on a ledge and stay on with an angle iron along the top. You just pull the bottom and they come out. Not sure what the problem is with your situation. New bricks are fresh door gaskets are about all you can do to tune up our new stove. As it gets older you can lightly sand of surface rust and repaint with stove paint.

Anthracite is ONLY coal you should burn. It is clean, hot and is perfect for your stove. Nut size also would be great to start. I always burn nut as I think the size is perfect. Allows you to fit a lot in and it still have nice air spaces between for a proper burn.

I had never had a wood or coal stove growing up. Bought a house that had one in it and started burning coal from day one as the electric heat was deemed too expensive. I did not experience any problematic learning curve. I tend to keep my lower door vent set to 2.5 and down to about 1.5 at night when I want a slower longer burn overnight.

Just keep asking questions and we are all happy to help you out.

Vin.

I think It is sometimes better to have no experiance with wood when switching over to anthracite coal.

I agree - nothing that I learned from burning wood was useful when I switched to coal...excepting lighting a small wood fire to ignite the coal.

Thanks All. That's why I ask questions before the burn season. Now kinda itchin' for October so I get 30+ bags of Anthracite. I'm up for a new learning experience. Like I said earlier, but I was the one to encourage my friend to use his coal to heat his house in KY. That made me the started + tender too those fires. Could of been Anthracite do to the fact it did burned blue

Here's another? I don't think my '02 GMC 1500 would take a full pallet of coal, would you put that much in? #2400 = 60 bags for a 200 mile ride back? I only have a light-duty trailer for the ATV. Better price on taking a pallet tho.

Hope you don't care if I throw pic after pic at ya!!!!

Sorry to be away.

It sounds like you got a great stove there with not too much use. Nice score. Your burn time will be here soon enough. You will love it!!!!

As far as the truck. I'll let the others answer that but to me, 2,400lbs seems a bit much.

The trailer would snap in two. lol.

Vin.

Vin, Take as much time as needed. I felt like a poser to put up those pics but it gives an idea what I have.



LOL I know!! This old snowmobile trailer is only 3' wide. Great for moving wood out of the woods or my pile and fits the profile/width of the honda to a tee. I have sagged my truck with wood, it has of yet not broke a leaf, but I'm only going from those woods a mile to home.

Distance for me is an issue in weight. So I'll see how saggy my back-end gets! Geezz sounds like need lipo.

As too the stove time will tell.

I am sure some other people will chime in here on your load capacity.

Did you ever consider renting an auto trailer from like a U-Haul? You could strap a couple pallets to it and just tow it. That might be cost effective.

Vin.