Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

sharkman8810 · By: **sharkman8810** On: Sun Nov 04, 2012 6:17 pm

I would recommend hitzer or d.s. machine. Both have various models to fit your heating methods. I use an 82 in a furnace type fashion. In the current 30 degree-40 degree range i only need to mess with it once a day. With most stoves a 12 hr cycle is wise because of shaking and reloading them in that interval will provide the best results. Advantages of the modern day box stoves is that there is still a company around to talk to if you need help, parts etc. Also i dont know about your insurace company but some of them are happier if there is a UL tag on them. Hitzer and D.S. machine have good customer service to call and talk too. Harman doesn't talk to customers directly, they go only talk to there dealers.

elleninpa · By: **elleninpa** On: Sun Nov 04, 2012 6:21 pm

hey Keith, thanks! yes those pictures were awesome. I will of course have many questions on flues but I think only the cookstoves have the double flues or something...something to do with mulitiple fuels for cookstoves and fire codes...so I guess our old terracotta will work okay and we'll just need to figure out the stove piping...

we use our basement for living in, we're hobby types so every table and room in the house has some project or another on it, my dh collects fluorescent minerals, the rock museum (tongue in cheek) its just a small collection but colorful under long and short wave lights, will go nicely with any burner we put in...

I hope to redo the stairs to the basement with another portion of the monies coming and that will give that room more exposure, so a nice looking burner is a consideration, not that I have anything against 375 pound foundary workers!

we couldn't repair cracks in cast iron, but we could derust, sand, and wash...

hmm good point on checking with our insurance company sharkman!

RAYJAY · By: **RAYJAY** On: Sun Nov 04, 2012 6:25 pm

SteveZee wrote:He stated that he's gotten 20 hr burns out of the SF250 and that's certainly true but that is not the norm under dead of winter conditions.
As I mentioned to you I tend my Glenwood every 12hrs out of routine but it will burn much longer as well. Right now it this weather, I could tend it once a day or 24 hr burns but I'm not going to tell you that in the dead of winter, you can expect 24 burns. When the stove is working at optimum temps in the 500 or more range , you would need to tend it at 12 hr intervals. I'm sure the box stove guys will tell you the same. Most good large capacity hand feds at "normal" (not idling, not flat out) firing rates are tended twice a day. How much coal you burn (for the heat you get into your home) and how effiecent the stove is, is more a product of the design and for burning coal, round is better than square.

If it were easy to make a modern stove in this shape it would be happening but unfortunately, the lack of foundry's make this cost prohibitive today and it's much easier to weld steel plate into a square'ish shape. I'm not saying these are bad stoves at all. Many of them work just fine as evidenced by their many happy users. But a round, tall stove, takes up less space and burns coal and dissipates heat a bit more effectively. In all honestly it's more a matter of what is pleasing to you and what you like. That said, there is a reason that these round stoves are still around after 100+yrs of use and it's not just because they are pleasing to look at.

the sf 250 on full load on her size house will go a lot longer than 12hr did it with mine during the blizzard of the 90's around here, the 250 is a work horse of a stove

whistlenut · By: **whistlenut** On: Sun Nov 04, 2012 6:37 pm

I was referring to the fall and spring seasons, and I also do the 12 hr refill.....I can't stay awake for 20 hrs. nor do I want to be bothered. !2 hrs with ease is wonderful....Hitzer, DS Machine, Harman, Keystoker Hand fired, EFM hand fired... and a few home made units around......

wsherrick · By: **wsherrick** On: Sun Nov 04, 2012 6:55 pm

elleninpa wrote:wrsherrick, was i correct in my calculations about the efficiency of a round? and I thought I saw a round stove being made currently, I'll have to look again at my search history,...

now dh of mine had some questions, what about availability of replacement parts? for instance, if we went with mica glass, would we want some extras on hand in case or is it a day or two to get a replacement? i saw that there are a few rehabbers out there that work on old stoves, so I guess they would make house calls? or is the real answer, they are 100 years old because if cared for, they just don't break?

Okay I googled, really? Evangelicals for Mitt or Electrostatic Freon Microscope? Van Wert, Ohio or men's clothing line? sheesh! nutters all of us!

Mica is easily available from many, many sources. It is very inexpensive. As far as your, "limited choices," there are literally thousands of these stoves still in existence after 100 years. You can size the stove exactly to your needs as they made them from very tiny sizes up to huge. Now they all basically made the same size. One size does not fit all. I have two base heaters. One is a small one that holds around 25 pounds of coal and then the No 6 which holds around 75 pounds of coal. There are foundries that exist that the mainstay of their business is to make parts for these stoves. Cared for and properly used any stove will last. These will out last your grandchildren. Again talk with Emery at Antique Stove Hospital or Doug at Barnstable. They have been in the stove business since the 1970's. So, in short, properly used, these old stoves will not ever break, never need electricity, don't depend on noisy fans, blowers, draft inducers or often times finicky, temperamental mechanical feeding systems. If you like to tinker, get a 57 Chevy and a stoker. If you want reliable, quiet dependable heat get another type.

Of course the choice is yours. Take your time, ponder all that has been offered to you. And no matter what you choose there are people always here to help you an any way we can.

elleninpa · By: **elleninpa** On: Sun Nov 04, 2012 6:56 pm

thanks guys I gotta go, check back in a few to see if any more posts give more information, thanks a bunch!
btw i now understand that EFm is a mfgr and Vann WErt is not a mountain man

wsherrick · By: **wsherrick** On: Sun Nov 04, 2012 7:14 pm

freetown fred wrote:Oh Wm. don't get all huffy about your antique stoves. Ellen, I picked up my 50-93 on CL for &750.00 4 yrs ago in as good a shape as when new. You've got a lot of choices to play with. 30 more yrs huh? All the stoves mentioned are top notch & will last all of those 30 & probably do the kids real well as wel as thier kids .

No huff Fred. I'm just going over to the stoker section and start marginalizing others specifically about their, "logic," advice and knowledge and see if they get huffy.

RAYJAY · By: **RAYJAY** On: Sun Nov 04, 2012 8:12 pm

wsherrick wrote:
freetown fred wrote:Oh Wm. don't get all huffy about your antique stoves. Ellen, I picked up my 50-93 on CL for &750.00 4 yrs ago in as good a shape as when new. You've got a lot of choices to play with. 30 more yrs huh? All the stoves mentioned are top notch & will last all of those 30 & probably do the kids real well as wel as thier kids .

No huff Fred. I'm just going over to the stoker section and start marginalizing others specifically about their, "logic," advice and knowledge and see if they get huffy.

na we don't get huffy ..... :mad:

echos67 · By: **echos67** On: Sun Nov 04, 2012 8:39 pm

wsherrick wrote:
freetown fred wrote:Oh Wm. don't get all huffy about your antique stoves. Ellen, I picked up my 50-93 on CL for &750.00 4 yrs ago in as good a shape as when new. You've got a lot of choices to play with. 30 more yrs huh? All the stoves mentioned are top notch & will last all of those 30 & probably do the kids real well as wel as thier kids .

No huff Fred. I'm just going over to the stoker section and start marginalizing others specifically about their, "logic," advice and knowledge and see if they get huffy.

Whatchout William, they are called girly stoves for more than one reason :lol:

SteveZee · By: **SteveZee** On: Sun Nov 04, 2012 8:40 pm

RAYJAY wrote:
SteveZee wrote:He stated that he's gotten 20 hr burns out of the SF250 and that's certainly true but that is not the norm under dead of winter conditions.
As I mentioned to you I tend my Glenwood every 12hrs out of routine but it will burn much longer as well. Right now it this weather, I could tend it once a day or 24 hr burns but I'm not going to tell you that in the dead of winter, you can expect 24 burns. When the stove is working at optimum temps in the 500 or more range , you would need to tend it at 12 hr intervals. I'm sure the box stove guys will tell you the same. Most good large capacity hand feds at "normal" (not idling, not flat out) firing rates are tended twice a day. How much coal you burn (for the heat you get into your home) and how effiecent the stove is, is more a product of the design and for burning coal, round is better than square.

If it were easy to make a modern stove in this shape it would be happening but unfortunately, the lack of foundry's make this cost prohibitive today and it's much easier to weld steel plate into a square'ish shape. I'm not saying these are bad stoves at all. Many of them work just fine as evidenced by their many happy users. But a round, tall stove, takes up less space and burns coal and dissipates heat a bit more effectively. In all honestly it's more a matter of what is pleasing to you and what you like. That said, there is a reason that these round stoves are still around after 100+yrs of use and it's not just because they are pleasing to look at.

the sf 250 on full load on her size house will go a lot longer than 12hr did it with mine during the blizzard of the 90's around here, the 250 is a work horse of a stove

Mine will too, but I'm just saying that most people tend they're hand fed twice a day during the dead of winter and 12hrs is as good a number as any since it splits the day in half.

EarthWindandFire · By: **EarthWindandFire** On: Sun Nov 04, 2012 8:49 pm

Another point to consider is your return on investment (ROI) and only a handful of coal stoves hold their value - some even better than traditional financial investments in many cases.

For example, the only coal burning appliances that will preserve your original investment, or in fact appreciate in value are the following:

1). Antique cylinder stoves.

2). Hand-fed, underfed stoker or plate type stoker boilers.

The other types of coal burning appliances such as radiant stokers, hot-air furnaces and modern square hand-fed radiant stoves will depreciate in value dramatically like any new car, television or any other appliance.

echos67 · By: **echos67** On: Sun Nov 04, 2012 8:52 pm

EarthWindandFire wrote:Another point to consider is your return on investment (ROI) and only a handful of coal stoves hold their value - some even better than traditional financial investments in many cases.

For example, the only coal burning appliances that will preserve your original investment, or in fact appreciate in value are the following:

1). Antique cylinder stoves.

2). Hand-fed, underfed stoker or plate type stoker boilers.

The other types of coal burning appliances such as radiant stokers, hot-air furnaces and modern square hand-fed radiant stoves will depreciate in value dramatically like any new car, television or any other appliance.

Now that is an excellent point I completely forgot about, thanks for the reminder EWF

Cap · By: **Cap** On: Sun Nov 04, 2012 9:13 pm

Richard S. wrote:
elleninpa wrote:I read one bad review on Harman, and then had a friend not like theirs, tell me please are there models of Harman to avoid?

The one thing you have to watch with bad reviews is people rarely post good reviews.

If you saw it here I would first look at how long the member has been around and their history, if they just showed up to say "this thing sucks" take it for what it's worth. Same thing if it's one shot deal elsewhere.

I don't own any Harman products but my understanding is everything they make is outstanding.

elleninpa wrote:my dh was sort of surprised that they stoves were so masculine looking too

I personally like the look of that and I'd imagine most males would.

I love my Harman SF250. Too bad I can't sleep in the basement... :shock:

Davian · By: **Davian** On: Sun Nov 04, 2012 9:16 pm

echos67 wrote:
EarthWindandFire wrote:Another point to consider is your return on investment (ROI) and only a handful of coal stoves hold their value - some even better than traditional financial investments in many cases.

For example, the only coal burning appliances that will preserve your original investment, or in fact appreciate in value are the following:

1). Antique cylinder stoves.

2). Hand-fed, underfed stoker or plate type stoker boilers.

The other types of coal burning appliances such as radiant stokers, hot-air furnaces and modern square hand-fed radiant stoves will depreciate in value dramatically like any new car, television or any other appliance.

Now that is an excellent point I completely forgot about, thanks for the reminder EWF

Also, antique parlor stoves (like Steve's in the photos) just look classy. Its a work of art and it keeps you super warm. I'd kill to have one.

SteveZee · By: **SteveZee** On: Mon Nov 05, 2012 8:04 am

Davian wrote:
echos67 wrote:
EarthWindandFire wrote:Another point to consider is your return on investment (ROI) and only a handful of coal stoves hold their value - some even better than traditional financial investments in many cases.

For example, the only coal burning appliances that will preserve your original investment, or in fact appreciate in value are the following:

1). Antique cylinder stoves.

2). Hand-fed, underfed stoker or plate type stoker boilers.

The other types of coal burning appliances such as radiant stokers, hot-air furnaces and modern square hand-fed radiant stoves will depreciate in value dramatically like any new car, television or any other appliance.

Now that is an excellent point I completely forgot about, thanks for the reminder EWF

Also, antique parlor stoves (like Steve's in the photos) just look classy. Its a work of art and it keeps you super warm. I'd kill to have one.

Cap, ha,ha,ha that's a good one :lol:

Know the feeling.

Thanks Davian Everyones seen those pix many times but I still can't help showing them to a new member asking about which stove to buy. 8-)

Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

Re: Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

Re: Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

Re: Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

Re: Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

Re: Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

Re: Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

Re: Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

Re: Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

Re: Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

Re: Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

Re: Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

Re: Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

Re: Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

Re: Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?

Re: Which handfired coal to get with my inheritance?