Anybody With a Hitzer 983 Out There? Need Advice

soultinter · Post by **soultinter** » Fri. Sep. 27, 2013 9:27 am

Im gonna b using a hitzer 983 freesstanding unit to replace my current woodburner. Dont hate on me, I get wood super cheap. Anyway, looking for some input on whether this is gonna work out well or not. Im planning on taking out the coal grate assembly so I can fill it more and get a longer burn time. I will b using oak cutoffs in varying size from very small to 4x4x16 chunks. Any thoughts?

Keepaeyeonit · Post by **Keepaeyeonit** » Fri. Sep. 27, 2013 12:34 pm

Welcome to the site,well for starters if you want to burn wood don't get a 983 because mine doesn't burn wood for crap but I have a single door with no over fire air controls like the two door option has, it will burn coal fantastic 16+ hrs running 500*+ and 48hrs at idle without tending to the stove. My stove is setup like a free standing stove with a pipe to the chimney and a baro but sitting in the fireplace. You are going to hear this over and over again but if you have a good drafting chimney just switch to coal and be warm and happy most of us were wood burners for years and were glade we switch, I know for a fact I'm much warmer, the house is a lot cleaner, and my back is thanking me. I hope this helps you out

. Keepaeyeonit

Keepaeyeonit · Post by **Keepaeyeonit** » Fri. Sep. 27, 2013 7:48 pm

Sorry but I forgot to tell you that you can't remove the grates to get a bigger firebox, the stove body is not that thick and if I'm hearing you right you want to burn wood in the area that the ashpan would sit? You will ruin the stove and possibly start a fire. Keepaeyeonit

soultinter · Post by **soultinter** » Sat. Sep. 28, 2013 8:20 am

well, im disappointed to hear that yours doesnt burn well with wood. I seriously hope that having the air controls both above and the knobs on the door will make the difference for me because I paid 1000 for the stove and thats a big investment for me. I cant see any difference in the thickness of the metal below the grates, it looks like one continous piece of metal wrapping the whole combustion chamber to me? and, I plan on lining it well with firebrick? also, if I leave the grates in I will have to be careful about letting the ash bed build up too high and causing the grate assy to warp ffrom the heat.
Im not against using coal at all, its just that I get an entire dumptruck full of oak cutoffs for 40 !!!! can coal price even come close? I don't think so.

Keepaeyeonit · Post by **Keepaeyeonit** » Sat. Sep. 28, 2013 8:42 am

Well if you line the rest of the inside and have air controls in the doors you should be ok but I think the 983 was made as a coal stove only, if you only plan to burn wood see if you can get a true wood stove I think you will have better luck with it. Take care and good luck. Keepaeyeonit

soultinter · Post by **soultinter** » Sat. Sep. 28, 2013 1:37 pm

well, I called hitzer and the gentleman that I spoke to said that they cannot call it a woodstove because it does not pass epa tests for particulate, however, he has been using one for 20 years in his own house with good results. He didnt really recomend removing the shaker grates but didnt say it would hurt the stove. I guess were gonna see. Worst case is I use it and it sucks and meanwhile I am refurbing my old one and I could put it back in. Thanks for all the input.

Post by **franco b** » Sat. Sep. 28, 2013 2:47 pm

It will burn wood like all the wood stoves did before they had special; heated secondary air or catalytic combusters. To burn fairly clean you need to give it air and feed frequently.