Price and Brand of Your Stoker Boiler

I'm curious too what a stoker boiler is running for price, if you all don't mind sharing your brand and what you paid, that would be awesome, I'm looking around for one.

Only one? You must not have contracted "Stoker Maddenss" yet!

-Don

Lol you could just give me one of yours!

Plattsburg is a looooong way!

-Don

I bought a 1980 efm 520 refurbed stoker, great base, no cabinet > $3500 and it seems like that kind of deal can still be found.

Haha yes it is stokerdon, and thanks Waldo, interesting.

$2500.00 for a 1959, AA-130, all ready to plug and play.

I keep bringing them west...also have a KA-6 and another AA-130 stored here in case I need them.

That's a good deal mcgiever, what made u go with the AA? The ka-6 are pretty good too right?

I have only purchased EFM 520's, all refurbished units. One for myself, three for family, and I helped a neighbor get one. Two were round doors, three were square doors. The least expensive was $3000 and the most expensive was $5000. All but the $3000 one included delivery.

Condition and included accessories can change the price quite a bit. e.g. A unit with a brand new bin auger, new controls, coil, and jackets will cost considerably more than a "bare" unit. Also, do not underestimate the value of delivery...especially basement delivery. These things are not light, and you can't drive to PA for just a few bucks.

Thanks rob, my basement is a walk in from the garage with a 8" door, as easy as it can get.

Another question to everyone, why does it seem like the EFM, AA, and AHS all are complex with a lot of moving parts, compared to say the ka-6 or LL with a flat bed..? I don't know much about these so enlighten me lol I like the KISS theory and I'm thinking a flat bed stoker ( I hope that's the correct name) is pretty simple, or am I missing the bigger picture with the other brands? I have thought about just getting a hand fed boiler but I know I would fall in love with a stoker so I'm gonna fight myself and just skip the hand fed part.

After visiting a member, and seeing an AA working, I had to have one. I have experience with maintaining flat bed stokers, know their weakness when it comes to power interruptions, and liked how simple the auger fed AA worked. It seems so simple, and easy.

So I bought an AA130, 1986 edition. When I bought it, it was a rusted pile of parts. I wire wheeled everything and painted it. Replaced all gaskets, wear items, and designed my own external control cabinet with suggestions from people on here. Also replaced most controls so I would be at a "known good" state.

I paid $1,400 for my boiler, and it also came with a nice triangle tube 30 gallon indirect hot water heater, all kinds of extra parts, and an additional 80 gallon fiberglass electric hot water heater I was thinking I would need for a storage tank. I think I made out pretty good.

I also purchased a nicer AA260 for $750, (why have one when you could have both) which I basically stored until I decided to use the 130, which I then sold for ~$1,200. Good deals come to those who are patient.

hotblast1357 wrote:That's a good deal mcgiever, what made u go with the AA? The ka-6 are pretty good too right?

By there very nature, stokers need to be good to survive. I too am going to vote for the Axeman. Never mind it is the most efficient appliance available, the entertainment value is priceless. I got my AA 260 from a guy that bought it new, ran it for a month then shut it down and went out and bought a woodstove to give him something to do. He seemed angry that with the Axeman, it left him with no real chores relating to keeping it going. I paid $3000 and got 5 tons of coal with it, a very good deal. Watching it work reminds me of a team of Percherons at the county fair. When idle, it just stands there like a statue. But once you get the clang, it is pulling until the load stops.

The Axeman not only looks very different, its operation defies common sense. The fire ceases to burn when not being fired by choking on a mountain of its own ash. It will eat monstrous clinkers like candy due to the grate design and function and it refuses to die even if unpowered for days. It is like having a clown car in the basement.

coaledsweat wrote: The Axeman not only looks very different, its operation defies common sense. The fire ceases to burn when not being fired by choking on a mountain of its own ash. It will eat monstrous clinkers like candy due to the grate design and function and it refuses to die even if unpowered for days. It is like having a clown car in the basement.

While this may sound funny, it's absolutely true. The Axemans are a pleasure to watch. Even though from the outside it looks like nothing is happening. I think their inverse auger is bar none the best. No shear pins to break, and it's a 5" diameter pipe with the flutes on the outer diameter, with a hole down the middle to allow overflow to tink tink tink back down.

Mikeeg02 wrote:

coaledsweat wrote: The Axeman not only looks very different, its operation defies common sense. The fire ceases to burn when not being fired by choking on a mountain of its own ash. It will eat monstrous clinkers like candy due to the grate design and function and it refuses to die even if unpowered for days. It is like having a clown car in the basement.

While this may sound funny, it's absolutely true. The Axemans are a pleasure to watch. Even though from the outside it looks like nothing is happening. I think their inverse auger is bar none the best. No shear pins to break, and it's a 5" diameter pipe with the flutes on the outer diameter, with a hole down the middle to allow overflow to tink tink tink back down.

I'm convinced it was designed by Rube Goldberg after a hit of LSD! Either that or the mysterious Mr Anderson did a deal with the Devil!

I will have to try to see one some day, I would love to restore one, As long as the parts are available. I know a guy that has a AA running but I don't know if I would be able to look at it.