Who Has Switched From a Stoker to a Hand Fed???

 
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Canaan coal man
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Posts: 822
Joined: Thu. Nov. 08, 2012 12:37 pm
Location: East Canaan, CT
Stoker Coal Boiler: Efm 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: A little cubby coal stove in the basement
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood #6
Coal Size/Type: Stove And Nut

Post by Canaan coal man » Wed. Mar. 25, 2015 12:39 pm

Hi everyone, for the next burning season I'm thinking about switching to a hand fed either base burner (glenwood #6) or a hopper fed (hitzer 50-93, ds circulator 1600). Id be replacing my current set up witch is a top vent channing 3, first floor, corner install, 2000 sq ft, windy and drafty 94 year old farm house. currently burning about 4.5-5 ton a year for the last 3 seasons. The top reasons is like to switch are higher electric bill, fan noise, no heat during power outages, high stack temps, unburnt coal, can only burn 1 size of coal, and cant burn wood early fall late spring. But before I drop some coin on a new "winter toy" Id like to hear some input from people that have swapped from a stoker to a hand fed. Both good and bad experiences and any other details you might have.


 
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Stoker6268
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Location: Grafton NH
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by Stoker6268 » Wed. Mar. 25, 2015 2:34 pm

Had a stoker years ago. Now have hand fired. I switched basically for the reasons you stated. The stove is in our living room and it is so nice not to have the noise of the motors. Power goes out occasionally and stove still runs. Not wasting electricity. Also the glass doesnt etch and pit as bad like the stokers do. 2nd year with mine and the glass is almost perfect.

 
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freetown fred
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Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
Location: Freetown,NY 13803
Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut

Post by freetown fred » Wed. Mar. 25, 2015 2:35 pm

Never had a stoker nor would I consider one. My 50-93 heats this 200 yr old--not very drafty at all--farmhouse real well. There's no guarantees here my friend. I'm thinkin you might want to tighten that house up a bit before thinking a stove is going to be a solution, other then the noise problem-and elec.---they all etch up over time. But again, I'm REAL satisfied with my 50-93.

 
coalder
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Location: somewhere high in the catskill mountains
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: harman sf 160
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: wood parlor stove

Post by coalder » Wed. Mar. 25, 2015 3:07 pm

I also have never owned a stoker. For all the reasons that you have described. I have my Harman boiler in tandem with my oil boiled; and when the power goes out I simply open the flow valve, and about 6 windows. :D For what it's worth I have two friends considering transitioning to coal next season, and they are both looking REAL hard at the Hitzers.
Jim

 
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Lightning
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Location: Olean, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite

Post by Lightning » Wed. Mar. 25, 2015 3:57 pm

I have never owned a stoker either. For now I'm having way too much fun tinkering with my hand fed. Once that novelty wears down, I'll put a stoker boiler in the basement and enjoy an antique parlor stove up in the living room.. :lol:

 
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SWPaDon
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Location: Southwest Pa.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Clayton 1600M
Coal Size/Type: Bituminous
Other Heating: Oil furnace

Post by SWPaDon » Wed. Mar. 25, 2015 4:18 pm

I've never owned a stoker either. Although appealing, because of it being semi automatic, we lose power too often to consider it. Hand fed for me.

 
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oliver power
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Posts: 2970
Joined: Sun. Apr. 16, 2006 9:28 am
Location: Near Dansville, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: KEYSTOKER Kaa-2
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93 & 30-95, Vigilant (pre-2310), D.S. 1600 Circulator, Hitzer 254

Post by oliver power » Wed. Mar. 25, 2015 5:40 pm

I do have a stoker boiler. You can't beat a stoker boiler. I would NEVER buy a stoker stove. No Way! You can't go wrong with the HITZER 50-93. I'm sticking my neck out by installing a D.S. 1600 in the shop next year. Thought I'd play with something different, and try fan-less circulation. The D.S. appears to be well designed, and well built. If the D.S. performs close to the 50-93, it'll be a keeper. If not, I'll get rid of it, and buy another 50-93. I KNOW the 50-93 is well designed, well built, and a real performer.


 
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Canaan coal man
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Posts: 822
Joined: Thu. Nov. 08, 2012 12:37 pm
Location: East Canaan, CT
Stoker Coal Boiler: Efm 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: A little cubby coal stove in the basement
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood #6
Coal Size/Type: Stove And Nut

Post by Canaan coal man » Wed. Mar. 25, 2015 7:00 pm

freetown fred wrote:Never had a stoker nor would I consider one. My 50-93 heats this 200 yr old--not very drafty at all--farmhouse real well. There's no guarantees here my friend. I'm thinkin you might want to tighten that house up a bit before thinking a stove is going to be a solution, other then the noise problem-and elec.---they all etch up over time. But again, I'm REAL satisfied with my 50-93.
Fred, how much coal do u burn with ur 50-93 for ur old farm house?

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Wed. Mar. 25, 2015 7:38 pm

Around 3 or a lil under ton of nut/stove mix with a ceiling fan going in this past sub zero stuff, normally she just circulates well & I'm pretty broke up design wise. Plus floor vents for upstairs front. House stays around 72--73*.
Canaan coal man wrote:
freetown fred wrote:Never had a stoker nor would I consider one. My 50-93 heats this 200 yr old--not very drafty at all--farmhouse real well. There's no guarantees here my friend. I'm thinkin you might want to tighten that house up a bit before thinking a stove is going to be a solution, other then the noise problem-and elec.---they all etch up over time. But again, I'm REAL satisfied with my 50-93.
Fred, how much coal do u burn with ur 50-93 for ur old farm house?

 
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Hambden Bob
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Location: Hambden Twp. Geauga County,Ohio
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman 1998 Magnum Stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Blower Model Coal Chubby 1982-Serial#0097
Coal Size/Type: Rice-A-Roni ! / Nut
Other Heating: Pro-Pain Forced Air

Post by Hambden Bob » Wed. Mar. 25, 2015 8:06 pm

Hang Loose,Dennis ! We're Glad You're Aboard And Active ! We'll See If We Can get You A Topic Of Your Own On Your Needs And Questions,And Keep You Going ! Look For It In Our Stoker Section ! As far as what the OP threw out to all of us,this has been a Big Dilemma for me,too ! I've been at a Break-Point,a veritable Crossroads if You will,as far as this very issue. I've got a Dependable,No Questions Asked Stoker now. My Quandary turns into "The Classic".... : Power Goes Out,No Auto-On Big Buck Generator in place-Manual Only (Honda 6.5Kw)...I'm not Home 'cause I'm working the very Storm that took Us out of lights..Mrs. is working 2nd shift,so just those Wild Fur Children( 1 Senior Chihuaha,1 Whack-Ball 1yr Old Yellow Lab and 1 Senior Cat named Master Chung(Oriental Martial Arts Master Feline,I Guess) are Home during a moment like that.....A Hand Fired Scenario would be that the Long Suffering Miss Julie would give a Hand-Fired the Attention it would so Richly Desire prior to leaving for Work Around 2:30P.M. If I'm doing a Double,I'm back Home at Midnight,with a Re-Report Time At anywhere from 7 to 8 A.M. I could also wrestle the generator out,and have it rolling along for her arrival around Midnight. We're on Wellwater,and Electric Hotwater.......The present generator would accomodate Our needs due to Our staggered shift. The Handfired would leave us free to run the generator when needed,as needed,saving on fuel and noise. If I go to an EFM520DF,or an AA130,I just wouldn't feel comfortable unless I had an Automatic Throwover Switch and a Whole House-Sized generator on the property.....One Hell of a Proposition,and Expense.....Trust Me,I'm Truly Kicking All Of This Around...The one Killer is the fact that If I do this Scenario in a Summer Storm Incident,as Hot And Humid as We get,This Old Man will be needin' the A.C. to get a few hours of Cool,Low Humidity Sleep before going back to hit it all over again ! Just some random Thoughts And Musings in the Stoker vs. Hand-Fired,Simple vs. More Complex Battle Of The Coal Fired Appliance !...Whew !.... :bang: :taz:

 
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Canaan coal man
Member
Posts: 822
Joined: Thu. Nov. 08, 2012 12:37 pm
Location: East Canaan, CT
Stoker Coal Boiler: Efm 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: A little cubby coal stove in the basement
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood #6
Coal Size/Type: Stove And Nut

Post by Canaan coal man » Thu. Mar. 26, 2015 11:01 am

Stoker6268 wrote:Had a stoker years ago. Now have hand fired. I switched basically for the reasons you stated. The stove is in our living room and it is so nice not to have the noise of the motors. Power goes out occasionally and stove still runs. Not wasting electricity. Also the glass doesnt etch and pit as bad like the stokers do. 2nd year with mine and the glass is almost perfect.
Did you lower your coal consumption when switching. did you feel any difference in radiant heat vs the forced air from your stoker?

 
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Scottscoaled
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Posts: 2812
Joined: Tue. Jan. 08, 2008 9:51 pm
Location: Malta N.Y.
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520, 700, Van Wert 800 GJ 61,53
Baseburners & Antiques: Magic Stewart 16, times 2!
Coal Size/Type: Lots of buck
Other Heating: Slant Fin electric boiler backup

Post by Scottscoaled » Thu. Mar. 26, 2015 11:20 am

Hambden Bob wrote:Hang Loose,Dennis ! We're Glad You're Aboard And Active ! We'll See If We Can get You A Topic Of Your Own On Your Needs And Questions,And Keep You Going ! Look For It In Our Stoker Section ! As far as what the OP threw out to all of us,this has been a Big Dilemma for me,too ! I've been at a Break-Point,a veritable Crossroads if You will,as far as this very issue. I've got a Dependable,No Questions Asked Stoker now. My Quandary turns into "The Classic".... : Power Goes Out,No Auto-On Big Buck Generator in place-Manual Only (Honda 6.5Kw)...I'm not Home 'cause I'm working the very Storm that took Us out of lights..Mrs. is working 2nd shift,so just those Wild Fur Children( 1 Senior Chihuaha,1 Whack-Ball 1yr Old Yellow Lab and 1 Senior Cat named Master Chung(Oriental Martial Arts Master Feline,I Guess) are Home during a moment like that.....A Hand Fired Scenario would be that the Long Suffering Miss Julie would give a Hand-Fired the Attention it would so Richly Desire prior to leaving for Work Around 2:30P.M. If I'm doing a Double,I'm back Home at Midnight,with a Re-Report Time At anywhere from 7 to 8 A.M. I could also wrestle the generator out,and have it rolling along for her arrival around Midnight. We're on Wellwater,and Electric Hotwater.......The present generator would accomodate Our needs due to Our staggered shift. The Handfired would leave us free to run the generator when needed,as needed,saving on fuel and noise. If I go to an EFM520DF,or an AA130,I just wouldn't feel comfortable unless I had an Automatic Throwover Switch and a Whole House-Sized generator on the property.....One Hell of a Proposition,and Expense.....Trust Me,I'm Truly Kicking All Of This Around...The one Killer is the fact that If I do this Scenario in a Summer Storm Incident,as Hot And Humid as We get,This Old Man will be needin' the A.C. to get a few hours of Cool,Low Humidity Sleep before going back to hit it all over again ! Just some random Thoughts And Musings in the Stoker vs. Hand-Fired,Simple vs. More Complex Battle Of The Coal Fired Appliance !...Whew !.... :bang: :taz:
Hold on there HB! Don't go counting out the EFM 520 thinking they draw all kinds of heavy juice. Truth be told, they only use a 1/8 HP motor that draws 1.7 amps. Or is it 2.4? Anyway, that's only about 200 watts give or take. Not enough to need a "Whole house generator and auto throwover switch" It would be nice though. Can't say watt the AA's draw.

 
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michaelanthony
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Joined: Sat. Nov. 22, 2008 10:42 pm
Location: millinocket,me.
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant 2310, gold marc box stove
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Gold Marc Independence
Baseburners & Antiques: Home Sparkle 12
Coal Size/Type: 'nut
Other Heating: Fujitsu mini split, FHA oil furnace

Post by michaelanthony » Thu. Mar. 26, 2015 11:22 am

Cookin' With Coal
...an added benefit with or without a power failure.

 
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blrman07
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Post by blrman07 » Thu. Mar. 26, 2015 11:48 am

I started with a hand fed but it didn't fit our lifestyle. My wife and I would be gone for 14-18 hours at a time and I had a smaller hand fed type with a staying power of around 8 hours on an excellent day with perfect settings and great coal. I checked out stokers and I could fill the hopper and forget it basically. It would run for about a day and 1/2 before needing attention. I switched to a stoker simply due to an erratic work schedule and couldn't be tied to a 10 or 12 hour drop dead deadline.

Now that my schedule has become more "human" I switched back to a hand fed because I simply like the challenge of "man against coal." I have an installed oil fired boiler backup now so I am no longer tied to my heat source whether it's hand fed or stoker.

For me it was purely a life style decision. Stoker is basically fill and forget to take the ashes out. If I didn't change the ash pan for two days it didn't go out or damage the stoker. Really to me a stoker is actually boring. Fill it and it burns the coal. Nothing to really adjust, touch, shake, rattle or roll.

 
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McGiever
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Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Thu. Mar. 26, 2015 11:53 am

Ahhh, Lifestyle...and one size does Not fit all. :)


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