Pea coal in Harmon sf 150 or Gibraltar CFS

I just picked up 5 tons of pea coal really cheap, so I will run a handfired next year. I have a harman sf 150 and a Gibraltar CFS, neither have been hooked up yet. Im trying to decide which one to hook up. The Gibraltar has a viewing window which is pretty clean, but no blower. The harman sf 150 is a big stove with a blower but not much of a viewing window. A vf 3000 will be idling to heat the other end of my long house and dhw. Any opinions on which handfired will do the best with pea coal? Thanks

I think that your Gilbraltar is the same a coal berner's,, you may have some pea coal falling through the grates.. I'd just put some pea in, on the grates and see if the gaps are too wide.. I think it is meant for nut size.

I know the SF150 will burn pea,, forum member 'Greg White' has burnt pea coal that he got from me in his SF 150 with no issues or problems.. As with all Harman hand feeds,, you can shake to much or too far and dump the fire if you are not careful..

Greg L

Salemcoal wrote:I just picked up 5 tons of pea coal really cheap, so I will run a handfired next year. I have a harman sf 150 and a Gibraltar CFS, neither have been hooked up yet. Im trying to decide which one to hook up. The Gibraltar has a viewing window which is pretty clean, but no blower. The harman sf 150 is a big stove with a blower but not much of a viewing window. A vf 3000 will be idling to heat the other end of my long house and dhw. Any opinions on which handfired will do the best with pea coal? Thanks

You can burn Pea Nut or Stove size in either stove I have a Gibraltar MCC model The MCC is a double wall stove that has a twin blower in the back of the stove Your CFS is a single stove no blower I burn nut for the heat you will get more heat with Nut then with Pea The pea burns a little longer But it does not burn as hot Both will hold 100lbs of Nut coal with the
Banking bar in them you will get lots of heat with Both model I would stick with Nut for Both of your stove both are great stoves you will get alot of heat from either stove I heat 3140 SQ ft. with No Problems The temps in the upstairs of my house will be 73 to 76 all winter long The 150 with the fan will help getting the heat off the stove and into the room the grates on the CFS will have less gaps between them then the 150 The grates on the CFS are very tight as far as the gaps so you will have no Problem burning the Pea coal the 150 has wider gaps between the grates so you will have to watch that you do not shake to hard or the Pea will fall threw anyway you can't go wrong with either stove I would set both up side to side if you have room and burn one for a few days and then burn the other and see witch one works better for you See what one gives you more heat and a longer burn then stick with it good luck in your choice

Thanks Greg L. and J.C. I may try putting them side by side and running each for a few days if the wife doesn't freak. While looking at both stoves today I noticed the Gibraltar shaker grates were heavier and beefier. Oilman got 2100 from me last year. Shooting for 0 next winter.