Lighting a stoker

Has anyone tried a heat gun? I don't have one, but I have been told it works.EDIT....just saw someone else posted heat gun...sorry

Blooms Supply on Mile Hill Road Sunbury has "fire starters". They are a 2" sq box with a fuse and a chemical inside that is real hot. Pile some coal on top of the box, light it and it will burn hot. I use it for rice coal. Takes about 20 min to get a good fire in my keystoker. My son does not like them for his surdiac.

Lost my fire on Christmas and had nothing to light it with. Only store open was a quicky mart. They had those instant light charcoals used to smoke a hookah, $1.50 a tube. Lit 4 of them put them in the coal and hoped for the best. 5 minutes later had a little glow, turned on the stoker and away it went. I'll be getting a few more tubes, made it too easy.

After 18+ years with two alaska stokers one in basement and one up stairs I have found the the best way(easy,cheap,fast,and wifey can do it) that works for me and the wife.
On a earier post I praised a heat gun. It does work but takes 5 min and you need power and my wife is a girly girl(wife can't use any power tools).
What if power went out, now I need a genny to light my stove,by the the way I have run my stoves for days on a little 100w converter and my big boat battery(super storm sandy).Yea I'm braggen
I used to use mice when they were cheap and worked now they are a couple bucks and you get a couple duds. The last mice I had were 3 duds and me with no heat or power. Over the years I tried charcoal,kindling,lighter fluid, cutting torch nothing worked well.
I really loved my stoves but hated and even dreaded trying to light them TILL NOW

Get a wide soup can and cut open both ends or a piece of pipe what ever fits nice on your burner grates and about 4" tall and 3" wide or so. You can evan cut a v in the bottom if that helps to light it and I even angled mine but you don't have to.
One sheet newspaper crumpeled up and stuffed into can.
One to two pieces of cheap charcoal in a zip lock bag broken up with a hammer.
Pour charcoal on top of newspaper in the can.
Plug in stoker blower and set can on grates about 1/2" off edge with new coal behind can(burned coal/ashes wipe into ash pan)
Use a little propane bottle torch(cheap) to light the paper in the can hanging over the burner grate once lit push back fully over grate for max air flow.
Next 15 min take small ash clean out shoval and keep putting small amount of coal inthe can.
When you see a nice glow or full can of hot coals in the can take a pair on bbq or cooking tongs and quickly lift off and drop in ash pan.
After almost 20 years I now turn my stokers off on a hot days and light them at night because this way is the easiest I have ever found

Jeep
By "Cheap Charcoal" do you mean the BBQ brickettes?

I am sure he meant whatever was the cheapest to get.

I use and a lot of people use lump charcoal. Don't have to break it with a hammer. If a peice is too big, it usually breaks with your hands.

I keep a bag handy. A couple of hand fulls of lump, put in a can and moisten with lighter fluid (do not oversoak). Dump on coal bed and light. Then turn on stoker. After a few minutes, dump on some coal.

I read Lowes,etc. sells it. I'll keep an eye out. Probably True Value stores as well?

I usually stick a piece of cardboard under the crushed charcoal. Light the cardboard with a torch and turn the unit on.

I sell coal mice, or coal starter bags if anyone is interested