Upgrading to a DS Machine 1500

either, fan or not.

it's a matter of design intention.

the 50-93 is from a period when stoves were considered functional furniture that added ambiance to the living space. it's built to expose the max amount of it's skin to the heat generated and to have it release as directly, quickly and completely as possible.

the DSM's are from a more modern ideology. one that places higher value on other uses of living area floor space and the containment of such mundane things as heat appliances and fuel out of sight.

most all of the DSM stoves are design honed to push heat UP and in the case of the circulators there is considerable bias in that direction.

if you could look at the circulators construction and see them perform in a house hold setting you would soon see that the circ. tubes are sandwiched between the fire box and the outer side walls. this is good for drawing and pushing heat UP ( believe me they do this VERY well) but it also draws the coolest air in the area of the stove directly past the outer wall of the firebox and those tubes full of air insulate the inner heat FROM the 2 largest surfaces on the stove, side walls. both of those represent a direct compromise of efficiency in fuel and heat exchange.

both the front and back of my stove are always pushing more heat than the side walls. most all of the heat is coming off the top of the stove and being blown UP by the tubes. this is not nec. a bad thing at all and I repeat that this is what the stoves are designed to do and that they excel at it. you just need to be aware of the differences and be prepared to work with it.

i'm sure there are questions about why I would say all this and I assure you I have no skin in this game of "which stove should I buy ". it's pretty well known that I HAVE a DSM 1400 in my house, IN the living space. I bought it from a shop that also has Hitzers on the floor. I have Amish friends that have both stoves in their homes and use them almost entirely just as I have described, for the reasons I have mentioned.

is either stove that much better than the other ? I really don't think so BUT, just as you want a stove that will be able to meet the heating load requirements you should also be looking for the stove that is DESIGNED for the type and style of installation you have in mind.

user results and satisfaction my vary.......................................................

Coal King
Yes, plan for it to be in the cellar. Interior chimney.
And plan on floor grates, with cold air returns. Maybe even a hood with some ducting! All depends how well the heat rises.
Never too early to prep for next winter!
Digger

you could do it with either stove. the DSM has distinct advantages in this setting and there are a good many users on this forum who can vouch for the way that exact set up performs.

I have a DS1400 and my dad has a 30-95 so I'm familiar with both. You really can't go wrong either way. Both good stoves.
I like the DS for a few different reasons, most of them nit picky.......

On the DS, the hinges on the hopper cover are heavy duty compared to the Hitzer.
DS has a flange around the hopper. This means you don't have to sweep it clean after you load or worry about the seal on the hopper loading door.
Hopper door handle is welded on so you don't have to fiddle with the separate handle( hey, I warned you these are nit picky).
The air inlet is cast instead of sheet metal.
The ash door is also cast.
The shaker handle is one piece going into the stove. On the Hitzer the handle slides on and has a set screw so it kind of wiggles around.
Hitzer is well built but, IMO,the DS is nicely over-built.
Overall I think the DS looks better, with the exception of the expanded metal sides.... Don't know what they were thinking there....

if the mark II had issues keeping the house warm...
Ya need to step up to the big boys...
Same situation with the mark II in my house...
When the wind blew the Mark II would work real hard and had to be fed 3-4 times a day...
Got a DSM Basement #4 rated 130k/hr...
it is in the basement...
no fans keeps the house at 72* easy in any weather...
holds more coal than the Mark II ever could...
If I pack the DSM I can get close to160# with the hopper...

u have it in the living space I keep geting told to keep them in basement how do you like it in your home and thats what I am going to do or I should say I want to do /ceilng fans etc but very interesting am glad I read this !! ds and hitzer are good but me im sold on ds as of now thanx !!!!!!!!

coalfan wrote:u have it in the living space I keep geting told to keep them in basement how do you like it in your home and thats what I am going to do or I should say I want to do /ceilng fans etc but very interesting am glad I read this !! ds and hitzer are good but me im sold on ds as of now thanx !!!!!!!!

yes, i'm the same guy you PM'd about this decision, and I DID tell you the DSM's work far better in the basement installation than up in the living space. I also outlined the reasons I didn't think thye were all that great for the up stairs install, which is all about what they were conceived, built and intended to do by the manufacturer.

i have a circulator in the living space, where I had a Riteway #37 for many yrs and MY experience is the basis of my opinion.

I have ceiling fans too, very good room lay out and a chimney that pulls .09 over a stove top temp of 200* and pipe temp. of 75* w/ ZERO wind and 60* ambient.

I've still heated this space more efficiently with a 45 yr. old dual fuel down draft unit because it had a HUGE amount of radiant surface.

don't get me wrong, DS makes a VERY good stove. it just happens to be better at what they had in mind when they built them than any thing else.

all other things equal, the Hitzer 50-93 will be better for a living space install.

just got my iinfo. on ds 3 pamphlets worth I will look into them a lot more tom. and get the info I been needing and wanting going to enjoy this should be interesting and informitive early day tom so don't have time tonight !