Comfort Max 75 Stove From DS Machine Stoves

For some time I have been looking at the Comfort Max 75 because it really is an EPS wood burning stove and really is a hand fired coal stove--and efficiency (their tests) is off the charts. I do like a nice wood fire sometimes, and wood is cheaper so I thought I could burn wood in the fall and spring when burning a fire in the evening is enough for the day, then coal in the winter months. The problem is that EPA wood stoves only work properly with a good fire going, so a smoldering fire overnight when the nights are 30's-40's will build creosote and pollute the air, even with my smallish stove (smallish house, 950 sq. ft.) That is where coal is better--it can burn on low indefinitely without those problems.

So I am thinking of replacing the wood stove with the Comfort Max (it will slip right in and connect). Has anybody used this stove for both? Comments?

One question I have is whether you can just put a log or two onto a bed of coals? And vice-versa--toss coal onto a wood fire? I did that years ago in a fireplace and I liked the effect, but I wonder if there is a chance of overfiring the stove. I believe coal burns hotter than wood, so adding wood should not be a problem if the air intake keeps it under control? After all, we start coal with a wood fire...

This stove has 6 steel pipes that draw air from under the stove through the firebox and out the top, in addition to the secondary burn tubes for wood. And it uses a cast iron downdraft baffle from olden times (drawing the hot exhaust smoke down the back and up the sides of the stove before exiting from the top flue. I wonder if that makes it take awhile to get puffing...

Welcome to the forum,if you enter your town & state into your profile it would help for others to see if anthracite or bit would be best suited for your area & that would dictate what stove would work best too.

I am 70 years old and agree that wood is getting to be too much hard labor. But even buying it, it is cheaper than coal or propane, so I don't want to pass on it entirely. And it does have recreational value. I wish I had a stove that heats well with both.

charlesosborne2002 wrote:I wish I had a stove that heats well with both.

Generally this is not possible. And particularly more so if you intend to burn anthracite coal along with wood. It may work better if you burn bituminous and wood.

But we do not know if bit coal is available where ever it is that he lives ??

I have only found anthracite--120 miles away. (Fulton County, KY--the coal state?)

my self have not heard of anyone here on the site that has one and info. on them is very scarce !maybe call ds themselves and talk with amos they will help u greatly !good luck and keep us posted !

D S Machines are Amish and do not get much into web sites, but I do believe they have a page somewhere with contact info--I will try that. They use phones for business if it is reasonable (though they would not hang out on the phone all day with useless chatter).

DSM does not maintain their own web page. the product and specs are only up on various of their distributors sites.

the # is 717-768-3853.

Lo and behold! DS Machine has its own website now. It doesn't do much yet, but its a start. Here it is:

http://dsofpa.com/

lsayre wrote:Lo and behold! DS Machine has its own web page now. It doesn't do much yet, but here it is:

http://dsofpa.com/

i was totally unaware of that , thanks lsayre

KingCoal wrote:

lsayre wrote:Lo and behold! DS Machine has its own web page now. It doesn't do much yet, but here it is:

http://dsofpa.com/

i was totally unaware of that , thanks lsayre

I first came across it about a month ago as I recall. I was meaning to mention it to the forum, but then I promptly forgot about it.

yeah ? do tell........................

i finally fulfilled the threat I've been making to get one of those mini voice activated recorders and make messages as I think of stuff then play them back at the end of the day to see if I skipped anything !!

talked to bill at messick stove about the comfort max 75 and he said that this not the old school wood/coal burner ie multy fuel he told me that it burns ant. and wood very very well and told me his customers whom have them have noooo complints with either fuel long burn times and very good eficicency and built just like the rest of the ds stoves !!!my only concern is the size of the fire box but I guess it depends on the needs and or wants of purchasser etc. all I have for now on that !! stay warm and safe lot of snow comin our way here tom !!!!

Thanks for that info. I have a small Lennox EPA wood stove now that heats my 1000 sq ft house well except in unusually extreme cold with high winds, and by comparison the Comfort Max is medium size (up to 2000 sq ft), so the size ought to be fine here. Unlike wood, a coal fire should be fine running at low temps in mild weather. (I do have central gas heat but it is propane--expensive if I have to refill in winter--$2300 last winter, plus it started full at $800!) I hope the coal will be less work for me--a hopper would be nice of course, but that generally rules out wood in any efficient way. The guy at DS Stoves told me it is fine to toss a log or two on the coal for ornamental purposes for company--the glass air-wash gives top air for wood. Or I can start a wood fire and add coal when it burns down.