Is anyone running a Handol or Contura Stove ?

zippychurch

Hi

We ran a Villager woodburner in our old house for over 5 years before we moved last year.

The Villager was great and in our new place, we always planned to install a woodburner.

Initially I was going to opt for either a 5kw Stovax or another Villager but having looked at a few places and found a decent local HETAS chap, I have had a demo of the low legged Handol 51L.

Its a lovely looking stove and is also fully cast iron so should retain the heat better than the steel/iron combos and in general seems very well made but I have had real difficulty in finding out if they are actually any good - pricewise, they are about 50% dearer than the Stovax I was looking at so I just wondered if any posters have had one installed and whether they are pleased with it or not.

Contura who make the range I think are one of swedens larger, if not largest, stove manafacturers so I am surprised it has been so hard to find some honest feedback.

any thoughts or expereince of Handol and Contura would be welcomed

many thanks

zc

polospants

Hi
I have recently had a Handol 51L installed in my living room for daily use and a Stovax Stockton 4 in the dining room for occasional use. I have been using the the Handol every night for two weeks now and the heat that it produces very impressive. It's really easy to light, it burns very cleanly and is very controllable. The glass and the inside panels are all soot free. The Stovax also gets impressively warm, but I feel doesn't get going as quickly as the Handol and the glass and inside panels are always covered in soot. The Handol also feels very high quality.
My wood burner man had never seen a Handol stove before, but by the time he had it running, he was converted and said he was going to buy one for himself, so I think that must say it all.
My reasons buying it were it's great looks and the fact it was Swedish. I thought they must know what they are doing seeing as they live in the Arctic Circle. On this occasion I was right and it was well worth the extra cost.

Best wishes
James

zippychurch

Hi James - thanks for the reply - actually had the 51l installed last week and so far am impressed - once its all fired up and you close the bottom vent down to around 1, it seems to burn really efficiently so I am very pleased.

Inititially found it harder to light but I think its just a different technique to my old villager on which you could just open every vent going and get the kindling alight very quickly.

It is solid too - for what looks to be a pretty small stove footprint wise the cast iron makes it weigh a tonne

looking forwards to some proper cold weather now

thanks again

zc

welda

Hi Zippy, I can't offer info on Handel stove, I am pleased to hear you rate the Villager make, I currently use a Villager too. Good quality, reasonably priced stoves, pity some in here are hell bent on destroying their good name, especially when MSE members say other wise, good value for money, non chinese made stoves!!

:beer: