Which woodburning stove is the best?

pcoffa

MrsDavo wrote: »

Shar46y -

We too were looking at the fireline, but found a different stove that we fell in love with instantly! It's the Dartmoor W5 by Dean Forge. Only certain show rooms have them, but as soon as we saw it we knew it was the one. It's made in the UK too which appealed to us.

Not sure I can upload pics from my mobile on here, but have a look for it, we've yet to have it installed as they couldn't fit us in until the middle of this month, can't wait to have it going in the winter though.

I'm sure it will be worth all the money we have spent having the fireplace done etc!

Managed to get the link to take you to the pic if it works - but can't get it to show in the post! Silly thing.

++++++++

Hi MrsDavo

We are in the process of choosing a multi fuel stove (5kW) and the choices are endless. We came across the Dartmoor 5W by Dean Forge and would like to hear your review of it.


Thanks

patgc

I am looking for a 5kw multi fuel stove. After much searching on the net I found the Aga Ellesmere 5 which has nice clean lines (no twidlly whirly bits and bobs). I suggested it to the fitter who was giving me a price and he said he would not recommend Aga as they had poor build quality and he would not install one. Can;t find any reviews on the net about them. Does anyone have any experience of Aga stoves ? I thought with the name AGA it would be a good stove. Am I wrong or is my fitter, who has the Heta credentials just being awkward ?

Davesnave

There's 2 reviews of the Aga Ellesmere 4 on What Stove? and the 5 will just be a scaled-up version. In this case it may be a very scaled-up stove, because the 5 is anout the largest 5kW stove there is!

http://www.whatstove.co.uk/aga-ellesmere-4-stove-reviews

Previous Agas have had very mixed reviews, but then reviews have to be treated with caution, because people's circumstances and chimneys vary so much. One consistent issue used to be the baffle plates.

Many people admit to buying on looks and/or a name. Aga have a name for range stoves/cookers of variable efficiency, but that doesn't mean they can make a great woodburner. I think that model does have good looks though.

Since last posting here, I've chosen to install a Woodwarm Phoenix Firegem, as Woodwarm finally got around to making a more modern-looking stove. It isn't as cute as that Aga to look at, but I know where it's made and I trust the supplier, who says it's great.

Goes in next week.

A._Badger

I had a Colebrookdale before Aga bought the company (and effectively destroyed it). I was unimpressed with Aga's service and wouldn't buy one again.

There are plenty of good stoves around to choose from and no need to be confined to one brand.

Greenfires

I used to look after a couple of old Coalbrookdale stoves for customers - they may not have been been particularly efficient by modern standards, but they were real works of engineering art. They had cast iron really worked out - real fine castings - and even things like the ashpan door were about an inch thick. Always seemed like the sort of stove that Brunel might have knocked out in his day. I told both customers not to ever sell them without giving me a shout first!

Woodwarm are an excellent stove in the modern world though - good choice!

A._Badger

Greenfires wrote: »

I used to look after a couple of old Coalbrookdale stoves for customers - they may not have been been particularly efficient by modern standards, but they were real works of engineering art. They had cast iron really worked out - real fine castings - and even things like the ashpan door were about an inch thick. Always seemed like the sort of stove that Brunel might have knocked out in his day. I told both customers not to ever sell them without giving me a shout first!

Woodwarm are an excellent stove in the modern world though - good choice!

So they should be - Coalbrookdale stoves were apparently made in the building where Abraham Darby more or less invented modern cast iron manufacturing in the early 1700s.

Aga, however, shut it down, moving the production to Ireland. Whether its stoves are still made in Ireland, I have no idea.

Woodwarm look to be quite solid, modern stoves and are on my mental shortlist in case I ever need to buy another.

Nilenelson

Good afternoon all,

I'm a newcomer to this site & have read many interesting perspectives on stoves, but was wondering if it's possible to provide a list of good, mediocre and bad stoves in large and small categories. Seems strange that such a list doesn't already exist - even "Which" haven't done one. Incidentally I'd like to buy a good efficient largish stove - say 8 - 12 KW & would be happy with a second hand one if anyone has one for sale.

Many thanks

Chris - tel 01798 867768:j

Greenfires

I don't have a stove in mind to recommend to you, but one thing I would say is not to underestimate the amount of wood a stove that big is going to get through. I don't know your position regarding supplies of logs, but with even just average use, you're probably going to be looking at something over 9 cubic metres over the heating season, and more if you're running it all the time. From our nearest big supplier that would set you back over £900 for unseasoned hardwood, and over £1300 for kiln dried.

matelodave

I'm also surprised at how much wood our stove get's through. It's a 6kw Mendip Churchill 6 and only on for about 3 hours a day and we can easily get through a couple of cu.m of wood plus Verdo logs between October and March.

It's easy to light, knocks out the heat and looks good, but sometimes it feels like we are stokeing the engines of the Titanic

Davesnave

Nilenelson wrote: »

I'm a newcomer to this site & have read many interesting perspectives on stoves, but was wondering if it's possible to provide a list of good, mediocre and bad stoves in large and small categories. Seems strange that such a list doesn't already exist

It does, but the reviews in What Stove are often so contradictory, the obvious conclusion is that they cannot be fully relied upon.

Which don't do a list because their resources wouldn't be up to the job, given the plethora of fires.