which cas't iron stove PLEASE HELP

furball

Hi have been looking to buy a multifuel stove. Is it worth buying a second hand one or a new cheap one. Either way the stove will not meet the new 2006 regulations. What would you do? ( Have read the multifuel posts and have seen someone posting under susanb, she will be well pleased, not , to find another ebay seller selling their stoves £100 cheaper, strange as susan b seller says they are made in their own foundry.) Can anyone recommend a make that they have had over 5 yrs without problems new or secondhand and who has steel with cast doors and who has all cast. Also has anyone bought the cheap stoves and not had any problems. Sorry for long post.

A._Badger

In the past few years I have run two stoves - one cast iron (a Coalbrookdale), the other steel with cast doors (a Yeoman). I bought the first and 'inherited' the second when I bought a house in which it was already installed.

I did a lot of research before I bought the Coalbrookdale and decided that cast iron was probably a better bet, despite having been told by my trusted sweep (he is very experienced in this area) and several retailers that, really, there was no great advantage to cast iron.

Now, I have come to the conclusion that they were right - there's no huge benefit to cast iron, though, because it can take decorative shapes and patterns, it can look better. On the other hand, casting iron is a difficult process and needs to be done with excellent raw materials by really skilled craftsmen. That doesn't automatically rule-out Chinese stoves - but it would make me very, very wary - again, a view backed-up by my sweep (who is also an installer) who tells horror stories about some of the stoves he has been called out to help fit.

He has no axe to grind - he doesn't sell stoves, but he does get to see an awful lot of them around here, and quite often finds some eBay horrors, he says.

As for secondhand, I couldn't say. It's like cars - you may get a good one, you may not. I suppose the question is, do you know enough to be able to tell if it's any good when you see it?

It seems likely that I will need to replace the Yeoman I inherited at some stage as it's old and the previous owner had abused it. As it is about as big a stove as you can buy, if I went for cast iron, it would cost more than I can afford. But, knowing what I know now, I'd have no hesitation in buying a steel stove with iron doors. If they made one large enough (I don't think they do) everything I've heard would make me buy a Villager as a no-nonsense, British-made stove. As it is, I'll probably buy another Yeoman, or something like that.

I'm tempted by the prices of some imports and I like the moulded shapes of some cast iron stoves. But all I have heard from the people I trust tells me not to take a chance. I'll buy a new, British made steel stove, unless I win the Lottery - in which case I'll buy an American-made cast iron Vermont Castings stove and consider I'd bought the best .

Hope all that is some help.

zarazara

we have stovax. they are very good.

stoveman

how much you looking to spend?

stoveman

also many of these cheapstoves that you get for like £200 are not ce approved half the time and are illegal to install so be careful.

Im a stove retailer and may be able to do you a deal,on something depending on what you are after

owned_by_2_Siamese

I bit the bullet last year and bought a Morso Squirrel - not that it matters where I live but it is efficient enough to be able to be used in smokeless zones. It's heavy - VERY heavy solid well made - and it retains the heat for hours after its gone out. I use both coal and wood - have to say its been well used already!
Can't speak highly enough of it - I'm really pleased with it - I got it from an internet supplier (proper stove seller) and paid a little under £600. Well worth it - it will outlast the house!!

Just some advice - DONT get one too big - I was all set to get a massive one - but local shop caustioned - better to run a small stove hard than a big one 'low' it will creosote your chimney. The squirrel is rated at 5KW (max) and is in a large room (4.5m x 5mplus) trust me it does get unbearably hot in there sometimes!

I think it's false economy to buy an unrecognised brand - at least with Morso the spares are available everywhere. Did look at Stovax - but try lifting it and then a Morso - you'll realise there's a lot more metal in teh morso!

Good Luck!

DdraigGoch

I've come very late to this thread, but from my experience with both types the preferred one would have to be the steel. I even surprise myself saying that as I've been very much inclined towards the solid cast iron stoves, but, in a comparison between a Coalbrookdale Darby - had for 18 years, going strong now it has a new boiler and that only went after an accident! - and a Woodwarm 20Kw, I have to say that the Woodwarm is easier to light, warms up faster, keeps a fire in better and burns more thoroughly. They're both British stoves and so should be within regulations.

Hope this helps someone

knightstyle

We are on our second Franco-belge stove, bought a bigger one when we moved. Like the look and very efficient. So when buying a stove get one that is lined, bricks in my view are best. Make sure the door seals tightly and air is easily regulated.

A._Badger

I suspect there may be bricks and bricks. Five or six years ago, I bought a Coalbrookdale Little Wenlock, which is brick lined. It has cracked, on average, one or two bricks a year. Coalbrookdale (aka Aga) didn't seem the slightest bit interested (though they were happy to sell me new ones), so I shan't be troubling them again with my business.

DdraigGoch

The Woodwarm is lined, so I'm happy with this one.

DG