Fire Thread! - Stoves, Wood, Axes, Chainsaws
Soldato
Ours was expensive (~£100) but at 4ish years old is still working flawlessly and seems bulletproof and still runs silent.
I know a few people with cheaper £20/£30 versions and they have, over time, started to rattle or whine when running
As with a lot of these things some people are more susceptible to it than others but once I hear it at my father in law's that's all I can seem to focus on
I know a few people with cheaper £20/£30 versions and they have, over time, started to rattle or whine when running
As with a lot of these things some people are more susceptible to it than others but once I hear it at my father in law's that's all I can seem to focus on
I've had this for going on 3 years and the father in law we got him it for Xmas last year - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Valiant-FIR361-Premium-4-Blade-Powered/dp/B012CDB1AU?th=1
NOTE, Ventum 3, link goes to the 4 blade option. It's 3 blade VENTUM 3 we have. It's excellent.
ps that Stovax of yours is a beasty. Cracking stove.
I'm thinking about selling my 435mk2 and 550xp and getting 550mk2. Have you used a 550XP to compare the mk2 with?
It really depends on a lot of things.
Where about are you located?
Very, VERY roughly you will be unlikely to see any change from £3k at least if it's a complete new install of a new stove in a large area of your house.
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Soldato
Agree depends hugely on where you are, what drive you go for, if you need a flue / liner etc
Of the two we've had, the first was about £2.5k all in and included disconnecting / removing and disposing of the old gas fire / hearth and surround with a new granite hearth, oak mantle and cowl as well as skimming the builders opening but no liner and the stove (in that price) was ~£900
Had an extra over price, if needed, of £450 for a liner
Had my second (different house) fitted about 3 years ago was £3k for removing / disposing of the old gas fire / surround and hearth, forming the opening, liner, cowl, skim the opening and breast, oak mantle, slate hearth and same stove
So I'd budget around the £3k mark as a ballpark figure
Of the two we've had, the first was about £2.5k all in and included disconnecting / removing and disposing of the old gas fire / hearth and surround with a new granite hearth, oak mantle and cowl as well as skimming the builders opening but no liner and the stove (in that price) was ~£900
Had an extra over price, if needed, of £450 for a liner
Had my second (different house) fitted about 3 years ago was £3k for removing / disposing of the old gas fire / surround and hearth, forming the opening, liner, cowl, skim the opening and breast, oak mantle, slate hearth and same stove
So I'd budget around the £3k mark as a ballpark figure
Soldato
I have one of the Lumamu brand 4 blade silent ones. Cost £30 2 years ago and came with a magnetic thermometer.
Does a great job of moving the warm air to the far corners of the room, but you can just make out a low “thrumming” noise when the fire is banked (louvred closed - minimum air intake) and the TV is off.
Not a problem for us as the TV is hardly ever off in the evenings during autumn and winter.
Does a great job of moving the warm air to the far corners of the room, but you can just make out a low “thrumming” noise when the fire is banked (louvred closed - minimum air intake) and the TV is off.
Not a problem for us as the TV is hardly ever off in the evenings during autumn and winter.
Soldato
My first choice of wood burner has to be Clearview - best stove I have ever had but expensive but you wouldn't regret it.
If you have a house built before 1970's get the chimney liners checked -We had ours checked and was told they were OK - 8" clay liners -2 yrs down the road we had black tar water come through ceiling - Turned out builder put them in upside down with sockets faceing down - Had to rip it all out and put a liner down .
Clearview all the way.
If you have a house built before 1970's get the chimney liners checked -We had ours checked and was told they were OK - 8" clay liners -2 yrs down the road we had black tar water come through ceiling - Turned out builder put them in upside down with sockets faceing down - Had to rip it all out and put a liner down .
Clearview all the way.
Soldato
They’re a bit extravagant and on a purely functional level the cost difference compared to a peltier based one can’t be justified but if you like nicely engineered things take a look at the Stirling engine ones.
https://warpfivefans.com/stove-fans-stirling-engines
https://www.stirlingengine.co.uk/d.asp?product=VULCANSTOVEFAN
400P here.
500 at in laws (over 20 years old, only replaced front rope this year for him, never needed anything else).
400 at sister in laws.
750 at her uncles.
Got my 400P for £500 second hand. In the best local stove shop they know me as "the guy who got a 400 for 500" because the installation guy was raging he can't even get a clearview that cheap and was jealous
So yeah. Best in the business. There's a reason the entire family has them
Soldato
400P here.
500 at in laws (over 20 years old, only replaced front rope this year for him, never needed anything else).
400 at sister in laws.
750 at her uncles.
Got my 400P for £500 second hand. In the best local stove shop they know me as "the guy who got a 400 for 500" because the installation guy was raging he can't even get a clearview that cheap and was jealous
So yeah. Best in the business. There's a reason the entire family has them
We've got a Pioneer 400 - came with the house
We've rented numerous cottages / houses over the years which have had a wood burner and the Clearview shows a lot of them to be rubbish. The CV seem so easy to use and quickly get up to a good temperature, then throttle it back so it needs minimum attention. Some of the other stoves seem to need a lot more attention to keep in the sweet-spot.Usually end up buying split logs, so don't have anything other than hand tools. Small hand-axe for kindling, Bahco bowsaw and a Fiskers XXL X27 splitting axe. During the first lockdown I did spot the remnants of a wind-fall tree up the lane from home, so one night I scooted up in the car and lobbed as much as possible in my boot
Only used the 550XP for a couple hours, few years ago. Nice saw, don't think there's much real world difference between the two. Probably better to have two saws than one MK2. I also have a 35cc Efco which gets used for light stuff.
Oh I've got an MS391 with 20" bar as well so 550XPmk2 would be my general use for most stuff saw until I need the 391.
And just got handed a little MS170 that I need to sort/service and then have that at disposal also.
Never short of saws in my garage!
Thanks for the suggestions, I don't mind stretching to £50 for a quieter fan, if the cheaper ones have a tendency to be noisey I'd rather pay a little more.
I've seen the Stirling engine ones and while they look good I couldn't justify the cost, especially as we still have lots of work to do on the house.
I've seen the Stirling engine ones and while they look good I couldn't justify the cost, especially as we still have lots of work to do on the house.
I guess £3k is about where my head was at - would be a complete new install with a twin flue through the wall and out up the side of the house. Will go and have a look at some stoves (Clearview seems popular!) and some installers
There are many good brands these days, Clearview made their name as solid multi fuel stoves, and still are one of the best multifuels. But they havent been updated in a while, so as we speak it doesnt meet the new eco design regs.
Others good brands you could look at are, Contura, Woodwarm, Clock, Scan, Chesneys, Jotul, Fireline, Charnwood to name a few.
Others good brands you could look at are, Contura, Woodwarm, Clock, Scan, Chesneys, Jotul, Fireline, Charnwood to name a few.
Soldato
Wood!! I miss my stovax brunel 1A stove and the regular splitting of wood with my gransfors splitting maul.
What I don't miss is the odd wasp nesting on the wood and scaring the **** outta me when the living room warmed up.
What I don't miss is the odd wasp nesting on the wood and scaring the **** outta me when the living room warmed up.
Soldato
I've got the Vailant 4 fan unit which was under £50 from Amazon. Nigh on silent at full chat, so no complaints at all.
Soldato
Double post
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Soldato
Do these stove fans work well with open fireplaces? Our living room heats up nicely but it doesn't spread to the rest of the ground floor.