Quality/durability of different makes of wood burning stoves.

[cessna]

We are considering installing a wood burning stove to replace  our open fire.  So if you have used a wood burning stove on a daily basis  (not just weekends)  for your main source of heat for heating your cottage/house over many years , I would be interested to know what make of stoves have stood the test of time.What metal are they made out of, I ask as I have heard that some makes of wood burning stoves "buckle over time" as they are made of poor quality materials. Not fussed what country the stove is  made in , I just want a really well made durable stove,which I know will come at a high price !!!

Thanks in advance for any,to the point info /advice.  

     

[Muddy42]

I like Clearviews, they are strong and look nice. Personally I have had bad experiences with modern ‘eco design’ stoves in old houses. These are designed to burn well at full pelt in perfect laboratory conditions NOT old houses with long/windy flues. I have one and its pants - hard to light and smokes back into the room. My clearview with an identical flues (same stack) lights easily and draws like a steam train.

[roys]

I use my big lump of a Charnwood 16B daily once the temp drops a bit (about 4 weeks ago) not sure if it is still made after the new crappy regs, good stove and made in the IOW.

[Nopedigree]

Sorry to be boring but Clearview for me also, the old man used and abused a 500 for best part of 30 years in Saddleworth. He is no, more but the stove with new bricks and baffle would go on for many years more, still looks good and burns well.

 

NoPedigree

[Dan Maynard]

We've a Hunter that's been used well for just over 20 years. I don't think they are necessarily a premium brand but seems well made, and in the UK. Spares available too.

 

Have had to change the door seals a couple of times and it's survived two house floods so paint faded below the tide mark but I like it and don't want to give it up now.

[NJA]

I was about to post this exact question.  Had a reputable experienced installer round this week who said start by looking at charnwood, stovax, heta or, wait for it.. 'chili penguin' (made in wales).

I've previously had good experience with chesneys.

But interested to know what really stand the test of time with regular use...

This installer quoted £1200 to install, chimney liner, sign it off etc.  This reasonable?

[openspaceman]

10 hours ago, Dan Maynard said:

it's survived two house floods so paint faded below the tide mark

Wow how do you cope with that?

[openspaceman]

10 hours ago, NJA said:

'chili penguin'

These should be good but I have no experience other than the owner is an expert in high temperature ceramics from big industry

[NJA]

22 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

These should be good but I have no experience other than the owner is an expert in high temperature ceramics from big industry

Yea just sounds a bit wacky but apparently they're very well built🤷‍♂️

[openspaceman]

In the old days when the firebox was not lined with firebricks there was a definite advantage in cast iron. My jotul 602 suffered little damage from corrosion in 30+ years apart from around the flue outlet [1]. What cause the main problem that caused me to replace it was purely my fault in chronically shutting th door on overlong logs which cracked the (replaceable) back plate.

 

Now with higher firebox temperatures and less likelihood of acidic condensation on the walls plus the lower temperature the steel is exposed to I doubt there is an advantage.

 

Aso there was often a slight blue haze out of the chimney which indicates poor combustion which decided me to go more modern

 

[1] almost certainly from low flue gas temperature