Cast Iron Vs Steel Wood Burning stoves (Which one suits your needs better?)

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  • Опубліковано 6 лип 2024
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    Today we are reviewing some of our favorite wood burning stoves here at Embers Fireplaces and Outdoor Living! Trevor explains the pros and cons of Cast iron and Steel Stoves. They both are very good material that will keep any household warm, but there are some differences!
    Cast Iron Stoves-
    Pros : More ornate, more colorful, traditional look, retains more heat
    Cons : Not Seamless, More Expensive
    Steel Stove-
    Pros : Clean & modern look, Cost effective, Seamless, Heats larger area
    Cons : Not as hot, Possibility of warping
    Watch the video and listen as Trevor explains the details of each pro and con. This is an educational video to help YOU choose what would better suit your own needs. We hope this video helps you!
    Don’t forget if you’re in the Denver, Colorado area visit our showroom today.
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    Westminster, CO 80021
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 323

  • @colt10mmsecurity68
    @colt10mmsecurity68 2 роки тому +67

    I welded a very old “separating” cast iron stove seam. I used preheat and nickel-rod to seal up a cracking seam. The stove still works to this day and 8 years after the repair.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому +5

      awesome

    • @colt10mmsecurity68
      @colt10mmsecurity68 Рік тому

      @@barrybarry5803 Don’t hate. I’m sure your mom still ties yours for you.

    • @jeepsblackpowderandlights4305
      @jeepsblackpowderandlights4305 Рік тому +7

      its easy to weld iron.. ive welded it with a flux core from harbor freight.. specially cracks.. if you drill the cracks out at the end the cracks wont spread when you weld.. ive welded a few busted cast iron water spickets on my farm and other things

    • @l0I0I0I0
      @l0I0I0I0 Рік тому +1

      I was thinking the same thing. 💡

  • @nmknmk2371
    @nmknmk2371 10 місяців тому +52

    Removed a section in my camper where the entertainment area is and installed. Works great. Instead of propane furnace heat, I can use this ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxATHBlMJwipGgVWseuAFKvDQ_5R4_lywo to heat the camper as long as it's hooked up to shore power. Only thing I do not like is there does not seem to be a thermostat. I'm presuming it has a built-in one so it does not overheat. Really like all the other color options it has to offer.

  • @rudbeckia885
    @rudbeckia885 8 місяців тому +5

    Still using my Fischer mama bear 35 years . Bought it used , has kept me warm for many VT winters. It's lined w/ firebrick easily replaced. Paid $250 for it in 1985

  • @kbjerke
    @kbjerke 2 роки тому +31

    We have had (and enjoyed) a Hearthstone enameled cast iron stove for the past ten years, and it's still going *strong* !! Heats our little house (

  • @samTollefson
    @samTollefson 2 роки тому +28

    I had a store selling woodstoves in Western WV back in the '70s. I carried one of the best models of the day and the ones most others later copied, the Norwegian Jotul. They introduced to the US the efficiency of an air-tight stove with a baffle and secondary burning. Unfortunately for me, they were too pricy for my market. I still heat my house with the Jotul #4 combi-fire 43 years later and it is still in excellent condition, I haven't even needed to replace the door gasket.
    One Pro for cast iron stoves you didn't mention that Jotul utilized is the dimpled outer surface, my #4 has it and they claimed the dimples added something like 25% more surface area thus giving you 25% more radiated heat, you can't really do that with steel. That said, I have an old brick-lined steel stove in my shop that does a fine job!
    Thank you for your informative video, and Happy New Year!

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому

      43 years?? nice!! Thanks for watching and happy new year to you as well !

  • @billiamc1969
    @billiamc1969 2 роки тому +22

    We bought a 30yo Vermont Castings with catalyst...after pulling the entire stove apart and rebuilding/resealing, the thing works like it is brand spanking new....we burn as much as 3-4 cords of wood every year continuously for 4 months straight and have been using the rebuilt stove for 10 years in a row with zero issues

    • @kevinbelcher5241
      @kevinbelcher5241 2 роки тому +6

      I've had 2 VC's, one in each of our homes and they've never given us any problems, either.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому +3

      Thats what I like to hear !

    • @SeattlePioneer
      @SeattlePioneer 6 місяців тому

      Did you use the VC rebuild kit? Someone said that there is such a kit available for $1000.

  • @davidbrewer7844
    @davidbrewer7844 Рік тому +20

    I find your videos so interesting as I work in the premium end of the UK market. Here we almost exclusively use steel stove at the top end and cast iron is the bargain basement! You are so right about cast iron stoves releasing the heat more slowly due to thermal mass- we try and remind people that there is often the same efficency- iron is slower to start heating the room but will still be releasing the heat you paid for after you have gone to bed! That said the mass of the iron stove acts as a thermal flywheel over the burn cycle. PureVision stoves in the UK get the best of everything- Steel stoves for total airtightness, cast iron doors- free from stress and gives a huge variety of style options, but to make the steel stove gain some of the advantages of the iron stove they fit refactory porcelian liners to give it thermal mass and much greater longevity than vemiculite used on cheaper stove. One point you did not metion is steel gives the option to fit convector boxes into the stove to move the heat from the stove right round the room, but is of course by no means standard. Keep up the good work, I love to see shops helping customers to make educated choices!

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому

      We still like our steel stoves! That's so cool we have fans from over the pond! I'll check out the PureVision stoves. thanks for watching! Stay tuned we have some more burn season stove videos coming out in the next few weeks!

    • @blueoval250
      @blueoval250 Рік тому

      I want an Esse cook stove based on how they look. Looks can be deceiving though. Do you have any experience with them? There aren’t any dealers near me so going to look and then not buying one would be a lot of wasted money.

  • @Erny_Module
    @Erny_Module 2 роки тому +12

    Had a Vermont Castings multifuel stove, now run a steel woodburner. The problem I had with the Vermont was the firebars in the rocking grate. They'd distort to the point they had to be replaced regularly, mostly due to bubbles in the castings. Now have a welded steel 7Kw woodburner, with tile side panels, and am much happier with it. Replace the firebricks ~every 5 years, and that's it. Heats the house to +27C when it's -25C outside, with no effort. Sure, it doesn't have the mass and thermal inertia of the Vermont, but it's reliable and understandable. With that I mean you can get used to its quirks and work with it. It becomes a member of the family and needs to be treated with respect!

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому

      Yup you have to take care of these things. Thanks for the comment and watching!

  • @trustbuster23
    @trustbuster23 8 місяців тому +4

    I've had a VC cast iron stove for 20 years in a weekend cabin. Once you get it going, it performs well, but it is true that when you get up there on a cold night it takes a while to get things warm. I view running it in three stages (1) establish the fire, (2) heat up the stove much like preheating an oven, and (3) close the bypass damper and heat the house. The stove doesn't care that you want heat immediately, it takes about a half hour or so before it is putting out significant heat. But once it gets ripping it runs great and it does throw off a very nice, even heat that makes it very easy to regulate the temperature once you know what you are doing.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  8 місяців тому

      Yea it’s a learning process ! Great comment that can help other wood stove users

  • @JimRobinEric
    @JimRobinEric 8 місяців тому +4

    Built my woodstove over 35 years ago from a transformer like you see on telephone poles. Cost me less than $50 with kit, fire brick and steel works great. With a seilling fan it heats my whole house....$50 dollars.

  • @InHisImage1161
    @InHisImage1161 8 місяців тому +7

    Glad you mentioned the warping of steel stoves, it happens more often in the baffles, doors and other components more so than the firebox. It's not that uncommon in my experience.

  • @jbetz78
    @jbetz78 2 роки тому +5

    Trevor, Colorado Springs here. One other thing to point out between cat vs non-cat is that a non cat will give you beautiful flames to watch vs cat stoves typically will have less flames when the cat is active. So be sure to weigh that into your decision when choosing a stove. Great job on the video

  • @jimfiorentino7741
    @jimfiorentino7741 2 роки тому +13

    I've lived in the same house in New England for over 30 years and have used VC Encore as the primary source of heat using at least 6-7 cords/ year and only burning dry hardwood. I get about 10 years from each stove and have used 2 with catalytic and one without. Over time, each stove will start to be less air tight and be more difficult to control the rate of burn and the cast damper outlet and flapper will warp and not seal well. The refractory pieces (non cast iron) will severely deteriorate and begin to fall apart gradually to complete failure. A rebuild "kit" is available with just the parts that I need for about $1000. The catalytic lasts about 3 years each and yesterday, I paid over $350 for a new one to replace the 3 yr. old one. Doing the math, the stove is now about $3000/ 10 years is $300/ year. The cat is $350/3 years is about $120/ year. So to have this stove costs me about $420/ year. I think that it's time to try another brand.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому

      nice

    • @jimfreeman8991
      @jimfreeman8991 Рік тому +3

      Jim Fiorentino I am in NE also with a VC Resolute Acclaim and have rebuilt it twice in 14 years. Top of firebox repeatedly warped. I don't overfire it and burn about 5 cords per winter. I am with you on seeking out another brand. I am coming up on having to rebuild it a third time and don't really want to. I grew up with VC in my parent's house but am not impressed with the one I bought for myself. Not the same quality at all.

    • @katiejon17
      @katiejon17 Рік тому +1

      @@jimfreeman8991 what brands are you guys looking at? In New England too and we want our first woodstove.

    • @jimfreeman8991
      @jimfreeman8991 Рік тому

      @@katiejon17 Not sure yet. Considering Pacific Energy Super LE or a Regency F2450. I will get through one more winter with the VC Resolute Acclaim and decide in the spring.

    • @katiejon17
      @katiejon17 Рік тому

      @@jimfreeman8991 we are clueless because we’ve never had one in our home (an old one in our camp though). We’re looking at Harman’s. Our living space is all open concept (bedrooms and bath right off the living/kitchen space) - it’s maybe 1,000-1,2000 sqft. Hoping to keep it warm, but not blast us out of the space!

  • @davehaggerty3405
    @davehaggerty3405 Рік тому +2

    Every stove we had when I was a kid was a hybrid of cast iron and steel.
    The firebox was cast. Then a steel radiator section. Capped with a cast top.
    They also had cast iron shaker grates and an ash pan.
    And were rated for wood or coal.
    Stoves like I see in the video were called box wood heaters.
    Back when everything came in boxes there was always free wood.
    But they were only enough for a single room or a shed. And you had to stoke them continually. They had a burn time of a half hour. And seldom got hot enough to boil a teapot.

  • @jimslouber8709
    @jimslouber8709 Рік тому +3

    While my comment doesn't apply to this video, a massive stone or masonry heater is what much of the Scandinavia and other cold regions have used for centuries. Instead of feeding a wood stove every couple of hours, a masonry heater gets a fast hot fire and then radiates heat for the rest of the day. 😊

  • @happyhermit476
    @happyhermit476 Рік тому +1

    I maybe in MA but i have learned so much from your videos. Thanks. I am more knowledgeable because of them and ready to purchase my first wood stove.

  • @Random-rt5ec
    @Random-rt5ec 2 роки тому +9

    My 1st car was a 1972 Buick with a cast iron block 350. The car rusted out quick but that cast iron engine is still running today being used to pump water onto cranberry bogs. Great point about steel being better to heat large areas & cast iron being panels with gaskets. Having learned this I'd lean towards steel stoves 99% of the time. My pellet stove is steel & it cranks out the heat keeping my 2000 sq-ft of living space 75 degrees all winter.

  • @Jay-tu4rs
    @Jay-tu4rs 2 роки тому +7

    I had a VC Defiant replaced with a Jotul Carrabassett which is steel and cast with only one seal at door works great!

  • @jaycousland9835
    @jaycousland9835 2 роки тому +3

    My steel Arctic Flame has ran 24/7 ,8 months a year,for 25 years with only one gasket change.I run 5 cords a year,so it just sips the wood too.Red alder and Western maple are my favorite fuels.

  • @janice5218
    @janice5218 2 роки тому +1

    You’re a delight
    Thank you for this video
    Asking people adds to confusion Vs this non bias comparison.

  • @craigs831
    @craigs831 2 роки тому +1

    Congrats on 25k subs!

  • @dacelticcross
    @dacelticcross 2 роки тому +10

    Cast iron for me all day everyday.The thing is it stays warm long before you go to bed,steel cools down way to fast and if it's heat dispersion just get a fan.Now that being said, Morso stoves have a special grade cast iron, which in my mind makes them a superior cast iron stove.

  • @richardledlightguy
    @richardledlightguy 2 роки тому +3

    My cast iron stoves are over 120 years old. I did refurbish them by replacing the firebricks and seals but they are still as good as new and absolutely beautiful. Give me cast iron any day!

  • @Lee-70ish
    @Lee-70ish 2 роки тому +7

    Here in the UK I went with steel due to the quick warm up time and zero joints other than the door.
    Its a multi fuel Clear View and as its not our main heat source its enough at just 3.5kw

  • @ronpage101
    @ronpage101 2 роки тому +2

    I have a 35 year old Earth stove. We go through 4-6 cords a year. Very good home heater. Replaced the bricks twice and gaskets, and had to straighten out the bent door. Much better at heating than the newer stoves.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому

      nice!

    • @desert4seat
      @desert4seat 2 роки тому +2

      I’ve got an old Earth Stove too. I love it, but I think It’s definitely not on the efficiency side of things. I burn wayyyy too much wood.

  • @mikebee6633
    @mikebee6633 Рік тому +1

    Great info. Just subscribed and liked.

  • @oreocookie3185
    @oreocookie3185 2 роки тому +2

    We have the red VC, love it! We have a small home, works great! Our dogs LOOOOOOVE it. LOL

  • @GoldenFava
    @GoldenFava 10 місяців тому +1

    Perfect video! Thank you!

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  10 місяців тому

      We have a lot of wood stove videos coming out this month be on the look out!

  • @tomsawyer247
    @tomsawyer247 2 роки тому +4

    I had a Vermont I used about five years. I loved the stove but it warped to the point the gaskets wouldn't work the parts were very expensive. I bought a blaze king catalytic and havnt had any problems other than the catalytic converter. I live in northern Canada so need to put around five cords through it each winter.

  • @evapendaki2530
    @evapendaki2530 6 місяців тому +1

    Good Show
    Thanks for the information
    DomIJ

  • @harmonicresonanceproject
    @harmonicresonanceproject Рік тому

    Great information - I didn't know about cast iron vs steel. I have a small cast iron WP4 from ACR here in the UK but it's modern looking.

  • @beebob1279
    @beebob1279 Рік тому +1

    Good review I noticed the extension to the flue is on top of all of these stoves.
    I want to put a free standing stove into my fireplace so that I don't need electricity like I do with my Osburn insert (great stove by the way). My parents had a steal stove that the flu connected to the back of the stove. Do these still exist? This way I can just run the pipe in the fireplace and up the flue.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому

      There are some that still exist like that i cant think of the names right now. We sell Vermont Casting that have a reversable sleeve so you can get different piping to install how you want.

  • @tombeckett4340
    @tombeckett4340 2 роки тому

    Great information thanks 🇨🇦👍

  • @polsok44
    @polsok44 2 роки тому +3

    Do you sell many wood burners that are epa exempt? I dont recall a video on it, i have a napoleon nz6000 largest firebox in the industry and i think maybe the best looking, but not the most efficient. But gets around epa because of the amount of air it uses.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому +1

      very few, the NZ6000 being one of them

  • @tomgee2719
    @tomgee2719 2 роки тому +1

    I've been heating (don't use the boiler except for hot water) with a Vermont Castings Defiant Encore for 30 years in northwest CT, 1500 sq ft house and I burn 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cord of wood. I have 12' ceilings in an open floor plan with 2 ceiling fans and 50% of the south wall is glass. Let me tell you cast iron does warp but I heard that steel doesn't. It isn't air tight but still functions well. The beauty of cast iron is so much more appealing to me than the modern look of steel stoves but that is personal preference. The one bad thing about this stove is the door that closes and forces the smoke over the cat which disintegrated 25 years ago. That linkage sometimes binds and I have to use a poker to push the door to open and I suspect it is wear in the linkage or warping. It doesn't happen often but I'm concerned I'll break something, you wouldn't have that problem with steel.

  • @northamericanproductions
    @northamericanproductions 2 роки тому +2

    What’s your thoughts on the two combined like steel box with cast iron plates? I have the Jotul F45 Greenville which incorporates this unique technology.

  • @ripplenh191
    @ripplenh191 2 роки тому +2

    Well done

  • @Foxkitten86
    @Foxkitten86 Рік тому +1

    Thank you!

  • @walterrutherford8321
    @walterrutherford8321 Рік тому +4

    When I was young our family had a coal/wood furnace and a cast iron cookstove. Occasionally they’d burn coal in the cookstove. I doubt she needed coal for cooking but it may have been to supplement the furnace heat in that part of the house. I don’t know if a steel stove could’ve handled the temperatures.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому

      ive heard other people doing that as well

  • @CharcoalDaddyBBQ
    @CharcoalDaddyBBQ Рік тому

    Thank you for this one. Looking at getting a Drolet model (Canada)

  • @1974jrod
    @1974jrod Рік тому

    I've heard nothing but good regarding woodstock soapstone stoves. Both in quality and customer service, and I've never heard anyone complain about their cast cracking.

  • @tesscot
    @tesscot Рік тому +1

    I learned so much! Going to look for the cat vs non cat now.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому

      smart idea. its usally cat / reburn/ hybrid

  • @joesixpack7551
    @joesixpack7551 2 роки тому +12

    One con to cast iron is it cracking. We had an old 'Ben Franklin' stove years ago and with the first firing of it one of the panels cracked - when it did, it sounded like a rifle shot! You need to 'break in' a cast iron stove with progressively hotter fires.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому

      woah

    • @samTollefson
      @samTollefson 2 роки тому +2

      @@embersliving I had a store selling cast iron wood stoves. The biggest problem with cracking was people installing the bolts too tight thus not allowing the iron panels find their place, so to speak. What I would do and recommend my customers to do when assembling a stove was assemble a panel loosely, ad the stove cement, and just snug the bolts, after it was completely assembled go back and snug each bolt then back it off 1/8 turn. The next day when the cement had set, build a SMALL fire in it for 1 hour or less than let it go out than build a slightly larger fire and let it go out and cool down than do a final check of the bolt tightness (just snug) and you good to go. I doubt if any of my customers actually followed all that so I tried to pre-assemble them before letting them leave the shop. Almost all panel cracks are due to too-tight bolts not allowing the iron to expand and contract through the burning cycle.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому

      @@samTollefson Interesting, Ill share the news with the team !

  • @bcroft68bc
    @bcroft68bc Місяць тому +1

    We’re building a new house next year and I’m considering the Lopi Rockport.

  • @martinschulz9381
    @martinschulz9381 Рік тому +1

    Some good info, . A lot of good constructive comments here for once. My wife and I rented a fishing cabin once with a cheap thin steel stove. As cheap and thin as it was, could it ever put out the heat and very quickly as well.

  • @itsyurb0ylayy4
    @itsyurb0ylayy4 Рік тому

    Good morning I just wanted to know how hot can I get this wood-burning stove, I know the inside of the stove will be 800 and the surface temperature will be 700 with no signs of over firing. The stove does not turn red or growing red is these temperatures okay ? The flue is 450

  • @matikaevur6299
    @matikaevur6299 2 роки тому +2

    Masonry ..
    Con : takes time before any heat reaches the room.
    Pro : few tons of red brick has a lot of thermal mass .. when it's hot it stays hot for long time.
    Few hours intense burn and you'r good for day or more .. depending on weather and insulation of house. And you can make best stew or pulled pork in it at the end of burn .. that smoky flavor ;)

  • @spartacus3608
    @spartacus3608 Рік тому

    Ok. Looking at getting a Vermont casting wood burning stove...just came across something saying wood stoves need a straight vertical exhaust pipe...is that the only way or can a 90 be done through a foundation wall and to a straight vertical pipe? Late to this video but hope get some input....thanks

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому

      you mean out of the house?

    • @spartacus3608
      @spartacus3608 Рік тому

      @@embersliving yes....want to put it in my finished basement but would have to go up and out the side of the foundations wall

  • @mxgangrel
    @mxgangrel Рік тому +2

    Would it be bad if you put a cast iron griddle plate on top of a steel stove, so that you can cook on it. Or, might that somehow damage the steel stove? Thank you man

  • @lauriephillips4286
    @lauriephillips4286 Рік тому

    What kind stove would you recommend for a one story ranch house, one you can cook on if power goes out? We have electric, but we have been thinking of getting a wood stove for when the power goes out

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому +1

      honestly both would be great options for what you need. Cast iron may get a little hotter for cooking though

    • @lauriephillips4286
      @lauriephillips4286 Рік тому

      Ok thank you.

  • @brad4527
    @brad4527 Рік тому +1

    my question is would the defiant be the way to go for my 1600 SQF House?
    So if I have a blower on my Vermont cast. .
    Would help it kick butt

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому +1

      defiant would be great. blower never hurts!

    • @brad4527
      @brad4527 Рік тому

      @@embersliving Thank you!
      My wife doesn't want a ugly black
      steel one 😆🤣 so it's the compromise with the V.C stove...
      I will probably go with the red as she calls it pretty....
      I'm all about the heat.

  • @bob_frazier
    @bob_frazier 2 роки тому +4

    Cast iron can be brittle, but parts are replaceable. Nice vid.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому

      true

    • @SeattlePioneer
      @SeattlePioneer 6 місяців тому

      Steel is easily welded by someone who knows how to do it. No parts needed!

    • @Icutmetal
      @Icutmetal 6 місяців тому

      Cast iron IS brittle…and it can be welded as well, but steel is much easier.

  • @markthegunplumber8376
    @markthegunplumber8376 2 роки тому +7

    We had the VA porcelain coated stove that you are sitting next to in a rental we owned. The Renter pulled the door gaskets because they had failed and decided they didn't need to be there and was to lazy to call me to fix it. She used it anyway and it sucked air and got way too hot and cracked the stove top and ruined the cat. converter. the parts to repair that thing were going to be much more than most Steel stoves cost. So we put it on Craigs list and sold it for parts and bought another (steel) stove and got a new Renter. Not as pretty, but much more durable and cheaper and used way less gaskets and way more user friendly than the Vermont is. Those VA Defiant stoves cost as much as our Kitchen Queen 480 cook stove did at the time with all the extras. It's cast iron folks, not Gold Plated. NOPE.

  • @hecateswolf6007
    @hecateswolf6007 Рік тому +1

    Have a bronpi monza stove which is just for wood and mostly steel but they're popular in Spain on the haciendas and man they give off huge heat.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому

      intresting never heard of that one

    • @hecateswolf6007
      @hecateswolf6007 Рік тому

      Thanks. Tremendous heat from it. My concern at this time is the government will outlaw coal and wood burners on the bullshit pretext of climate change, thus making us all dependent on gas and electricity to heat our homes. Burners are freedom!

  • @752brickie
    @752brickie Рік тому

    I sold both over the years as a small hearth dealer. They all have their pluses. I have an Avalon insert I have fired faithfully for about 20 years. I have never even replaced an air tube.
    I highly advise anyone to buy any hearth product made by Travis Industries .

  • @lcmitchell4212
    @lcmitchell4212 5 місяців тому +1

    Which would you recommend if you want to cook on top?

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  5 місяців тому

      Ive only personally cooked on a cast iron stove so I have to say that one. I'm sure you can still do it on a steel stove.

  • @darrengarlough5121
    @darrengarlough5121 6 місяців тому

    I have a small cabin off grid. Want to cook on the top. Cast or steel?

  • @albundy5198
    @albundy5198 2 роки тому +2

    I love my old fisher probably not the most efficient but can’t knock how they look

  • @dannyc4419
    @dannyc4419 2 роки тому

    What is best for outdoor open patio.

  • @lucienpetersen9010
    @lucienpetersen9010 Рік тому

    I believe the firebricks in the steel stove needs to be replaced over time. That's a definite con for steel then isn't it? Does the cast iron stove have a consumable part as well? (Besides the fuel obviously)
    Lucien from Caoe Town

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому

      well yes that is true, some firebricks do need replaced, however some of the slabs in the cast iron could need to be replaced the same way

  • @SeattlePioneer
    @SeattlePioneer Рік тому

    I installed my steel wood stove in 1987 and many thousands of fires have provided most of the heat ever since. I'm a firebug!
    I have had the side of the stove crack, decades ago, no doubt due to overfiring. I've had some of the steel parts on one of the sides of the front of the stove warp, likely again due to overfiring.
    I'm planning to pull the stove out and remove the heat shield and to weld on a patch to seal up the box again. I'll inspect the warped part and may just remove it.
    I've only replaced the stove brick once, about five years ago.
    I've repainted the stove and stove pipe with high temperature stove paint, which works like a champ, but isn't a brilliant shine. I'll repaint again when I disassemble the stove this summer for maintenance.
    The air flow into the stove seems to have gotten weak in recent years ---I'm guessing that the air passages are plugged with dust being drawn into the stove. Again, when I disassemble the strove this summer I'll aim to inspect and clean those passages. When I've tried to do that in the past, I don't recall a way to get access to those passages, but I'm guessing I was not determined enough.
    When I'm initially firing the stove, the air supply to the fire is weak, which is why I suppose those air passages need cleaning. When the stove is hot, it get plenty of air.
    In short, I've been happy with decades of experience with my stove.

  • @pauljohnson8794
    @pauljohnson8794 Рік тому +1

    I went from an old buck insert to a Vermont castings , I miss the old buck. But I can run the Vermont castings without electricity.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому

      Yeah, Vermont Castings are awesome and youre "of the grid".

  • @ren8240
    @ren8240 2 роки тому

    Is there much difference in the ability to cook on top of either?

  • @COMB0RICO
    @COMB0RICO 2 роки тому

    Nice video

  • @joyjones2571
    @joyjones2571 Рік тому

    What's your personal favorite? I need a cook/heat stove.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому +1

      I personally am a big fan of the hearth stones myself

  • @QuadriderFMX
    @QuadriderFMX 2 роки тому

    Looking to replace our traditional Ben Franklin Pennsylvania Stove in our 81 year old, 800 sf Northern Michigan cabin. Leaning towards a Reburn system but Torn between Cast and Steel. What’s your take or comparison on the Cast Iron over Steel hybrids (I.e. Pacific Energy Alderlea T4 line)?

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому

      PE makes a great stove as well, that is also a great option

  • @vapoureyes
    @vapoureyes 2 місяці тому

    You forgot to mention that the top plate on the cast iron stove can crack, I have had three cast iron stoves and all three eventually developed a hair line crack.

  • @glennvannijevelt1133
    @glennvannijevelt1133 2 роки тому +2

    Hi, got an old cast iron here, been using it for four years. However, this year for some stupid reason we got rather wet batch firewood delivered to our home in September. A truck load! -- Should we open the bottom vent at all time this winter while using it to get a stronger burn? I don’t want to get soot built up too quickly and have to clean it before April 2022….. Help….!

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому +1

      yeah that will help you get through wood quicker

    • @billiamc1969
      @billiamc1969 2 роки тому +2

      We once had a semi-wet wood delivery...I had to clean the flue half way through the winter but we also ran the stove more on the hot side...course we burn 24hrs a day for 3 months straight

  • @alexanderdark6864
    @alexanderdark6864 Рік тому +1

    Can you put a wood stove on a floor made of floor joists? Or does it absolutely have to be concrete?

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому +1

      You need a hearth area or it can cause a fire

    • @alexanderdark6864
      @alexanderdark6864 Рік тому

      @@embersliving And that hearth area can be put over wooden floor joists / OSB subfloor, right?

    • @Icutmetal
      @Icutmetal 6 місяців тому

      @@alexanderdark6864 Of course you can…

  • @MrAvant123
    @MrAvant123 2 роки тому +2

    In Uk I dont think there are many cast iron stoves left on the market. They have to be costlier to produce vs laser cut steel. My parents had one and it cracked so thats a huge risk, so I think they are a bit obsolete here.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому

      true

    • @dacelticcross
      @dacelticcross 2 роки тому +1

      Not true at all, Morso is a big seller in the UK and Ireland.

    • @MrAvant123
      @MrAvant123 2 роки тому +1

      @@dacelticcross Do Morso still do cast stoves ? I have a Morso 06 and that is laser cut steel.

    • @nataliebutler
      @nataliebutler Рік тому

      Most woodburners I've seen I'm the UK are cast iron.

  • @antoniescargo2954
    @antoniescargo2954 Рік тому +1

    If you want to see a good stove you have to visit Switzerland, Bavaria, Austria, Hungay. I mean a Kachelofen. They are made of stone and use less wood. Here in Hungary we have stoves you can cook on. They call it a sparhelt or something like that. I prefer european gear from Scandia and central Europe.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому

      woah looked them up and those are pretty cool. Some of them look like actual cooking stoves.

  • @noncched6839
    @noncched6839 2 роки тому

    I have a vented fireplace that vents through the attic. My chimney has flown off twice and im about to get my roof replaced, thanks Ida. I want to do away with the chimney.... what are my options. I'm getting a new roof next week so I need to make a quick decision. I do have a gas outlet at my fireplace.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому

      gas would be the easiest solution if you dont want a chimney

  • @lovesarita
    @lovesarita Рік тому +1

    How about the difference when it comes to cooking on top?

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому

      i think a steel one would be better for that. I guess either so long its flat

  • @BasicBeachCommunity1
    @BasicBeachCommunity1 2 роки тому +1

    How much money for an install for both?

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому

      we are a retailer you would have to ask an installer about your situation.

  • @rashadabdullah9769
    @rashadabdullah9769 2 роки тому +2

    If its -20 to -30°C and you go to cold start cast it will crack on you if one part gets hotter than the other. Its happened to me.

  • @smythwang7129
    @smythwang7129 4 місяці тому

    Wrapping his my chief concern for steel stoves.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  3 місяці тому +1

      Can be if over fired which is a user error

  • @ahooten1313
    @ahooten1313 2 роки тому

    Do you suggest anyone in the central Indiana region?

  • @rustybeatty6567
    @rustybeatty6567 2 роки тому +3

    Steel wood stove could be made better if you build them in the shape of a mailbox out of at least a half inch thick plate steel and also reinforce the interior of the stove and then encase in a 16 inches of of concrete in the shape of the stove and have at least 1 foot off the ground with a total height of 5 and a half feet tall by 3 and a half wide by 4 and a half feet deep the stove itself measurement is 2 feet wide by 3 feet tall feet deep in the shape of a mailbox and only have the front of the stove is not encased in concrete so you can add in firewood the concrete acts like a radiator absorbing heat then radiating it out once the fire has started to burn down so even if the fire dies out you can still have heat for a few more hours the concrete does the same thing that brick walls do when exposed to direct sunlight for about 6 to 7 hours during the summer the brick wall still radiates heat for up to three hours after the sun has gone down and have it encased in concrete you could also have copper pipes embedded in the concrete ti heat up water/antifreeze that could be used to heat the floor or run into a vehicle radiator with a fan blowing air through it to speed up the heating of a large room.

  • @one-eyedsam2186
    @one-eyedsam2186 Рік тому

    I went with steel because I didn't want to pay 4 times as much for a cast iron stove that might break a seam and cause a dangerous over fire, which is an issue with these new airtight designs that have secondary burn tubes.

  • @HighWealder
    @HighWealder 2 роки тому +3

    Not all cast iron is equal!
    Many companies 'cast iron' is simply made from melted scrap steel, so maybe the difference is not so large.

  • @DAC49
    @DAC49 Рік тому

    I have a barrel stove in my home. Painted with wood stove paint

  • @edjackson8425
    @edjackson8425 2 роки тому +1

    Also cast iron is more brittle than steel. If you spill water on a hot cast iron stove it may crack.

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  2 роки тому

      ok

    • @boots7859
      @boots7859 2 роки тому +1

      Yeah, no. Go check out any video on YT and you'll see people trying to break cast frying pans by heating them up and dunking in water. Not so easy, and the amount of heat that stove contains in its mass vs 4-5 oz of water from a spilled glass? Just some steam and bubbling water that makes it half-way down the stove before its all evaporated.

    • @Icutmetal
      @Icutmetal 6 місяців тому

      A lot of things are possible, but that doesn’t make it probable.

  • @keitheagle4633
    @keitheagle4633 Рік тому +1

    Cast iron stoves are nice but if you have a water pot on top of it and you feel it and drop water on the cast iron it will crack also if you get cast iron too hot the bottom could possibly crack and fall out of it and then you've got hot ashes in the floor still will warp it will not crack and fall apart

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому

      Yeah we dont recommend cooking on them, but people always ask

    • @kirkstinson7316
      @kirkstinson7316 Рік тому

      So your telling me ALL the CAST IRON cook stoves that were used generation to generation ALL had cracks all over them from water drops on the, much thinner, cook top? As to getting it to hot and the bottom dropping out. First, where's your grate that keeps the fire off the floor of the stove? Second,. That would mean you have SEVERALLY over fired your stove and probably more then once

    • @hiddenhighland
      @hiddenhighland Рік тому

      Never heard of this- it certainly isn't the norm. In France we mostly use cast-iron. Excellent to cook on as well...and we have 3 jotul's and also a Nordica cooking stove. Never an issue. Friends have cast iron cooking stoves that are over 100 yrs old and work as new...no cracks...no leaks.

    • @keitheagle4633
      @keitheagle4633 Рік тому

      I was a firefighter for 20-plus years and more cast iron stoves caused more fires than still stays dead in our area

    • @Icutmetal
      @Icutmetal 6 місяців тому

      Blah, blah, blah…

  • @bobtwartz8751
    @bobtwartz8751 2 роки тому +1

    try using a fan to move the air around . place the fan on the top of a cupbord to move worm air from the celing to the floor or point the fan at the heater to circlate the air from the stove

  • @DAC49
    @DAC49 9 місяців тому +1

    They make wood stove paint in all colors that you can paint a steel stove with. And EPA are junk. Also, as far as cast getting hotter? My two steel stoves reach 700 degrees when fired up. Cast must get a lot hotter. And that’s hot!

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  9 місяців тому

      We have a video ocming out today where we test live burns on Cast Iron VS Steel VS Soapstone

  • @deanharbord3591
    @deanharbord3591 Рік тому

    You forgot one thing the steel stove when fire goes out cools off faster cast iron with fire going out will still put off heat for a couple hours

  • @patrikbergqvist6988
    @patrikbergqvist6988 Рік тому +1

    One problem ! Bryssel whant to stop firewood use

  • @philliptipton9371
    @philliptipton9371 10 місяців тому +1

    Conn. Looking for the one pc full body cast iron 1930s stove. Something that requires maintenance and fails in 15-20years...uh..no thank you.

  • @Brush0akie
    @Brush0akie Рік тому +2

    The salesman hasn’t really the experience to just brochure knowledge. I’ve had 3 Vermont castings Defiant Encore, I really loved them but it’s old technology. Cast iron dose not like fast heating and cooling, inner cast iron plates fractures, crack & fall apart. VC need to be heated slowly and kept at a relatively constant temperature for a longer cast plate life. I’ve had the same welded steel County Hearth stove for 25yrs and changed the fire bricks 🧱and door gasket once.

  • @attitudeadjusted9027
    @attitudeadjusted9027 Рік тому +1

    Load the cast iron stove up with hedge and itll warp.😲

  • @TheBggrnford
    @TheBggrnford Рік тому +1

    I have an old Jotul 602 clone. You wanna see a warped cast iron stove... I can show you one lol

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому +1

      nice

    • @TheBggrnford
      @TheBggrnford Рік тому

      @@embersliving i believe my uncle severely over fired it trying to heat to big of a space. Filled the gaps with stove cement and it's been working very well. Probably not the safest, as I think this will be it's last season

  • @Clawson_customs
    @Clawson_customs 2 роки тому +2

    I burn lump coal in my stove in my shop to try to heat it

  • @thomasreto2997
    @thomasreto2997 2 роки тому +1

    Yes. Thank you😃🌈🤙

  • @5sugarpicker
    @5sugarpicker 2 роки тому +1

    Heat Reclaimer

  • @bj97301
    @bj97301 Рік тому +1

    Have you ever seen a cracked cast iron stove?

    • @embersliving
      @embersliving  Рік тому

      I have heard of that happening.

    • @bj97301
      @bj97301 Рік тому

      @@embersliving just thinking about the difference between steel and iron cast metals won’t usually warp but crack.

  • @allenhicks6873
    @allenhicks6873 2 роки тому +3

    Cast iron crack easy and at high temperatures

  • @No-timeforimbeciles
    @No-timeforimbeciles 7 місяців тому

    We have a. Steel wood fired range with back boiler, it heats 9 1.5mtr double radiators which get almost to hot to touch, we have a heat sink radiator in the cellar, to stop it getting too hot, very happy with it for last 10 years, an anti corrosive fluide is essential, just add it to the header tank

  • @maggiehumble7822
    @maggiehumble7822 Рік тому

    My steel was a waste of $$$$$..got me a old fisher more love it...

  • @frodobaggins169
    @frodobaggins169 Рік тому

    Any idea when you're going to get to the point?

  • @raymondpalacios3032
    @raymondpalacios3032 2 роки тому +2

    It all comes down to personal preference...blonde, red head, brunette. Hmm, decisions decisions. 🤔