Any experience with a potbelly stove?

[RocketMan]

Hi All,

I have a chance to buy a potbelly stove for less than $100 bucks. I haven't seen the stove myself yet, but my brother tells me it's pretty nice. I don't know if I would use it in the house or maybe just use it in the garage, but I figure I better grab it for that price.
Does anybody have experience with using one? I have read things about the door being small, so you have to use small pieces of wood, but will they put out the heat? The house is small (2 story just over 1000 sq ft) and it has an LP furnace and heater, but I plan to put in a woodburner anyway for back-up.
Waddaya think? Should I go for it? Any certain things I should really look for before I buy it?

Chris

[bee_pipes]

With the price of scrap, I don't think you could go wrong. I don't know that it's going to heat your house by itself, but as a backup, certainly.

The only thing that would prevent the stove from being usable would be corrosion/loss of metal, resulting in thin spots or holes. If the structure of the stove is sound, it works. Check damper/vents on the stove - those can be fabricated if necessary.

You're right - small door, small firebox, etc. This is not a big stove. You can improve efficiency/impact by how the surroundings are set up - brick base and wall - lots of thermal mass to absorb and radiate heat. At that price - I'd grab it.

Regards,
Pat

[kawalekm]

If it's not a Vogelzang, then it might be a really good deal. The new Vogelzang's are cheap, paper-thin Chinese imports that might break it you tipped it over. I bought their box stove new in the box for 65$ at somebodies garage sale and I still think I overpaid! I'm not going to use it as a primary stove, but just to keep it around for an emergency backup.

Probably the single best way to evaluate a stove is its weight. If this stove is light enough that you yourself can lift it, than it's overpriced at 100$. It's light because they made the shell so thin that there's not much mass there.

There are a couple of things to look for when examining a used stove. Tap around it with a light hammer, looking for cracks. Examine the exhaust flue, looking for erosion and burned out spots. Also check inside the firebox, especially the base where hot coals have been sitting. If the stove is heavy, and you don't find any burned out spots, then you might have found yourself a really good deal!

Good luck to you,
Michael

[RocketMan]

Thanks guys! I still didn't get to see it this weekend, but my brother says it IS very heavy, and he also said it has the word SUN on the front of it. I tried to do an internet search for Sun potbelly stove, but couldn't find anything. I think I'm gonna grab it for that price.

[flatwater]

Rocketman , remember that you can also load those pot bellies from the top also and because how a pot bellied is shaped it will cook faster fecause the heat is forced to the top and concintrated there

[Tegerian]

My Grandfather had one when I was a kid and it would run you out of the room if you weren't careful, definitely sounds like a good deal.

[MountainRonda]

I've been using a "Sun" potbelly for years. It's a very good design. You load it from the top and scoop the ashes out the bottom. The wood can be pretty long, just not too big around. That means a lot of splitting. Be shure the shaker grate is there inside or you'll have to make one.

[Cuznguido]

If it is one of the old pot belly stoves it will actually be in three pieces, maybe four. Makes them easier to handle and to reassemble just stack em up. They were actually more a coal stove than wood, but of course it will work with wood. Look for cracks, especially in the bottom section, where they tend to crack if seriously overheated. It might have a hole in the front, right below the door. If it does you will know it is one of the old ones for coal burning. The hole is used for the poker to go thru to break up the cinders that tend to from in a coal stove. I would love to have one, but they are almost extinct.

[RocketMan]

Sorry I haven't replied for a while. It's been a crazy month!
I finally got down to the homestead to check things out, and the stove is in excellent condition. It needed wire brushed and painted, but now it looks great. It did take two of us to move it, so It's a sturdy little thing. All the parts are there, doors, grate, lid for the top, but it does have about a two inch crack on the top edge. The guy said it never leaked any smoke out of the crack, so I'm hoping it's okay. Now I need to get all the stove pipe and chimney to get it fired up. I think it will help a lot with keeping the heating bill down, and I plan to put the brick on the walls around it. Thanks again for all the replies and info!! By the way, the guy took $50 bucks, and delivered it!!
;D