HITZER 983 OR ALASKAN KAST III OR KEYSTOKER 90 INSERTS

I am doing research on coal inserts. I need an insert that will help heat a big house(3800 sq ft) i have a wood pellet stove that does not help much. The more research i do the more confused i get. I thought i had decided on the Hitzer. But I then found the Alaskan and Keystoker inserts. Can anyone help with the quality of the above stoves? Does anyone have hitzer and how is it? Thanks

Your house is to big for an insert. If you really want to do it right, go with a furnace or boiler tied to your central heating system. You will be much happier.

I am sorry. The total sq footage of the house is approx. 3800. The area I want the insert for is approx 2500-2800 sq ft. Unfortunately the house I bought does not have central heating. Previous owners added room by room. I use a gas log for the family room both for heat and looks. I have a fire place in the central room, 20 ft x 30 ft with 7.5 ft ceilings, that is where I want to put the insert. Would like a little extra btu(heat) to float up the stairs. There is also a gas fireplace in the central hall upstairs for heat and looks.

Hello Chuck, welcome to the forum. First all three makers you mention make good stoves.

I looked at the sites for the three manufacturers. The insert from Hitzer is a hand load stove, you fill it every 12 hours or so with a bucket or a shovel. And empty the ash pan.

Hitzer makes a slightly smaller insert model 503 that has a hopper that holds a day's worth of coal, so it reduces the amount of time and attention needed by half.

The Keystoker insert is like the Hitzer you mention, it is a hand load stove.

I could not find an insert made by alaska, they have console models that will fit close to a fireplace on a hearth or fireproof surface. The Alaska stoves are stoker stoves, they burn a smaller size coal, and the stoker mechanism requires electricity to opperate. The alaska stove has a lower BTU output than the other two units, but will have a much more controlable heat output and can be turned down to be comfortable during warmer weather.

If you want a seriously heavy duty insert, the Hitzers are build like bomb-shelters. But I would go with the 503 model to get the hopper feed system, to cut down on the attention the stove needs every day.

Where are you located?? Is coal readily available?

Hope this helps. Greg L

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Hey chuck you might won't to checkout http://www.harmanstoves.com they make one to I don't think greg mentioned them the model is a magnafire Elite Insert . Alaska makes to sizes kast console II and console III the II has a 70lbs hopper and III has 100lbs hopper they say both can heat up to 2500 sq. ft. from 5000k to 85000k B.T.U.H. they both have 265 cmf blower fan. with auto-heat system. well hope you find somthing for your heating need, go on EBAY there is 1 lopi insert on there now ITEM # is 200086076535

I live in NE PA. Lots of coal!!! I was first looking at the quadrafire5100i insert(wood) rated for 3500 sq ft. But after researching I was interested in the longer burn time you get from coal. Plus not having to cut split and stack wood was a plus. Is coal a hard fuel to get used to? Never used it before. Is it that much of a deal to hand load(stoke) the stove with fresh coal?

Hey CHUCK once you try it you will be hooked there is nothing like coal heating I use a handfeed myself I fill it in the morning and around 15+ hrs. later I shake it down and fill it up again at night there is a few things you need to know coal needs air from the bottom of your fire not the top as wood and it takes a little more work to lite coal so with the wood you might have around build a fire with it wait until it very hot and then start to put on a little coal at a time until it starts to burn it will glow red then put a little more on when it is burning good you will see blue & gold flames coming off the top of coal red ambers threw the coal on the bottom start to fill the firebox up to the top of firebricks also keep ash door open when you are building the fire and feed door closed once it is burning shut the door then open air draft on ash door you will have to play around with it until you get the right amount of airflow for the fire to keep it going all night & day you must shake the ash down before you put on new coal keep ash door open so the air can get up to the fresh coal you also need a good draft in your chimney make sure it is clean and in good shape you will get lots more info from others here on the forum but this is the basics you need to know good luck on getting you first coal burner if you need more info just wait a little you will get alot of good help & info here take care