DS COMFORTMAX 75 First Review

Pic of stove burning when I got home. And a pic of the reburn air tubes when i loaded it tonight

Very nice!!! It definitely proves that your stove passed the " warm weather litmus test" with flying colors. Just out of curiosity, now that you seem to have it down pat, how long, on average, are your tending times?
Jim

How long after reload do the tubes ignite?

Better think about getting that manometer in just for when you’re burning in 75* high temps. I wouldn’t just get comfortable with it.

I’m tickled pink this stove is working out for you and it’s about time we get a review on it here on the forum.

11ultra103 wrote: ↑

Fri. Mar. 20, 2020 8:47 pm

I may see about getting a delivery of 2 ton and just dumping it on a tarp for now. Buying bags is getting old and expensive!

that statement tells it all, you will never recover.

welcome to the Black Pearl mate

coalder wrote: ↑

Sat. Mar. 21, 2020 8:18 am

Very nice!!! It definitely proves that your stove passed the " warm weather litmus test" with flying colors. Just out of curiosity, now that you seem to have it down pat, how long, on average, are your tending times?
Jim

I would say it performed quite well! And as afar as tending times, Id say about 10 minutes in the morning, 15 to 20 at night. I tend to fill the stove a little more at night and it takes a little longer to get it burning to where I feel I can turn the air back

Hoytman wrote: ↑

Sat. Mar. 21, 2020 9:31 am

How long after reload do the tubes ignite?

Better think about getting that manometer in just for when you’re burning in 75* high temps. I wouldn’t just get comfortable with it.

I’m tickled pink this stove is working out for you and it’s about time we get a review on it here on the forum.

Id say the tubes start burning within 5 or so minutes of loading

And yes a manometer would probably be good to have just to see what the draft is doing

KingCoal wrote: ↑

Sat. Mar. 21, 2020 9:40 am

that statement tells it all, you will never recover.

welcome to the Black Pearl mate

I like wood less and less by the day lol! I plan to get 6 ton delivered in fall. I have been buying bags all winter for my garage coal stove and really at this point I should have just had 2 ton delivered right away and been done with it! But I'll probably get a few more bags for now. I keep thinking we have to be done with the heating soon! I have loved coal since the first time I burned it in my old boiler!

Yeah...I feel the same.

I still think having a combo stove is smart, but honestly, after burning coal this year, over time I see myself burning less and less wood. Maybe only one fire at a time to warm the house in shoulder seasons. Now I’m thinking about even forgetting wood during those times and using the electric heat or the furnace.

Coal is, as others here have preached, the heat is so nice and even. No worry about getting wet, or where it’s stored. No handling 35 times, no maintenance of tools except the stove and chimney...and cared for properly, those don’t need much.

Hoytman wrote: ↑

Sun. Mar. 22, 2020 10:24 am

Yeah...I feel the same.

I still think having a combo stove is smart, but honestly, after burning coal this year, over time I see myself burning less and less wood. Maybe only one fire at a time to warm the house in shoulder seasons. Now I’m thinking about even forgetting wood during those times and using the electric heat or the furnace.

Coal is, as others here have preached, the heat is so nice and even. No worry about getting wet, or where it’s stored. No handling 35 times, no maintenance of tools except the stove and chimney...and cared for properly, those don’t need much.

You got that right, I'll burn some wood but not much! I'm outside splitting 6+ cords of crappy red oak today. And I gotta say I will be glad when its all sold. Half of this wood is rot, it just crumbles. I have to move last years stack into the wood rack, stack this new wood. I am so glad I switched to coal, and even if I was still burning wood, I'd be buying it from now on. My time is worth more than I'm saving on cutting it myself

I have a question. Is the cast iron baffle at the rear of the stove removable for cleaning purposes? If not, just wondering how you will get in there to vacuum out & possibly spray with a compound such as Fluid film.
Jim

Something that I did not expect with the comfortmax, is that the air wash control actually is capable of being the idle air inlet. My first picture is with the air closed, second picture is about an hour later with the lever set on half. Even though it's not under fire air it keeps the fire burning, and because the air flap for the bi metallic does not completely seal, their is still air coming in through the bottom. This explains why the fire was so bright friday when it was 75 degrees because I left the air wash at 1/2 all day. So with that being said, no ash pan door vents are needed on this stove

coalder wrote: ↑

Sun. Mar. 22, 2020 2:01 pm

I have a question. Is the cast iron baffle at the rear of the stove removable for cleaning purposes? If not, just wondering how you will get in there to vacuum out & possibly spray with a compound such as Fluid film.
Jim

In order to access the second pass, you have to pull all of the fire brick out. Then you can get to the back of the stove and clean any fly ash out. In order to get to the bypass for the direct chimney vent, you have to remove the stove pipe, or pull the air tubes out of the top of the stove

coalder wrote: ↑

Sun. Mar. 22, 2020 2:01 pm

I have a question. Is the cast iron baffle at the rear of the stove removable for cleaning purposes? If not, just wondering how you will get in there to vacuum out & possibly spray with a compound such as Fluid film.
Jim

Of course I didnt get a great picture, but you can see that cast iron piece only comes down about 3/4 of the stove height

First, let me say that I'm totally impressed with the dynamics, & how well your stove performs. It seems to have brought burning coal to a new level.

I can see by your photo that the cast baffle only comes down so far, but is there a way to access behind it for cleaning & possibly spraying a preservative in that area?
Jim

coalder wrote: ↑

Sun. Mar. 22, 2020 3:03 pm

First, let me say that I'm totally impressed with the dynamics, & how well your stove performs. It seems to have brought burning coal to a new level.

I can see by your photo that the cast baffle only comes down so far, but is there a way to access behind it for cleaning & possibly spraying a preservative in that area?
Jim

I agree, this aint your grand pappys coal stove!

Only way to access the rear section of the stove is to pull all the fire brick out. At least 1 side of the bricks have to be removed, and the whole set of rear top and bottom bricks have to come out. Kind of a pain, but its a once a year job so thats fine with me. It may be possible to pull the rear bricks without pulling the side ones. I dont remember, I'll find out when I spring clean! Which is another topic I'd like to start, spring cleaning stoves and chimneys. I'm curious what other people do. I'm going to save that for a whole other thread