Hitzer 254 or 55? Any other options?

 
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farok
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Post by farok » Mon. Jun. 07, 2021 5:03 pm

I'm looking to install a stove in the living area of a home we're moving to in Kentucky. It's a 1-story, 1100 sq ft home with moderate insulation (mid-1970s). That said, it's not as cold as I've been used to in the northeast in the winter, with average winter nights in this part of KY around 20F (though temps can dip a ways below zero during cold spells). We'd like to be able to run it without power, as we're 20 miles from town ... on a back road that the power company won't have on its priority list when there's a major outage. We'd also like to cook on the stove if we lose power for extended periods of time. Some other nice-to-have's would be the ability to shake the grates without opening the ash pan door (since it'll be in the living room), as well as go 12+ hours between tending (I've heard 24 hours isn't uncommon on the 254). Last, we have some wood on the property that we'd like to burn, and while this won't be the bulk of what we burn, it would be nice to be able to burn it at least in the shoulder months.

So far, it looks like the Hitzer 254 radiant and Hitzer 55 stove are in the running. I've seen a little on the DS Circulator stoves, but am unsure if they are as efficient, if you can cook on them (or meet any other requirements), and if the service is as good as the good remarks people always give Hitzer. I've also looked briefly at the the Hitzer 30-95 as I heard it could burn wood with the hopper removed, but don't know if it's as efficient as any of the others on coal or wood, or if you can cook on it given the hopper opening and covering.

Thoughts?

I'm trying to find a dealer that has most of these to see in person, but wanted to check with the expertise here as well.

Thanks,
Chris


 
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Post by waytomany?s » Mon. Jun. 07, 2021 5:24 pm

You're not taking the Pioneer with you?

 
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Post by warminmn » Mon. Jun. 07, 2021 6:29 pm

I'd get a propane camping stove for cooking during outages and get the 55 for what you want to do with it. You do have to open the bottom door to shake but ashes do not come into the house when you do that. It'll burn almost anything you want to throw in it. If burning ant you could just shake one grate during milder weather to run it cooler.

The 55 would warm foods up but boiling might be difficult barring alterations. Both are good stoves, as are all the Hitzers it seems. The 254 looks nicer if that matters, but your not going to be able to keep the glass clean burning wood without some work.

 
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Post by Hoytman » Tue. Jun. 08, 2021 12:13 am

If you choose the 254 make sure you specify the radiant model if you want to cook off if it.

If you are handy, and I assume you are, then modifying the 254 for secondary burn tubes would be a snap.

For that size home, if well insulated, and needing enough heat to cook off of, then the 254 might be too big still. In that case the 30-95 might help. The difference? Two grates versus one. Stoves are same identical shell.

Forum member Oliver could likely give you a better summation and recommendation based on actual experience with both stoves and perhaps a few more models.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Tue. Jun. 08, 2021 7:55 am

Are you planning to burn anthracite or bituminous coal? If burning bituminous I think the 55 would be the better choice. Neither stove is a good option for firewood, but if I had to pick I think the 55 would win that contest as well.

As for cooking, my suggestion is to get a propane range for the kitchen. If that is not an option, a small camping stove as mentioned above is another option.

 
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Post by charlesosborne2002 » Tue. Jun. 08, 2021 5:21 pm

farok wrote:
Mon. Jun. 07, 2021 5:03 pm
I'm looking to install a stove in the living area of a home we're moving to in Kentucky. It's a 1-story, 1100 sq ft home with moderate insulation (mid-1970s). That said, it's not as cold as I've been used to in the northeast in the winter, with average winter nights in this part of KY around 20F (though temps can dip a ways below zero during cold spells). We'd like to be able to run it without power, as we're 20 miles from town ... on a back road that the power company won't have on its priority list when there's a major outage. We'd also like to cook on the stove if we lose power for extended periods of time. Some other nice-to-have's would be the ability to shake the grates without opening the ash pan door (since it'll be in the living room), as well as go 12+ hours between tending (I've heard 24 hours isn't uncommon on the 254). Last, we have some wood on the property that we'd like to burn, and while this won't be the bulk of what we burn, it would be nice to be able to burn it at least in the shoulder months.

So far, it looks like the Hitzer 254 radiant and Hitzer 55 stove are in the running. I've seen a little on the DS Circulator stoves, but am unsure if they are as efficient, if you can cook on them (or meet any other requirements), and if the service is as good as the good remarks people always give Hitzer. I've also looked briefly at the the Hitzer 30-95 as I heard it could burn wood with the hopper removed, but don't know if it's as efficient as any of the others on coal or wood, or if you can cook on it given the hopper opening and covering.

Thoughts?

I'm trying to find a dealer that has most of these to see in person, but wanted to check with the expertise here as well.

Thanks,
Chris
Chris, I am in southeastern KY--retired here 11 years ago and put in a wood stove. Later, I found wood too much trouble, so I changed to anthracite coal (from Tractor Supply in bags). Bituminous here is only used in industrial plants, not sold for home use. But I too wanted to burn both wood and coal--I think it adds value to the house if you ever sell it, and if you are able to get wood free or cheap, go for it. There are only two really good choices for both: Harman TCL 2000, and Comfort Max 75 from DS Stoves. Both can heat your house well. They have the clean burn of EPA wood burning, and the proper design for coal as well. My coal stove can burn wood, and the doors come off for an open fireplace, but it is hopeless on clean air and the firebox is not big enough for nice big logs. You would have to feed it every 2 or 3 hours and use short logs. The two I mention have hot oxygen input into the flames above the fire, burning off the smoke: more heat, less wood, clean air, pretty flames. Instead, I bought a Vigilant 2 from Vermont Castings (discontinued) at a great price, so I am happy with that. I would not have chosen it if I really wanted to heat with wood, but I can make a wood fire now and then for effect. I think you would be glad you bought a stove that is designed properly for both coal and wood.

 
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Post by charlesosborne2002 » Tue. Jun. 08, 2021 5:30 pm

charlesosborne2002 wrote:
Tue. Jun. 08, 2021 5:21 pm
Chris, I am in southeastern KY--retired here 11 years ago and put in a wood stove. Later, I found wood too much trouble, so I changed to anthracite coal (from Tractor Supply in bags). Bituminous here is only used in industrial plants, not sold for home use. But I too wanted to burn both wood and coal--I think it adds value to the house if you ever sell it, and if you are able to get wood free or cheap, go for it. There are only two really good choices for both: Harman TCL 2000, and Comfort Max 75 from DS Stoves. Both can heat your house well. They have the clean burn of EPA wood burning, and the proper design for coal as well. My coal stove can burn wood, and the doors come off for an open fireplace, but it is hopeless on clean air and the firebox is not big enough for nice big logs. You would have to feed it every 2 or 3 hours and use short logs. The two I mention have hot oxygen input into the flames above the fire, burning off the smoke: more heat, less wood, clean air, pretty flames. Instead, I bought a Vigilant 2 from Vermont Castings (discontinued) at a great price, so I am happy with that. I would not have chosen it if I really wanted to heat with wood, but I can make a wood fire now and then for effect. I think you would be glad you bought a stove that is designed properly for both coal and wood.
p.s. The clean air design of EPA wood stoves makes them less suitable for cooking; the flame path is directed around the sides, bottom, and/or back of the stove rather than to the stove top. This is more efficient as less heat goes up the chimney, and the top is not as hot. Coal, on the other hand, is efficient even if it is just a radiant box. I can cook on my coal stove whether there is wood or coal in it; I could not do that on my EPA wood stove.


 
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Post by farok » Thu. Jun. 10, 2021 10:03 pm

waytomany?s wrote:
Mon. Jun. 07, 2021 5:24 pm
You're not taking the Pioneer with you?
Nope - don't want to leave an empty hearth in the house when we go. The folks who are possibly buying really like the coal stove. That, and I don't want to be stuck without heat when there's no power. :D

Chris

 
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Post by farok » Thu. Jun. 10, 2021 11:49 pm

Thanks for the information on the stoves, and for the other options. I guess I have to do a bit more digging on a few more stoves, but I'm happy to have the options to consider!

Chris

 
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Post by farok » Fri. Jun. 11, 2021 12:54 am

Oh, and to add I do plan to burn anthracite if I can find it near the new place... I'll consider a camp stove as an alternative if we really need to cook when the power is out. We have two already. :)

Chris

 
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Post by Hoytman » Fri. Jun. 11, 2021 12:39 pm

charlesosborne2002 wrote:
Tue. Jun. 08, 2021 5:30 pm
p.s. The clean air design of EPA wood stoves makes them less suitable for cooking; the flame path is directed around the sides, bottom, and/or back of the stove rather than to the stove top. This is more efficient as less heat goes up the chimney, and the top is not as hot. Coal, on the other hand, is efficient even if it is just a radiant box. I can cook on my coal stove whether there is wood or coal in it; I could not do that on my EPA wood stove.
Most modern EPA wood stoves direct most of the heat to the top of the stove whether they be secondary air tube stoves or catalytic stoves. A few like modern Harmon’s, no longer made, were down draft models direct exhaust up then down the back, and then back up the back of the stove and out. Vermont castings are similar, yet both have cook plates.

Buck stove, Lopi, Englander, Quadra-fire, Regency, Jotul, Drolet/Osburn, Blaze King etc., etc., etc., many direct most of the heat to the top of the stove and give plenty of heat on top to cook off of.



When I find the video of the Lopi/Travis Industries President cooking his homemade chili recipe on a Lopi stove I will post it.

 
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Post by DS STOVES » Thu. Sep. 02, 2021 2:02 pm

I know it's a bit late to reply but if you are looking to cook on it have you checked out the Heco 420 or 520 Cookstove? You can use wood or anthracite.

 
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Post by Hoytman » Fri. Sep. 03, 2021 1:14 am

Hoytman wrote:
Fri. Jun. 11, 2021 12:39 pm
Most modern EPA wood stoves direct most of the heat to the top of the stove whether they be secondary air tube stoves or catalytic stoves. A few like modern Harmon’s, no longer made, were down draft models direct exhaust up then down the back, and then back up the back of the stove and out. Vermont castings are similar, yet both have cook plates.

Buck stove, Lopi, Englander, Quadra-fire, Regency, Jotul, Drolet/Osburn, Blaze King etc., etc., etc., many direct most of the heat to the top of the stove and give plenty of heat on top to cook off of.



When I find the video of the Lopi/Travis Industries President cooking his homemade chili recipe on a Lopi stove I will post it.

 
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Post by oliver power » Fri. Sep. 03, 2021 9:04 pm

That's a tough call. I would start with two things; 1.) where is the stove going, and how much space for stove? 2.) How good is the chimney draw? So you have location size / fit. Hitzer 254 and 55 are going to require more draft on the low burns than the 30-95, for coal anyways. If you pull the hopper on the 30-95 for wood, you loose your baffle, and would need to install a manual damper. If you run the 55 direct, you will need a manual damper for burning wood. All three are good stoves. I can tell you I'm super impressed with 254 performance. It's not the best on the low end though. Fire keeps going out.

 
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Post by lzaharis » Fri. Sep. 10, 2021 10:42 am

Hello Farok,

The Ashley coal circulator has shaker grates, is fire brick lined, has an ash drawer,
will burn wood and heats 2000 square feet and runs without electricity and it has a cook top.
They are sold through home despot for $1,699.00+ tax and shipping to home despot.


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