The stoker has set me free!

Post Reply
 
User avatar
dbsuz05
Member
Posts: 191
Joined: Thu. Nov. 28, 2013 8:09 am
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Burnham 23"

Post by dbsuz05 » Sat. Apr. 18, 2020 8:59 am

I installed my axeman Anderson 130 in late January this year. Many decisions were made on the piping and controls from members here on the forum. In the end I made my own choice to have a handfed 23” burnham in-line with the axeman. This way I could burn coal in a handfed when it got really cold. Just take take the load somewhat off the axeman.
Now I must say. You veteran members were absolutely right! I don’t use the handfed much...! Being the handfed is located in upstairs and the axeman downstairs I am happy to use the handfed as a large radiator now that keeps the garage toasty warm. Along with the warm concrete now at my feet!
Now to the meat an potatoes.... this stoker has changed my life!! No getting up at 2 am shaking grates. No coming home mid day to shovel coal, heck I don’t even have to come home after 5 if I have something else to do! After 10 years of handfed madness worrying about keeping a fire going this has been the best 4 months of living in this house!
For anyone considering handfed as the main heating plant. Just don’t. At first you will be happy to burn anything that fits through the door but in time you will find all you do is become a slave to the handfed. Thanks so much nepa coal members for sharing your knowledge to the few of us crazy enough to run these contraptions!

 
User avatar
nepacoal
Member
Posts: 1696
Joined: Wed. Nov. 21, 2012 7:49 am
Location: Coal Country
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4 / "Kelly" and an EFM 520 at my in-laws
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman SF-260 - retired
Coal Size/Type: Buck

Post by nepacoal » Sat. Apr. 18, 2020 9:11 am

Amen to that!!! My old hand fed boiler sits in the corner over by the oil tanks ( that also haven't been used in years)...

 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Sat. Apr. 18, 2020 9:13 am

Once an Axeman is online all you need is a comfy chair with wheels.

 
User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Sat. Apr. 18, 2020 9:46 am

Sounds like you did it right! You have an Axeman, you have the auger in the bin, all you do now is empty the ashes once every few days. Truly the Lazy Man's way to burn coal! :lol:

-Don


 
coaledfeat
Member
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu. May. 07, 2015 12:51 pm
Location: NY Columbia County
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1982 efm df520
Coal Size/Type: Cornwall rice
Other Heating: VC winterwarm wood

Post by coaledfeat » Sat. Apr. 18, 2020 1:48 pm

Another voice in the stoker AMEN choir!!! Congrats, Gary

 
User avatar
2001Sierra
Member
Posts: 2211
Joined: Wed. May. 20, 2009 8:09 am
Location: Wynantskill NY, 10 miles from Albany
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90 Chimney vent
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Buderus Oil Boiler 3115-34

Post by 2001Sierra » Sat. Apr. 18, 2020 7:55 pm

A stoker does have its Merit. Not for everyone but great for some. I went from a handfed stove to a stoker, and never looked back.

 
User avatar
Lightning
Site Moderator
Posts: 14658
Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Olean, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite

Post by Lightning » Sat. Apr. 18, 2020 10:52 pm

Yeah man, I ran a hand fed furnace as a primary heat source for 8 years. I learned volumes about burning coal, chimneys and did many modifications to the furnace.. and I even had a lot of fun in the process. That all slowly winded down as I satisfied my curiosity. I finally took what was left of it to the scrap yard and refurbed an ol Axeman that I found on Facebook market place. This was my first heating season with the beast. It's quite a neat peice of mechanical engineering, I'm very pleased with my Axe. :D

 
Hoytman
Member
Posts: 5990
Joined: Wed. Jan. 18, 2017 11:30 pm
Location: swOH near a little town where the homes are mobile and the cars aren’t
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 354
Coal Size/Type: nut coal
Other Heating: electric, wood, oil

Post by Hoytman » Thu. Apr. 30, 2020 8:48 pm

Do they still make the Ace? I’m just now figuring out what the heck it is and what all the hullabaloo is about. Lol!!

My neighbor has an outdoor wood boiler for a mobile home and he must feed that thing 20-25 cord a year. No way! Coal boiler or go home.


 
User avatar
Lightning
Site Moderator
Posts: 14658
Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Olean, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite

Post by Lightning » Thu. Apr. 30, 2020 9:42 pm

Hoytman wrote:
Thu. Apr. 30, 2020 8:48 pm
Do they still make the Ace?
I'll assume you meant Axe, as in Axeman.. Yes the AAs are still in production to this day. But a lot of folks (myself included) think it's more fun to buy one that's 50-60 years old and jazz it up lol.

 
Hoytman
Member
Posts: 5990
Joined: Wed. Jan. 18, 2017 11:30 pm
Location: swOH near a little town where the homes are mobile and the cars aren’t
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 354
Coal Size/Type: nut coal
Other Heating: electric, wood, oil

Post by Hoytman » Thu. Apr. 30, 2020 10:10 pm

Lightning wrote:
Thu. Apr. 30, 2020 9:42 pm
I'll assume you meant Axe, as in Axeman.. Yes the AAs are still in production to this day. But a lot of folks (myself included) think it's more fun to buy one that's 50-60 years old and jazz it up lol.
Dad burn auto correct on this phone!!!!

I assume a google search would lead to a website?

 
User avatar
Lightning
Site Moderator
Posts: 14658
Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Olean, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite

Post by Lightning » Thu. Apr. 30, 2020 10:12 pm

Hoytman wrote:
Thu. Apr. 30, 2020 10:10 pm
I assume a google search would lead to a website?
As far as I know they don't have a site. They are pretty old school.

 
Hoytman
Member
Posts: 5990
Joined: Wed. Jan. 18, 2017 11:30 pm
Location: swOH near a little town where the homes are mobile and the cars aren’t
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 354
Coal Size/Type: nut coal
Other Heating: electric, wood, oil

Post by Hoytman » Thu. Apr. 30, 2020 10:23 pm

Fooyeeschmagle!!!!!!

 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17979
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Fri. May. 01, 2020 8:25 am

Hoytman wrote:
Thu. Apr. 30, 2020 10:10 pm
Dad burn auto correct on this phone!!!!

I assume a google search would lead to a website?
http://www.axeman-anderson.com/coal.html

Post Reply

Return to “Coal News & General Coal Discussions”