Hello All. I'm located in Pottstown, PA. I moved out my 30 year friend, a Colebrookdale Darby. A real nice looking cast iron stove. Didn't have reason to stop using it other than maintaining the stove itself; the inability to get parts (at least at a reasonable price). Now I'm glad that happened. Last night was the first use of a Harman MKIII. I'm initially very impressed. My first surprise was when I started a wood fire. That stove got hot quickly. The Darby would have taken a long time to get moderately warm even considering that there is more mass to heat in the Darby. This 3000 sq.ft. house is a lot warmer now too. Although early in this relationship, I get a sense that I'll be using less coal now (Reading anthracite nut with BIG nuts). I think I can get more useful BTUs out of the MKIII especially with the forced air heat exchange. I suspect a lot of the heat went up the chimney with the Darby. Another thing I like over the Darby is the shaker operation. Too much did not make it through the passages between the Darby's grate bars and pea coal got stuck at the ends of the bars, limiting shaker travel.
I have a new friend.
So what do I do with the Darby now? Is there any interest in procurement of it for any reason or is it most likely going to end up at the recycling yard?
- Scotty
Hello Harman MKIII - Bye Colebrookdale Darby
- freetown fred
- Member
- Posts: 30299
- Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
- Location: Freetown,NY 13803
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut
Pix S, we gotta have pix!!
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- Site Moderator
- Posts: 11417
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 05, 2008 5:11 pm
- Location: Kent CT
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: V ermont Castings 2310, Franco Belge 262
- Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Modern Oak 114
- Coal Size/Type: nut and pea
The Darby is among the best looking modern stoves.
Put it on craigslist.
Put it on craigslist.
- michaelanthony
- Member
- Posts: 4550
- Joined: Sat. Nov. 22, 2008 10:42 pm
- Location: millinocket,me.
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant 2310, gold marc box stove
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Gold Marc Independence
- Baseburners & Antiques: Home Sparkle 12
- Coal Size/Type: 'nut
- Other Heating: Fujitsu mini split, FHA oil furnace
How many pairs of boots do you have? What do you do if you lose power with a fan assist stove?...or if you need a new blower motor? Nothing wrong with having a back up, or 3!
edit: that darby is a handsome stove!
edit: that darby is a handsome stove!
- Hambden Bob
- Member
- Posts: 8546
- Joined: Mon. Jan. 04, 2010 10:54 am
- Location: Hambden Twp. Geauga County,Ohio
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman 1998 Magnum Stoker
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Blower Model Coal Chubby 1982-Serial#0097
- Coal Size/Type: Rice-A-Roni ! / Nut
- Other Heating: Pro-Pain Forced Air
Yeah ! Yeah ! You tell 'em,MA !! Coal Stovus Pack Rattus will be setting in upon this Poor Man !!
I happily used a Mark III for about 20 years before going the girly man route with my current stoker. I still have the Mark III in the corner of the basement ready for service in times of long power outages (since it doesn't have to have the blower). I got to use it last year for a few days! It's a nice heat monster!
The grates do well to clear ash but you may find the need to scrape along the firebrick on the sides and the back once a week or so to get rid of built up ash that the grates don't get rid of. I used a regular fireplace poker to do that effectively. I could see when the stove didn't run as hot at the normal air settings and know it was time to scrape.
I had a spare blower but never had one go bad. My Harman stoker has the same distribution fan. I swap them out and then clean the crud off the blades, oil it a little and have it on the shelf for the next cleaning cycle. I still use a blower in the rotation from the original Mark III bought in 1992.
The grates do well to clear ash but you may find the need to scrape along the firebrick on the sides and the back once a week or so to get rid of built up ash that the grates don't get rid of. I used a regular fireplace poker to do that effectively. I could see when the stove didn't run as hot at the normal air settings and know it was time to scrape.
I had a spare blower but never had one go bad. My Harman stoker has the same distribution fan. I swap them out and then clean the crud off the blades, oil it a little and have it on the shelf for the next cleaning cycle. I still use a blower in the rotation from the original Mark III bought in 1992.