Van Wert Boilers

ASea · Post by **ASea** » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 10:42 am

I've been doing a little research lately and I'm surprised I don't read more in the Stoker Boiler section about Van Wert Boilers. They seem like really well made units,I'm impressed by what information I've been able to read. Are they just not as big a manufacturer as EFM etc?

lsayre · Post by **lsayre** » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 10:52 am

ASea wrote: ↑
Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 10:42 am
I've been doing a little research lately and I'm surprised I don't read more in the Stoker Boiler section about Van Wert Boilers. They seem like really well made units,I'm impressed by what information I've been able to read. Are they just not as big a manufacturer as EFM etc?

They are no longer in business. There is however a guy who appears to have bought the rights, and is making brand new exact clones, but they are mucho expensive. Someone will have a link to this guy.

The underfed with auger stoker boiler that most interests me right now is the brand new one from 'DS Machine'. I believe DS carefully listened to the input of highly respected forum member Scottscoaled while designing and testing it. Supposedly it blends the best features of EFM and Van Wert, plus has some nice nuances of its own, at a decent price.

ASea · Post by **ASea** » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 11:11 am

lsayre wrote: ↑
Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 10:52 am
They are no longer in business. There is however a guy who appears to have bought the rights, and is making brand new exact clones, but they are mucho expensive. Someone will have a link to this guy.

I didn't realize they had gone out. Either way, it seems like parts are still available? Maybe I'll pick up a few common wear items while they are back in business.

New units are out of my reach. If I was to go new the Leisure Line WL-110 interests me. If I was to go away I could swap over to oil pretty easily. Too bad they could qualify for some of the EPA zero interest loans.

I'm looking at a used Van Wert right now. Seems like a great unit.

Pacowy · Post by **Pacowy** » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 12:46 pm

No offense to Scottscoaled, but I think it was scrapper who was involved with the DS unit.

Mike

Post by **Rob R.** » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 1:16 pm

ASea wrote: ↑
Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 10:42 am
I've been doing a little research lately and I'm surprised I don't read more in the Stoker Boiler section about Van Wert Boilers. They seem like really well made units,I'm impressed by what information I've been able to read. Are they just not as big a manufacturer as EFM etc?

Van Wert made excellent equipment, and there are many of them still in use. You can buy parts, refurbished units, and new units from Arnie at A&B Van Wert: http://www.vanwertboilers.com

ASea wrote: ↑
Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 11:11 am
If I was to go new the Leisure Line WL-110 interests me. If I was to go away I could swap over to oil pretty easily.

Van Wert made Dual Fuel boilers also, but they are less common to find used. Something to keep in mind, the smallest Van Wert boiler is probably double the capacity of the LL110. That may or may not matter depending on your needs, but you should be aware that the two are not rated the same way.

I'm looking at a used Van Wert right now. Seems like a great unit.

What model is it?

lsayre · Post by **lsayre** » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 1:58 pm

Pacowy wrote: ↑
Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 12:46 pm
No offense to Scottscoaled, but I think it was scrapper who was involved with the DS unit.

Mike

Oops, sorry about that!

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 5:31 pm

lsayre wrote: ↑
Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 10:52 am
They are no longer in business. There is however a guy who appears to have bought the rights, and is making brand new exact clones, but they are mucho expensive. Someone will have a link to this guy.

The underfed with auger stoker boiler that most interests me right now is the brand new one from 'DS Machine'. I believe DS carefully listened to the input of highly respected forum member Scottscoaled while designing and testing it. Supposedly it blends the best features of EFM and Van Wert, plus has some nice nuances of its own, at a decent price.

respected member *scrapper23jr*

The owner of AB Van Wert is Arnie Huntley. Home Phone 1- 315-653-7883
Cell Phone 1 -315-440-0851

Post by **Rob R.** » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 6:54 pm

Arnie may not get a lot of press on here, but he has quite the resume when it comes to coal boilers and installations. He has installed some very large units in commercial applications, ash removal systems, etc.

Post by **StokerDon** » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 7:08 pm

This question seem to come up every year or so. "Why did the other coal stoker boiler manufacturers go out of business?" To understand the answer, you have to take a little trip back in Anthracite Coal County History.

Virtually all of the coal stoker boiler manufactures were located in the southern and northern PA anthracite fields. In the 1940's and into the 1950's, business was good and companies like BairMatic, Yellow Flame, Keystoker, EFM, Axeman Anderson and Van Wert went to work designing and building these machines.

EFM was one of the biggest in the business. Later on in the 1950's, oil heat became very inexpensive. Oil heat was also less work than coal heat. At that time companies like Axeman Anderson and EFM started making boilers that burned fuel other than coal.

The companies that stuck to building coal only boilers struggled on into the 70's and 80's until going under. The important thing to remember is that, they didn't go out of business because of anything wrong with their designs, they went out of business because there was little to no demand for their products.

In the late 1960's even EFM paired down to just one coal stoker boiler because demand was so low. Van Wert struggled on into the late 80's and went under. A few years back, Arnie Huntley bough the rights and patterns to the Van Wert line and he is producing them in upstate New York.

-Don

Scottscoaled · Post by **Scottscoaled** » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 7:12 pm

Hahaha! That's pretty good. I have never been called highly respected. Nope. But it is true that it was the highly respected member *scrapper23jr* that DS machines came to consult with. Great design.

Post by **CoalJockey** » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 7:33 pm

StokerDon wrote: ↑
Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 7:08 pm
This question seem to come up every year or so. "Why did the other coal stoker boiler manufacturers go out of business?" To understand the answer, you have to take a little trip back in Anthracite Coal County History.

Virtually all of the coal stoker boiler manufactures were located in the southern and northern PA anthracite fields. In the 1940's and into the 1950's, business was good and companies like BairMatic, Yellow Flame, Keystoker, EFM, Axeman Anderson and Van Wert went to work designing and building these machines.

EFM was one of the biggest in the business. Later on in the 1950's, oil heat became very inexpensive. Oil heat was also less work than coal heat. At that time companies like Axeman Anderson and EFM started making boilers that burned fuel other than coal.

The companies that stuck to building coal only boilers struggled on into the 70's and 80's until going under. The important thing to remember is that, they didn't go out of business because of anything wrong with their designs, they went out of business because there was little to no demand for their products.

In the late 1960's even EFM paired down to just one coal stoker boiler because demand was so low. Van Wert struggled on into the late 80's and went under. A few years back, Arnie Huntley bough the rights and patterns to the Van Wert line and he is producing them in upstate New York.

-Don

Only one edit Don -

EFM built the larger stokers much later than the 1960s. My EFM 900 is a 1991 square door.

Clarification purposes only.

Post by **StokerDon** » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 7:38 pm

Thanks for the clarification C.J.!

Wow, a 1991 EFM 900? I thought the 700 and 900 went extincted in the 60's.

I don't claim to know everything and I don't claim to remember everything I know.

-Don

Post by **CoalJockey** » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 7:42 pm

That makes two of us in that boat bud.

I know a little something about everything...but everything about nothing!

Pacowy · Post by **Pacowy** » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 11:47 pm

By way of further clarification, I believe stoker-man's list of serial numbers shows that the last S-30 (700 series) and S-45 (1300 series) stokers were produced in 1970, and the last S-35 (900 series) stokers were produced in 1989. So CJ is correct, but Don was close.

Mike

Post by **StokerDon** » Wed. Dec. 12, 2018 6:02 pm

Pacowy wrote: ↑
Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 11:47 pm
By way of further clarification, I believe stoker-man's list of serial numbers shows that the last S-30 (700 series) and S-45 (1300 series) stokers were produced in 1970, and the last S-35 (900 series) stokers were produced in 1989. So CJ is correct, but Don was close.

Mike

Thanks for bring that up Mike. Stoker-man did a really nice job of posting the history of EFM on this forum.

Here is a link to all of that info;
Popular Coal Boiler Topics
You will also find the solution to just about every problem you could ever have with your EFM in there.

This one covers how to figure out when you EFM was made by serial number.
Post by stoker-man - Dating S-15, S-20, S-22, S-30, S-35, S-45 Stokers
-Don