Coalpail.com Forum

Absolutely, this is the only forum I have ever been able to actually figure out how to navigate and well actually have gotten fast replies and good information. I may end up taking that Franco Belge if the guy will hold it for me until I'm ready to have it shipped being he is in the next town over. Do you know of any shippers for heavy items? I figure it will be about 275.00 to ship from Long Island to South Carolina. Roughly do you know what it would cost to have a stove installed with Chimney out the roof? I'm guessing about $500.00usd.?
That Reading Pine Model is awfully nice as well. Kind of sad I had my heart set on this Chubby Stove but now after asking questions I'm leaning toward the used Franco or the new Reading. By the way I may also become a distributor of Anthrocite Coal in South Carolina oddly nobody sells it in the State - 1 place in Georgia and 2 places in North Carolina - It will be a pretty big investment but at the end of the day I will have coal for the next 12 years LOL - it does not go bad does it? I can't believe Coal is

The coal won't go bad, but the bags it comes in may deteriorate over time. Some brands are worse than others.

Have you heard of a "Vintage Comfort Heater" it is for Sale for 500 on Long Island Craigslist - this is a photo. http://images.craigslist.org/01616_dwmFV3h7cnZ_600x450.jpg

spiritartman wrote:Have you heard of a "Vintage Comfort Heater" it is for Sale for 500 on Long Island Craigslist - this is a photo. http://images.craigslist.org/01616_dwmFV3h7cnZ_600x450.jpg

Some of those comfort heaters were made in Japan or China or somewhere. It would be stamped on the inside of the door I believe.

ouch - thanks for the heads up! I see so many made in Tennessee or Atlanta that are vintage but how does one know if they tight.

franco b wrote:The Chubby is much easier to move, Just put on hand truck and wheel it away. The grate on the Chubby needs a lot of shaking plus some poking from below. Air intake is manual. Tending time at least 15 minutes. Ash pan small and messy. Barometric damper recommended. Burns wood better than Franco but not like modern wood stove.

The longest I have ever spent tending my Chubby was 6 mins. That included shaking, some pokes and taking the ash outside. Average time is 4 mins. In 15 mins I could dump the enitre firepot and have the stove relit.

Do you think the Reading "Pine" is as well built as the Chubby - also do you know if it is more efficient being they are both very close in Price - the Pine is 500lbs. Thank You

spiritaman, wouldn't it make more sense to look for a stove closer to the cabin? Might not be much of a selection, though. Or look for one to pick up along the way?

Coal burners and dealers thin out below the Mason-Dixon line. No shortage of wood in the Carolinas though. I would research the demand for coal in SC. I've spent some winters in coastal SC, and it's typically mild with short cold snaps. I'd think air conditioners get more use than heating systems.

The Upstate area of SC is COLD - almost single digits this week and 20's to high 30's during the day to me that is still cold enough to
warrant a coal stove or do you disagree? Unless you know of a wood stove that burns for 10 hrs? thanks

I'm not a good source of advice, not knowing your circumstances. Certainly you need a heat source. I'd consider the 3 C's: Climate, Convenience, & Cost. And by climate, I mean average degree days and length of typical heating season. Coal makes more sense in colder climates. But the biggest red flag for me would be availability and cost of fuel. I wouldn't "jump in" to becoming a dealer just to straddle that hurdle. Best wishes, whatever you decide.

spiritartman wrote:Hi there it's now 2015 - I am looking at a used Franco Belge coal stove model 10 1475 I was wondering if anyone had an opinion of this stove. Thanks.

I have a 10.375. I vent to an outside wall chimney from the basement. It gets fussy at start up, but once the draft is established there is no issue.

Burn times seem to be the biggest issue with the FB stoves. I can set mine at low (1-2 on my thermo, ~20lbs/day) and go 10-12 hrs without issue, but at higher settings (4-6, ~40-50 lbs/day) I slice/shake every 6-8 hours.

Shaking is nice and easy. My wife does it once during the day while I am at work and she does not complain. I rigged my saws-all up to the shakers after I hurt my neck.

Hopper holds about 25 lbs. Burns Pea.

While we are talking about FB, does anyone have thoughts on adding some kind of fan to help pull heat from the stove? Mine is in the basement with lots of clearance in all directions.

I posted this in another fraco thread, but wanted to follow up on my burn time issue.

I have the same franco Belge stove. Been burning it for 3 years now.

Biggest issue is the small fire area (I think I saw this mentioned in this thread already). I made some 'adjustments' to my stove to allow for a larger burn area/longer burn time.

1: I flipped bottom feeder tray backwards. This allow about 2x more coal to feed down. It is a PITA to move that tray, so be warned.
2: added some steal to the front of the fire area to all more coal to sit in front of the door.

stove can now burn 12 hours between stokes. Likely is at max heat tolerance though (top plate runs ~400-500F ). Heating a 1500 sq ft house with just this little stove.