I am so happy!

[dhaley]

We have been looking for a good wood burning stove that is affordable for us and haven't had any luck until yesterday. We went to a hardware store and the owner got out his book and showed us what we could order.
We ordered a cast iron pot-bellied stove and all it is gonna cost is $155.00! He is letting us have it for his cost!

[stanb999]

Originally Posted by dhaley

We have been looking for a good wood burning stove that is affordable for us and haven't had any luck until yesterday. We went to a hardware store and the owner got out his book and showed us what we could order.
We ordered a cast iron pot-bellied stove and all it is gonna cost is $155.00! He is letting us have it for his cost!

If that's the Vogelzang 200,000 BTU Cast Iron Pot Belly Stove you won't burn wood effectively. It is however a fine coal stove.

They are commonly sold at hardware stores and discount home centers.
Also, they don't have a UL rating for wood only coal so the insurance co. might have an issue also.

[Cabin Fever]

Remember that your basic cast iron pot belly stove has a three-foot setback from combustibles. Most of these stoves are not Underwriters Lab approved and therefore most insurance companies will not insure a home with an non-UL seal of approval stove installed in it.

[Beeman]

Is it a US stove from Pittsburg,TN ? Chances are it's not airtight and won't be efficient but it will give heat if you can keep feeding it. most of the new ones aren't listed as being for coal but I believe it's more for EPA than anything.

[HermitJohn]

Cheap non-airtight stoves arent greatest method of heating since they require constant babysitting to keep even temperature. Whatever you do dont fill any non-airtight stove chuck full of wood and light it. You wont be able to controll the burn and it will get too hot. Need to start small fire and then add wood small piece by small piece over time. (well seasoned wood only) It can be done, I have friend in KS that has used a cheap non-airtight box stove as her only heat source for over couple decades now. She is fine with the extra work (has managing that stove down to an art) and has a good tall chimney so good draw.

Oh and make sure to install a damper in the stove pipe somewhere six inches to a foot above where pipe fits into the stove. This will save you lot heat and give you some control over your burn. Damper is cheap. I've bought them as cheap as dollar and seen them as high as $5. Any hardware or building center will stock them. TSC also during winter season.

[dhaley]

Thank you all for your input. I can't remember the specs on the stove but it is supposed to be in monday and if the weather holds up we will go get it. I will let you know what kind it is then.

Growing up my dad always used the kind made from barrels, and I know they put out the heat but would have to buy a new one every year.

[MELOC]

i am more of a fan for the old style cast iron stoves than many here seem to be. i have a 25+ year old cast iron stove in my kitchen. it resembles the stove that was mentioned recently on this site as being sold at lowe's for $78. it is not air tight, but it turns out to be one of the more efficient stove i have as it burns wood more efficiently in terms of the smoke generated. the smoke from that stove is always cleaner than my other two stoves. the pipe used to attach it to the chimney gives a lot of heat as well. i can restrict the air flow to control the burn by placing two nickels over the slider slot that usually allows air to be fed even when the draft is closed. doing so can allow the stove to hold coals for at least six hours and slows the burn enough so the stove doesn't "overheat" the room. the cast iron wears better than boiler plate and has never cracked. it also doubles as a great source of cooking heat in an emergency.

my dad bought the stove in the late 1970's or early 1980's. he liked it so much that he bought an extra and bought one for my uncle's house. another uncle liked it so much that he bought one as well. a few years latter, my family bought two more special editions with eagles cast in the sides, one of which was put in my grandfather's house. it has a reputation in my family for being "worth it's weight in gold". that may be a stretch, but the heating benefits are truly golden.

[shepherdess1]

I'll put in my 2 cents worth too! I have a voglezang stove and we've had I for 5 years. You do have to babysit it more, but it heats our house just fine. We have a two story house so there is a tall chimney. We also have a couple of vents so the heat goes upstairs too. We are in Minnesota and right now it's 10 below, but the old woodstove is cookin' away and it's nice and warm!

[Cornhusker]

Growing up, we had a "Warm Morning" pot belly stove in the kitchen.

[Gladey]

We have a warm morning type stove in our living room and it actually works a little too well, heats up our little house very quickly.