Wood Burning Stoves

A forum for DIY, cars, pets and all things related to home life
Post Reply
Leicaman
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2016 6:26 pm
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 25 times

Re: Wood Burning Stoves

Post by Leicaman »

Damn, that looks like good stuff to be dropped off on your doorstep. I cycled over to my usual maki pickup yesterday. They had loads of wood there but it wasn’t in the best condition. I might wait for something better. Also, squeezing it in the back of my car is a hassle. I need to find somewhere nearer that wants to get rid of their scraps. You are lucky ;)

User avatar
Zasso Nouka
Tech Support
Tech Support
Posts: 5705
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 9:37 am
Location: Chiba Prefecture
Has thanked: 4120 times
Been thanked: 3394 times

Re: Wood Burning Stoves

Post by Zasso Nouka »

We are lucky to have a few lumber yards within a few minutes drive and for them we are handy to get rid of all the wood they can't use. This year I want to try using the off cuts from where they 'square' round tree trunks into squarish lengths for further processing. It's not the thickest wood (around 5 - 8cm) but if you stack it or layer it up inside your wood stove it burns for quite a while and it's really easy to process, all you need is a circular saw to cut it to length.

If you have any lumber yards with houses nearby they aren't allowed to burn off the waste wood so would probably jump at the chance to have someone that would take it off their hands.

korekaranoka

Re: Wood Burning Stoves

Post by korekaranoka »

Hi guys (and girls?)!

Just wondering, as I’ve seen no mention of them in your posts, has anyone come across a karamatsu stove? They’re quite popular here in Nagano and made not far from where I live (Komoro or Tōmi, I think). Still renting a flat at the moment while I get the farm up and running so I won’t be buying quite yet, but I’ve been doing some research for when we finally make the move further up into the hills.

User avatar
Zasso Nouka
Tech Support
Tech Support
Posts: 5705
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 9:37 am
Location: Chiba Prefecture
Has thanked: 4120 times
Been thanked: 3394 times

Re: Wood Burning Stoves

Post by Zasso Nouka »

I haven't seen one burning so this is more speculation than anything else but after browsing through their website (カラマツストーブ) here is what I would want to know before buying one.

Is it single wall iron/steel, double or triple wall ? Does it perform primary, secondary, tertiary or even quaternary (is that even a word ?) combustion ? Primary combustion is all good and well but for maximum efficiency and to burn off as much tar/creosote as possible you'd want a stove to at least perform secondary combustion and tertiary or quaternary combustion would be a nice bonus. Primary combustion on it's down doesn't wring every last BTU out of the wood you are burning, part of the reason for having a double or triple walled design is preheated air can be delivered to the inside of the stove and burn off much of the volatile gasses that don't get burned in primary combustion. That gets extra heat and keeps your chimney cleaner. Have a read of this Nestor Martin Woodbox Technology to get some idea of how that works. Other stove manufacturers obviously have a slightly different take on it but it's basically the same idea.

Is the glass single or double glazed ? Double glazed doors are much easier to keep clean as the higher temperature of the internal surface means soot & creosote is mostly burned off. Single glazed doors are a bit harder to keep clean, not impossible but they do require somewhat more regular cleaning. If you aren't bothered about watching the flames then a small glass panel would be fine but if you want to spend time staring at the flames then a large glass door is ideal.

Ideally you want the ash pan to be under the stove so that you can empty it while the stove is still burning and not have to wait for the fire to go out to clean it. That way it can be kept continuously burning for several days if the weather requires it, my shed stove has to completely cool down before you can clean out the ash but both our house and cafe stoves can be emptied whilst in operation.

We burn mostly sugi and hinoki in our stove because that's what we have around and we save hardwood for the overnight part of the burn so it's still going in the morning. Because of the stove's secondary combustion facility it's not a major problem keeping the chimney clean and most modern stoves will act in a similar way when burning softwood.

Can the stove do an overnight burn ? Having that facility where you can tamp the burn down low enough so that it is still going in the morning is a major bonus and this can also be useful if you are out working all day and want to come home to a warm house. Load it up just before you go out and it should still be burning when you get home.

I always recommend that folk buy the largest stove they can, you don't need to pack it full and have it blazing away all the time but it does come in handy when leaving it burning for a long time or when you come home to a cold house and want to heat it up quickly.

I'd also want to know how many BTU's or Kw's a stove can output before making a purchase so that it could be compared to other stoves.

Is a lack of any of those features a total deal breaker ? No probably not but they do all enhance the user experience and contribute to an easy to use and maintain stove.

Wendy
Posts: 60
Joined: Sun Jun 18, 2017 11:45 am
Has thanked: 162 times
Been thanked: 120 times

Re: Wood Burning Stoves

Post by Wendy »

Am in the US now with the possibility of picking up a hearthstone fired-once floor model for $2100 usd (list price 2900), and can ship it as part of a personal goods shipment. I'm thinking that the "used goods" aspect of this will make paying import fees easier to handle, right? Also would love to know if anyone has an import broker in Tokyo they'd recommend. The shipper I am working with is also looking for contacts.

I like the hearthstone for the maintenance of heat after the fire is out. And it is quite handsome. There is also a dealer in a nearby town, but the list price is much more (I can't remember, but I thought it was prohibitive). I'd love any advice about this stove and about the importing part of the process.

https://www.hearthstonestoves.com/en/

Last winter was very cold in our little house....at one point in the warmest room (kerosene heater), there was an icicle formed from the window condensation INSIDE the house.

User avatar
Zasso Nouka
Tech Support
Tech Support
Posts: 5705
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 9:37 am
Location: Chiba Prefecture
Has thanked: 4120 times
Been thanked: 3394 times

Re: Wood Burning Stoves

Post by Zasso Nouka »

Can't help you with a broker I'm afraid as we do importing ourselves as the process is fairly straightforward providing your seller and shipping company provides all the correct documentation, I think what you need is listed earlier on in the thread. The shipping company will let you know when your consignment is expected so you can arrange onward transport and then they will contact you again once it has been unloaded. You then head down to the port and complete the paperwork at the customs office and pay any duties before having your shipment inspected and are then free to take it home.

The first time we ever imported anything we used an agent who also transported the goods to our farm and he charged an absolutely astronomical amount for so little work. The staff in the customs office told us then we were better off doing it ourselves as they thought most of the agents were rip off artists, the customs staff in Yokohama are extremely helpful and will assist in form filling and the inspection team were quite funny as well.

I'm guessing the stove is going to be sent assembled so you will need to give some thought to how you are going to unload it when it arrives at your house. As for the stove, not sure which model you are getting but they look to be good stoves with primary and secondary combustion, I'd suggest going with the largest capacity you can so that it can be loaded up and left to burn overnight or through the day while you are at work so that the room is warm when you come home or wake up.

Make sure your firewood is fully dried before using. I'm guessing you will be ordering the chimney to match the stove at the same time.You'll probably want at least 1 metre of single walled chimney to recover some of the heat going up it and the rest on double wall. Also get a set of chimney brushes to match the size of the chimney and any fireplace tools recommended by the shop as they are very expensive here. You might as well get a couple of tubs of Rutland creosote remover (or equivalent) while you're at a dealer as it's cheaper in the US and won't add significantly to your shipping costs, a good set of fireplace gloves are worth getting as well. You really don't want to be loading a hot wood burner with bare hands. A log carryall is another thing worth buying while you are at a dealer, saves having to bring the logs inside in arm fulls and maybe some sort of log rack for inside next to your stove or you could make one here. Also give some thought to how you are going to split your wood, axe or log splitter, both are probably cheaper in the US. Buying ready split logs can work out quite expensive but if you can take waste wood from a local lumber company during the summer that is pretty much free. If you are buying a chainsaw make sure it hasn't had any fuel in the tank ever or at least make sure it is not detectable as many airlines won't allow that onto a flight for safety reasons, not sure how that affects travelling on a ship though.

Wendy
Posts: 60
Joined: Sun Jun 18, 2017 11:45 am
Has thanked: 162 times
Been thanked: 120 times

Re: Wood Burning Stoves

Post by Wendy »

Thanks for all that good information, especially about the related purchases I should make here. Turns out the stove I'm looking at is double the cost in Japan, and the one here is a discounted floor model so I think we're going to go for it. Great to know too about the ease of navigating imports in Yokohama.

Any particular brands of chainsaw I should look at here?

User avatar
Zasso Nouka
Tech Support
Tech Support
Posts: 5705
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 9:37 am
Location: Chiba Prefecture
Has thanked: 4120 times
Been thanked: 3394 times

Re: Wood Burning Stoves

Post by Zasso Nouka »

Stoves have eye watering prices here, maybe in part because shops don't sell many or perhaps because they are perceived as a luxury item so buying abroad and then shipping over definitely makes sense.

As for chainsaws both Husqvarna and Stihl are good makes and you can spare parts here in Japan, Mrs Nouka and I both have Stihls but Husqvarna are also good. I'd base my choice on which dealer you have close by at home so spare parts aren't a problem. While you are buying the chainsaw it's probably worth getting a couple of spare bars, chains, air filters, oil filters and sprockets as they are all cheaper abroad. Same goes for safety equipment and I'd also recommend getting some sharpening files or electric sharpeners, Stihl have recently released a really neat sharpener that isn't currently available in Japan if you do go for a Stihl chainsaw, it's called the 2 in 1 filling guide. For cutting up firewood and felling small trees you really don't need anything larger than a 40cm bar, larger bar means heavier engine and more tiring to use.

Here's a playlist of chainsaw safety videos

Chuck

Wood Burning Stoves

Post by Chuck »

Hi everyone, Newbie Chuck here.
I am Canadian living in a kominka in the highlands of Hiroshima prefecture. It's been about 8 years of cold winters and finally have decided my dream of getting a wood burning stove has to come true. Got a quote from a professional installer the other day and it was jaw dropping high. I noticed that some have imported their stoves on this forum. Might have to take that route. But before that will have to decide on the stove. If anyone can help me decide on a stove, it would be greatly appreciated.

So I am still in the process of deciding on which stove.

Here is a list of stoves I like:
1. Heta Logi
2.nectre big bakers oven
3.Agni C
4.Nestor Martin s43
5. Vermont castings intrepid or encore


I really like the Heta Logi+oven+ soapstone. Leica man, you have the Heta Inspire 45, how are you liking it?

I noticed that Ian from this forum has the Nectre Big bakers oven. This stove I also really like. Ian, can you comment on how you are likely this stove? And if possible the pros and cons of having it?

Zasso Nouka, you still liking your Nestor Martin s33? The dealer I visited said Nestor Martin is one is top line stoves. What's your opinion? Really like the videos of the flames you have posted. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Chuck

User avatar
Zasso Nouka
Tech Support
Tech Support
Posts: 5705
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 9:37 am
Location: Chiba Prefecture
Has thanked: 4120 times
Been thanked: 3394 times

Wood Burning Stoves

Post by Zasso Nouka »

Hi Chuck and welcome to Japan Simple Life, we really do appreciate you joining up.

Most of the stoves in your list seem pretty good, although personally I'd steer clear of any that require a catalytic element like some Dutch West/Vermont Castings stove have as that will require replacing at some point in the future and if they stop making them it could render your stove useless. The non catalytic models they make are fine. Go for as large a stove as you can, you don't need to run it at max output but a large firebox can be really handy for overnight burns or just filling it up less often.

I'm pretty happy with our Nestor Martin, it burns really nicely and cleanly and puts out a good amount of heat. We had to replace the zeolite plate at the top of the stove the other year and that would have been expensive buying it here but for the same price we bought 3 in the UK and had them shipped over.

Got to nip out to the shops so will continue later .........................................................

Post Reply