# Jotul 600 Firelight Clean Burn Woodstove



## Patriot 7 (Mar 27, 2011)

Hi,

I just joined this forum. 

Does anyone heating a LARGE AREA with a Jotul 600 Firelight Clean Burn, running it NON-STOP 24 and 7 with HARDWOODS ONLY, know how long one face cord of wood will last? 

If so, at what temperature does your stove tend to run at and where do you keep the thermometer on your stove? 

Also, at what setting do you tend to keep the air control lever at? For example, 50 percent open, 75 percent open.

For the last twelve years I've heated 4,500 square feet with a Vermont Castings Dutchwest Extra Large Catalytic woodstove (no blower fan).

Before purchasing another stove I'm trying to get a feel for how much wood the Jotul 600 Firelight Clean Burn uses compared to what I use now.

Also, any comments on how well the stove works to cook on the top would sure be appreciated. For example, can it bring a 12 quart pot full of soup to a rolling boil?

Thanks a bunch!


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## Patriot 7 (Mar 27, 2011)

A facecord is one single stacked row which is 8 feet long and 4 feet high.


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## loadthestove (Mar 27, 2011)

TreeCo said:


> How much wood is that?



roughly 1/3 a cord.most firewood around here is sold that way.Also called a "rick"


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## Motorsen (Mar 28, 2011)

:msp_w00t: 
Nice finally to have that discusion set! 
:hmm3grin2orange:


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## logbutcher (Mar 28, 2011)

Patriot 7 said:


> Hi,
> I just joined this forum.
> Does anyone heating a LARGE AREA with a Jotul 600 Firelight Clean Burn, running it NON-STOP 24 and 7 with HARDWOODS ONLY, know how long one face cord of wood will last?
> If so, at what temperature does your stove tend to run at and where do you keep the thermometer on your stove?
> ...



Hey, some fathead is just busting chops about "face cord". It's fun since no one knows what it is ( read Real Cord BS here ).

Back to your original ? . If you really heated a 4500 ft² area with a cat stove, you'll find that a non-cat will not do the job. We have both kinds in two wood stoves to heat 100%, 24/7 with no central furnace or full house backup. Cat stoves, if run correctly and maintained, will burn longer for the same BTUs, give you more control of the burns, and burn less wood for the same heat. Period, from long experience with both types. Over the years heating a similar area, the cat stove ( VC Encore )uses close to 1/3 LESS wood than the non cat Oslo with less re-loading. (Note: don't even think of VC now ! :mad2: )

While I love our Jotul Oslo, it is a "mommie" stove: not too much air, not too little. All for emission and user control. 

Ignore any company's pitch on BTU output; it's an ideal. Look closely at firebox size, weight of the stove, customer ratings (hearthnet).

If you liked the performance form the Dutchwest cat, look into the Woodstock line of cat stoves out of New Hampshire. Great company, quality products, exceptional customer service backup.
(No, I don't have a Woodstock stove, or have $$$$ in the company.:msp_thumbsup

P.S. At a top temp of 450 F, a quart of water on our Oslo will boil in ~20 minutes. Be sure to get the blue-black enamel WITH a plain cast cook top IF you decide on the Jotul. Pretty stove.


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## Patriot 7 (Mar 29, 2011)

Enjoyed your input very much and found very interesting. 

Does your Jotul Olso have the Clean Burn system?


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## logbutcher (Apr 2, 2011)

Patriot 7 said:


> Enjoyed your input very much and found very interesting.
> 
> Does your Jotul Olso have the Clean Burn system?



Yes. 

All non cat EPA wood stoves are clean burn. The Jotul "Clean Burn" is marketing stuff. Every stove maker has their own green marketing.
Non cats use 'heating tubes' above the fire with insulating blankets or deflectors to re-burn the gases from the wood when the tubes are heated. Ergo, a clean burn as specified by the EPA in ideal conditions of a burn cycle. Ideal conditions only.

P.S. If and only if you're going to use face cords, to avoid chop busting from us cord nazis here, specify the log length. It will shut us up.:hmm3grin2orange:


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## Patriot 7 (Apr 2, 2011)

Burning close to 1/3 less wood with your VC Encore is a HUGE amount of wood in my book if your running it all the time. 

When you say don't even think of VC now why is that? 

My firebox is 2.9 cu. ft. and the unit weighs 635 pounds. I have mentioned to some dealers at stores the weight of my stove and thought it helped with BTU output but they don't seem to say one way or another. Maybe it's because they just want to sell me another stove. 

Anyway, the parts for my stove are getting very expensive but maybe it's the same for all of them.

Do you know much about the older Jotul 12 cat models. Were they any good?


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## Patriot 7 (Apr 2, 2011)

Do you know what the biggest Jotul cat stove model was?


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## logbutcher (Apr 3, 2011)

Patriot 7 said:


> Burning close to 1/3 less wood with your VC Encore is a HUGE amount of wood in my book if your running it all the time.
> 
> When you say don't even think of VC now why is that?
> 
> ...


 
Cat stoves give you more control over the air. They do take an extra step and care burning....minor for the added efficiency.

VC stoves have had serious quality problems. The cat stoves such as our Encore and the larger Defiant are complex works of engineering that demand a whole lot of part replacement and serious maintenance....and experience repairing them. The original VC stoves from Randolph, Vermont were works of excellent manufacturing and QC. The later buyouts of VC produced defective and/or plain bad stoves. Opinionated advice: look towards other makers: PE, Morso, Jotul, Woodstock, Blaze King, etc...

The early Jotul cat stove Fireview was a fine product...but old now. I'm not familiar with the 12 series models.

Go simple.


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## Jimbeau39 (Apr 4, 2011)

loadthestove said:


> roughly 1/3 a cord.most firewood around here is sold that way.Also called a "rick"


 
A "ricK"? Around here we call that a "rip".:msp_wink:


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## Wood Doctor (Apr 4, 2011)

*This Big?*



Patriot 7 said:


> Do you know what the biggest Jotul cat stove model was?


Probably not as big as the Federal Airtight 288 CCL that swallows a 25" log:
















Weighs over 550 lb, mostly cast iron, and can be installed atop free standing legs.


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## MarkofWisconsin (May 3, 2011)

*J*

I don't own the Jotul F-600CB, but my friend does. And man that thing cranks out the heat, and at 465 pounds I suppose it ought to. He has an old farm house with not very good insulation, but good windows. Here in southern Wisconsin, it can get down to -20 F. at night. Everybody that I've ever spoke with told me the non cat stoves are the way to go. It seems most manufactures have gotten away from the Cat Wood Stove. Jotul has been around for a very long time, and it should last you a long time. I have a 118CB Blackbear, and it has worked great for me. :msp_smile:


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## Patriot 7 (May 15, 2011)

MarkofWisconsin said:


> I don't own the Jotul F-600CB, but my friend does. And man that thing cranks out the heat, and at 465 pounds I suppose it ought to. He has an old farm house with not very good insulation, but good windows. Here in southern Wisconsin, it can get down to -20 F. at night. Everybody that I've ever spoke with told me the non cat stoves are the way to go. It seems most manufactures have gotten away from the Cat Wood Stove. Jotul has been around for a very long time, and it should last you a long time. I have a 118CB Blackbear, and it has worked great for me. :msp_smile:


 
Does your friend run his 24/7 and if so how much wood did he go through this last winter? 

I had another guy tell me that my present catalyst stove would burn 1/3 less wood. I went through 12 face cords this winter. I couldn't imagine using double that amount, let alone triple!


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## TonyK (May 15, 2011)

I own a Jotul F600CB. We burned 4.5 cords this winter going 24/7. It is running right now and if the rain doesn't stop it might be going in August as well.


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## Patriot 7 (May 15, 2011)

TonyK said:


> I own a Jotul F600CB. We burned 4.5 cords this winter going 24/7. It is running right now and if the rain doesn't stop it might be going in August as well.


 
Hi, I really appreciate your responding. Ok. I am VERY intrigued with your answer but can you clarify some things for me?

You said you burned 4.5 cords this winter. What do you consider the length, width and height of 1 cord of wood to be?

How many TOTAL days would you say you ran your stove this winter running it 24/7 in which you used 4.5 cords of wood?

How hot do you run your stove? Do you tend to run it quarter full, half full or full with wood and how much do you leave the front air inlet open (50% open, 75% open, 100% open; you get the idea?)

How many square feet are you trying to heat?

What state are you in?

Thanks!


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## TonyK (May 15, 2011)

PM sent.


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## hellrazor (Oct 18, 2011)

TonyK said:


> PM sent.


 
TonyK, can you send the same PM? I'm interested in the same information....trying to determine how much wood I really need. 

Thank You!


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## Highbeam (Oct 18, 2011)

You would be unhappy trying to heat 4500 SF with anything from woodstock. They make small stoves for small areas. If you are concerned with burning 24/7 and concerned with wood consumption then you will be most happy with another cat stove. With that much area to heat you will be looking for the biggest possible cat stove. Look no further than the BK King at 4.3 cubic feet of thermostatic controlled heat. 

VC is not a reputable company, avoid them. Face cords are not a valid measurement of volume. A cord will always be 128 cubic feet.


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## EXCALIBER (Oct 18, 2011)

Highbeam said:


> You would be unhappy trying to heat 4500 SF with anything from woodstock. They make small stoves for small areas. If you are concerned with burning 24/7 and concerned with wood consumption then you will be most happy with another cat stove. With that much area to heat you will be looking for the biggest possible cat stove. Look no further than the BK King at 4.3 cubic feet of thermostatic controlled heat.
> 
> VC is not a reputable company, avoid them. Face cords are not a valid measurement of volume. A cord will always be 128 cubic feet.


 
I would have to agree with Highbeam the Blaze king would be the way to go. It is a huge stove that is capable of putting out massive amounts of heat on those super cold days, but on an average day you get extremely long burn times like 40 hrs on low setting. Cat's do need replaced and do require some maintenance like cleaning every year or so, or brushing the dust off the front of the cat with a soft brush like whats on a vacuum. The cat on a Blaze King is warrantied for 6 years and generally last 6-10 years depending on conditions and last I checked replacement cost was around $150. You will easily save that in the amount of wood you will not have to buy or cut to feed it. Blaze King uses a bi-metal thermostat on the stove to control the amount of air the firebox receives and it is constantly adjusting itself, where a regular stove you have to adjust it to keep the fire where you want it. It will accept up to 90 lbs of oak at a length of 23 inches. I did a lot of research and looked at many different stoves but the bottom line was there is not a stove made to my knowledge that will compete with the Blaze King for efficiency and burn times. I also really likes the idea that even my 10 year old could adjust the stove by simply turning up the thermostat dial, without worrying about over firing the stove or having it burn inefficiently. This also greatly helps if you have any woman folk who are stove challenged. My gf really likes the fact that she does not have to know more than how to throw wood in, watch the cat temp gauge, throw a lever and turn the thermostat dial to where she wants. 

I would definitely check them out before I bought a new stove. There was also a thread I started not to long ago about buying a stove and It might be worth a look. http://www.arboristsite.com/firewoo...uipment/182254.htm?highlight=buy+better+stove
[video=youtube;jBSNWKI-d-A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBSNWKI-d-A[/video]


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## hellrazor (Oct 18, 2011)

Thanks for the responses. I recently purchased a house that has the subject wood stove, hence my questions. Appreciate any help in advance. 

Thanks.


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## Wood Doctor (Oct 19, 2011)

*It Burns Cottonwood*

Looks like the Blaze King will also burn eastern cottonwood. That's good to know for anyone living in Nebraska, including OP and me. Remember that in BTU/*lb*, cottonwood is not much different from oak--nor is about any other wood species.


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## HARRY BARKER (Oct 19, 2011)

Highbeam said:


> VC is not a reputable company, avoid them. Face cords are not a valid measurement of volume. A cord will always be 128 cubic feet.


exactly.


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## Wood Doctor (Oct 20, 2011)

HARRY BARKER said:


> exactly.


I tried to explain that to a man today. I told him that the average pickup truck cannot hold a cord of firewood. He said he had a pickup with an 8' box. I said, "How do you pack the load 4' high and drive away with 3,500 lb on board?"

He thought a moment and said, "Racks, I guess."

However, forum, I have no idea what this has to do with a Jotul 600. Sorry for the hijack. My apologies to OP.


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