No, I've had my Pacific Energy for 8 seasons and it doesn't normally go above 650 and that's only when it's very cold out and I've got a hot burn of locust going or a lot of small wood with air gaps, other than that it reads 450-550. Placement of the temp gauge has a lot to do with it as does the design of the stove.
We are pleased with ours, it has the PE medium size firebox which is a little more work than I'd like when it gets below 10, but anything bigger would be to big in the shoulder. It seems to be perfect for our current situation, and once I get more insulation in the house it will be even better

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