Customer Reviews

Rutland Inc Stove Thermometer 701

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Let me caveat this review by saying I love Rutland products. They're affordable, high quality, durable, easy to use, and available. My favorite Rutland product is their wood stove glass cleaner. My second favorite product is the thermometer. We bought our first Rutland stovetop thermometer about six years ago when we installed our wood stove and it's gone through its paces. We have to have a stovetop thermometer since we have a double-walled chimney. For those of you who have double-walled chimneys make sure you get a stovetop thermometer. There's not a thermometer made right now that goes into a double-wall pipe.

It's important to me to know if the wood stove is burning efficiently and that's why I use a thermometer. My husband thinks the more wood, the better. He's been banned from the stove - the overfire section on the thermometer is there for a reason. The poor little thermometer needed to retire and go to the take-apart-all-gizmos pile. I don't know what happened to it (probably the last overfire which caused hubby to be banned); but, I'd have to tap it to make the needle move. (Note - don't tap a hot thermometer with your finger.) It was obviously time for a new thermometer. They're not meant to last forever. Let me clarify the thermometers are not meant to last forever. I'm keeping hubby.

I have a bad habit on Amazon. I like free shipping. Rutland + Free Shipping and there was my favorite thermometer. The picture on the Amazon website looked just like the one I now have - red on black. Imagine my surprise when I received the package today and the new thermometer didn't look like the old one. Physically they are the same size. They both have the Rutland name. The zones are the same. The numbers on the new one are bigger. The color scheme is different.

I called Rutland (did I mention I was a fan of Rutland products so I know them pretty well) and told them about the new thermometer being a different color than the old one. The old one is red on black. The new one is yellow (creosote) and orange (burn zone) and red (overfire) on black. It's a completely different color scheme. I told the Happy Rutland Lady - aka HRL - (they are always friendly and happy) that I was concerned about the thermometer I just received being a knock-off. The HRL laughed and said I got the newer version of the thermometer. They just haven't replaced the old picture with the new one. And, no, this wasn't a knock-off - it was the real deal.

The new thermometer is on the wood stove and happily enjoying its new place in the family. I must admit the new color scheme is a bit easier to see from a distance. Maybe change IS good.

2/4/12 ETA: I've been monitoring the temperature of the stove (inside and stove top) with a laser thermometer and comparing those temperatures to the Rutland thermometers. I've been raised on the "Trust but Verify" rule. The Rutlands (we have two) were low about 100 degrees. So my husband (Rutland folks, cover your eyes) adjusted the needle on the thermometers to be more in line with the laser thermometer. It only took a little tweaking. I think the springs were just too tight on the new thermometers. Now I absolutely trust the information I get from the Rutlands.

This item temp was low by at least 200F degrees. Was missing the wire that the package said came with product to help hold it in place. Don't try to save money when buying a product like this.

Have had one of these for about 6 months now, and it works fine. I recenly bought a Condar Medallion thermometer so I could monitor temp on the stove top as well as the pipe. I put both of these thermometers in the oven at 400 degrees for half an hour, and they read almost identical. The Rutland is easier to read than the Condar Medallion, and a little larger.

So far no problems with this thermometer. Highly recommend one for appropriate stove use.

I purchased this product to help me monitor my wood stoves heat output from my wood stove. The unit is nice looking nicely marked with Celsius/Fahrenheit and ranges for creosote formation and recommended burn range to prevent creosote build up in chimney.

The reason I only gave this a 3 star rating is more based on accuracy of temperature read out. Being the type that always wants to know if something is working correctly I tested this unit by placing in my wifes kitchen stove set at 200 degrees allowing unit to warm up with the stove and when the stove temp reached 200 I checked the thermometer it read 350 much more off than I would of expected. I continued to bring the temp of the kitchen stove up to 400 degrees which the Rutland read 575 degrees.

So for accuracy its not so good but by doing what I did I now know where the thermometer needs to read to avoid creosote build up in my wood stoves flue pipe. So if your counting on this unit to provide you the correct temp readings you'd be running your wood stove too cool.

I know some may say it could be the kitchen stoves err but I keep a pot of water on top of my wood stove to help replace moisture in the room, water boils at 212 degrees if I set the Rutland thermometer on top of the stove, when the water starts to boil the reading is already above 350 so it more or less confirms my suspicion of accuracy or in this case inaccuracy.

Bottom line if you are going to rely on this for monitoring heat in your flue pipe to avoid creosote build up you may want to get a base line of how accurate it is first so you can have a reference for where the optimum temp range will be to keep your creosote down.
I don't know if it was just mine or if all of the brands on the market have this much variance of temp reading but is something to be aware of.

Good for stove temperature monitoring. Magnet dies out after a while from the heat (but they all due). I use mine on the top of the stove as a guide to prevent over heating the stove.

I don't know about how accurate it is, but I've gotten used to it's settings, so I can tell how well my fire is burning. Well worth the low price.

Product works fine. I ordered two, one for me and one for my Mom. It's hard to believe the thing at times (sometimes it think it's hotter or colder than it reads), but I put both side by side and they both read the same, so they have to be right and accurate.

MY HUSBAND & I BOTH LOVE THIS WOODSTOVE THERMOMETER. IT IS VERY HELPFUL TO KNOW HOW HOT YOUR STOVE IS BURNING. THE MAGNET STICKS VERY SECURE TO THE STOVE PIPE

As the title says...don't waste any money on this....I could live with 10-20% error, but 100% or greater...come on...