Customer Reviews

US Stove Wood Stove with Blower, Model# 2500

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We bought this model at Lowe's (which matched a lower price we found elsewhere) and have been extremely happy with it. It heats our 1700-foot house very efficiently. We find we don't need to use the blower at this time, but were glad it was included in case we do. We found the construction was also fine - no problem like the other reviewer noted on the different model. We shopped around for a good price with good quality and thus far we have been extremely satisfied. We plan on getting a stovepipe thermometer to further increase efficiency.

I did extensive research on many brands of wood stove before we made a purchase. Long story short- the chimney pipe and hearth were so costly that we were unable to purchase a more expensive stove. Tractor Supply has this model with the pedestal legs for $899. At TSC this model is called the "Magnolia". We have used the stove for several months now and here are a few observations:

1. It does put out a LOT of heat. Make sure the area you put it is large.

2. The air wash feature on the glass functions beautifully unless the fire is fully damped and then the corners get a bit dirty.

3. The blower on the back is loud. The variable speed function works poorly. It does push hot air nicely when the stove is heated.

4. The damper rod is a pull out vs a left/right slide making it difficult to "dial in" the damper where it works best.

5. The fire board in the top inside of the stove that redirects gasses is fragile. My wife cracked it in half the first week we had the stove.

6. It seems like 6 hours is about the best reasonable burn time we have gotten unless it is packed with wood and fully damped. (This is not reccomended)

7. The door latch and hinge hardware seems a bit weak. I will probably buy a few spares so I can have them when I need them.

8. I don't entirely understand the new wood stove science, but it seems like the firebox has to be pretty hot before there is any visible secondary burn of exaust gasses. (this can be viewed by fire coming from the little holes in the tubes that line the top of the firebox as spent gasses are reheated to burn)

9. Rear corner clearance from the wall for a corner of the room installation was 10 1/2 in. without any secondary protection. I followed that guidance with my install. When a decent fire is going the wall is so hot that I cant hold my hand against it for more than about a second. It's HOT!

10. FYI this stove calls for 26 in. of hearth in front of the stove. Most call for only 18 in. What this means to you is that to "pass code" for the building inspector you will need a bigger hearth. If you are installing the stove in the middle of the wall there are several modular DIY products that can accomplish this effectively and cheaply. HOWEVER if you are installing this in the corner you will be looking at a custom made hearth pad. I had 3 quotes with the cheapest one being $780. I ended up using 3 layers of Durarock to reach the appropriate R value on the floor and then finished it with tile. It was a lot of work but it only set me back $280 in materials.

We bought the stove for regular use to heat our 2600 sq. ft cape cod. In some ways I wish we had purchased a stove with more quality features and higher efficiency. This model only is rated at 68 to 73%. Many non catalytic stoves nowadays are 80% - 90%. That's a lot of wood savings! Overall, its not a Harmon or Jotul but it is a pretty good value I think.

We own a stove very similar to this and it heats our house great. The picture is different from our model 2500 with a pedestal which is convenient because the pedestal drawer is great for storage. We turn down the damper at night and it keeps heating our house for 6 to 7 hours.

Another review must have been about a pellet stove since he talked about a shaker. Our stove is a wood burner like this model.

I own a U S Stove company Hotblast furnace (not the model shown here). I am so disappointed in the quality of their product that I wonder if similar issues occur with their other stoves. In my woodstove the firebrick lining does not cover the steel firebox adequately. The shaker castings were so poorly made I had to grind them so they worked. The air damper control is not functional - it will not hold the position and the fire goes out. Over half of the screws holding the cover sheet metal on were stripped which caused the unit to vibrate extremely loudly. I had to uninstall the unit and replace all the screws and it still constantly vibrates. In addition it is possible when loading wood for the logs to get jammed between the firebox and the smoke door so you cannot remove them or put them in further - meanwhile the fire rages. I would not buy another U S Stove product.