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The Dunsley Yorkshire is the only stove I've used. It works very well, and will heat seven radiators. But it is a fully manual system; if you were to come back in the evenings in winter you would have limited time to warm your home sufficiently.

I have had my stove for 2 years, and recently the air supply, which is external, (I used a drainpipe and duct tape to connect to the foil hose)stopped working.

The reason for this was that the stove had become blocked with tar deposits. Using the curved handle part of Henry vacuum I got under the top of the stove through the hatch, and also used a stick to clear the airways within the combustion chamber, along with the vacuum. That got the stove back to perfect operation from no air at all.

Stove Expert Replied: Always carry out a monthly check to insure air ways are completely free this will avoid the problem as above. Using good quality fuel which is dry and seasoned is important as is short periods of fast burn to prevent tar build up.

I installed the Stovax at least 6 years ago, it has taken a lot of punishment in that time being used Summer evenings and all day throughout the Winter months. As with other reviewers the baffle plates, particularly one of them is made of a very thin gauge stainless steel, and the price with Stovax was particularly high as previously mentioned. As my trade is in engineering I was able to make them myself, however, I would suggest that anyone needing to purchase these plates go to a local engineering shop with the old baffle plate/s and have it made probably at a fraction of the cost. If you are looking for a modern looking room heating fire,with plenty of heat output then I would definitely recommend this stove.

Stove Expert Replied: Any spares always seem disproportionately high to the cost of the stove, good tip from this customer but not always able to source local metal workers to undertake making spare parts. Also if you do this the warranty will be invalidated.

We have had problems with our stove since it was purchased. Used occasionally and properly, we have had to replace the glass twice due to cracking when lit. On both occasions there was nothing close to or touching the glass. Nothing underneath and the ashpan was empty , so at a loss to know why the glass could not withstand the heat (£50 replacement) the company were unhelpful and more or less accused us of misusing the stove. Having looked on the Internet, this seems to be a common problem with Country kiln stoves. We used a reputable fitter to install the stove/plate and he immediately commented on the poor quality and finish of the product. Forgot to mention that the vents on the stove do not open/ shut easily, something we hadn't noticed until it was installed. We bought direct from the company on EBay without seeing the product first. Avoid at all costs and pay a little bit more for a stove you can find locally.

Stove Expert Replied: It is a good idea to investigate in depth what you are buying to avoid disappointment. Glass will not be covered by a warranty nor will any liners, so please read the small print!

I spent an age trying to find the right stove for my needs and having found one that works brilliantly, I thought I'd write this review. Let me begin by saying that although the enamel version of this stove looks very attractive I have been informed by Hetas stove professionals that they have a tendency to crack and are loathed to install them. I live in an old (small) stone built cottage so didn't want anything too powerful and neither did I want to have an airbrick installed (which is required with larger stoves). I find that the 4.7kw capacity more than adequate for my needs and the look of the stove fits perfectly with the style of my home. I wanted to cut down on the usage of my central heating (doesn't everybody these days?) and ideally wanted a stove that I could leave for several hours both overnight and whilst I was out at work. This stove allows me to do this using smokeless coal - logs have a tendency not to last as long. Of course the firebox size is small when compared to other stoves, but the area is surprisingly wide so can accommodate a surprising amount of coal. I have marked the airwash down slightly as the glass does need a good wipe after a few days of burning coal but this is quite normal really. I have also marked the handle operation down by one mark as the handle gets hot as it cannot be removed, however I just use a glove to open/close the door so problem solved! The ash tray needs emptying every morning due to it's size but this doesn't bother me too much as it only takes a few moments! Everything else on this stove works brilliantly and I am utterly impressed with the amount of heat it generates. I believe the stove sells for around £450/£500 but I managed to get an ex-showroom model for £380 via the internet which arrived in perfect condition.

In conclusion I have no hesitation in recommending the Carron 4.7kw stove to all of you who are looking for a smaller and more traditional design.

Stove Expert replied: Bargin price for ex-showroom model. Good feedback.

My first Dowling stove was a Sumo 8kw. I had an open plan kitchen dining room lounge and I found the stove great so simple and solid, no fire bricks no silly little windows of glass,easy to light and great heat.It has the added advantage that,because of the way the door drops down you can have it as an open fire, not so efficient like that but, nice on a winters evening.

When I moved I decided to get another an 18Kw Sumo for a much larger house I sent Steve a picture and measurements of the fire place, he made a chimney with an angle so I could get the fire more into the room and it hasn't disappointed, it pumps the heat out and actually heats not only the downstairs but most of the house. I run it purely on wood it takes half meter lengths which is perfect, it will stay in overnight. I have been running it for 5 years and the only thing I have had to do is replace the glass, which is so simple because it just slides in. It look as good as new.

I have just installed another Sumo,in a large open plan flat this is the updated and more heat efficient( because of the venting system) Sumo 20Kw with airwash. Very good,very hot. The airwash certainly keeps the glass cleaner than its predecessor, which I have become accustom to cleaning every day with a Stanley blade scraper,this stove once a week, a small price to pay. Two differences I have noticed, I preferred the original riddling system which rocked back and forward and I think the heat is a little less easy to control, in that I can't shut it down as far as my earlier model.However I think heat output to log input is excellent. I have found all the stoves very fuel efficient.
Great stoves I would absolutely recommend them.

Stove Expert replied: Seems this range certainly meets this customers requirements. Good review.

I am very pleased with this stove and having owned 2 others in the past this is so far by far the best value for money.

Tweak 1) If you are using this for burning wood only or mainly only for wood then remove the grate and griddle assembly which just lifts out after you have removed firebricks and baffle plate. Unhook the Riddler lever and then leave the lever inplace after you have removed the grate and round riddle plates then simple replace the firebricks and the baffle plate, time taken 5 mins, cost savings BIG !!
The above tweak has 2 major benefits, firstly logs burn better on a bed of ash and do not want air to be drawn in underneath them which it does on this stove unless you remove the grate and riddle plates as explained above, if you do allow air under logs they will burn far too quickly meaning you will use lots more logs than is necessary for most of the heat to go up the flue !! remember we are aiming for a nice smooth slow burning flame not a rip roaring flame where most of the heat is wasted up the flue, we want to heat the stove sides and stove top not the flue !!! Removing the grate will allow for far more efficient burning and use alot less logs.

Tweak 2) The most annoying thing I found with this stove and my only gripe is the poor design of the front bottom edge of the stove which allows ash to fall out of the door at the bottom everytime you open the door which then has to be swept off the shelf at the bottom front of the stove. This is particularly annoying if you burn logs as the ash tends to be in bigger particles and so more likely to fall out the stove, a 1 minute tweak stops this problem completely. The problem happens because there is a small gap between the bottom edge of the log cathcer bars and the top lip of the door recess at the bottom of the stove, we need to fill that gap !!

You will need a thickish ie 1cm diameter or more piece of FIREPROOF ROPE I had some left from the stove installation or you can buy from DIY or ebay or The Range. Open the stove door and lift up the metal lip piece of metal which is meant to hold logs in and stop them falling out, it just slides up and then down back into place, remove completely if you wish and with a brush, paint brush is ideal make sure all ash and debris is removed from that area and then replace the bar but dont push it down all the way. Then measure the fire rope you have to length to fit in between the bottom of the bar and the floor of the stove and put it in place, finally tap down gently on the top of the bar with a wooden mallet or in my case back of wooden stove brush to squeeze the rope firmly into place between the log catcher bar you removed and the bottom of the stove. No more ash spillage and is really worth doing if you don't want to have to reach for the brush everyvtime you open the door.

Hope you find these tweaks useful
Adrian

Stove Expert replied: useful tips. Perhaps more customers should design stoves!!

A very good stove. The heat output is good with logs or coal and logs combined. The control is excellent and the vents are well engineered being sprung loaded.The lower vent does however drop out ash when you open it and the riddle mechanism is poor and hard to operate. uses a lot of wood but the heat output is excellent. It is installed in a large conservatory 28'*14' and heats that and our house as well. Overall very very pleased

Stove Expert Replied: Honest review of good and bad points but overall seems to be a good heat source.

I have been using this stove almost constantly for the last couple of months and I have to say it has met and exceeded all my expectations.

It has been installed in place of an existing open gas fire. We decided that although we didn't legally have to, we would use a 5" liner in the existing flue after reading about potential issues with draw.

The fire is easy to start and being steel (as opposed to the iron stoves) gets to work quickly producing heat in to the room. I have only used seasoned hard wood and smokeless coal.

When running at normal operation the air wash works well, keeping the glass clean. Of course once the vents are closed the glass does get dirty but that is too be expected. The stove is very controllable, I'm not sure if it was designed this way but the top (airwash) vent works in 2 ways, you have the horizontal sliding action but as the handle is on a screw (to lock the vent) you can use this to open, or restrict the flap, we only discover this after closing the vent but then we got a noisy whistling sound that disappeared once the handle was tightened.

Overnight burning. I wasn't expecting much in this department, but have been pleasantly surprised, loaded up with wood and the vents set to min, the fire was still going 8 hours later. With an over night burn using ecoal we can easily get 10-12 hours out before the fire would have to be re-lit.

Fuel Usage, I'm glad we went for a duel fuel stove in the end, I have found that ecoal gives a more controllable heat and I'm sure it works out cheaper (unless of course you don't pay for your wood)

The riddling action is sufficient to maintain a good burn with out having to open to often.

Cleaning/emptying is simple with the tool and tray provided. I have found using a ceramic hob cleaning tool (razor blade in a handle) very good at removing soot from the glass.

The only problem we have is that I think the stove is a bit to powerful for our room so think hard before choosing the the KW output for your requirements

Stove Expert Replied: Good review of this stove.

I've owned the stove for 3 months. In those 3 months I have used it frequently and with great relish.

However: 3 months in the upper fire brick on the baffle has broken into 3 pieces (its too thin I think)

Its still under warranty, but I'm not expecting the replacement parts to last long as the stove its self is flawed at a design level

The door has fallen off (the lower pivot bolt is only 4mm thick and the thing has sheared) The drop broke the glass of course

The air wash vent adjust has always been sticky

The door when it was on scraped all the enamel along the base of the door jam

Stove Expert Replied: Disappointing feedback of this stove which seems to be very problematic after such a short period. Have you contacted supplier over sheared door bolt as this should be covered by the warranty and any damage caused from this I would hope should be looked at sympathetically.

Original Brunel 1. Winter burning phurnacite - Autumn & Spring Wood, or peat briquettes. Tip take the ash pan out after emptying the ashes, and only put it in to take the ashes, this stops the ash falling onto the floor, and seems to give a more even burn at the sides - on phurnacite my fire has not been out for about 3 weeks. Phurnacite ashes empty daily (1&1/2 pans). Tip 2 Take out the riddler rod and seal the hole with silicone, makes the fire more controllable, get a poker to replace riddler with a small "end" on it!

Stove Expert Replied: Sounds strange to remove riddler as the point of it is to make removing ash easier, but if it works for you!!