Had this stove now 12 years never replaced the baffle plate takes time to get to know how your stoves works what it likes and doesn’t burn ruf briquettes first off then ad logs needs good
bed of embers not as fast at igniting new logs as other stoves I’ve seen but you get to know how it works and carry on was looking to change stoves but sweep said why still in good condition very little wear ok the glass mists up but I can live with that
We spent a considerable amount of time researching stoves and finally settled on the Burley after reading their product literature and seeing one in action in a local shop. We had saved for
some time so could have purchased any stove but ruled out some as they just seemed too expensive. We couldn't see in what ways the other high end brands were better than the Burley. Stove is very good to use, very easy to control and the wood / metal handle remains cool enough to use without the glove. My only minor criticism is that the door handle can work slightly loose but is easy to tighten up. I am sure this could be fixed with a little thought. The air control on the bottom is particularly easy to use and I think this is better than many other types offered on other stoves.The firebox is a good size and the stove burns very well. The big door is great and the flames look very good. We only burn good quality seasoned wood and I am sure this helps. It seems very efficient and heats our room and surrounding space well. Build quality is very good and on a par with the other stoves we looked at. I don't think there is much between the top end stoves and can't see the reason for the big differences in price. The margins between the different makes is possibly the difference. The stove has the benefit of a double glazed door and the glass does stay very clean - very impressed with this when compared to others. Overall we are very pleased with the Burley. It looks very good (better than the pictures) and fits well in our very old cottage. It has good proportions and rather than being overly wide it is more narrow and tall in shape which we like. Heats up quickly, burns well and is controllable. Compared with the others we considered (clearview, woodwarm and morso) I consider this to be very good value.
Stove expert replied:
Fair review for a cheaper stove and customer happy with overall performance. Prices do vary so it is worth shopping around to get the best value for your money.
Really excellent stove to start with - efficient, easy to get going... but it started falling apart fairly soon.
First, the soot catching tray deformed in the heat, shrank and kept falling
into the stove, exacerbated by the rusting away of the little shelf it sits on just behind the front opening. I put in a couple of bolts to protrude inwards to hold the tray but it kept shrinking under the heat and falling in anyway so I kept buying new trays (not cheap) but they distort pretty quick and fall in so I''ve given up on that part of the design. Burley themselves say yeah it distorts "eventually" - actually that''s about 2-3 weeks before it starts to fall into the stove. The mesh part only lasts a few days before it burns away.
NB stove-top thermometer shows we run it at 5-600ºf, very occasionally 700 so we''re not over-frazzling it.
The handle kept getting jammed at either end of its travel, I put in short bolts at the ends of the slot to prevent it going all the way to the end, no problem since that, though it means you can''t shut it off completely.
The door hinges sagged under the weight of the door, which got lower and lower till it didn''t match the opening, shoving it back up just caused more metal fatigue to the hinges so I welded in reinforcements to the hinges.
The spigot that holds the door shut is coming loose, impossible to tighten it (has an allen key hole but just spins uselessly) so that will need welding in.
In conclusion - really excellent stove, but you need a workshop including welding gear to keep it going.
Have used the stove only around a dozen times since fitted in the spring. After each burning I had to remove a huge amount of charcoal lumps from the stove. Have never once had the so-called
"white ash". Have stopped using it. The kindling charcoals immdiately on lighting, as do the logs, and it only burns to one side. On researching, I found that if the flow of air is used up inside the stove and there is not enough left to oxidise the carbon in the wood, the carbon then turns to charcoal.
Having had the Burley stove for over 4 years, I am totally satisfied with the performance and reliability. I use Kiln Drien Birch and the fire provides heat throughout the living and dining
areas. The large window provides a great view of the fireball effect and is one of the main reasons I bought the stove. I use the fire daily from mid October to April and only empty the ash every 4-6 weeks. I recently had a question about the door and had immediate response from the team at Burley.
We have had this woodburner for over six years and it is superb. It is always easy to light quickly. It gives out loads of heat. It''s easy to control. Still, after 600 to 700 burns each lasting
between 5 and 10 hours - the glass is very clear. It makes very little ash-often needing emptying only after about 20 fires. We love to watch the fire through the big glass, then the embers as the hours pass. (its also good for roasting chestnuts) When we light it, we are able to see the entire burn without the glass becoming covered with tar. If we don''t light it so well, a light tar covers the glass - but this all clears as the firebox warms up. A really good stove.
I''ve had this wood burner for 5 years and every year when I first try and get it going major problems chimney swept kiln dry wood does this steel baffle contribute to this I''m on my third
does anyone have a similar problem I''m at a loss professionally installed etc
Stove expert replied:
When the stove is first lit after a break, the draw and cold flue may contribute to ignition problems. It is unlikely that the baffle is affecting this unless it has become distorted and then it can affect the overall performance of a stove. The baffle can become distorted if the flue has a strong draw, the controls are set incorrectly, the seals are not effective or the incorrect fuel is being used (or a combination of more than one of these). A stove pipe thermometer will ensure that you are operating the stove within the correct parameters and is inexpensive for this peace of mind.
I apologise that I submitted a review for the wrong model of stove ( the next model up) when it should have been the Holywell. So to reiterate, this stove is very difficult to light, takes 2
hours to heat up , glass clouds up. I have a flue backed up by building inspector with excellent draw and kept swept 2 x each year. Back firebrick cracked, and like so many other reviews, the baffle has burnt out. Go for a Clearview or similar. The " most efficient stove in the world"? Does not come out in independent reviews ever, just Burley say so. So disappointed!
I have to multi stoves in my property 1 Burley 1905 and a tiger stove of which is note a burley stove.I have had repeated issue with the burley stove replacing the stainless steel baffle 3 times
and the front glass 2 times also replaced 2 times is the vermiculite above the baffles, The stainless steel and the steel inners of the fire corrode excessively quick thus falling apart. The Burley has been used less than the tiger and also been in the property for 2 years whilst the tiger has been in the property for 7 years without issue other than 1 fire brick being replaced.The Burley whilst being a lot more expensive to buy is very much an inferior product, I will be replacing this fire and due to my experiences with this Burley product, I will not entertain another Burley fire or product.The fire is expensive to operate due to constant replacement parts required.
Stove expert replied:
What a shame you have found this a disappointing stove, they do vary greatly and other reviewers have has better experiences.
Hi all, We reviewed the Burley Hollywell soon-ish after it arrived and I thought an update might be useful to people doing the tough ''what the hell do I get? quest. So the Burley has proven
to be an awesome choice. It''s been reliable, burns really efficiently and it has fulfilled all the requirements we set out to get.Which were:1) Large viewing window - I know people don''t always want one of these but I''m of the view that its a fire, it needs to be seen. The window does cake up with the soot easily and the self clean function isn''t really workable unless you burn a log on high heat right by the window to clean all the junk off. The bottom line is that you''ll need to give it a good going over if you want it pristine but in reality as long as the centre is clear its acceptable. 2) Size: This one is a good couple of feet high and it stands really nicely in the area. It''s definitely been a great option for size and height. 3) Seems to be well built. The handles haven''t broken and the wooden bits don''t get hot at all. In fact I''ve found that you can easily manage the wood burning inside by hand because the heat and flame is consistent and predictable on the wood. i.e. you know where its going to be hot and it is and you know where its going to be cooler and it is. 4) Efficient: This is a wood burner only so can''t speak for coal or dual. It will still burns through 10 lumps of wood in a day very easily but the amazing thing is that there is almost nothing left to clear up. You could burn for weeks everyday all day and have very little waste in the bottom of the burner. 5) Price: We paid £600 odd for it. Why go to anything else? Why pay more when this can do everything you could ever want? Its steel but that is handy if you want it to heat quickly and cool quickly. Only get cast iron if you want it to heat slowly and stay hotter for longer. 6) It''s a party piece as well as a burner: It works with the door open just as well as with it shut. It''s a great open fire if you like to see the flames in action (much less efficient though, but nice). 7) The inferno thing isn''t the easiest to get right. It takes a few logs to build core temperature and then you can change the air flow to get it to swirl around. We often don''t worry about it. If it happens it happens. For the money, pound for actual pound this has got to be the winner. It''s big, decent, efficient, well made and its the sort of burner that if Burley were more well known would be well over a grand. If your''e in the marker for a wood burner and not sure which one to pick check out the Burley range and check out the Hollywell and don''t buy cast iron unless you really want it or anything much over £1000 either. (Or for that matter any thing under £500)
Stove expert replied:
Detailed comments on how this stove works, very informative.
This is the first wood burning stove I have had after reading months of reviews. All my friends have wood burning stoves. None are as efficient as this one or give such a dazzling display. Had
it over three years now and it''s hardly been off ! Even in the summer I have to see the flame even for an hour. The dogs love it. So good, three of our relatives now have this model. They buy kiln dried wood. I burn foraged and wood collected and dried from the sea. Honestly you cannot go wrong with this model. Build a small wigwam of kindling and once it''s caught get a log or two on. Glad I did the research. You can check for yourself on the reviews. Enjoy
Stove expert replied:
Burning driftwood is not recommended due to dioxins being created in the flue gases when wood is burned in the presence of chlorides. Dioxin is termed as a persistent, bioaccumulating toxin meaning it doesn't decompose, it builds up in tissues of organisms that ingest it. It is recommended that this is no longer used as a fuel in your stove.
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