WhatStove?

Review of Dowling Sumo stove

Sumo 16kw boiler - the best in the market

Sum Product 4 years ago

We've now had our 16kw Sumo installed for three months, linked to a 300l McDonald thermal store, heating 12 radiators and supplying all hot water.

The stove is tremendous. We spent a year researching boiler stoves. A friend has a Dowling Firebug, and raves about its design, output and functionality.

Seeing a Sumo up close, and one fitted in the local pub, was enough to convince us it was the right choice.

We burn well seasoned hard wood, and the Sumo easily manages our heating, and enough hot water for baths all day if we chose to.

The air system is basic (no air wash to speak of) but the glass stays reasonably clean - not so much with soft wood, which we stopped using and with far better results overall.

The Sumo/thermal store combo was a leap of faith, but is proving to be a great system, and cost effective. We have a simple on/off gas boiler to top up the store when we're not burning, and the combo of convenience during working week (burning on evenings and weekends when home) means gas boiler is merely topping up the store. We spent a lot of time getting the store right - triple insulated and encased in a super-insulated boiler room - and were losing 2 degrees a day on really cold days.

The Sumo is a fantastic piece of kit. Made to last a dozen lifetimes and a functional, easy to operate stove that does what is expected of it. Our 270-year-old house was a damp fridge prior to install. We're now opening windows on hard frost nights when it's got a good bed of hot ash.

There is nothing on the market in this class that can touch the Sumo boiler. Best investment we've made so far in our renovation. The Engineer was also a joy to deal with. An engineer who really knows his stuff.

If you want a stove to be an integral part of your heating system, look no further. No ropes. No fire bricks. No fiddly baffle plate. A steel monster that will no doubt be heating this old house long after we're gone.

Stove expert replied: Great review, sounds fantastic!

Overall rating:

5 flames

Build Quality 5 flames (avg 4.2)
Quality of finish 5 flames (avg 4.3)
Value for money 5 flames (avg 4.3)
Ease of use 5 flames (avg 4.3)
Ease of lighting 5 flames (avg 4.6)
Firebox size 5 flames (avg 4.5)
How well does the airwash work 4 flames (avg 3)
Controllability 5 flames (avg 4)
Handle operation 4 flames (avg 3.6)
How likely are you to buy it again? 5 flames (avg 4.1)
What is your overall satisfaction? 5 flames (avg 4.2)