WhatStove?

Review of Dowling Sumo stove

Dowling Sumo 40K Boiler (The Mutha!)

Martin 15 years ago

A real 'Mutha' of a thing. It takes a 25Kg & a 10Kg bag smokless (botha t once) easy. But I buy 10kg bags and just throw 'em in. When we had the jan 2009 cold snap (minus 8) it did 50Kg a day. Noramlly 25-30 kg. a day. To my knowledge the only 'big' stove on the market. But that was 5 years go Aarrow are getting in on the act. Not for 'I'll get a wood-burner pretenders'. They use those 7Kw things once a week or at Xmas. They buy 'em thinking they can bring wood home after the dog-walk. A Sumo is for heating your house, not mincing about. So you'll need coal (or if wood, a 40 acre plot, and a UniMog). As I said, not for mincing. Mine has been in for 5 years. Had Steve at Dowling make to my opening. I'm off grid, so this tool is really for those with lots of rads ( I have 22) and in (2007 when i got lazy) a £4500 a year LPG bill. Fed to a link-up Dunsley Neutraliser (no nothing to do with Star Trek) tied to a LPG bolier going to rads too, it really does whack out 40K heat. I have it back to back in a double sided opening wih a Coalbrookdale Severn Boiler on the other side to look pretty and help it along. Sumo, ticks over at, and I'm guessing 25Kw. Unusual looks, not to every ones taste, and should really have a thermostat controlled vent, but hell, 6-7 tonne of anthracite (or the cheapest smokeless I can find - buy in June). 23-24 deg. I roast. Whereas the LPG would have me paying as much to heat as a mortgage. Bit awkward to control sometimes, but 40kw is a blast furnace, so suppose, what do you expect. And, Calor/Flogas are gone! Goes on in October and comes off in April. All in £6500 to install with flue and a real heating engineer (plumbers are no good here, you need electricians that can join pipes) and it paid for itself inside 2 years. But you will need a real heating engineer, not some fool plumber that put HE on the side of his van. Six motor-valves, 4 pumps, 8 stats!

Overall rating:

4 flames

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