WhatStove?

Review of Franco Belge Montfort stove

Great looking stove, damping problems

Angela Conley 10 years ago

Just had this stove fitted and it's really efficient at throwing out heat, even on comparatively little fuel. Lovely big window compared with the smaller Belfort that we had for years at a previous house. The handle gets hot but there's a clever gadget that hooks into the handle for that. One issue though is that the damping seems fairly ineffective, especially the top damper. From fully open to fully closed only makes a small difference. With the Belfort you could dial it right down to get the perfect balance. I notice someone else mentioned this same thing in an earlier review. Maybe DEFRA stoves are designed to burn at a faster minimum rate?? but other than that, very pleased.

Stove expert replied: Smoke Exempt model have a bleed if air all the time to help dilute the flue gases so they do not shut down fully as with other models this is probably the reason you notice the difference between these models.

Overall rating:

4 flames

Build Quality 4.5 flames (avg 3.9)
Quality of finish 5 flames (avg 4.5)
Value for money 4 flames (avg 3.7)
Ease of use 3.5 flames (avg 4.6)
Ease of lighting 5 flames (avg 4.5)
Firebox size 3.5 flames (avg 4.2)
How well does the airwash work 4.5 flames (avg 3.9)
Controllability 2.5 flames (avg 4.2)
Handle operation 4 flames (avg 4.3)
How likely are you to buy it again? 4 flames (avg 3.4)
What is your overall satisfaction? 4 flames (avg 3.6)