Review of Jotul F 602 stove
Jotul 602 marvel
I actually acquired my (circa 70's era) Green enamel 602 on long legs with my first house in 81 - an old 2-up 2-down cottage. It looked dam ugly stuck right out in the tiny room on a paving slab(!) as had been installed from rear flue outlet into a boxed-in fireplace. The plan was to open the fireplace for a nice big open fire with iron basket grate. However, during the house renovation/gutting I burned all the old worm-wood and it both provided a place to sit round and get warm at break times and I cooked my lunch on it's top plate! It amazed me when we returned to the house at one time and it had been in for two days without a re-fill!
Having renovated the cottage we moved in but had a problem with Gas boiler, so I put back the 602 but simply top flued with a bit of cheap iron flue pipe, up into the open chimney breast - it worked brilliantly so we had a rethink. I cleaned it up (had be stored in garden!) and I boarded the chimney flue aperture. It was a efficient little stove, but to me looked like a coffin! Also, it didn't have a glass window and we missed the romance of the firelight. When you opened the stove it was less controllable. The old brochure I have tells you that this burns utilizing 'The Cigar Method' - i.e. slowly from back to front, so it does not want to flare-burn as in an open fire. Time passed and I became seduced by new Jotuls that were both ornate , larger capacity and with large windows. I opted for a Black enamel No. 8 and at then not small price of £465 and sold the 602 for £95 (in 1985). The No.8 is a real looker (is no longer current but sits between style/size of the F3 and F500) and indeed looks great when burn-flaring, but dies down to smouldering burn very quickly. No matter how I try, I have never got this to stay in over night. However, it gets hot really fast and due to amount of cast iron, radiates for a long time. I also save all my paper waste as use it to take the chill off the room - heat for free! It also loves scrap wood and coal even though has no coal basket. I am here now, because I realize how efficient the much maligned my 602 was and as I am thinking of building a garden studio and looking for a suitable wood burner. Top of my list is a Blue enamel 602 on long legs but now with added 'romance' window!Stove expert replied: Burning lots of paper can be problematic with chimney fires so be extra vigilant, undertake periods of fast burn regularly, have the flue swept at least twice every burning season and use only dry seasoned wood. Closed appliances should not have coal on them, smokeless unless stated. Coal has a longer flame than smokeless and internal components are exposed to higher than normal working temperatures because of this.
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