# DS Stoves



## JA600L (Feb 22, 2014)

Anybody out there using these? Let me know how you like it if you are.. I live right down the road from where they are made and I'm considering getting one.


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## tarzan (Feb 22, 2014)

Probably get more bites over at the Nepa crossroads forum. I think they are a relitively new company better known for their coal stoves.


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## JA600L (Feb 22, 2014)

It looks like a very well built stove. It is very strong in design and has a thermostat on it (major plus). It has a large 3.6 Cu. ft. firebox with secondary burn tubes. Very nice sized ash pan. The interesting thing that I liked is its convection design where it has steel tubing along the sides which heats cold air from the floor. I am very impressed with this stove and would be interested in replacing my Quadra Fire 4300 with it.


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## begreen (Feb 22, 2014)

Which model is this? If you are nearby to their factory maybe bring a camera and document some of the nice features. Do you know if they are EPA certified?


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## JA600L (Feb 22, 2014)

Energy Max 110. It says safety tested and labeled to U.L. standards but no EPA label....


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## JA600L (Feb 22, 2014)




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## BrotherBart (Feb 22, 2014)

Obadiah's sells'em.


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## begreen (Feb 22, 2014)

Whoa, that Energy Max 110 is a furnace. Prolly best for a basement heater unless one has a large open flooplan. What they don't say is how the 110K BTUS rating was achieved. Is it with coal or wood?


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## JA600L (Feb 22, 2014)

I wouldn't call it a furnace.  It is a convection stove with a blower option.


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## begreen (Feb 22, 2014)




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## JA600L (Feb 22, 2014)

It can burn coal too,  which isn't a bad option.  It is built to be an 85 % efficient wood stove though. With secondary air tubes. It has a nice glass door for viewing the fire.  Remember this guy is Amish made.  If you know the Amish like I do, you know they like to get a lot for their money.  This is definitely a solid stove for a little over $2000.

I think anything rated over 100000 btus is considered a furnace?  Sorry for my miss interpretation there.


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## BrotherBart (Feb 22, 2014)

Lotsa pics and details.

http://www.messickstove.com/Stove DS Machine EnergyMAX Plus 110.html


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## JA600L (Feb 22, 2014)

Any opinions on how well this might work?

The great thing for me is I live about 5 minutes away from the manufacturer.  I also live about 5 minutes from a quad and harman dealer too.


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## begreen (Feb 22, 2014)

Everything I know about this stove has been learned here in the past hour.


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## hman (Feb 22, 2014)

They also have a new comfort max 75 that is 75,000 btu and 92% efficient.That will burn wood and coal.I looked at one of these at a dealer.It weighs 595lbs and has secondary air tubes ,and the secondary air is adjustable,thermostat damper,and the firebox has double rows of firebrick and those heat tubes through the firebox. I have a 1400 that is a coal stove and it is a good stove.The thermostat damper works great and the tubes that come up through the firebox puts out a lot of heat.One thing about these stoves is they undersize on the square footage what they can really do,without ever over firing these stoves.You won't go wrong with purchasing one of these stoves.Also don't be afraid to stop in and talk to Amos about these stoves, he will show you the stoves and make a stove that you want.


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## begreen (Feb 22, 2014)

92% efficient? That is quite the claim. Are we talking combustion efficiency or heating efficiency? Do they say what lab certified the results?


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## hman (Feb 22, 2014)

They get the efficiency by secondary combustion and the heat exchanger. It is Safety tested and labeled to U.L.Standards by Guardian Fire testing.


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## begreen (Feb 22, 2014)

I'm wondering who came up with the efficiency number not the safety certification. Sounds more like marketing than fact. I could be wrong but this number would make it the most efficient wood stove on the market. It's hard to accept that without accredited lab testing behind the number.


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## hman (Feb 22, 2014)

Just going off of what the brochure says,and I have talked to a dealer that has been burning one for a while.
I personally have not seen one burn.The dealer I talked too sells other stoves besides these.Take it for what it worth.But I have and burnt a 1400 circulator stove.


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## BrotherBart (Feb 22, 2014)

But heck BG, they say just burn dry seasoned wood at 275 degrees and it burns clean.


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## begreen (Feb 22, 2014)

Maybe it's magic.


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## hman (Feb 22, 2014)

Well maybe.Call them.You can talk to the main guy who builds these stoves.


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## BrotherBart (Feb 22, 2014)

I'll hang out and see how it works for JAC600L.

Would love to take one for a test drive myself.


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## weatherguy (Feb 23, 2014)

begreen said:


> I'm wondering who came up with the efficiency number not the safety certification. Sounds more like marketing than fact. I could be wrong but this number would make it the most efficient wood stove on the market. It's hard to accept that without accredited lab testing behind the number.


 They also say you it doesn't have a catalytic combustor that you have to replace every 4-5 years for $400-$800 
I get a little leery when the marketing puts out false information about other stoves, maybe it's a great stove/furnace but that turns me away when I read stuff like that.


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## hman (Feb 23, 2014)

That's funny,in the Comfort Max 75  brochure I got,it does not mention about or say anything negative about other stoves or about stoves with catalytic combustor replacement costing $400-$800.

Again call the company up,and talk to them.A person on the forum ask for info about them, I gave a little info about them,and the company and I take a beating for giving info as being False.That's great.

I don't sell or have anything in this company at all.I just own one of their great stoves.


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## JA600L (Feb 23, 2014)

I think that was Messick's Stoves that made the comment about cats.  I never saw that in the manufactures brochure. I also saw on their ad that 110000 btus is for wood and coal does more.


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## tarzan (Feb 23, 2014)

JA600L, Have you visited Nepacrossroads yet? I have researched the comfort max 75 some myself as it is advertised as both a coal and wood stove with secondary burn.

I worry though, that there may be to much of a trade off. Sorta like a street and trail motorcycle I once had. Turned out to be to street for trails and to trail for streets


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## JA600L (Feb 23, 2014)

The reason I really want one of these Stoves is because I know these guys.  They are a machine shop also and I have dealt with them with my job many times. They are legit.  It's not just some Chinese stove thrown together overseas.  They have good attention to detail. Not only that but I have the true product support in my own back yard. I know that if something doesn't work right they will work with me because they are honest people. Plus they have nowhere to hide  I would mainly want to burn wood in this but might give coal a try once I'm comfortable with it. The best feature to me is the thermostat. .. I don't know why other companies don't do this... I work 10 hours a day so I can't open and close the air controls throughout the day. So that is an important feature to me.


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## tarzan (Feb 23, 2014)

Don't get to hung up on the thermostat if you will be burning wood. That would be a nice feature for coal and a couple of other coal stove manufactures use it. With wood you can just shut the draft down in steps as a fresh load gets going. Many people here work and sleep without a thermostat on there stove.

But then again, if you will be gone over ten hours a day with know one to tend the stove heating with coal may be a better option for you cause with wood, you will be coming home to a wide open thermostat and a cold stove.


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## hman (Feb 23, 2014)

Don't get hung up on the thermostat for burning wood? Why has Blaze King been using it so long with wood then.It works.You get a more steady heat without the peaks and valleys.


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## tarzan (Feb 23, 2014)

hman said:


> Don't get hung up on the thermostat for burning wood? Why has Blaze King been using it so long with wood then.It works.You get a more steady heat without the peaks and valleys.



Yes Blaze King uses a thermostat but most wood stoves do not. How much benefit would a thermostat be on a non cat secondary burn stove? You would still have the peaks and valleys wouldn't you?


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## JA600L (Feb 23, 2014)

It would help liven up the big coals at the end of the burn I would think. My Quadra Fire is dark when I get home after a complete burn. All I do is open up the air and the coals begin glowing again. By then the heat pump has already kicked on. 

If I came home to a cold stove and a wide open thermostat after ten hours then I did something wrong. Using good quality hardwood like seasoned oak at a low to medium burn rate should last more like 12 hours with a thermostat feeding the coals.

If I was burning soft undesirable wood then yeah sure it wouldn't last. I have Oak, Locust, Mulberry, Cherry,Maple, and Hackberry.


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## tarzan (Feb 23, 2014)

I'm not familiar with the secondary burn in the DS stoves so you could be right but the secondary (tube) burn stoves need a certain amount of heat to assist in burning off the gases. For my stove this is about 400F stove top. It seems to me that once the stove fell under that temp the thermostat would then begin opening to try and get back the lost heat but there would be a point where it can't and it would just burn the remaining wood quicker although 3.6 cubic foot is a big fire box


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## begreen (Feb 23, 2014)

Thanks for the perspective hman. What are you using the Comfort Max to heat? The EnergyMax 100 looks like a decent solid *2.9 *cu ft basement heater. I'm not sure it would outperform a big Drolet or Englander, but can't say never having even seen or burned in one.

_The firebricks are stacked two high. Getting you 14” W. x 20 1/2” L. x 17 1/2” H. of burning space for wood or coal. That’s *2.90* cubic feet._
http://www.messickstove.com/Stove DS Machine EnergyMAX Plus 110.html


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## JA600L (Feb 23, 2014)

The brochure from the manufacturers show room states wxd 14''x22''. Firebox volume 3.6 cu.ft.


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## begreen (Feb 23, 2014)

Hard to say if that is marketing or factual. They may have measured unusable space, above the ashlip to the glass? Don't know. The dealer ad seems to have measured the actual inside chamber and posts that. Bring a tape measure when you visit and let us know what you find out. One corner they seem to have cut is with the secondary tubes. Instead of manifolding to both sides the tubes are fed from the left side only. This is the same side as the air intake. I suspect as a result the stove burns from left to right, but that is just a guess based on how it looks without a fire in the box. hman, is your firebox similar?


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## tarzan (Feb 23, 2014)

Begreen, I don't think hman has a comfort max although he stated he has looked at them. He said he has a 1400.


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## begreen (Feb 23, 2014)

Thanks, it's missing from his signature. Hey, so is yours.


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## hman (Feb 23, 2014)

That is correct I do not have a comfort max.I have looked at one,but it is to big for my house.To many btu's.I had the 1400 installed in my house for 5 years but it also is too much stove and I burnt bituminous coal.I just burnt wood in it in the fall and spring.I put the Kuma back in.

The comfort max does have secondary air tubes and if I remember right it has a bypass above the baffle.The firebox is around 9"deep from the bottom of the door to the grate.They are installing a flat plate over the grate,which has a cut out for the ashes to fall through and air to come up through.The firebox is similar to the coal stoves.The comfort max has another row of firebrick and secondary burn tubes and baffle.The lever under the feed door is for secondary burn/air wash for the glass.I do not know why it is adjustable.I would really like too see a fire in one of these stoves.


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## tarzan (Feb 23, 2014)

begreen said:


> Thanks, it's missing from his signature. Hey, so is yours.



I will try to add it. As you probably can tell, I'm not completely internet savvy. Heck, I used to have some little smiley faces to choose from. I can't even find them anymore!


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## tarzan (Feb 23, 2014)

Hman, is there anywhere in your area to get anthracite?


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## hman (Feb 23, 2014)

Their is a place going towards Cincinnati on 32 called Wheat Ridge Energy which is south of Peebles.This is an Amish stove shop.That's the closest place I know.How far are you from Ohio.


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## tarzan (Feb 23, 2014)

I live near Beckley but it's looking like I may have to travel a bit to get some anthracite. If I do I would sooner make a trip your way than anywhere. It's amazing to me how much different things look driving up 35 than the rest of this state.


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## weatherguy (Feb 23, 2014)

hman said:


> That's funny,in the Comfort Max 75  brochure I got,it does not mention about or say anything negative about other stoves or about stoves with catalytic combustor replacement costing $400-$800.
> 
> Again call the company up,and talk to them.A person on the forum ask for info about them, I gave a little info about them,and the company and I take a beating for giving info as being False.That's great.
> 
> I don't sell or have anything in this company at all.I just own one of their great stoves.


 I'm not knocking the stoves just the company doing the marketing. The stoves/furnaces look very interesting and would like to hear more user info on these stoves. They look like heating beasts.


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## JA600L (Feb 27, 2014)

They are not epa certified because they don't have to be.  They  are considered a furnace.  I called Amos today.  He was very helpful and assured me that this stove has more than enough fire power to heat my house.  The thing is... So does my Quadra Fire.  The only real difference is the ds stove has a thermostat... If I could tend to my fire throughout the day it would be a no brainer.


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## hman (Feb 27, 2014)

JA,I talked to Cherry Valley stoves,in Northern,Ohio last fall,and he was burning one.They handle other stove manufactures besides DS Machine.He was very informative about this stove.We compared it to the 1400 that I was burning at the time,the heat output was more than what I needed.So you might give them a call,and maybe they can shed some light on how it heats and burn time.


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