Top or bottom feed which is safer?

[SmokeyTheBear]

Six of one half dozen of the other, personally if the stove can contain a full hopper load lighting off I'll go with that one.

Normal operation never bothers me it is the corner cases of abnormal operation that I want handled in a safe manner.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

The bottom feeder was one of the first.

Earth Stove (Traeger) had a two stage system with a drop cup right below the hopper, then a large free air space and then the auger.

This design was not bad, although they were a positive pressure stove and tended to be a tad more dirty (ash in the room)

The top drop like the Whitfield came along and so many others followed suit.

The top drop is likely a tad safer as there is a long distance from the fire to any combustibles.

The top drops are a neg pressure stove.


Neg pressure is where the draft fan is after the fire pot and pulls the air out of the pot, and this results in a slight vacuum in the fire box.

The positive pressure stoves had a combustion fan before the fire pot that forced air into the fire pot to cause a draft.

These stoves were best set up with a tall chimney to allow for a good natural draft.


The late style bottom feeders like the Harman are very well engineered and do a fine job.


Pretty much take your pick, and look at style, size etc as to what you want.

We have a Quadrafire and two Whitfields.

Very different designs

 

[velvetfoot]

Seems like the top drops only burn pellets where the others are more flexible.

 

[tjnamtiw]

tj what were those other vices .

I still like the one with the B-vent wall radiator with the window sheers nearby. Beats anything Pook would have done. Don't recall if that installation was a top or bottom feeder..

top or bottom wouldn't have meant a darn thing, Smokey! 'What's an instruction manual?" 'I don't need no stickin' instriction manuel'.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Seems like the top drops only burn pellets where the others are more flexible.

You can burn corn blend in a top drop!

 

[velvetfoot]

I didn't realize that.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

You can burn corn blend in a top drop!

Cherry pits, peach pits, and hazelnut shells as well.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

top or bottom wouldn't have meant a darn thing, Smokey! 'What's an instruction manual?" 'I don't need no stickin' instriction manuel'.

Well I must admit that I didn't read the instruction manual that came with one of the items I purchased yesterday, I was trying to do things differently. But at least there was nothing that might just kill me if I ignored it.

It was a wireless mouse and keyboard for the tv, got tired of using the remote to browse websites.

 

[SidecarFlip]

top or bottom wouldn't have meant a darn thing, Smokey! 'What's an instruction manual?" 'I don't need no stickin' instriction manuel'.

Like Owen so aptly states.... Users tend to light their first fire with the manual....................
(probably why all the manuals are available in PDF form on various OEM websites.... for those that use manuals for firestarter.............

If users read the manual and exhibited some common sense, forums like this would be lonely places...............

I still like the one in PA sitting on the furniture dolly with the dryer vent pipe for exhaust. That, IMO, was an all time classic. 'For sale, only ran a ton through it'..... amazing it didn't roast the house.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Been considering burning the chips from my PTO driven wood chipper. On dead limbs, it's chips pretty finely, fine enough to traverse the auger, I may take a shot at it for kicks and grins. Wood is wood.

 

[Bioburner]

You can burn corn blend in a top drop!

Then what is my feed doing on the bottom of our PC45s? Or on the Kernal Burner too!

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Then what is my feed doing on the bottom of our PC45s? Or on the Kernal Burner too!

Being different?

 

[SidecarFlip]

Then what is my feed doing on the bottom of our PC45s? Or on the Kernal Burner too!

Wait a minute.. I think that Kernal Burner has my name on it................

 

[tjnamtiw]

Then what is my feed doing on the bottom of our PC45s? Or on the Kernal Burner too!

maakt geen verschil

 

[Snowy Rivers]

We run 100% shells in our two whitfield top drops.

Works like a charm

The difference between the types of stoves is just the engineering and the company that was selling the product.

Both types have been well used over the years

 

[Highbeam]

We run 100% shells in our two whitfield top drops.

Works like a charm

The difference between the types of stoves is just the engineering and the company that was selling the product.

Both types have been well used over the years

I think it is great that you are burning nutshells.

 

[velvetfoot]

Do the shells have to be processed? Or, are they ready to go after the kernel is removed?