what do I have?

[lizotte3d]

I purchased this stove a few years ago and would like to know what it is. When I bought it the seller told me it was a Bradford wood stove. Recently I did a visual search and the name Jotul came up. The plate on the back was painted over so I couldn't read it. Can someone tell me exactly what I have? Also as a side note...is there supposed to be firebrick or a pan in the bottom or do the logs sit right on the bottom?

 

[Todd]

Jotul F118 Black Bear. Logs go right on the bottom steel plate no fire bricks. Nice stove.

 

[begreen]

It's a Taiwan copy of the F118. If it were a Jotul, the name would be cast on the front of the stove, with a Norwegian prayer above, and the castings on the sides would be different with moose on them and the upper sections would have vertical ribbing. Look on the lower back for Taiwan cast in the metal. I haven't heard of the Bradford name, but I think at one point either Sears or Montgomery Ward sold these stoves and that may have been the brand. A lawsuit by Jotul put a stop to the clones.

Put an inch of clean play sand on the bottom of the firebox before burning. If you can clean off the back label that will help. You might be able to pull off the overspray with acetone or lacquer thinner. Do a small test first. You don't want to remove the original label paint and information. If not, the stove is considered unlisted and untested which can affect insurance. It will need to have a proper hearth and 36" clearances in all directions unless the wall is shielded with proper NFPA 211 shielding.

 

[D. Hermit]

Just clarifying for future readers this is indeed a copy “Jotul 118” not a copy of the “F-118 Blackbear”.

The “F” series stoves are Jotuls modern stove line from roughly 1998 and newer.

 

[begreen]

Just clarifying for future readers this is indeed a copy “Jotul 118” not a copy of the “F-118 Blackbear”.

The “F” series stoves are Jotuls modern stove line from roughly 1998 and newer.

It's confusing because Jotul started adding the F before the clean burn designation. This is what Jotul called it pre-F118CB back in 2003 when I was considering one. This is before the CB. However, if one goes back a decade I think it was just the 118B.

 

[peakbagger]

Jotul's US rep and Vermont Castings had to play whack a mole with these Taiwanese Stoves. They were made by various foundries in Taiwan and bought by a distributor for pennies on a dollar, the distributor name would vary by the boatload. Scandia was big name and many stoves not distributed by Scandia are called Scandia's. If stoves were in demand many stove dealers would buy a load and keep them in a back warehouse to be sold to folks who were unwilling or unable to wait months for name brand stoves. By the time Jotul or VC got a name to file an injuction against, a new importer with the same models popped up. Quality was extremely variable, the first load might be fine but the next may be junk. Most of junk ones are gone and bad castings have failed so what is left usually are okay stoves.

 

[D. Hermit]

It's confusing because Jotul started adding the F before the clean burn designation. This is what Jotul called it pre-F118CB, at least back in 2003 when I was considering one. This is before the CB. However, if one goes back a decade I think it was just the 118B.

Ive heard if that before, but it seems it was a very short time.

As far as sourcing the few new parts available from Jotul, or more parts from somewhere like woodmans. You will be looking under “118” not “f-118” for the stove posted here.

Thats more the confusion I want to avoid. No parts are interchangable between the 2 stoves.

 

[begreen]

Yeah, my bad, just a habit. I sometimes call my old 1980s 602C an F602. That's what Wikipedia has it listed as.

 

[begreen]

The Black Bear is the F118CB. I don't think the 118 was sold in the US past around 1984, but they continued it as the F118 in Europe. I was looking to get one snuck across the border back then.

 

[coaly]

I only use mineral spirits, diesel fuel or kerosene removing paint from tags. This usually removes fresh paint without damage to original tag. If fired a long time, and high heat paint is fully cured on tag, it takes so much rubbing the original tag paint usually comes off. Adding a little oil to the cleaner protects the paint, slowing the removal.