Replcement for Morso Squirrel

[Machpoint005]

I'm looking to replace our tired old Squirrel (which has a back boiler) because of tinworm, ie cracks have developed in the cast iron. Does anyone have any experience of a modern steel (not cast) multi-fuel stove which can be slotted in as a replacement (with back boiler to run one radiator)?

 

I would think I'm looking at a 5kW max rating.

   

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Your location says Gr Manchester, so Boatman Stoves are local to you. Several boating neighbours have these. Nice no nonsense stoves. Welded construction as far as I can make out. 4kW, not 5. They sell some cast iron ones too.

Jen

Edited November 20, 2019 by Jen-in-Wellies

[Machpoint005]

Thanks Jen - they didn't come up in my Tinternet search. 4kW is fine. Trouble is we (ie the Memsahib) now have a decision to make about colours ...  

[OldGoat]

6 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

Thanks Jen - they didn't come up in my Tinternet search. 4kW is fine. Trouble is we (ie the Memsahib) now have a decision to make about colours ...  

Time were young lad when all you could get was black - and be grateful for it.

Now you're spoilt for choice and summat else to agonise about.

Dark blue's nice

As is - perhaps - maroon (nah...)

or mebe green....

[Machpoint005]

I won't be agonising -- I don't do colour choices!

[MtB]

 

I replaced my cracked Squirrel with a Boatman about five years ago. The boatman is noticeably lower in heat output.

 

Is also less well designed in a dozen different ways, none of them particularly important but they add up. It is just not quite as nice a stove to have and to use as the old Squirrel.

 

I regret buying it with hindsight, I was seduced by the low low price. I recommend you get another Squirrel.

 

 

[Onewheeler]

I like my Boatman. Easy to light, very controllable. A separate ash box would be nice but not enough to make me want a Squirrel. A poker with a bent end is handy for riddling the ash. The bloke that makes them is very nice but takes an age to respond to emails.

 

Not sure about the colour options. Black is easy to touch up.

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, Onewheeler said:

I like my Boatman. Easy to light, very controllable. A separate ash box would be nice but not enough to make me want a Squirrel. A poker with a bent end is handy for riddling the ash. The bloke that makes them is very nice but takes an age to respond to emails.

 

Not sure about the colour options. Black is easy to touch up.

 

I agree, lots good about it mainly the price, and the Boatman gets a lot of good feedback because Eddie is such a nice bloke rather than because the stoves are particularly good!

 

One point to consider if swapping from Squirrel to Boatman is the Boatman has a 4" flue collar and the existing Squirrel flue will be 5". Not an easy conversion from one to the other.

[bizzard]

Most stove ashpan area's are far too small, including the Morso's, despite the rip off cost of them. for the sake of just a couple more inches in height, a decent sized ashpan could be accomodated.  My Boatman is still all original and now over 20 years old. I modified a few things to improve it. A made a fiddle rail around the top plate in case my stew pot falls off. The door hande I have spring loaded it with a little car brake shoe to backplate retaining apring. The control knob I've modified so the stud is fixed and screws into the knob. I made a Meccano trivet which covers the whole top plate for pots to simmer.

  If you want a stove made of trecherous cast iron I'd go for a Chinese stove. I've fitted a few over the last few years and all have been splendid, no faults whatever and the cast iron seems to be better quality and thicker than the likes of Morso ect's wafer thin stuff.

[Onewheeler]

3 minutes ago, bizzard said:

 The door hande I have spring loaded it with a little car brake shoe to backplate retaining apring.

That sounds interesting. Mine does need adjustment every two years or so. Does your modification avoid the need for that?

[bizzard]

4 minutes ago, Onewheeler said:

That sounds interesting. Mine does need adjustment every two years or so. Does your modification avoid the need for that?

Yes never altered it since I did it about 15 years ago. I also drilled and tapped 2BA the lower catching part of the handle, screwed in a longish 2BA cheese head screw with when closed against the door holds it ajar securely by about 1/2'' to help the fire to draw up from lighting it.  Forgot.  And I drilled, tapped and fitted a brass door knob.

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, bizzard said:

Yes never altered it since I did it about 15 years ago. I also drilled and tapped 2BA the lower catching part of the handle, screwed in a longish 2BA cheese head screw with when closed against the door holds it ajar securely by about 1/2'' to help the fire to draw up from lighting it.  Forgot.  And I drilled, tapped and fitted a brass door knob.

 

You don't have to do ANY of that stuff with a Squirrel!  

 

You just have to shell out an extra £400 when you buy it....

 

[bizzard]

1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

You don't have to do ANY of that stuff with a Squirrel!  

 

You just have to shell out an extra £400 when you buy it....

 

Yes but the only decent thing about the Squirrel is the door and its controls, the rest of them especially the mean thin cast iron top plate is lubbish even compared with vely cheap China Stove.

[Onewheeler]

48 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

You don't have to do ANY of that stuff with a Squirrel!  

 

You just have to shell out an extra £400 when you buy it....

 

There is no door catch adjustment so when the seals bulge due to corrosion behind them it's a strip out and wire brush job.

 

If buying another Squirrel the first thing I would do is dismantle it and put copper grease on every screw. Then sell it to someone who doesn't mind cracked casting.

[MtB]

14 minutes ago, Onewheeler said:

There is no door catch adjustment so when the seals bulge due to corrosion behind them it's a strip out and wire brush job.

 

If buying another Squirrel the first thing I would do is dismantle it and put copper grease on every screw. Then sell it to someone who doesn't mind cracked casting.

 

My last Squirrel had a cam type of door latch so the further down you pushed the handle, the tighter it squeezed the seals. 100% self-adjusting.

[churchward]

We replaced a Morso Squirrel on our boat with a Salamander Hobbit stove.  It is similar in output to the Boatman about 4KW has an optional back boiler fitting.  We have been very pleased with it.  It is a cast stove and has controls similar to the Morso.

 

https://salamanderstoves.com/the-hobbit-stove/

[mrsmelly]

Morso squirrel, end of.

[peterboat]

Ian I am with the majority here,  I our boatman stove, it works well, is well made in this country, and Eddie is a great guy A friend had the backboiler model and loved it, did a rad and hot water which was all they wanted,  his latest version is better than ours, but we have modded ours with instructions from Eddie 

3 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Morso squirrel, end of.

Sorry tim, I don't think it's worth the money, plus the cracking problem is an issue for me 

[mrsmelly]

2 minutes ago, peterboat said:

Ian I am with the majority here,  I our boatman stove, it works well, is well made in this country, and Eddie is a great guy A friend had the backboiler model and loved it, did a rad and hot water which was all they wanted,  his latest version is better than ours, but we have modded ours with instructions from Eddie 

Sorry tim, I don't think it's worth the money, plus the cracking problem is an issue for me 

Never had one crack in thirty years of boats nearly all of which had morso stoves. I fitted one again on this boat and will buy nowt else. 

[bizzard]

9 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Never had one crack in thirty years of boats nearly all of which had morso stoves. I fitted one again on this boat and will buy nowt else. 

Yes but you reckon you've owned  five or six boats or something in over thirty years, thats not an awful lot of use for each stove in nearly all those boats.

Edited November 21, 2019 by bizzard

[mrsmelly]

Just now, bizzard said:

Yes but you reckon you've owned  five or six boats or something in over thirty years, thats not an awful lot of use for each stove in nearly all those boats.

Yes I agree I havnt had one for more than five years. I have looked at others though and some of those fitted on my boats were very old ones on my ownership. They are fantasticaly adjustable, better than others I have owned or used.  reckon they are probably still top seller even though they are the dearest stove out there.

[peterboat]

Just now, bizzard said:

Yes but you reckon you've owned  five or six boats or something in over thirty years, thats not an awful lot of use for each stove in nearly all those boats.

I thought it but didn't say it, my Rayburn is 50 odd years old and I wouldn't be without it,  cheap as chips secondhand what a heavy buy it was !

[Jen-in-Wellies]

23 hours ago, Machpoint005 said:

I'm looking to replace our tired old Squirrel

How about a perky new squirrel? Also available in grey.

[Nightwatch]

We have a squirrel stove. Had the boat 15+ years. Lived onboard 5.5 years. I have to say, we do look after it, black it every year etc. New glass about 4 years ago. Bought new brick stuff 7, maybe, years ago. No cracks yet, but small  spots of wear indicating old(er) age. I wouldn't buy any other stove.

 

Graham, (Alnwick) of this parish had one for sale in Cropredy recently. I haven't heard owt since.

[Ex Brummie]

The usual cause of cracks and deformation is that the stove pipe 'welds' itself into the collar and gives no room for expansion.