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Standard Hobbit vs Hobbit SE


Mantas

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As the winter is quickly approaching, I'm working on installing a wood stove on my stoveless (yet) boat. I'm restricted by price and size (the smaller the better). My question is from two parts:

 

1. What are your experiences with burning wood in smoke control areas? This seems to be a nice and cheap stove, but it is not defra approved: 

https://www.gr8fires.co.uk/mazona-signet-4-kw-multi-fuel-wood-burning-stove?nosto=nosto-page-category2

 

2. The Hobbit stove and Hobbit SE (smoke exempt) seem to be good stoves too. It looks like they have the same specs, but Hobbit SE is defra approved and allowed to burn wood in smoke control areas, while standard hobbit is not. However, Hobbit SE is £70 more expensive. Does anybody have an idea if there is going to be an actual difference between the two stoves, or it is simply the certification that puts one stove at a higher price range? The link to both stoves: https://salamanderstoves.com/the-hobbit-stove

 

Also I'm open to any suggestions about other stoves!

 

Thanks!

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19 minutes ago, Mantas said:

Also I'm open to any suggestions about other stoves!

 

It is 'better' to buy a multi-fuel stove, sourcing and storing wood on a boat is not easy - smokeless fuel comes in nice sized bags and is easily purchased, carried and stored on a boat. If you get a supply of well seasoned wood you can use it as well, but always have the smokeless to 'fall back on'.

 

Weight for weight, there is a lot more 'heat' in smokeless than in wood.

 

Just remember to budget at least as much again for the installation (Flue, Roof collar, Chimney, building a fireproof back-drop and heath, etc etc.)

 

http://www.soliftec.com/Boat Stoves 1-page.pdf

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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9 minutes ago, Mantas said:

As the winter is quickly approaching, I'm working on installing a wood stove on my stoveless (yet) boat. I'm restricted by price and size (the smaller the better). My question is from two parts:

 

1. What are your experiences with burning wood in smoke control areas? This seems to be a nice and cheap stove, but it is not defra approved: 

https://www.gr8fires.co.uk/mazona-signet-4-kw-multi-fuel-wood-burning-stove?nosto=nosto-page-category2

 

2. The Hobbit stove and Hobbit SE (smoke exempt) seem to be good stoves too. It looks like they have the same specs, but Hobbit SE is defra approved and allowed to burn wood in smoke control areas, while standard hobbit is not. However, Hobbit SE is £70 more expensive. Does anybody have an idea if there is going to be an actual difference between the two stoves, or it is simply the certification that puts one stove at a higher price range? The link to both stoves: https://salamanderstoves.com/the-hobbit-stove

 

Also I'm open to any suggestions about other stoves!

 

Thanks!

Have you considered a Boatman stove?

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1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

Have you considered a Boatman stove?

Yes - I talked to Eddie and he said he doesn't know of the requirements and didn't advise to buy it from him. Besides, the waiting time is ~3-4 weeks from him.

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I have run a Hobbit on the boat for about 5 years, its excellent. However if you want to stay warm with minimum effort forget wood a decent smokeless (phurnicite) is the way to go, stays in for 12hours (we have the larger fuel retainer) without any attention. With wood you will have to be dealing with the stove at least every 2-3 hours so no warmth when you get up in the morning.......

The Hobbit is the second best stove we have had (out of 6) best one was the Charnwood Country 4 but I suspect that may be to large/expensive for your use.

We run two stoves at home one on smokeless which stays in overnight easily, one on free dry hardwood like a child it needs constant attention and wont stay in overnight.

Edited by Loddon
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38 minutes ago, Mantas said:

As the winter is quickly approaching, I'm working on installing a wood stove on my stoveless (yet) boat. I'm restricted by price and size (the smaller the better). My question is from two parts:

 

1. What are your experiences with burning wood in smoke control areas? This seems to be a nice and cheap stove, but it is not defra approved: 

https://www.gr8fires.co.uk/mazona-signet-4-kw-multi-fuel-wood-burning-stove?nosto=nosto-page-category2

 

2. The Hobbit stove and Hobbit SE (smoke exempt) seem to be good stoves too. It looks like they have the same specs, but Hobbit SE is defra approved and allowed to burn wood in smoke control areas, while standard hobbit is not. However, Hobbit SE is £70 more expensive. Does anybody have an idea if there is going to be an actual difference between the two stoves, or it is simply the certification that puts one stove at a higher price range? The link to both stoves: https://salamanderstoves.com/the-hobbit-stove

 

Also I'm open to any suggestions about other stoves!

 

Thanks!

 

I must say that site is very comprehensive, with a good variety of stoves, many of which I've never heard of, but very good prices.  But what does 'smoke exempt'  mean?  The phrase doesn't make sense to me.

Edited by Mac of Cygnet
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2 hours ago, Mantas said:

As the winter is quickly approaching, I'm working on installing a wood stove on my stoveless (yet) boat. I'm restricted by price and size (the smaller the better). My question is from two parts:

 

1. What are your experiences with burning wood in smoke control areas? This seems to be a nice and cheap stove, but it is not defra approved: 

https://www.gr8fires.co.uk/mazona-signet-4-kw-multi-fuel-wood-burning-stove?nosto=nosto-page-category2

 

2. The Hobbit stove and Hobbit SE (smoke exempt) seem to be good stoves too. It looks like they have the same specs, but Hobbit SE is defra approved and allowed to burn wood in smoke control areas, while standard hobbit is not. However, Hobbit SE is £70 more expensive. Does anybody have an idea if there is going to be an actual difference between the two stoves, or it is simply the certification that puts one stove at a higher price range? The link to both stoves: https://salamanderstoves.com/the-hobbit-stove

 

Also I'm open to any suggestions about other stoves!

 

Thanks!

We replaced out Epping with a Hobbit SE last year. This was because the Epping was too big to be safe.

 

So far the Hobbit has performed well, we use mostly smokeless fuel but also some seasoned ash. The smokeless is better than wood and less faff.

 

However I don't think we needed the SE, an ordinary Hobbit would have been ok given the rule relaxation for boats.

Edited by frahkn
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The Mazona Signet is I'm pretty certain made in China. I've installed a few of these over the last few years and they've been really excellent. In my opinion much better quality and safer cast iron than many so called much more expensive Defra stoves. One which I fitted into a wide beam boat about 6 years ago was not really big enough, but the owner couldn't afford more, so she  has it going flat out most the time and its stood up to it well, even the grate is still original and in good nick.  Whereas something like a ripoff Morso Squirrel running flat out would have burn't out several over that period.  But 4 KW is that too big.

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I was intrigued by the OP's location and name.

 

His name rang a bell.

I bought two log cabins from a 'Mantas' whose location was Lithunia - Now it may be a common name but sometimes there's a connection....

Do say....

 

Regardless of the above his picture looks like he has a cruiser type boat - surely you wouldn't fit a log burning stove in one of those? Well - without quite a large amount heat resistant material.

No shortage of timber offcuts in Lithunia - even with efficient milling machinery there's going to be some waste around to keep you warm!

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