US Stove GW1949 Wiseway Non-Electric Pellet Stove

Anyone purchasing this pellet stove I suggest you read my review in its entirety along with some other informative input from others to obtain the best results with this product.I first started the stove with a propane torch per instructions and it fired up easily. (Be prepared for burn off smoke for roughly half an hour so either fire it outdoors or set fans strategically to exhaust.) The thermometer climbed to approximately 675 degrees and the unit gave off fairly comfortable heat. Before retiring I "opened" the draft slightly to slow down the burn rate. (This sounds counterintuitive for anyone used to a wood burner.) The next morning it appeared the fire was out but after inspection of the Primary Burn Tube there were still embers. I then removed the Secondary Burn Plate allowing ash to fall into the Ash Tray, poked the primary burn basket with a long screw driver and it was back up and running though not to the previous level. By the morning of the third day it was extinguished and we were sorely disappointed. Reading the User Manual under "Tuning Your Stove" I removed the primary burn basket and widened the gaps between the tubes (And I believe this is something which should definitely be emphasized). I cleaned the stove with a Shop Vac, though in hindsight do not believe it was entirely necessary, replaced all parts and fired it up. This time the temperature rose almost to the maximum of 900 degrees though I backed it off first. As I needed to leave for some time I lowered it further and upon return it was functioning perfectly. The following morning required some attention to return to a comfortable operating temperature. So, all in all, to this point I am pleased.But I offer the following suggestions to attain the best performance:1) If you do not find you have adequate draft try expanding the burn cage as described.2) At any time you feel it is not burning to its optimum level begin by checking the ash tray then shake the burn tubes to dislodge any accumulated fly ash. (Anyone familiar with a coal furnace as I am having grown up with such can relate.) Fly ash tends to clump especially at the rear of the secondary burn plate and somewhat in the burn cage constricting draft.3) Should this still fail to bring it up to speed take a long object (I had an old automobile antenna I use.) and remove the Air Cover on the front of the primary burn tube sliding it through the spaces in the burn cage. This has worked like a charm for me thus far.I intend to follow these steps at least morning and evening as I feel it will prevent fly ash build up.*Lastly and importantly in case anyone finds the same question, there is a part (stainless steel plate) I simply could not figure out what it was or where it went. Contacting Tech Support is simple for the most part especially as they have text support and respond almost instantaneously. I found the part is listed as the Pellet Slide (Pgs 18-19) and drops into the feed opening of the pellet hopper. Also, it is Step 4 under Main Body Assembly though could be better described.I hope this provides assistance to anyone who is interested or has already purchased this unit. Also, there are numerous YouTube videos I suggest you view if possible. One is very negative though I cannot agree with their assessment.Addendum: Since writing this I have discovered a couple more nuances. I mention using an old auto antenna which works for opening the burn basket, but I made a tool using 3/8" steel rod bent at 90 degrees with approximately 1 1/2" extended. This allows me to probe the cage top and bottom and dislodge any buildup from fly ash. Though you can fill with 60# of pellets the chute just isn't efficient causing the pellets (sometimes) to burn back when unattended (overnight). I intend to make an auxiliary add-on chute adding capacity.

I got this stove this past November but was unable to install it until late December due to unavailability of 4 inch pipe. I reported the problem of it burning up the supply chamber and up to the MAIN PELLET STORAGE BIN, to U.S.Stove and after a few conversations, they seemed to disappear.This is under warranty (only a few hours of use), but they don't care. They supposedly bumped this up to engineering a few weeks ago, but of course NOTHING. It has to be cleaned every 2 hours of use or forget it. It appears that the pellets create ash balls that don't allow the pellets to fall down to the secondary burn chamber. As they back up, they begin to burn UPWARD through the supply shoot and up to the main pellet supply. I have had to use a fire extinguisher twice. Do not waste your money. I have email and text threads to prove all of this. J-

I received this item toward the end of our winter season here in Northern Montana, so take this with a grain of salt. The installation was a breeze and assembly was very, very simple. The stove's simple design was easy to understand when I began fussing with it. The fit and finish left a little bit to be desired but this stove is definitely on the utilitarian side of the spectrum so not really a big deal. My only worry is there might be an issue with the integrity of the welds but its something we can fix. I made sure to burn it outside first to remove the 'gunk' leftover from manufacturing (I would highly recommend doing this as it put off LOTS of smoke). It feeds pellets well and gets up to temperature quickly. We opted for this option for one simple reason: there is no need for electricity. This is our only viable, long term heat source in our home and we simply couldn't take the chance of losing power and thus losing heat. I have some apprehension about its ability to keep our home warm during our coldest winter months but time will tell. I will update after next winter.EDIT: Ive been burning this stove for about a month now and I have to say, I am really enjoying it. It does take a little tinkering to get the right pellet, draft, etc but once you know your stove (and when to clean it) it puts off quite a bit of heat. I will update this again sometime next winter when the cold has really set in here in northern Montana.Update - Year 2: We are 3.5 months into operating our stove this winter and I thought I'd share our experience. We changed or chimney setup from a ~20' vertical pipe to a 15' vertical pipe with 2x 90 degree angles to take the chimney out our wall and up through our eve. This goes AGAINST the manufacturers recommendations and they are absolutely correct in recommending against the installation of elbows.The stove heats our living space well enough but it does not burn nearly as hot as it was before (previously 550-650F fully closed, currently 400-500F fully closed). While it does heat our home there are a few big problems created by this change in function. First and foremost, the reduced operating temperature creates SIGNIFICANTLY more ash. Due to constant smoking and low operating temps I check on the condition of my 3" ID stove pipe used to draft/vent the stove. It was constricted by over 50% due to the build up of ash which is incredibly problematic considering the amount we've burned the stove this winter. Secondly, the fuel efficiency is reduced fairly significantly because it isn't fully consumed. This causes more frequent clean outs of the bottom ash tray as well as clearing the clinker tray because the partially consumed pellets die and clump up on the plate.While Im not yet regretting this purchase I certainly did not do myself any favors when installing my new chimney. If you are going to install this chimney yourself make sure you follow the manufactures recommendations of running it straight up, no matter how inconvenient that may be.NOTE: If you do decide to order this product, be ready to wait quite a while for it to be delivered. If it is shipped with NSD they took an additional 3 weeks past the anticipated delivery date. Call them right off the bat and hound them until its delivered. They had dismal customer service but the squeaky wheel gets the grease.