I see a lot of reviews on here for the poor quality, not perfect design/materials. It's like people expect a $1k Cubic Mini for $100. Although the cubic has some of the same issues due to size constraints like when you open the door the smoke comes out... Yes, this is a tiny stove and when the wood is very close to the door it will go to the easiest route of escape. No big deal just don't leave the door open too much. I can leave mine about a 1/2" (1.2cm) open without smoke escaping.
Off-gassing. In the instructions it says to get a fire going in it for several hours outside before you use it inside. I could never get the whole thing off gassed with just that. Most other stoves say 10-12 hours of continuous fire for off-gassing. I think the stove pipes just need to be tossed into a fire to fully off-gas. Seems like the inside is good after the initial fire but it doesn't quite take care of everything.
I have this set up in my 20' (6.1m) camper trailer. I use Dura-log and Enviro-log mostly and supplement it with some juniper. A full log gets my rig up to around 85-90F (~31C) in an hour and stays there for 3-5 hours. Where I am at is around 6700 feet in elevation (2042m), high desert. Most nights right now are sub freezing temps with high wind. What I have been doing lately is cut the log in half and add a couple slices of juniper and that will burn for a good 5 hours before I need to add more. This is with the door closed and all the air holes open. Throw in another slice of juniper every now and then and I am staying at 70F (21C). This is great since before I had to open up the roof vents because it was getting too hot. So no more wasted energy.
Materials. Not the greatest ever put together for a wood stove but not horrible either. I understand that for the price we will have to deal with a few sub standard items. I have already purchased a seal replacement kit for when the door seal ultimately fails, but they all do on any fireplace you buy anyway. Looking right now at the top of my stove I can see that it is uneven. It is bulged up a little bit by the stove pipe and a little dip near the door. That is the nature of steel. It expands when hot and not so much where it is cooler. Whatever, I can deal with that. It still heats up a pot of water for me when I go to shower.
One thing that I think should have come with it is a grill for the wood to sit on. Luckily I found one at Tractor Supply on clearance for $12, fit perfectly in this stove. You could easily make one with some expanded steel or bbq grate.
So for the price this is exactly what I needed. I really didn't want to rely on propane to heat my trailer. Once I build up my tool shed/shop I will be getting another one of these or maybe one of the larger models.
| Brand | Guide Gear |
|---|---|
| Material | Cast Iron, ash, wood |
| Color | black |
| Product Dimensions | 20"D x 11"W x 13"H |
| Item Weight | 42.2 Pounds |
| Ventilation Type | Direct Vent |
| Fuel Type | Wood |
| Portable | Yes |
| Mounting Type | Freestanding |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 20 x 13 x 11 inches |
| Package Weight | 42.4 Pounds |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 20 x 11 x 13 inches |
| Brand Name | Guide Gear |
| Part Number | 2A-OC029 |
