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 live off-grid and wanted this stove since it doesn't require electricity. It doesn't work properly. I wake up to a cold house, with the thermometer reading 100 on the stove. It should maintain 300 to 400 with my dry pellets. It also builds up creosote in the chamber that drops pellets making it nearly impossible to pull out the tube with the burn basket. (look closely at the pic, one of the solder joints was cracked on arrival too ). Ash builds up in the basket and I have to use a butter knife to poke at it every 2 hours or it will stop burning. I wanted this stove to work...I threw $1500 down the drain. I am very disappointed. I hope the US STove company will replace it with another model.**UPDATE** USStove replaced the burn basket. The stove works much differently now. It still needs to be maintained as the ash clogs in the basket. Do NOT us hardwood pellets as they clog the basket, use only softwood pellets for a hotter burn and they fall through the burn basket better. I would give this product now 3 or 4 stars. This stove does not heat 2000 sq. ft but will heat up to 1000 comfortably. It is a machine that you have to learn to maintain for optimal performance.

We've had our pellet stove running for about eight weeks now and it's performing well. We heat our main floor of our home which is about 1800 square feet plus a portion of the upper level (another 900 or so square feet) with this stove plus one auxiliary propane wall heater. While it hasn't gotten really cold (we live in central Nebraska) it has maintained a constant comfortable level of heat on our coldest nights (so far of nine above zero.) The propane heater will cycle off an on at about the same rate it did when we had a conventional wood burner installed in this same location. It took a week or so of getting to understand how best to light and when to clean. I like to burn it full speed as I was once taught by a chimney sweep to burn "hot" to reduce creosote problems. So far, I clean every two days and have been burning about 60 pounds of pellets per 24-hour period. I hooked it up to my existing 6-inch chimney which extends 12 feet straight up. It tends to light best if I don't allow the chimney to get too cold. Overall, at this point, I am pleased with this heater. :)