Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: ijon on May 07, 2012, 08:09:08 AM

Title: Portage and main
Post by: ijon on May 07, 2012, 08:09:08 AM

I went to Bens super center Sunday in Brown city Mi. He had three brands of outoor boilers. Woodmaster, Royal crown,and Portage and Main. I think the Portage and Main is built like a tank. It looks like a good design. I would like opinions from owners as to how you like them. Also where is Royal crown made and are they a good boiler? I'am not interested in the gassers, I think the ml31.

Title: Re: Portage and main
Post by: rick w on May 09, 2012, 07:29:57 AM

i have an ml 30 and cant say enough good about it we live in spooner wisconsin where it get cold and windy and the portage and main gives me all the heat we need for the house and pole barn.its a woodburning machine with little maintance and burns a small amount of wood compaired to others i know of a lot of bang for your buck go for it you wont be sorry. good luck rick wierstad

Title: Re: Portage and main
Post by: ijon on May 09, 2012, 08:56:49 PM

Rick, How long have you had your Portage and Main and what did the ml30 cost. They had a P&m at Bens that heated 10000 square feet for 9000 and some change.

Title: Re: Portage and main
Post by: karlk on May 10, 2012, 03:55:51 AM

Have a P&M optimizer 250 works great!

Title: Re: Portage and main
Post by: ijon on May 10, 2012, 05:13:57 AM

Does the wood have to be real dry for the optimizer, and is it hard to maintain?

Title: Re: Portage and main
Post by: Firechaser on May 10, 2012, 02:11:01 PM

I also have an ml30 and love it. I have only used it one season and we had a mild winter but it's good. I paid 6800.

Title: Re: Portage and main
Post by: Trint on May 10, 2012, 08:33:48 PM

I have had a ml 30 for one season aswell not problems so far, it burned anything I could get in it.  I choose it for the forced draft, ash pan, and heat exchanger, payed $6,900 for it.

Title: Re: Portage and main
Post by: karlk on May 11, 2012, 03:33:04 AM

I season my wood for 1 year as it should be for any boiler, I would say there is a little more to  maintain than a standard boiler. But it uses less wood and hardly any smoke

Title: Re: Portage and main
Post by: ijon on May 11, 2012, 04:05:08 PM

Thanks for your feedback. When the old girl goes I will get a P&M.

Title: Re: Portage and main
Post by: rick w on May 28, 2012, 09:45:36 AM

ijon i am on my second season the boiler coast almost 10 gs

Title: Re: Portage and main
Post by: vagabonddreamer on May 29, 2012, 09:43:12 PM

hello Rick W....if you could change anything on the P and M what would it be??  thx..vs