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[ms1780]

I have the opportunity to buy this used Woodmaster 4400 for $3000.  The unit has one pump on it and needs a chain for the ash auger.  The seller has never used it.  He purchased it used but never installed it.  It is a 2004 model. It has been stored with the water jacket empty which the dealer suggests could cause rust and would not be able to be seen from the outside.  The seller said the pump runs and the induction foan works.  What is your opinion of this price for this stove. 

I am heating about 2500 sf. of home and a 1200 sf shop will only be heated sometimes.

Thanks,

Mike

[Scott7m]

Way over priced.... 

I dont like the auger anyway.   But there are a ton of variables here.  You could buy a brand new stove like a ridgewood for 1000 more with all new parts, and more importantly a 10 year warranty. 

[ms1780]

Can someone who has done it give me some idea of cost to build your own.  I have the know how and the equipment to do it but I don't want to spend more than I could get a new or good used one for.  I am thinking about taking a 30" diameter 1/2" wall pipe about 36" long for my firebox and putting that inside a 48" 1/4" walled pipe. I will baffle the sides and return the water at the bottom so it has to go all the way around the firebox and be picked up by two outlets at the top and pumped to my water to air heat exchangers. Pumps would run all the time and I would use an electronic control to kick on the induction fan when the water got below a certain temperature.

[Scott7m]

Can someone who has done it give me some idea of cost to build your own.  I have the know how and the equipment to do it but I don't want to spend more than I could get a new or good used one for.  I am thinking about taking a 30" diameter 1/2" wall pipe about 36" long for my firebox and putting that inside a 48" 1/4" walled pipe. I will baffle the sides and return the water at the bottom so it has to go all the way around the firebox and be picked up by two outlets at the top and pumped to my water to air heat exchangers. Pumps would run all the time and I would use an electronic control to kick on the induction fan when the water got below a certain temperature.

Well, generally speaking your going to have some serious issues with the design you mentioned.  First of all rate of transfer is wayyy slower through 1/2in steel vs 1/4.  In doing some testing we sae that for each 1/8 of firebox thickness we lost around 13% in efficiency, so for example vs a quarter your already going to be 25 percent more wood to provide same amount of heat

Your returns and supplies are exactly opposite

Return water should come back to the top where its un natural, encouraging the tank of water to be balanced in temperature.  Supplies off bottom, returns to the top.  It eliminates countless problems, such as water in one corner being 150 and boiling hard in the opposite corner

In regards to cost, there can be a lot of thought and design going into a boiler that protects itself and is troublr free, far more to it than being able to weld so to speak.  Costs, if your going to buy all new products to build the stovr be prepared to spend several thousand.   If you scrounge around buying sxrap and throwing it together you may get by for half of that.

There can be a lot to building a stove thats trouble free and works.

Good luck!

And as far as used stoves,  unless I for sure knee the story behind it or had previous experience with it, $1500 is about where I stand on them, and thats if there real nice