I own a St Croix Lancaster and an Amaizablaze 4100. 5 years with the St Croix, 3 with the 4100. I burn about 225 bushels per year.

St Croix will auger anything no matter how dirty. Amaizablaze sometimes will plug on dirty corn. I have clean corn this year but that changes year to year and I am not cleaning it by hand anymore.

Amaizablaze is simple which I like, however it is harder to work on when it needs something done. St Croix has access panels which I love.

St Croix burns anything, 4100 burns corn. St Croix starts over-filling pot occasionally on level #5 (please no lectures abot cleaning the stove or adjusting the exhaust-it's clean and properly adjusted and usually works great,) whereas I could shovel corn into the 4100 and it just keeps chugging.

Simplicity versus sophistication, I have no use for this philosophical debate-I just like to be warm.

I plan to get down to one stove, if push comes to shove the 4100 is gone and the St Croix will take the 4100's spot just by virtue that it augers corn so much better.

I have considered something different with a bigger hopper than the St Croix (70 lbs)and maybe a bit more btu (st croix 40,000)

I want something that augers as well as the St Croix. I would prefer the simplicity of the 4100 but realize some sort of electrical/computer board will probably come with most corn stoves.

I want something that looks decent. I want something as reliable as a hammer, although I have changed a motor, put on new gaskets and enough other maintenance that it doesn't scare me to work on either stove.

I want multi-fuel, with a delivery system that doesn't jam. I have a vacuum system which removes the little stuff but some of the big pieces get by me so want a good fuel delivery system.

I am considering a Bixby. I have heard good things about the delivery system, they hold a good amount of fuel, rated high btu and they're pretty.

I have five years of experience with burning corn so I'm not stupid, I just haven't used every corn stove in existence so please give me some feedback.

Also if you had problems with a stove due to lack of maintenance or other operator error, please keep that out of this post.

As Joe Friday said, "just the facts."


Okay, I've gotta go pull the 4100 out of the wall to clear the auger yet again (I'm getting really good at it.) I'll check back later to see if anyone answered my post.

The only thing that ever jammed my stove's auger was a piece of 1/4" steel drill rod. Probably out of a pellet mill. The stove control is not complicated; OFF, 1,2,3,4,5. Beauty is only skin deep but this is a hammer.

I have a 4100 and love it's simplicity. Never jammed an auger, never plugged an auger, never removed an auger. I did buy a $40 cleaner. I have enjoyed the stove for two years. It did squeak a couple of times and I put a little graphite in bin. It is going on 700 bushels. Not many are going to thrive on dirty corn except I guess St Croix. With clean corn you can choose any of them. Buy a negative draft kit and the 4100 will burn pellets also

IMHO, grant, you wouldn't go wrong with a Bixby. Six years with ours, we love her. You can play as much as you want with it or do like I do, set it and forget it. No major problems, normal upkeep (gaskets, cleaning) and one new motor a few weeks ago (feed wheel). The feed system is superb, very few probs with it altho the Bixby wants clean fuel. Otherwise you're cleaning the hopper and under the feed wheel often. Not that it's a big deal to clean, 10 min. unless (as is usually the case) you've just filled the hopper and have to dip out all that fuel.

It's an easy stove to work on, the support here is incredible. Once it's tuned, it's a lazy man's (or woman's) stove. Fill the hopper, empty the ash drawer, clean it, that's it. I wouldn't trade my little girl for anything!

Thank-you for your responses,they will help me in my decision.

I own a bixby and a pelpro corn stove. There is no question the bixby is leap years ahead of my pelpro. As previously stated you can pretty much dial it in and set it and forget it. As you well know with burning corn, you will always have some tweaking to do, but all in all I've been very happy with my bixby.

If you like the st croix you may consider there lincoln model. It is self igniting and looks very nice. I've been around one quite a bit and the only real downfall that I see is that it has to start on pellets and then switch to corn. It also has a pretty small hopper compared to the bixby.

For what its worth,
Steve

Thanks for all of your responses. truly appreciated.

I did get the negative pressure kit for my 4100 and finished installing it today. I put an anemometer on it and it reads 132 with the door closed. It says I need to be between 56-60 so I guess I may need to turn it down.

Corn is about $6.50 so I have been burning $3.50/bag wood pellets in the St Croix. I can see burning pellets without any problem so that answers my 4100 auger problems.

St Croix has multi-fuel pot so I may just burn pellets next year in that also. I guess I have flexibility in that I can now burn corn or pellets in either stove.

I only use the 4100 2-3 months a year because the St Croix can handle our heating needs the rest of the time so I may stay with wood pellets only the 4100. There's less clinker removal and it's pretty convenient.

My vacuum system hopper is right by the St Croix so that makes corn pretty easy for that stove although I will stay with wood pellets depending on cost of fuel.

Enough rambling, thanks for the help. I have a plan which works for me now.

also I believe my auger problems were caused by junk in between the auger and bushing. I use graphite in the corn hopper to make things smooth however there was junk in between the bushing and auger which caused my problems. I cleaned it up and it seems okay. A grease zerk would be nice in the bushing-really nice.

www.magnumheat.com there I cut through the chase, just the facts..