I've tried lots of stirrers over the years and decided just making them from a low carbon steel with some reinforcement in the middle is the most cost effective. If you're interested I have all the components cut and can weld some up for you. $20 ea. and that includes shipping.

I have a 7500 and had the same thing happen. In my case it was the room blower motor. It gets hot and shuts down until the internal thermal switch resets. That explains why it starts again after the fire goes out. I've replaced the motor twice. A replacement can be ordered from Grainger.

I've made stirrers for 3500 and 7500 AES products. Stainless will last longer but it typically does not offset the higher cost. After making stirrers out of 300 and 400 series stainless I opted to go with low carbon steel (1018). Low carbon is the cheapest material and is the easiest to weld. I just change them more often. But as the others said, draft and fuel characteristics are the main factors for stirrer deterioration rates.

P.S. Steel prices are going up almost daily.

I'm with Cornbore. I've had my 7500 for eight years and never ran it more than a few times on #3 with corn and those times I ran the stirrer. I also have a clinker pot but #3 feeds too much corn for that pot and in a few hours you get the build up.

#3 with pellets is fine but when I burn pellets I run my stirrer. -7 outside right now and I'm running this combination.

#2 is a trouble-free setting. I set my propane furnace thermostat so if on a brutal cold and windy day the 7500 can't keep up the propane might kick in a few times. This arrangement has worked well over the years.


SC

If the input shaft turns (motor side) but the output shaft does not you are missing some teeth on the internal gears and will need to order a replacement gear motor. Might be able to find one here and save some $. www.surpluscenter.com/sort.asp?catname=e...ric&keyword=GIAR

If the motor tries to turn but does not and kicks off (no moving parts) you likely have a shaft stuck in the bushing that runs through the wall into the burn chamber.

Lastly, if your stove is a 3500 I have stirrers for sale.

I've replaced my motor twice in 8 years. The second time I know the number was different but it bolted right up. 1st motor came from AES but the second came from Grainger. They didn't give you a replacement part number?

I see their web site is gone.