In this video I compare wood pellets against alcohol in my Lixada hinged wood stove. I also modify my small not-hinged stove to function safely and more efficiently
I love how a simple mod turned that into a gasification stove, I have the 5" SS hinged lixada stove arriving today with crossbars, going to take it for a hike and a coffee when it arrives, I'll definitely be making it a screen. nice to have the option of fire types. thanks for the video
The new stove you've got has an elevated cook top, allowing airflow from the bottom and out the top, the middle stove, you out the cooking pot right on it, thats why the flame went out, can you please do an elevated cook top for the middle stove just like you did for the new one?, i bet it will work 👍
The reason why it didn't work because of the potholder you had. It allowed the carbon dioxide to get out which allowed the flames to keep going. You even spoken your video about the same problem. I love using wood pellets in my gasifier stove for this reason. It allows the wood to burn more freely.
I think the reason for the bad burning on the unmodified stove is somthing you suggested to me for my gasification stove it also went out and stoped gasification, it's the height of the pot, your new cross part is higher. On my Lexada gasification stove l had to buy a new part for the top but it worked and it carrys on working with a pot on top it's a pity that Lexada do not take these comments to heart to change the stove. Barrie
I recently ordered and received a new Lixada small stove. I just got it yesterday and am excited to try it out soon. I’ve enjoyed your videos regarding the use of pellets and hardwood charcoal. I really like your modifications for pellet burning. I’ll try that too. Thank you for sharing your tests.
Hmm. 2 differences in the stoves. I'd be compelled to run the test on the best one again with only the crossbar removed and again with only the side panel removed to see who's making the difference.
Mark try Yellow HEET from the auto store in your spirit burner. You won't regret it. Great for not having pot black, plus a contender for heat. 🙂 https://youtu.be/Mt69fbNhCgs
I had a similar experience. The crossbars provided more oxygen from the top and I found that when I made a similar screen to keep the pellets in the stove burned so hot that it melted the screen. Lol. But as soon as I put a pot on it without the raised crossbars the flame would die down considerably. Which is why I decided to get the firebox Nano. It’s small but mighty. Has the raised bars to hold the pot up higher so it doesn’t kill the flame so much and has a smaller feed hole so can go pellets or sticks easily. I’m thinking of getting the larger firebox cuz it has the damper on the top to give more or less air to the flame depending if I’m boiling water or cooking in a pan or grilling meat and veggies and want a more subdued flame
Mark I bot A stove just like that small one its all put together and I Use a small pencil holder with mesh steal for pellets and I bot A Small leather purse with two zippers so I put my two racks in one and in the other zipper compartment I put my little stove I would give it to you if you want it
That cover you made for the new stove was the difference, you turned the new stove into a wood gasifiying stove. Normally those stoves don't do well with pellets, pellets work better in wood gas stove, twig stoves work better with twigs and sticks of wood. With the little door cover you made for the twig stove you inadvertently turned it into a wood gas stove.
In your house, a wood stove with a closed door will always out perform an open fireplace. There is not much difference by going to a small stove. Closed in makes a more efficient burn. Thank you for the video, Mark
Great video Mark! I ended up drilling extra holes in my lixada and using some crimped stainless steel gauze to prevent the wood pellets falling out. Works pretty well was always a little smoky – the missing part of the jigsaw was the use of crossbars to increase the height to increase the airflow as you have done, so thanks for this!
Hey Mark, I concur with several other similar analysis. In short, the center stove had three factors that combined to provide a very favorable outcome. 1- The flashing allowed the pellets to be more randomly distributed and resulted in natural air flow channels. 2- The raised platform allowed drafted air to flow up and air could also flow in for combustion. 3- A top down burn, my favorite method, allows for a better up draft, enhancing the chimney effect with items 1and 2 above. Lastly, I was thinking about making a trivet bar setup and was wondering about the size of aluminum stock you used? And do you think it could be cut with a hacksaw? Thanks again!
Mark – you might consider selling stove inserts. Home Depot and many others sell expanded metal lath for the application of stucco. It has all the characteristics of the material you need at a dirt-cheap price.
Wow, Mark. I am suprised in the difference between your wood pellet results. You might consider repeating the test with and without the perforated baffle. See if #2 stove goes out again without the baffle. Then insert the baffle, level the pellets, and light it up again. I'll bet it will do as well as stove #1. I'd like to see your results. I'm in Texas and can't get pellets unless they are the premium cherry/fruitwood/mesquite cooking variety with a correspondingly premium price.
Appreciate the shout out Mark and glad that someone used my tip for the stove. I have those two and also the version which I think may be the better of the three, it has the hinges but only three and the way to close it is with the tabs like the other one. I like it because it's not as shaky/rattly and there is no pin lose. It's $12.29 on Amazon Prime – http://a.co/h3o5har, why not get another one, lol.
I really enjoyed this comparison video and looks like that raised trivet and covered door allowed the air to flow through pellets generating a better burn. Getting the pot raised was the secret I bet. I may try using two door pieces with covers like you made, that way the air flow would be coming from two sides, I bet it would burn hotter but probably faster. Thanks for sharing these with us.
I'm not at all surprised with the results really. Not only is airflow everything, its balance is vitally important as well…and the smaller the stove, the more important balance is going to be. The pot stands and the door block both made the air flow follow a path through the char bed, but also allowed enough flow at the top to pull air through easily. It had a good draught.
Stove two, the door opening was acting as a short circuit in the flow path. Its a huge issue. The little bit of air yanked in air through the big opening killed the draw up through the char as well as dramatically lowered the heat level in the air reaching the pot.
Not sure what to think of the stove with the alcohol. Major fail, expected it to do better.
I love how a simple mod turned that into a gasification stove, I have the 5" SS hinged lixada stove arriving today with crossbars, going to take it for a hike and a coffee when it arrives, I'll definitely be making it a screen. nice to have the option of fire types. thanks for the video
The new stove you've got has an elevated cook top, allowing airflow from the bottom and out the top, the middle stove, you out the cooking pot right on it, thats why the flame went out, can you please do an elevated cook top for the middle stove just like you did for the new one?, i bet it will work 👍
The reason why it didn't work because of the potholder you had. It allowed the carbon dioxide to get out which allowed the flames to keep going. You even spoken your video about the same problem. I love using wood pellets in my gasifier stove for this reason. It allows the wood to burn more freely.
Any issues with having aluminum exposed to a open flame? Does it soften or release toxic fumes?
I think the reason for the bad burning on the unmodified stove is somthing you suggested to me for my gasification stove it also went out and stoped gasification, it's the height of the pot, your new cross part is higher. On my Lexada gasification stove l had to buy a new part for the top but it worked and it carrys on working with a pot on top it's a pity that Lexada do not take these comments to heart to change the stove. Barrie
I recently ordered and received a new Lixada small stove. I just got it yesterday and am excited to try it out soon. I’ve enjoyed your videos regarding the use of pellets and hardwood charcoal. I really like your modifications for pellet burning. I’ll try that too. Thank you for sharing your tests.
Hmm.
2 differences in the stoves.
I'd be compelled to run the test on the best one again with only the crossbar removed and again with only the side panel removed to see who's making the difference.
Mark try Yellow HEET from the auto store in your spirit burner. You won't regret it. Great for not having pot black, plus a contender for heat. 🙂 https://youtu.be/Mt69fbNhCgs
I had a similar experience. The crossbars provided more oxygen from the top and I found that when I made a similar screen to keep the pellets in the stove burned so hot that it melted the screen. Lol. But as soon as I put a pot on it without the raised crossbars the flame would die down considerably. Which is why I decided to get the firebox Nano. It’s small but mighty. Has the raised bars to hold the pot up higher so it doesn’t kill the flame so much and has a smaller feed hole so can go pellets or sticks easily. I’m thinking of getting the larger firebox cuz it has the damper on the top to give more or less air to the flame depending if I’m boiling water or cooking in a pan or grilling meat and veggies and want a more subdued flame
Mark I bot A stove just like that small one its all put together and I
Use a small pencil holder with mesh steal for pellets and I bot A
Small leather purse with two zippers so I put my two racks in one and in the other zipper compartment I put my little stove
I would give it to you if you want it
That cover you made for the new stove was the difference, you turned the new stove into a wood gasifiying stove. Normally those stoves don't do well with pellets, pellets work better in wood gas stove, twig stoves work better with twigs and sticks of wood. With the little door cover you made for the twig stove you inadvertently turned it into a wood gas stove.
Was It You Who Set Up A Sterno Folding Stove To Burn Pellets??
Thanks for sharing the tip from "sameold77" who shared how to make these stoves stable. That was great!
Mark, your videos are fantastic. Thank you for making them. Please do a video showing how you made the aluminum cross bars. Thank you
I seem to get good results when I make my own "wood pellets" by sawing 1/2 inch sticks into 1/2 to 3/4 inch chunks.
I'm definitely gonna make those mods to my luxida when I get it ,ordered it from geek. We'll see how long it takes to receive
Interesting test.
great test I think because of the side piece with the holes and the cross bars helped create gasification in the process.
In your house, a wood stove with a closed door will always out perform an open fireplace. There is not much difference by going to a small stove. Closed in makes a more efficient burn. Thank you for the video, Mark
Great video Mark! I ended up drilling extra holes in my lixada and using some crimped stainless steel gauze to prevent the wood pellets falling out. Works pretty well was always a little smoky – the missing part of the jigsaw was the use of crossbars to increase the height to increase the airflow as you have done, so thanks for this!
Hey Mark, I concur with several other similar analysis. In short, the center stove had three factors that combined to provide a very favorable outcome. 1- The flashing allowed the pellets to be more randomly distributed and resulted in natural air flow channels. 2- The raised platform allowed drafted air to flow up and air could also flow in for combustion. 3- A top down burn, my favorite method, allows for a better up draft, enhancing the chimney effect with items 1and 2 above. Lastly, I was thinking about making a trivet bar setup and was wondering about the size of aluminum stock you used? And do you think it could be cut with a hacksaw? Thanks again!
nice test, I'm not sold on the wood pellets, but i like your thinking.
I think you have an issue with fire lol
Mark – you might consider selling stove inserts. Home Depot and many others sell expanded metal lath for the application of stucco. It has all the characteristics of the material you need at a dirt-cheap price.
Wow, Mark. I am suprised in the difference between your wood pellet results. You might consider repeating the test with and without the perforated baffle. See if #2 stove goes out again without the baffle. Then insert the baffle, level the pellets, and light it up again. I'll bet it will do as well as stove #1. I'd like to see your results. I'm in Texas and can't get pellets unless they are the premium cherry/fruitwood/mesquite cooking variety with a correspondingly premium price.
Appreciate the shout out Mark and glad that someone used my tip for the stove. I have those two and also the version which I think may be the better of the three, it has the hinges but only three and the way to close it is with the tabs like the other one. I like it because it's not as shaky/rattly and there is no pin lose. It's $12.29 on Amazon Prime – http://a.co/h3o5har, why not get another one, lol.
I really enjoyed this comparison video and looks like that raised trivet and covered door allowed the air to flow through pellets generating a better burn. Getting the pot raised was the secret I bet. I may try using two door pieces with covers like you made, that way the air flow would be coming from two sides, I bet it would burn hotter but probably faster. Thanks for sharing these with us.
Hi Mark,
I love how you did this test. Very interesting. Thanks for the video.
Duane
Great stuff Mark.
I'm not at all surprised with the results really.
Not only is airflow everything, its balance is vitally important as well…and the smaller the stove, the more important balance is going to be.
The pot stands and the door block both made the air flow follow a path through the char bed, but also allowed enough flow at the top to pull air through easily. It had a good draught.
Stove two, the door opening was acting as a short circuit in the flow path.
Its a huge issue. The little bit of air yanked in air through the big opening killed the draw up through the char as well as dramatically lowered the heat level in the air reaching the pot.
Not sure what to think of the stove with the alcohol. Major fail, expected it to do better.