Independent Review of the DG Ivar range 

Glad to hear it, I’ve tried the 8 in someone else’s house and it was a lovely thing.

I agree, but to be honest I tend to want to leave a bit of ash as this improves fuel economy, so I’ve always been happy with a dustpan that leaves 20% of the ash behind. You’ve got a lovely stove though!

@@TheTortoise Sure, but when you clear out for the summer or maintenance it's just great. Also with the dustpan being dead flat means it can be used to compress that ash bed down when you're leaving some in. Thanks, it has been a big step up from the ACR Rowandale I had before.

@@danpye1991 good point! Glad to hear it’s a step up, that’s useful feedback! All the best.

​@@TheTortoise

Too right, I use stoves as the main heating at home, and that saves us a lot in oil for sure!

Thanks a lot. It’s a great stove!

I doubt you’ll regret it, it’s a lovely piece of kit. Hope you don’t have to wait too long for it.

@@TheTortoise hopefully its better than the ecosy panoramic+, it was ok but not great. Thanks for the review, helped greatly.

@@jonathonhoggarth6473 I’ve not used the Ecosy yet, but I think it’s fair to say that cheese are chalk and cheese.

​@@TheTortoise installed and oh boy does it deliver. The glass went black, like really black when i shut it down overnight. whats the best way of cleaning it?

oh and thanks for the reviews, rewlly helped me choose.

Thanks a lot. This is obviously a little channel, but I have been surprised by the traffic. Only a few months ago I would get about 500 views a day, it’s jumped now as high as 10x that. I realise in RU-vid terms that’s nothing, but it seemed a lot for me!

Sounds interesting, I wish you could upload a picture into your comment so I could see what you mean.

What size did you fit? Does it just sit inside

@@debbiemanson2424 what do you mean, sorry?

Yes I can't upload pics as a comment but it was a log guard from a woodwarm fireview 9kw

It’s a really nice piece of kit, but there were better stoves for the specific categories. The all rounder was close, but it’s more money than the Heta Inspire, the grate cost more money again and the handle is removeable rather than the Heta stay cool handle. It’s definitely lovely though.

@@TheTortoise arguably the Ivar 5 punches well above its size as dimensionally it has a smaller footprint than the inspire 40 or even the 45 yet it’s output and efficiency exceed that of its competitors of the same size and footprint. I think price is always important especially when considering that the mass exodus of people moving over to stoves is due to rising energy costs, but I think at this price point we’re splitting hairs as there’s literally £100 quid between the ivar and the inspire. I think it’s ease of use with one single control of operation, which it also has a nice long throw making it easy to gauge airflow, for me pips it as a winner, I think it should of at least gotten a mention, maybe even as a runner up. Speaking to people in the trade they have nothing but praise for this stove. To be fair as you stated at this price point they’re all pretty good and choice comes down to asthetics. Regarding the name, well that just paves the way for childish jokes about having a visit to the doctor, all good fun😂 Great reviews and channel by the way, really enjoying it and have of course subscribed!

@@CraigK80 yea you’re right it is lovely. My memory though is that it’s quite a bit deeper than the inspires (with regard to foot print of the stove)? The handle is nicer on the Inspire, but as you say we’re splitting hairs really. It was definitely between this and the inspire.

@@TheTortoise as mentioned it’s footprint, remarkably is smaller, depth on the inspire 45 is 377mm, the Ivar 5 is only 350mm, which again makes this lovely little stove even more of a winner. 😉

@@CraigK80 yea you’re right. The depth of the actual stove is bigger on the Ivar, but the Inspire has a bit of an overhang on the top.

When I test stoves it’s worth saying that I start by getting the stove very hot and I use other wood to do that. Once the stove is very hot I then use the net to simply cruise (a bit like on the motorway, once you’re up to speed, cruising uses less fuel). I would ensure that initially the stove is very hot, and as you mention I will then often put several logs on and close the stove down to prolong how long the wood lasts. I then either re-load or open the air to ensure it stays in operating temperature. Ordinarily I wouldn’t care if it cooled further I would leave it chugging, but for a test I keep it at operating temp the whole time. The reason you’re having issues is because the stove isn’t getting properly hot in the first instance. As long as you achieve that, you’ll find everything is much more forgiving from then on.

​@@TheTortoise Thanks so much for your reply. It's very helpful. Can you say more about how hot you get it at first and for how long? And what you regard as "in zone" during the rest of the test? Do you base this off a stove pipe thermometer or do you have another way? I aim for 200c with the first few logs, but later when I've transitioned to slower burning of one log at a time (plus the glowing remanents of the previous log), it tends to be more like 150c, sometimes dipping down to maybe 130c as each log reaches its end. I'll follow your advice and next time I am doing a long burn I'll use more logs at once, close down the air more and see if that keeps it at a higher temperature without burning through the logs any faster.

@@lxpollitt I wouldn’t be watching things as closely normally as I would want the fire to serve me rather than the other way round, but the figures you’re describing seem ideal assuming they are °C not °F. I would experiment with more ash buildup in the stove and more fuel, with the vent closed slightly more, to increase burn time. Do a bit of experimenting and you’ll find your way.

Yes they do.

I have seen them, but not used it. It will be a simple imported product, but it doesn’t seem bad. I’d love to try one out, I might contact them and see whether they have any stock 😆

As you say there is no bad decision. The Ambition has the technical edge and is also the more responsive, but it relies on the following: Dry fuel A 6” flue system A good draw on the chimney An interested user. If you’ve got all these then I’d buy the Ambition, if you’re missing any of these then the Ivar is defo the more forgiving option. An F1 car isn’t very forgiving, but there’s nothing with wheels that’s gunna beat it round a track. That’s what the Ambition is like.

@@TheTortoise thanks! I thought the Ambition spec was for a 5" flue - is 6" your recommendation for it work optimum?

Yes, you definitely improve the stove with DEFRA kit removed and a 6” flue fitted.

I would yes, the money tends to be better on the Ivar too.

I would buy the Jannik simply because DG have a better foot hold in the UK market and therefore on going support with regard to spares, local expertise, experience and knowledge will be much more available with a known brand and extensive distribution across the uk. I can’t say whether one stove is better than the other, but I can say that I have never heard of or encountered the Jacobus, which for me is a red flag, because there aren’t many I haven’t had prior experience with.

Burning cherry smells fantastic, but should be a crime, because that wonderful wood must surely be useful for some woodworking project 😆. Beech wood is fantastic for burning. It tends to be denser and burns for longer than ash, so as long as it’s dry I think you’ll get on with it superbly. The cherry is nothing special to burn (other than the smell), but like Birch it will still perform reasonably well.

I never need to let my wood stoves out, you empty the ash way less often. When I do I get up in the morning, push the charcoal to one side, take a shovel of ash out, then pull the charcoal back into the middle and off you go. Pallet wood is ideal for kindling, but you need a very controllable stove if you were to use it more seriously as it can get extra hot, very quickly. As long as you’re not over firing the stove, and it’s dry, you’ll be fine.

Generally you have 2 options. Have a direct air which means you can have the vent directly behind the stove and connected to the stove so you don’t get any draft. Or if you don’t use direct air then the vent should be away from the stove to encourage an air exchange across the room (this is the recommended requirement according to UK building regs). Therefore a lot of people would prefer direct air, but this is only possible with the DG kit.

Good question. I think with some technique changes you could potentially get a Pioneer to achieve longer burns. However if you were to make the change I expect the Ivar to offer some efficiency benefits and to burn for longer on the same amount of fuel. Having said that given the sheer cost of the changes I would want you to benefit from a marked improvement in terms of output and burn time. To do that I would suggest that either a Clock Blithfield or a Heta Ambition are the better choices. Their extra size will give more space for fuel and a bigger output. The Ambition’s burn time is also surprisingly good, I have encountered too many people (once used to the stove) that could achieve well in excess of 12 hours, and even without trying in many cases.

​@@TheTortoise​ Thank you for such a considered and extensive reply. I had not considered the Clock, having only looked at dedicated wood burners. The height is very limited under our old stone fireplace lintle, I will do some careful measuring and comparison. The long burn performance is rarely for overnight use as I do that only a handful of times per year. We do however often leave it for a few hours mid afternoon or evening and either find it burns out in that time or cools and falls below the efficient burn range and smoulders, not really heating as a result. I found the Vision 500 in our previous house more forgiving in respect to how well it could be turned down even though it had a boiler fitted. I put that down to the small firebox I think.

Let us know how you get on.

I’ve seen one. It looks awesome, but I haven’t used it. Most appliances like that are effectively their inset stoves, placed into a freestanding convection box. They tend to look amazing when they’re burning.

It is very normal as the metal beds in. It will slowly dampen and eventually disappear, but heating and cooling sounds are completely normal.

​@@TheTortoisethat's good to know that it totally normal for stoves to click, today is our first full day burn and it does seem to be happening less so hopefully it will go eventually. What sort of temperature should I be aiming for?, the manual doesn't seem to go too much in to it, I just don't want to overfire the stove.

@@robertbailey8012 don’t be too exact, but 120°C to 200°C when measured with a thermometer on the pipe just above the stove.

Air vent positioning is all relative to the draw on the chimney, so it’s definitely a trial and error thing. To run a stove overnight there is a short video on the channel called “how to run your stove overnight”, this will give you an almost foolproof technique for overnight running.

You’ve bought an excellent stove and it is at its best without the m/f kit. I would strongly suggest forgetting coal and stick to wood. The harsh reality is what your suggesting is like buying a Ferrari and then sticking knobbly tyres on it and using it like a farm vehicle, on the one hand it’s a tragedy because you will spoil everything that is good about the stove/Ferrari, and on the other hand if that was your intention you should never have bought the Ferrari/Ivar. If you’re doing it so that you can run your stove for longer periods, then with a small amount of practice you will find that the Ivar 8 can burn for well over 8 hours on one load of logs anyway.

The issue with multi-fuel is that it splits the stoves focus, and you end up with either a brilliant coal burner or a jack of all trades that is compromised for both fuels. If you already have a lot of coal, or this is what you want to burn then great, but if you’re getting it as a just in case then I would suggest switching to a wood burner. Twin wall flues don’t tend to cause an issue, but if they go up the side of the house the stove will tend to be slightly trickier to light in the colder months. Obviously the 2 you’re looking at come as fully focused wood burning stoves, but if you would like to focus on coal the. Let me know and I can suggest some better alternatives.

The Heta is more extreme. It’s harder to use and light, but it will as a consequence achieve greater control, fuel efficiency, burn times etc. If you’re after the best then the Heta may have the edge, but for most people the Ivar is the more sensible choice. They’re both exceptional, so I don’t think you could make a bad choice.

@@TheTortoise thanks for the reply. I have used the Ivar 5 in the past. Nice te control but i don’t like the removable handle (and that is turns towards the glass when you want to open it). Didn’t get the change yet to use an ambition. But I’ll put it on my list 🔥

@@Jesse-dn2ut you can fix the handle, and you can put it on so that it sticks out and you turn it downwards to open it. I’d have a look at the Aduro 16 and Heta Inspire 45. That’s another 2 similar products that perform superbly, and may be the happy medium you’re after?

The heta ambition spills when you refuel the ivar does not so for me the ivar is a better stove as spillage is dangerous, the heta inspire does not spill

It’s not double glazed, the air system is good enough not to need it at all.

The handle cost is similar to a lot of other stoves and fairly hard to solve. The good news however is that getting the other spares is very easy. The glass will be available on my website as will a rope kit in time. The firebricks are made out of standard 1” thick vermiculite board, so I would buy a sheet in your local stove shop and you can cut them out yourself very cheaply. The other thing to mention is that you shouldn’t need these spares often. Glass can last the life of the stove, and the bricks can last up to 10yrs depending on how you use the stove (you can also destroy them in a week if you’re silly, they’re the same as tyres on a car). With regard to the Woodwarm. I’d love to have a go, you’re the 3rd person this week requesting this. I’ll give them a bell.

@@TheTortoise Thank you so much :) Good news about the glass. I will certainly bear your shop in mind for future reference. Great stuff. Not sure if there's any other bits that can go wrong in time? Hinges? The inside mech part of the handle (barrel and pin?)? As for the vermiculite, I'm up for trying that when the need arises. But having watched your "short" where you show how to remove and replace the firebricks, I noticed some are chamfered and/or profiled around edges. Is it easy to mimic that when cutting your own? I'll definitely be keeping a keen eye open for a Woodwarm review then. Fingers crossed you get one to test drive. Out of curiosity, I know you've not tried one but what do you think in principle to the "flat" riddling gate approach? having watched another of your videos - The difference between wood & multi-fuel stoves - would you put the Fireview in the jack of all trades master of none category seeing as it isn't a true wood only? We've also shortlisted the ACR Earlswood III and Astwood II. Both have a permanently open but non riddling grate. So would you say to avoid for the same reasons? Sorry for the essay and thanks again for all you do :)

@@maxdread666 vermiculite board is fairly soft so shaping is pretty easy. It’s fantastic if you’ve got a router 😆. The DG here is going definitely win this battle when burning wood, because all of these grate’s negatively affect wood burning. It’s not to say some aren’t designed very well, but the Ivar has a natural advantage. I would very much expect the Ivar and Woodwarm to have a jump in performance and quality over the ACR, but they’re probably more costly too.

It’s like picking between a Range Rover and a 4x4 Porsche. It’s really dependent on what job it’s doing. If I wanted the longest burn time (I regularly wanted to run it overnight or all day whilst at work) then I’d have the Ivar. If I wanted the best finished, most flexible and best all rounder the Heta is perhaps top dog.

Chimneys need to be used. Leaks are basically certain in unused chimneys, so if you intend to continue not using the chimney, then yes perhaps remove the stack. If alternatively you intend to sell or have a stove, then definitely rebuild the stack. Chimneys add value and so do stoves, so the best answer is always to have a chimney and to use it!

@@TheTortoise Thank you for responding. I am going for Ivar 5 and rebuilding the stack.

Sounds good.

That’s a tricky one. They are both lovely, but if I was newer to stoves or the use wasn’t as heavy the Aduro would probably top the list. For more serious use and getting the very best out of the fuel then the Ivar is the one.

@@TheTortoise That's great, thank you.

This is a bit of an occasional phenomenon with stoves and flues. It is quite normal and nothing to worry about, but this does vary from stove to stove or fireplace to fireplace. This is as suspected caused by heating and cooling and it will settle down over time, but for now (if you can) ignore it.

Hi, I would tend to start by measuring just the initial area that the stove is in. This will prevent you from over heating 1 particular space, and then not using the stove as much because it can make an area uncomfortable. Instead, what we need is to run the stove all day and night, as this will enable heat to slowly and evenly spread around the property (a bit like an AGA cooker in an old farmhouse, it heats the room by always being on, rather than drowning the space in heat). If you are thinking you will need quite a large stove as it is very open, then I would start by looking at stoves like the Dean Forge Croft small/medium, and the Heta Ambition 8. These 2 stoves are focused on serious use, and very capable of running all day whilst you’re at work, or overnight. In fact running for over 12 hours on 1 load of logs is easily possible. In terms of whether this form of heating is feasible as the main source comes entirely down to you. I grew up with stoves as the only form of heating, we had no gas or oil at all. To me this is easily possible and a really good thing to do, but it does obviously require much more work than gas and oil. My parents would buy trees, we would cut, split and stack the wood and run our whole house for literally next to nothing. And given that these were fallen trees that would of just rot, it was a very environmental option too.

@@TheTortoise Thank you for the reply. Somehow i had missed your Dean Forge Croft review video. I can tell straight away that this is the one for me. Also i love the idea of buying fallen trees for cheap. Thank you for the advice, much appreciated.

@@misstertash1701 just bear in mind, I reviewed the non Eco version. The new version has less control, so if you’re able to get hold of a Croft Medium (which hasn’t been updated) that’s the one I’d want ideally.

@@TheTortoise Thank you for your previous replies. I am now at the point where i have had surveys done and i am ready to decide on the installer. There is one installer i liked the most as he does not just survey, he would actually do the install himself as well. He suggested Ekol Clarity 8. I am finding it hard to find a recent review on this stove, Although i have seen many from 3 + years ago saying that the stove is great. I was just wondering what your opinion is on the Ekol Clarity 8? Is this a stove that i can use a lot through the winter, day and night?

@@misstertash1701 given your very serious use, I’m not convinced that this is a good option for you. The stove works well, and will run overnight with some practice and good fuel without a problem, but you’re asking too much of that stove. Once you’ve run like that for a few years most things will tire, you need something very focused on function to take that usage. The likes of the Croft medium, a big Clearview, perhaps an Ambition 8, these are better suited.

They’re both excellent. The Inspire is the best finished, and a real pleasure to use, but the Ivar has the most space for fuel and is the easiest to run overnight. It’s tricky to advise you on, because it’s like comparing a top of the range Mercedes’ with a BMW. They’re both excellent so a lot of what may drive your decision is: Look Price Availability And personal preference. The good news is I don’t think you could make a bad decision at all!

The handle is supplied as standard.

@@TheTortoise I’ve just received delivery of the stove to find there was no handle, hopefully the problem should be easily resolved.

@@Mrfaceplant99 when I got the one I tested the handle was inside the stove. It was a nightmare opening the door without the handle 😆

I would only consider a multi-fuel if you’re using at least 20% coal based fuel. Definitely don’t buy it as a just in-case, because they are far less efficient with wood. If you do need a coal burner (multi-fuel) then the Ivar 5 is the wrong choice, I would look at something with a built in riddling grate.

I am going to do insets too.

Hi @The Tortoise, thanks for your reply and advice. Another Multifuel stove i have considered, that you have reviewed is the Heta Inspire 45. I am struggling to decide if the Ivar 5 is suitable, by just burning wood. There is so much contradicting information on the internet, whether coal burns longer and generates more heat than kiln dried logs etc. I just want a stove that i can use frequently, is efficient and can keep my draughty Victorian terraced house warm over the winter. I took note of your advice about Multifuel stoves not being as efficient when burning wood. However, i do like the fact that with the Ivar 5, you can add or remove the Multi-fuel kit.

@@Gius3pp3K the issue with an add in grate is they aren’t generally very good with coal either, as they tend to be static grates with no riddling ability. Which is important for serious use, because you want to riddle the ash away from the fuel while it’s running and then keep it going. The reason for the differing advice is because of wood vs multi-fuel stoves. If you have a grate your advice will be that coal is better, but if you have a wood burner then you will realise the full efficiency of the wood and have no need for coal. In my view multi-fuel is stuck in the past. We used to be a nation built on coal, that’s what we used for almost everything (heating, trains, electricity). Time has now moved on coal isn’t used in the same way and we’re trying to move on from it. There is still old advice that you need coal to keep it in, but that is because they have a multi-fuel stove which will destroy wood burning efficiency, so they will always think that wood burns away fast. In fact wood reaches considerably higher temperatures than smokeless coal and as you can see from my reviews every single stove is tested overnight on just wood and over 90% can do it (the ones that can’t are multi-fuel) I don’t think I have tested a single wood burner that couldn’t run overnight so far. I even burnt the Charnwood Aire 3 overnight which is a tiny little stove.

@The Tortoise thank you so much for the time you have taken to reply and the detailed response. I will take your advice and look to purchase the Ivar 5 for my front room, and burn wood only. I am also in need of an insert/inset stove in my back room. Was thinking of getting a Heta Inspire 40 inset. I know you gave a glowing review of the Heta Inspire 45. I’m not sure if the Heta Inspire 40 Inset is built the same, with the ash pan at the bottom etc. Sadly there aren’t many reviews of Insert stoves around (for stoves available in the UK).

It depends hugely on what you’re trying to do with it. How many KW do you need because 6< is obviously quite a wide range? What will you be burning (mainly wood or coal based fuel)? How will it be used, for evenings and weekends, or more seriously? Is it being fitted into a chimney or a flue system? What type of property do you live in, (2 storey, old/modern)? Let me know and I’ll be able to give you the best stoves for the job.

The stove would be used to heat a 16x16 feet room with high ceilings and hopefully circulate beyond. It would be solely wood being burnt. During the winter on most evenings and days. The house is 2 storey old and draughty semi detached house. Any advice on suitable stoves would be much appreciated. I had been looking at a clearview vision 500 but they are sold out everywhere. Cheers Steve

@@stevlin101974 given the fuel you’re burning the Clearview is definitely not the best (lovely though it is). Things like: DG Ivar 8 Parkray Aspect The burley stoves surprised me and worked brilliantly. Heta Ambition 8 is almost certainly well over spec, but worth a look. Truth is you’re not asking too much of a stove, so the likes of the Aspect which is far cheaper, is probably what I’d suggest. You could look at Dru, and Dean forge for something a little more traditional. And whilst I like Charnwood, their larger stoves are so over priced it’s a little embarrassing now.

Thankyou for taking the time to answer my questions. Will let you know how i get on!

Any ideas where i may purchase a heta ambition 8 please?

Hergom are Spanish and make very heavy stoves from cast iron. The stoves look great, but I haven’t used them. All large stoves have reduced efficiency like larger engines, but the Ivar 8 is still certainly a good stove. With regard to timescale all manufacturers are coming under huge pressure, you are best either waiting or ringing round until you find someone with stock. It is a bit of a muddle at the moment for sure.

😳 too right. And I’m a stickler for things like that, I must of been under pressure 😆

I’d either buy a sheet of vermiculite board and cut them out yourself, or contact where you bought the stove.

@@TheTortoise thanks Tortoise. I have been watching many of your vids. Very informative 👍 does the multi fuel kit just sit on the base brick? Subscribed!

@@fullenglish3371 to be honest I have never sold or used one. But yes I believe it just sits on the base brick. To be honest though, it’s similar to putting off road tyres on a Ferrari, it’s sort of a bit wrong because this stove is built for wood, just like a Ferrari is no good off road the Ivar is far from a m/f stove.

@@TheTortoise what stove would you recommend which is designed as a multifuel stove, rather than just wood?

@@JessopVTS that’s a complicated question. There are tons for all sorts of uses, some are focused on coal, others are a bit more multi. Others are for serious etc etc. How big do you need, and how will you use it?