After learning to use a cookstove with my old Homecomfort the time has come to move up to a newer (read not worn out),more efficient cookstove. After reading nearly every ad and website I have settled on the Pioneer Maid. Before the order goes in I would really like to hear from any of you that own and use them. Also, if you are very happy with another brand that would be a big help. Thanks to all. Tim

-- Tim Price (TimNCaseyPrice@aol.com), January 16, 2001

Answers

Call Lehman's. In August of '99, we had everything ready to order our Pioneer Maid, and the one in charge of orders came on the (phone)line and told us not to waste our money. That the person who made them had "lost his knack" and they were getting nothing but complaints about ill-fitting pieces, and missing parts. Hopefully, it's improved by now, but call Lehman's, obviously, they won't lie to you. We ended up with a Sweetheart, but got it through a local woodstove dealer, when we took a picture and description from Lehman's in about getting the right stove-pipe. Saved about $1,000 dollars, plus we are in one of the few areas where Lehman's "free delivery in the lower 48" didn't apply. Do More Research! Kathie

-- Kathie in Western Washington (twinrosefarm@worldnet.att.net), January 17, 2001.

I have a Waterford Stanley that I am very pleased with. We bought the water jacket and that works very well. The Stanley does not have the old time looks that most people want in a wood stove but I think it is really pretty. It bakes evenly and it was the first wood cook stove I ever had or cooked on and it was very easy to learn to use. It is in the Lehman's catalog but you can probably find it cheaper but you can at least see a picture and read the specs.

-- Artie Ann Karns (rokarns@arkansas.net), January 17, 2001.

Tim... I owned a Pioneer Maid the second year they came out... if memory serves me right.. about 1983.. what a big mistake...never buy anything in the first three years of being made...

I think at that time they were made in Ohio.. then later Canada... their goal was to make this great stove... but the first ones had a stainless steel oven bottom... and regardless how hard I tried...I could not bake anything in it... and after endless letters of complaint... and then we readied to sell it (1990) to an amish family (who is still using it today mine you... well built in one regards)... the company sent us the normal porcelain oven bottom.. but we had to pay to have it replace...

It would burn thru the wooden knobs that were the draft adjustors... continuely buying new knobs... of course, that might be changed now.....evidentally my hubby mounted a draft control that is similar to those on other free standing wood stove... where it would automatically open and close when needed air... otherwise... we went crazy with trying to find the correct setting so it would burn properly, this would be only at night ... day burning was no problem

We learned to keep an nice bed of ashed on the bottom... and yet we cut the wood about 15" long so nighttime filling would result in the wood standing on end not on its side like most stoves... the only way one could really fill the stove full... because of the top loading features... it isn't as handy in filling...

There were alot of pluses with the stove, Tim... don't get me wrong... I like the water reservoir... we put a drain with a turning handle to drain the water out for use... today I would install a gate value... just a 1/4 turn... make sure to put a long enough pipe nipple to extend down... otherwise is a regular facuet (circular type)... you are continuely hitting your knuckles... egads!!!

The water was never scalding hot.. as you have to keep that stove HOT! in order to have hot water... but it was always comfortable enough for dishwashing... with a regular burn...

The top held up nice... not alot of ripples or unevenenss... I really liked that aspect... and not a lot of seams to have "junk" fall into..

Cleaning around the oven ... either installing ashes to keep the oven insulated... or maintenance... was more difficult... and ours was on an insulated chimney... and didn't have lots of problems with creosote.. course, we always made certain it was dried wood cured about a year...

I presently own a Monarch woodcookstove...the price was right... as I thought I wouldn't want another wood cookstove... it is more ornate... and not a big firewood... unlike the Pioneer Maid... but since I don't need a cookstove to hold a fire all night... I can get by with it... I heat the house regularly with another amish built freestanding wood stove... a Hitzer.. and I love it!!!!!

If I was buying new... I would look into the Kitchen Queen... I think built by the amish too... Very similar to the Pioneer Maid... but has a front door to swing open to fill the stove at night... they perfected some the the Pioneer Maid's problems... and those I know that have them... like them... they have 2 models... big and small... kinda like an apartment size stove...

amish no longer live here in my community.. and thus I can't help you with a dealer... and the dealers would be amish...

if you are really interested in info on the Kitchen Queen... I am looking to head south on a amish settlement to get dry goods ( bulk groceries)soon... I could ask for dealers then... but you would have to write me Tim...

-- Mary Ann (peanut@wi-net.com), January 17, 2001.

We've had a Pioneer Maid for 1 1/4 years now, and we just love it! The only other experience I've had with a wood cookstove is my old antique model on our porch (for summer cooking) - love it too, but it's clearly just for cooking with. We heat with our Maid and have no problem keeping a fire going in it all night - nice big firebox with firebrick. I love the reservoir - it's usually too hot for me to wash my hair with - have to add some cold to it (we don't have running water). It's easy to keep clean, too, and has a huge oven. Now, for the minuses we've found - we don't like loading the wood from the top, as sometimes smoke just billows right out - at least we know the smoke detector is working! We re-did the handles, and they work much better now. Other than that, we're very happy with our purchase - we do most of our cooking (when we don't cheat with the microwave or hot plate) and all of our canning on it in the winter (use the one on the porch in the summer. Hope this helps! Good luck with your purchase!

-- Rick & Leslie W (whomestead@hotmail.com), January 17, 2001.

We have a pioneer made and we love it.We had another cookstove previously.I would highly recommend one.It is airtight,holds a fire all night easily.I can boil water without adding wood and the ash drawer holds alot ,so your not emptying alot.The smaller version is called a bakers choice and is not sold as airtight.They openly tell you it is a workhorse and not a "pretty stove"It is the only stove used in the amish community here.I have found them to stand behind their stove and parts.Mark stohl passed away 2 yrs ago and with y2k they couldn't keep up the demand.Lehmans was begging for stoves so I don't know why they would sat that...teri

-- teri (mrs_smurf2000@yahoo.ca), January 17, 2001.

They are made an hour from me in the amish if you were close you could come and see ours...teri

-- teri (mrs_smurf2000@yahoo.ca), January 17, 2001.

Thank you to all for your responses. I am on the coast in SC and stoves dealers are a bit hard to find, as in fact are stove users, so your imput is indeed very welcome. Mary Ann, I could not find "Kitchen Queen" but did find the "Energy Queen", made by the Amish in MT. The stove is very much like the "Pioneer Maid" but a little more high tech with some different features. Maybe by next fall I will have made up my mind. Again, thanks for all your help. Tim

-- Tim Price (TimNCaseyPrice@aol.com), January 17, 2001.

MaryAnn, if you still see this please respond where you found the autodraft you added to your range. I have a 20 year old Sotz heating stove with an only slightly newer universal fit autodraft (fits over draft opening on stove door) also from Sotz. Sotz is long out of buisiness. Love that auto-draft and would like a spare since little bimetal spring is getting lot years on it. Figured the autodraft survived in one form or another since it was simple and worked great unless maybe EPA had already banned them or something. Tried emailing you directly at address above, but mail was returned. If anybody else knows what I am talking about and has info, feel free to respond. Thanks.

-- Hermit John (hermit@hilltop_homestead.zzn.com), January 18, 2001.

Hermit John... your personal e-mail is being rejected here too...

I don't think we had a Sotz on our Pioneer Maid... as I don't recall the brand name.... whoops!!!! And the former stove is about 150 miles from me at present...

if I remember.. I will let you know...

must be the time of remembering odd things... the eldest son came home last night asking about our former waste oil burner..and I couldn't remember that name either... we heated with waste oil for several years with great success... and my son's boss is interested in such a burner... a no brainer... its a oil changing place... free oil per say... only gets $0.08 per gallon for selling the waste oil.

I'll do some thinking.. and searching... have you done an engine search yet???

-- Mary Ann (peanut@wi-net.com), January 18, 2001.

Thanks MaryAnn, if you remember name of add on autodraft let me know or post it here on Countryside. My email doesnt show quite right since the blue underline hides the "_". Makes it look like a space. My email is hermit@hilltop_homestead.zzn.com Thanks. I did try several search engines and no luck although interestingly one search engine picked up an old post I made here asking about the autodraft.

-- Hermit John (hermit@hilltop_homestead.zzn.com), January 18, 2001.

We have had our Pioneer Maid for about a year now and we use it for both cooking and heating our 1000 sq ft house. It does a fine job of both. If I were buying another stove now it would be a Pioneer Maid. Good luck, Doug

-- Doug in KY (toadshutes@yahoo.com), January 19, 2001.

When we were looking I heard not alot of good about Pioneer Maids. We had some friends that had ordered a Kitchen Queen (its a very nice, well made stove) but the backorder at the time was too long. We saw an ad in The Budget (an Amish newspaper)for a stove co. called Margin. They are a small Mennonite co. out of Ontario. One of their distributors was near us so we went to see their stove - called the Flameview. It was real nice. Similar in looks to the other above mentioned stoves with a glass side loading door so you can monitor the fire. Large oven, huge firebox, solid stainless cooktop and its airtight. It will heat your house as well as cook. We ended up getting a model called the Gem because we liked the old fashioned look of it. (Its almost identical to an Oval). Although our model was not an airtight, it performed wonderfully. Large oven, and firebox. We've since moved and sold the stove with the house but when we buy another this is the company we'll buy from. They were comparatively cheap and well made. We bought a Waterford Stanley prior to getting this stove and sent it back it was so poorly made. Very rough construction. I wouldn't recommend one. Margin Stoves number is (519)-638-3602.

-- Amy (gshep@aeroinc.net), January 23, 2001.