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Drolet Savannah

General Review:
Winter without heaters would certainly be a lot colder, and for those who live in forested areas, wood stoves are literally lifesavers. These days, however, there are quite a number of wood stoves out in the market with widely varying prices, which gives makes buyers consider not only necessity, but economy as well. While some heaters may go over $1,500, the Drolet Savannah is only between $600 to $700. Its price, however, belies its impressive capabilities.

Key Features:

  • The Drolet Savannah has a BTU output of 55,000.
  • Typically, it can heat an area of 1,500 sq. feet.
  • It comes with a blower and variable heat settings.
  • It can run from 4 to 7 hours on a full load, depending on the kind of wood used.
  • It has 18 inches of clearance from the side wall, 15 inches from the rear wall, and 12 inches from the corner.
  • It comes with a Lifetime Limited Warranty.
  • It can be used in mobile homes.

Advantages:
The first noticeable advantage of the Savannah is its price. $800, after all, is a lot of money to save. The fact that it's a wood stove is also an advantage since electric and gas furnaces tend to be priced a lot higher than even the most expensive wood stoves, not to mention the price of gas or generation costs for electricity. But while the Savannah does save a lot of money, it certainly doesn't save on performance. Some wood stoves have pretty weak blowers, but this one's blower feels almost like a larger fan, especially when set to high. This works great for quicker heating, especially for houses above 1,000 sq. feet. Once it's warmed up, the inside of the house is guaranteed to stay warm regardless of the outside temperature. Drolet says it can heat an area of 1,500 sq. feet, which may be a conservative estimate since the Savannah has been used on a 2,000 sq. foot house before, with the house temperature playing around 70 to 80 degrees even though the outside temperature was at 18 degrees—and on just 6 logs. It typically runs about 4 to 7 hours, but it does stay hot hours after its run. Most buyers even find red hot coals in the morning that can be used for re-heating. The air circulation is great, and on top of all that, the viewing glass stays pretty clean even after a full run.

Disadvantages:
There are some minor disadvantages, though these are, by no means, detractors to the Savannah's advantages. First, the ash pan is pretty small, and one has to be careful when pulling it out or it will spill ash. The flue collar is also just 6 inches wide, and while that isn't exactly a problem, it might  need to be adjusted if the piping it's to be connected to doesn't fit. Some may also find its simple design somewhat lacking, but it was constructed with affordability in mind, after all. The viewing glass, however, does offer a fairly nice view of the fire burning, and this certainly adds to its otherwise simple exterior.

Final Thoughts:

As mentioned earlier, wood stoves in Winter time are indispensible, but nobody wants to spend too much either. The Drolet Savannah may just be the balance between necessity and affordability. Though very simple in design, it's a lot less expensive, and it performs its function very well. Cleaning the ash pan may get a little messy, so just take care not to spill the ash when pulling it out. Aside from that and some issues with the size of the flue collar, the Savannah doesn't really have problems. A full load can heat a place for about 4 to 7 hours (maybe longer), it's very cost efficient, and it's very heat efficient. The Drolet Savannah is definitely worth the money.




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