US Stove BKAD500 Double Barrel Camp Stove Adapter Kit

THIS KIT CONTAINS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO DOUBLE THE HEATING CAPACITY OF YOUR BARREL WOOD STOVE. IT HAS TWO LEGS TO MOUNT ON TOP OF THE EXISTING BARREL AND THE ADAPTOR PLATES FOR THE 6" STOVE PIPES. WORKS GREAT!

The kit is made sturdy and works, the only thing i didn't like is the angles do not line up flat on the barrell....they are slightly off. While that does not effect the performance, it just doesnt look as good as it should. ie the feet are flat and should be slightly curved to match the contour of the barrel. B+

I bought a barrel (double thickness) from the local auto parts store for $20 (actually two at $20 a piece, as I also got the second barrel kit, which more than doubles the heat output). After cementing in some heat transfer stones (you know the ones you use in your propane bbq broilers) with fireplace mortor, placing a narrow fireplace grate into the stove, I had a working wood stove. I combined this with the 2nd barrel (Item# 16161) kit and a heat transfer unit (item# 172781), I had a way to heat the back half of my house using just scrap wood from the local tree trimming services and broken pallets from the local car dealer, printing shop and that auto parts place. (Note: To anyone considering this, make sure you measure where your bottom barrel outlet is in relation to the end cap, and make sure you mock up the top barrel before drilling holes and cutting the transfer pipe between, or you will have an awful time getting the top barrel to work properly). Placing an all metal rack (Make sure it's steel, not aluminum, or it will bend from the heat) a couple of feet above the 2nd barrel, allows me to dry out the next batch of wood, as well as humidifying the area when I have wet wood. Cutting two duct openings into the floor about a foot on either side above the top barrel, and placing square contractors thermostatically controlled fans, allows all the extra heat from the top barrel to move into the upstairs living space. I combine this with an inexpensive house fan placed in the door of the room above the stove to move the heat to the rest of the back half of the house. Adding a duct to cover the outlet of the heat exchanger and ducted upstairs (2nd story), as well as placing some internal ducting into the transfer unit (to prevent back pressure of the hot air), I had a wonderful way to slash my heating budget. All for less than $300. I have used it for two heating seasons, and I expect to be able to do this for years to come. A great set of products from Vogelzang and Magic Heat!

Every factory built wood stove uses baffles or internal flues and dampers to extend the smoke path inside the stove. This allows for greater heat transfer before the smoke goes up the flue. Barrel stoves do not have that option. They are a firebox under a flue. A lot of heat leaves the house. A second barrel on top of the stove is a way to capture some of that heat. I gave this unit 4 stars instead of 5 because the installation is a bit fiddly. The feet are designed for a 30 or 55 gallon drum. The arc of the round surfaces on the two drums is different. You have to line things up, prefit, measure twice and cut once before you start drilling holes. It's not rocket science. The work will be worth it when you feel the heat radiating from the second drum.

ok i bought all the parts to make the top and bottom. the bottom barrel went together no problem. The top barrel however was a bit problematic. Simply because the second top barrel bracket was cast at an angle causing the connector pipe to seperate from the collars when tightening down the nuts. I finally just put it aside and let the rear of the top barrels stand on the collars and connecting pipe. if your not used to working by feel or working blind this kit might be hard for you. you have to stick your hands into places you can't see. Otherwise this thing kicks, so hot you can barely stand next to it. Also the first fire will cause some smoking of the paint and epoxy on the barrels so be prepared to vent the area for a while.

Overall, the product works, but it's not nearly as well done as it should be for the price. Primary complaints - the "feet" are beveled rather than level. They don't make consistent contact with the surface of the barrels. Second issue is that the holes for the screw insertion on the feet are placed too far toward the outside edges where the main vertical brace is placed. This makes it difficult to screw the nuts onto the bolts used to connect the legs to the barrels. The overall product is about 75 to 80% right. Changes to the design would bring it up to about 100%.

It missing pipe between two barrels and top pipe and you need make sure to provide pipe at least because price

attaching the two barrels together is impossible with this Kit. The castings are all uneven and don't conform to the shape of the barrel and they give you all nuts and bolts. You can't get your hand inside the top barrel to put on the nuts. they should have used self tappers or somthing different to attach top barrel to leg supports once they are attaced to the bottom barrel. I may have to cut holes into the ends of the top barrel to get the nuts onto the screws, then patch the barrel.

where to stat? well first the instructions i go t were for the bottom part..... what? so i have 2 of those and nothing for the top! The Parts do NOT fit any barrel as they suggest(check the spacing of the ring of your barrels). The angles on the mounts are so off they just don't make any kind of sense . and while trying to figure this out one the mounts fell over and well.... is now in two pieces and had i got the 2 barrels to mount up there would have been a 2" gap between the bottom and top fittings I could have cut some pipe to fix that but why? don't they test this stuff? i would never attempt this again! money up in smoke ..but not the way i would have liked it go (I would have gave this 0 stars but they wouldn't let me!) Think twice and ask around you may have better luck than me. I know my way around tools, now I'll take some angle iron and make something that will work! ( Should have done that first, )it won't look as nice but it will work

The kit I got only had the top! And it in possible to call company, or get them to call back. I even read the answers to the questions about what parts come with the kit, and the company answered with the "the door and legs", the bottom part. The kit does not come as shown. And the cost to return is high. NOT HAPPY with Walmart or the Company