The Dru 64 is a big and powerful, fully cast iron stove from Holland. What's most impressive is they appear to have got it to pass all the modern requirements without any changes to the internal design. It's not alone with this, but for its size it is exceptional.
It comes in 4 main sizes:
Dru 44 m/f
Dru 55 m/f
Dru 64 wood
Dru 78 wood
The larger sizes are both wood, and the smaller are multi-fuel, but all have an ash pan. The wood versions have a slightly fiddly way of getting the ash into the pan, but the multi-fuel smaller models have traditional riddling grates to drop ash into the pan quickly and easily. The larger models also benefit from a side opening door, which is not only interesting and fun, but very useful when trying to load larger pieces of wood. They all have a removable S/S handle, which can be permanently fixed in place if you choose, but the larger sizes often need it to remain removable so that you can open the ash-pan and side doors.
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Lighting the stove: 7/10
This stove despite it's size was easy to establish a draw and get the fire going. It's obviously a big beast, so you'd expect it to take longer than most, but it's in no way tricky.
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Cleanness: 4/10
It ran nicely clean, but given it's size it's also pretty easy for it to cloud up. If it is running hot with dry fuel then there is no struggle, but given that most of these stoves will be bought as more serious heating solutions it won't run spotless. It's a tricky one to wait, because it is so dramatically affected by the user, but given it's capability of running clean it feels unfair to mark it down, despite the fact that most users will probably not run it clean.
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Controls & Controllability: 5/10
The handle is is great is lots of ways, stays cool, all S/S. The downside is that you can lose it, and you get 1 handle for 3 doors, so you do need to move it around rather than fix it in place. The controls are under the ash lip, just below the lower door. There are 2 and they twist up and down to turn the stove up and down, they work well, particularly given this stoves size. This stove is also nicely put together, it is extremely heavy and well finished.
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Fuel economy & Burn time: 7/10
This stove is huge, and that must be considered when looking at fuel economy. It is also capable of being loaded up and burning for many hours, but you will find significant improvements in burn time, once you built up some ash. If this stove is kept clean, you will use more fuel and will struggle to keep it in for longer periods. But if you allow it to fill with ash and close it down, you will find it to be very competent at burning all night or all day whilst you're out at work.
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Who's it for:
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This is a real rarity nowadays. A big beast that ticks all the efficiency and clean burning requirements, and is high quality & cast iron. There really aren't many real competitors, so if you have a big space to heat and you want to get the most out of your wood, this should certainly be on your short list. It has a traditional look, which will either suit you or not, but from a function point of view, it will surely suit any potential buyer of a stove this size.Â
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