The Pipsqueak stove is perfect for those on a budget but won’t suit everyone

The Pipsqueak Wood Stove is a small cast iron stove for vans, RVs, campers, boats, bell tents, and sheds.

At a price of only £300/US$380 on eBay, it’s an affordable heating appliance for small living spaces under 28 square meters/300 square feet. It’s not certified for use in houses and is only recommended for use as a portable or temporary wood-burning stove.

The Pipsqueak is suitable for burning wood, coal, or other solid fuels like pellets or briquettes. It has a low heat output of 2 – 3 kW, making it well and truly one of the smallest wood stoves out there.

If you’re on a budget, you can’t go wrong with the Pipsqueak Stove. However, it won’t be the best small wood stove for everybody. Here’s why.

Pipsqueak Wood Stove

The Pipsqueak stove is a great little wood burner for a range of tiny structures.

We’ve seen it installed in vans, small cabins, sailboats, long boats, RVs, mobile homes, school bus conversions, and as a wood stove for tiny houses. In the UK, it’s a popular wood stove for sheds and other small outbuildings.

Stuart Bradford from puttydust_creations has the Pipsqueak stove installed in his hut, as you can see in the following pictures.

This is a ‘Shepherds Hut’, ‘tea hut’, or, as Stuart calls it, ‘The Hut On Wheels!’

The stove doesn’t take up much space at all, and with proper heat shields, doesn’t require much clearance either.

Stuart’s hut isn’t bigger than 10 square meters, which is the perfect sized space for the Pipsqueak stove.

If you don’t try to install the Pipsqueak into a space too big for it, it will keep you warm in even the coldest weather, even if your space isn’t well insulated.

While some people buy the Pipsqueak for use in more expensive spaces like boats and tiny houses, we think it’s most suited for spaces like Stuart’s. Sheds, huts, hunting cabins, and other rustic dwellings are better suited to the Pipsqueak aesthetic and price.

Specs and features

• 10,000 BTUs
• 2 – 3 kW output
• 44cm tall x 31cm wide x 38cm deep (17″ tall x 12″ wide x 15″ deep)

The Pipsqueak wood-burning stove is made from cast iron and can be used with both wood and coal.

It has a classic or traditional look that isn’t as suited to modern fit-outs, but which does suit a ton of other styles.

You’ll see the tiny glass window through which you can view the fire, and it has a helpful removable ash pan for easy cleanout.

Another standout feature is the rear flue vent.

This means you can make use of the entire stovetop, making it excellent for cooking. You can also remove the cap off the top of the stove so that the flames have direct contact with your pot or pan.

These are useful features that aren’t an option with all stoves. For example, Cubic Mini Stoves only vent from the top. On the other hand, the Dwarf Stoves have the option of either top OR back venting.

Other important specs and features:

• Air controls
• Requires 3″ stove pipe / 80mm
• Comes with a cast iron base
• Weighs 55 lbs / 25 kgs
• Made in China, assembled in the UK
• Coal bar
• Comes with fire utensils

Because the Pipsqueak is a cast iron stove, it will rust if it gets wet or water/liquid is left on it. If you have a pot that boils over while you’re cooking, make sure you dry down the stove once it’s gone out and cooled down – if the moisture hasn’t already evaporated, that is.

Generally speaking, this stove is easy to install, and the required 3-inch stove pipes and kits are readily available in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

For example, in the US, you could use the flue kit builder at Tiny Wood Homes to get what you need. Amazon also has a wide range of 3-inch pipe and exit kits.

If in doubt, speak with a professional about the precise requirements for your structure. Also consider local ordinances and regulations which sometimes limit, restrict, or require licenses for stove installation.

Pipsqueak Stove reviews

Check out the Pipsqueak stove unboxing and review in this video!

The Pipsqueak is positively reviewed by almost all users.

These are real buyer comments from the eBay listing:

• “An Amazing stove, delivery was very slow with poor communication from the courier, the price was so good we are still delighted.”
• “Pleased with my purchase. Everything is as described. A quality stove for the money. Good value.”
• “Great service, high-quality stove and packaging. Thank you.”
• “Really pleased with the quality and look of the stove.”
• “Pipsqueak just arrived. Thank you. Great little stove.”
• “Perfect, really excellent service and a splendid little stove. Highly recommended. Thank you.”
• “Good looking stove – well packed and safely delivered.”
• “Super quality stove arrived promptly, faultless transaction, many thanks.”
• “Excellent little stove! Great value for the money, would definitely recommend.”
• “Fantastic communication, start 2 finish. Wonderful stove. Love it. Thanks!”
• “Beautiful little fire, so cute, happy to recommend Savvysurf, thanks.”

And one eBay user left this other longer review:

We are so pleased with this purchase! Currently WFH in front of a roaring fire…. Easy to install with the right tools and pipework! Would recommend this seller for sure! Arrived a week earlier too!

Another review commented that the ash pan was very small, which is one downside:

Not fitted yet but looks a nice stove and very heavy, seems well made, but has a very small ash tray in the bottom of the fire.

And someone else shared air intake issues:

Fantastic. Fire put out plenty of heat but you cannot control the air intake. The bottom door is not sealed I’m going to be converting it.

We haven’t been able to find any completely bad or negative reviews of the Pipsqueak Stove.

It’s cheaper than a lot of other mini wood stoves (not including shipping), but it is fairly no-frills.

While it’s easy to use, some people do have trouble maximizing the amount of heat they get out of it without having to frequently reload wood, which quickly becomes annoying.

However, the fact that it has the rear flue exit, and because of its heavy-duty construction, the Pipsqueak overall gets a very good rating.

Pros:

• The rear vent gives a larger cooktop
• Affordable for those with a low budget
• Looks great in its traditional style
• A removable ash pan means you can keep burning while cleaning
• Comes with a solid case iron base

Cons:

• Cast iron will rust if it gets and stays wet
• No top vent option if that is preferred
• Difficult to find in the US and expensive to ship from the UK

The biggest pro is that the Pipsqueak does the job – it will heat your small space and be useful for cooking.

The biggest con is just that it lacks the extra features that some stoves have. It doesn’t have extra airflow controls, air inlets, space for fire bricks, or a very large window.

Also, it’s difficult to buy at a reasonable price in North America. The Capybara Wood Stove is a better option as it’s sold in the US and even cheaper than the Pipsqueak.

Where to buy

Where can you buy a Pipsqueak wood stove?

These are the retailers that offer it:

• Amazon in the UK
• eBay in the US (new)
• eBay in the US (second hand)

Other retailers used to import the Pipsqueak into the US and Canada, but this appears to have stopped.

As an alternative, there are a lot of great US brands selling good tiny wood stoves. Unfortunately, it’s not economical to be bringing over heavy items like the Pipsqueak anymore.

Pipsqueak Stoves

So, that’s the Pipsqueak Stove!

They’re a great little stove for the right person or people, and they’re known for being durable over time. Cast iron is a reliable material for stove construction. They’ll stand up to a lot of use over many years and continually perform well.

Check out these other recommended RV stoves if you need more ideas for homes on wheels, or this list of EPA certified mini wood stoves, if you want something that can be ticked off.