HeartArt Posted January 22, 2020 Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 Hi! I am hoping that I can get some current feedback about kilns. I am getting ready to buy my first one and have determined an L&L , mainly because of the fantastic reviews about ease to self service and overall quality. I hope they aren’t all sale related reviews because of being distributor reps. So...is the quad upgrade necessary for the e23s, or only for the E28S? Any information someone could share about these two kilns I would appreciate. Also, is firing cost significantly different between these two sizes. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeartArt Posted January 29, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 Okay..the crickets were deafening. I especially did more research when I didn’t get a response to this question here. I found a video of someone that had bought a L&L kiln and made a video since there were none...results...the slow glaze fire setting over fired and the test cones upper and middle and lower showed uneven heat, hotter in the middle and they couldn’t line up the screws for the lid base and so four points of contact for the lid were unattached, stressing the jacket of the kiln it is attached to...in spite of, this person liked their new kiln and it was not their first. I understand that is every kiln makers hurdle concerning the heat. So, with more research I settled on and bought a Viking 27 from Paragon...Paragon tackles this problem by having beefier elements on top and bottom to compensate for the unevenness...plus a lot of other sound innovations. I get it in a month! The only thing it wont do is throw my clay for me! Im freaking excited! I did order it through Ceramic Shop as a lot of people here were very happy with customer service and that is very important, and the customer service has been wonderful as I had lots of questions. Thank you Mark and Bryson from Ceramic Shop for being so nice and knowledgeable. Thanks for the unknowing help you all gave me here too! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted January 29, 2020 Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 Hi HeartArt and welcome to the forum. Part of the reason you didn't get any replies to your initial post might have been due to the title of your thread. Makes it easier for members to skim through posts if the title reflects the content of the post; when it's a topic they are interested in theres a better chance of clicking on it. "Apples to Oranges" doesn't really say a lot about the content. Lots of happy L&L users here and I'm sure you'll be happy with your Paragon kiln, congrats on your purchase! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted January 29, 2020 Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 I totally didn't even see this thread, or I would have responded to it. I'm wondering if it didn't post properly or something, because I check this section several times a day. In regards to what you saw in that video, many kilns need some sort of calibration to get the thermocouples working perfectly. You'll may find that to be true on the Viking as well, and it's especially true as thermocouples age. That's not something unique to L&L or unusual. Kilns with zone control don't need to make the elements run hotter at the top and bottom, because the controller can make adjustments to those areas to even them out. When you only have one thermocouple, the controller is only aware of what's happening in the middle of the kiln, so they make the top and bottom element run hotter to compensate for the fact that those sections tend to run cooler and the controller can't do anything about it. If you find that your kiln is running cold in any section, you'll need to load that section lighter, and load the hotter areas more densely. Glad you found something you like. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted January 29, 2020 Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 Have found that staggering half shelves helpful in evening heating at the top - pieces there "see" more element. If you haven't ordered up shelving yet, consider the half shelves - you can "get back" the space the additional posts take up with staggering, particularly when arranging tapered pieces (bowls)... Eight cubic feet, niiiice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta12 Posted January 29, 2020 Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 I have 7 years and 800 firings on my L&L e23t. My only other kiln experience was with Skutt. Which is a fine kiln, I just knew that I would have to do my own kiln maintenance and wanted something that was for the uninitiated. Which I have found L&L to be. My husband and I have changed elements, relays, thermocouples, replaced brick, and element holders, thermocouple wires, relay wires, you name it. I have the best support person on the phone/email (Rob, high five) who has walked me through all sorts of things. If you live in an area where you are not able to call in a repair person, it is vital you have good phone support. And I have not had problems with uneven heating. The 3 zones are great! I know there are many people who are very happy with their paragon kilns. Just make certain you have good support for those problems that come up at the most inopportune times!! I didn't see this post either. Weird. I love posts about kilns. I always learn something. Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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