When it comes to wood burning fire pits, you need something that can stand up to the heat, has a great design and fits with the decor of your backyard patio. The Landmann 23-1/2-Inch Savannah Garden Light Fire Pit is an incredible option with its deep fire pit design, full 360 degree heat radius and solid steel construction. Let take a quick at the pros and cons of this unit before we move into the detailed section of the fire pit review.
One of the best things about this wood burning fire pit is how quick and easy it was to set up. From start to finish we were able to have the Landmann fire pit fully assembled in only 11 minutes. Comparing the assembly time to the Endless Summer and BCP propane fire pits which take hours to assemble, it was easy for us to see the allure of a nice simple design. Assembly consisted of attaching the four legs to the fire pit and mounting a few supporting tabs for the spark guard. An adjustable wrench is needed to tighten everything down, but a socket wrench is a better option if you have one available.
Once the fire pit was fully assembled we slipped the included top on and were pleased so the attached spark screen went all the way to the bottom of the unit. This is a plus because there is no way for the top to be knocked off and all of the embers are going to be nicely contained within the wood fire pit. The deep pit design also lets you place larger 18″ logs within it and still be able to close the top.
We did notice however that there were no drainage holes in the bottom of the fire pit. For a fire pit with an all steel construction we were very worried about potential rust damage if the unit held water. To remedy this, we grabbed our power drill and placed six 1/4″ holes in a circle around the base to let any water drain out. At the same time we added in about 5 lbs (1 inch) of sand to the base of the unit. We found that without the sand the base of the fire pit was hot enough to scorch the grass underneath it, something we were not keen on having happen. Digging a little deeper into that flaw we found the root cause was the thickness of the metal. Overall the sheet metal used was fairly thin and let a lot of heat escape, which for keeping warm is great, but we would have like to have seen slightly thicker metal on the bottom of the fire bowl.
To prevent future rusting we gave the entire fire pit a coating of Krylon High Temperature Black paint. Being made of steel and with us being located in the humid south, rust is going to be a serious problem. With the Krylon paint application we should be rust free for many seasons. We bring this up because a few other owners have had some issues with the standard paint falling off and the steel beginning to rust, even with a cover.
Speaking of the cover we found that while the included one did completely cover the unit, it was not very water resistant and we had reservations about using it long term. Instead we opted to grab a Landmann USA 29300 Big Sky Fire Pit Cover. This 30″ water resistant cover is far superior the the included one and will really help to extend the life of your wood fire pit. The below picture is of the Big Sky Fire Pit Cover, not the included one.
Now that the unit was fully assembled and the paint had dried, we were able to accurately gauge the size of the unit. At 23-1/2″ wide the Landmann Savannah Garden Light Fire Pit is the perfect size for small to medium sized backyards. If you have a larger space you might want to upgrade to a 30″+ diameter fire pit to ensure you have something that fits the space. While this specific model doesn’t have adjustable feet to level it, we found that the lightweight construction of the unit made it very easy to re-position and find that perfect spot so it didn’t wobble. The size of the unit also makes it a breeze to fit in your vehicle for picnics and weekend camping trips.
As night fell, we filled the Landmann fire pit full of nice dry seasoned wood and started our first blaze. Unlike propane fire pits, starting a wood burning fire pit is a bit more tricky. You need to do a bit of work with some kindling, small sticks and larger logs to get the fire burning. In more humid conditions, a healthy dose of lighter fluid doesn’t hurt either.
As the flames started to build we noticed a bit of smoke coming out of the fire pit, but the ample ventilation holes did a great job of letting it float lazily upwards. Because this unit is so close to the ground, any wind might cause the smoke to blow directly on you, so keep that in mind when your looking for a spot to put this fire pit.
Because we had added in play sand before starting the fire, the underside of the unit did not cause our grass to scorch, yet still provided enough heat to keep our feet warm as the temperature dropped. A steel poker was also included with the Savannah Garden Light Fire Pit, it is a simple two part design that screws together, while not fancy it did get the job done. We were able to use it to lift the hot lid of the fire pit and add more wood when our first bunch burned low.
As the night wore on we were extremely please with the coarse grating that surrounded the wood fire pit. It allowed tons of heat to be released in all directions and kept everyone warm. We built up the fire a bit more and found that we had to sit back a bit as the heat was a bit too intense, a great problem to have in our book.
Overall this is an excellent unit that makes for a great addition to any backyard. The spark screen does a perfect job of keeping embers of our grass and the well ventilated fire pit disperses vast amounts of heat in all directions. We do recommend you rust proof the metal before using it as this steel wood burning fire pit is pron to rusting, especially in humid conditions. The included fire poker and cover are both adequate and do the job, but should be replaced when you get a chance. In summary this is a great wood burning fire pit at an excellent price point. The Landmann 26364 23-1/2-Inch Savannah Garden Light Fire Pit will go a long way to improving the overall look of your backyard and let you create the perfect outdoor escape.
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