[Laddybuck]

Lately I've been shopping around for a super smelter to make all my favorite blocks that make most people sick. I tried some Mumbo designs and other popular speedy builds, but what I want in an array is deceptively simple.

All I want is a furnace that can work faster than a six-hopper (my usual go-to) and self-sufficiently without wasting too much fuel, and with the capability to use effectively any fuel (I make a lot of extraneous wood products, don't ask) without breaking.

After messing around with minecarts and such, I accidentally built a really dumb design that's everything I'm looking for. It uses nothing but hoppers (which isn't a problem for me, having built an iron farm with the express purpose of supplying iron for hoppers for furnace arrays), and as far as I've seen requires no babying or managing.

It led me to wonder what you all value in a furnace. Do you throw fuel concerns to the wind, all in the name of blazing speed? Or do you take a more measured approach to maintain a level of efficiency?

[clangedinn]

I have not gotten one up and running on Surv2 as of yet but we tend to stick close to the mumbo design with 6 furnaces and minecarts.  There was an issue where our minecart would disappear on surv1 once in a while.  as for fuel, once you have a decent tree farm up and running you can survive on charcoal.

[Laddybuck]

Yes, I've come to realize charcoal or mushroom blocks are my best option in the End. I've modified my hopper furnace (nicknamed 'Charlie-O') to cycle fuel continually, and will eventually hook up the system to feed charcoal it produces directly back into itself.

[Attila]

Another design, but it is quite old, is one of Tango Tek's furnace arrays, I think it still works to this day.

I'll put a link to his video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acKnjrKSqzI

[Brianetta]

Another design, but it is quite old, is one of Tango Tek's furnace arrays, I think it still works to this day.

I'll put a link to his video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acKnjrKSqzI

They kind of work on our server, but they're not synchronised. Spigot takes a lot of shortcuts with hopper timing in an attempt to increase performance, so you'll find some furnaces empty while the ones next to them get double the amount of items.

Minecart based arrays are a lot better, although still not perfect.

[Attila]

They kind of work on our server, but they're not synchronised. Spigot takes a lot of shortcuts with hopper timing in an attempt to increase performance, so you'll find some furnaces empty while the ones next to them get double the amount of items.

Minecart based arrays are a lot better, although still not perfect.

That kinda stinks. I mean that is just poor coding with Spigot, like it should not have that happen at all. . . sigh.

[Gawin]

I use a very old design that uses mine carts. It is infinity scaleable. I have mine at 8 rite now. Just remember to prevent waste do not load it with anything less than full stacks. This way each furnace gets items in batches of 8 so its 1 coal to 8 items. For anything less I manually load it. 

[leetzilla]

A little late but I think I found it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTkdxZRVbzI

It's kind of expensive but it's a beast.