Steve NW WI
Unwanted Riff Raff.
The time for a new stove is coming soon. My old Woodchuck furnace (not tied to ductwork, just dumping hot air into the basement) has been welded up a few times now in different places, and I want something more efficient as well.
Since last fall, I've been cutting all my wood to 16" for more flexibility in choosing a new stove, and this week the last 3 cords of 24" wood will be coming inside to get burned, so in the next 2 months, I'll be pulling the trigger on a new unit.
I've been scouring Craigslist for deals on used, but haven't been able to find anything that I liked, was in good shape, and not new or close to it price, so I've decided it will probably be a brand new unit.
I'm heating about 2000 sq ft, average insulation and windows being replaced one or two at a time, so constantly improving where I can. Propain backup when I'm gone that I can't stand the sound of...
I don't have a huge budget, and I'm frug...err cheap. I've looked at a bunch of stoves, and what I like are those with a bigger firebox for when I'm gone 12+ hours a day, and a pedestal base. Legs look cute, but the base seems more practical to me. I'll probably be willing to spend $2000 if there's dang good reason to, otherwise I have plenty of other places to put my money to work, so until it gets to the point where inexpensive turns to cheap (as in junk), I'll save pennies where I can.
So far, the leading contenders are the Englander NC-30 and the Drolet HT-2000. Both are similar in size, and can be had locally for not a lot over a grand. Specs are similar, with the Drolet 75lbs heavier, higher in claimed output (75,000 for the NC, 95,000 for the HT), but a bit higher in emissions (not sure how that factors in, or how important it is to me) 3.6 for HT, 1.6 for the NC. Drolet is listed at 78% efficient, the Englander isn't listed on their site, both are listed at 63% on the EPA list.
So, basically, I'd like some input to break the tie on my two choices, or feel free to try and convince me I need something else. The check's not written yet.
Since last fall, I've been cutting all my wood to 16" for more flexibility in choosing a new stove, and this week the last 3 cords of 24" wood will be coming inside to get burned, so in the next 2 months, I'll be pulling the trigger on a new unit.
I've been scouring Craigslist for deals on used, but haven't been able to find anything that I liked, was in good shape, and not new or close to it price, so I've decided it will probably be a brand new unit.
I'm heating about 2000 sq ft, average insulation and windows being replaced one or two at a time, so constantly improving where I can. Propain backup when I'm gone that I can't stand the sound of...
I don't have a huge budget, and I'm frug...err cheap. I've looked at a bunch of stoves, and what I like are those with a bigger firebox for when I'm gone 12+ hours a day, and a pedestal base. Legs look cute, but the base seems more practical to me. I'll probably be willing to spend $2000 if there's dang good reason to, otherwise I have plenty of other places to put my money to work, so until it gets to the point where inexpensive turns to cheap (as in junk), I'll save pennies where I can.
So far, the leading contenders are the Englander NC-30 and the Drolet HT-2000. Both are similar in size, and can be had locally for not a lot over a grand. Specs are similar, with the Drolet 75lbs heavier, higher in claimed output (75,000 for the NC, 95,000 for the HT), but a bit higher in emissions (not sure how that factors in, or how important it is to me) 3.6 for HT, 1.6 for the NC. Drolet is listed at 78% efficient, the Englander isn't listed on their site, both are listed at 63% on the EPA list.
So, basically, I'd like some input to break the tie on my two choices, or feel free to try and convince me I need something else. The check's not written yet.