Wood stove research

[Haywire Haywood]

I am considering putting in a wood stove sometime before winter '07-08. Might as well since I love cutting firewood. I seem to have read somewhere that the EPA non-cat stoves are better in the long haul than the cat ones. The cats burn out and are expensive to replace I think was the complaint.

Can someone provide me with some insight on stove choice? I'm looking for a free standing stove that'll heat about 1200 sq ft. My home is 1800, but I'd rather have a smaller stove for supplimental heat rather than a huge one. Preferably one of the glass front models, and one that is pleasing to the eye when not in use.

What's the difference between the cast iron stoves and the plate steel ones?

thanks,
Ian

 

[Pcoz88]

ck out soapstone stoves

I have a wood stock soapstone stove and its great.:jawdrop: Yes it has a cat but it has a lever to bypass the cat if you want too.

Woodstove.com
Ck them out.

Pete

 

[RoosterBoy]

i have a avalon wood stove and they are a great stove and company
you can see it in action by checking out my stove video

thanks
Jason

 

[hockeypuck]

woodstove

Do yourself a favor and get a top load stove like the Vermont Casting Reliant. That is the perfect size for the space you want to heat. Top loader has less of a chance in letting hot coals spill out the front during loading.

Puck

 

[Haywire Haywood]

won't a top loader smoke excessively when you open the top?

Ian

 

[NYH1]

I have a Avalon Rainier wood stove insert. Mine go's right in the fireplace. Here is Avalon's free standing version of the Rainier. Lopi, Regency and Buck are supposed to be really good as well. Most of these wood stoves you can also put a small blower on them too. The blowers seem to work pretty good.

P.S. don't you post at Gray Beard Outdoors as well. I'm New York Hunter over there!

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Thanks for the links..
I'm Haywire Haywood over there, don't post much anymore, but check the new posts in the NEF forum about once a week.

Ian

 

[logbutcher]

Good Wood Stoves

Unless the quality, workmanship, and warranty have changed drastically in the past couple of years, stay away from the "Vermont Castings" brand stoves. We've had 5 VC stoves since the 80's in 3 places. The ones made after 1995 were NOT the same as stoves made by the original Vermont company. Maybe made for entertainment wood burning rather than wood heating use. The VC line was bought by a Canadian conglomerate, CFM Majestic, in the mid-90's and the stove line tanked in durability. Expensive parts, dealer complaints, serious QC problems, no warranty. Many New England dealers will not sell the "VC" line if wood stoves.
CFM Majestic has also done a Husky, peddling their products thru any outlet that will buy the stoves rather than qualified dealers that will service and train on the line.

Go to hearthnet.com for stove evals by real users.

We have a Jotul Oslo (non-cat) and a 2001 VC Encore (cat) to heat our place 24/7 with no furnace. The Encore cat fire lasts longer, but takes some care to burn and clean the cat 1-2X/year.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

thanks for the heads-up. Lots of info to here to digest.

Ian

 

[MS-310]

Hay,

I know that rspike knows alot about indoor wood stoves, I would talk to him.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I think I've decided on a Jotul F3CB. It's pricey, but I like the fact that it's designed so that I can take the door off, install a screen in it's place and have an open fireplace effect if I don't need maximum heat ouput.

thanks for all the input,
Ian

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

...I like the fact that it's designed so that I can take the door off, install a screen in it's place and have an open fireplace effect if I don't need maximum heat ouput.

Mine's an oldie (Fisher, now defunct), but I have that screen option and really like it. I just have to swing my cast iron doors aside and pop the screen in place.

 

[Four Paws]

Those Jotul stoves sure are nice - I really like the looks of them over most other stoves I have seen! Since my Blaze King is toasted, I am looking for something solid, well-built and that will last me 20 years. I really don't want a catalytic stove as they seem difficult to care for, and expensive ($250+) when the catalyst need to be replaced. Mind you, I formed all of these opinions today - I still have a LOT more reading to do.

 

[046]

check out the JUCA site... largest amount of wood stove info on WWW.

http://mb-soft.com/juca/index.html

 

[Foghorn]

A Woodstock stove is the only way to go...

I have to agree with Pcoz88. We have a Woodstock Soapstone Stove(Keystone) and it's a very attractive stove - not big and bulky. Everyone who comes to our house comments that it is the nicest stove they've ever seen... Our house is 2200s.f. and it heats the WHOLE house with minimal wood. I'll post a picture tomorrow if I can get the digital camera to work...

Foghorn

 

[blis]

wtf, you ppl call those bulky metal boxes wood stoves??
wood stove is made from bricks on spot...

 

[blis]

wtf, you ppl call those bulky metal boxes wood stoves??
wood stove is made from bricks on spot...

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Those soapstone stoves are nice looking, I looked at them last year, but at $2600+, are about $1k out of my price range.

Ian

 

[Four Paws]

They look nice from far when new. Look at a used one up close and inside. I was going to get one last year but looked close at a couple of running demo's in the store and that changed my mind. I went with a cast iron Morso.

Explain to those of us who haven't seen inside a used one what turned you away from them?

 

[Pcoz88]

woodstock soapstone

I heat with mine 24/7 and yes it has a cat in it but you can also bypass the cat and not burn with it.You shouldn't have seen any cracks.Was you at the factory show room?? You can cook on the tops of these stoves.How hot do you need it to be??