Woodstove recommendations

[Jon E]

Hi all,

I am contemplating the installation of a woodstove in my house. Right now I have in-floor radiant heat and a CB outdoor wood boiler, but I designed the house to have a fireplace and chimney which were never installed. I'm now leaning towards a much smaller chimney/hearth with a small woodstove, something that is solid and reliable. I don't know much about them, as I have little experience with small wood stoves. I know I'd like something for ambiance, so glass doors would be nice, and a flat top, maybe even a cooktop, would be preferable - I like to do Scout-type/Dutch oven cooking and a long woodstove simmer is better than cranking up the gas. I also want to keep it fairly simple - black is nice - no weird enamels or art-deco/modernist crap - soapstone would be OK, I guess.

Do you have any recommendations of brands and models that I could seek out? There are a few dealers around but this is my first stopping point, I want to be armed with a list before I walk blindly into a dealer's showroom.

 

[sunfish]

After 30 years and 5 or 6 stoves, I found Jotul to be the best (for me). Take a look
and chose the model/size for your home.

 

[Deereman76]

We have this

1100 Pedestal Wood Burning Stove

And Generally love it. I would never believe you could get so much heat out of a small amount of wood. The only thing I would do different would be to get a bigger one. Not that I need more heat, but cutting Firewood to 15 inch MAX length gets old quick. The Ash Dump is less than Desirable, it is tricky to get it to seal back up after you dump ashes.

My Primary recommendation would be to go talk to Dealers, (Not a Box store!) and let them tell you all about what they sell. My Dealer explained how the stove worked, what to expect, and was right on the Money!

 

[jags]

If you are looking at a less expensive - utilitarian stove, you might want to review the Englander Stove Works products. Sold in a couple of the big box stores. They have a heck of a following with excellent customer service.

Jotul is another great name in the industry.

What size of firebox are you looking at? That will somewhat minimize the maze of stoves out there to choose from. What purpose does the stove serve (i.e. room heating, multi-room heating, over night burns, ambiance, nights/weekends only, etc.)

 

[Tim in NY]

We've burned a Hearthstone (made in VT) for over 20 years - about 5 full cord a year, and its still going strong. Mine is so old the model no longer exists, but they have a pretty wide range of colors and sizes. Soapstone and cast (i believe). No idea how they compare price-wise. I'd buy another one - if we ever need to replace the one we have now.

Tim

 

[WetBehindtheEar]

We have a 'Menards Throwaway' that roasts our little finished basement. But there is no ash cleanout and it is hard to get a draft going.

My buddy has a smaller, new, Jotul (say YO-tull) and it is the schiz-nit. Beautiful secondary burn, VERY nice ash pan cleanout - and best of all, it gets their four bedroom cabin in N. WI REALLY toasty. We sat around in our shorts over new year's weekend.

 

[Encore]

I have a Vermont Castings Encore, but we use it to heat our entire home so that may be bigger than what you are looking for?

Many have had good success Englander type stoves for occasional/secondary use. Like others have said though, with smaller stoves comes more cutting. My experience has normally been smaller stoves have shorter burn times as well, but if you really are just looking for the ambiance then that might not be a big issue.

If you're going to use it consistently, you're better off getting one done right.

I will say ash trays are very nice. They are great for helping create a very strong draft if you crack them open just a bit with the damper open when getting the fire going.

 

[woodgrenade]

I have a Quadrafire and my family members have Lopi's/Avalons. My stove is 16 years old and is still quite efficient.

 

[WVhunter]

I grew up with a Buck Stove at my parents house when I was a kid. I recently was looking for a new wood stove, I looked at several different models and ended up getting a Buck myself. I bought the model 261 Buck Stove and have been more than pleased with my choice. Buck has been around a good while plus they were a little cheaper than some others I looked at. Good Luck.

 

[Whitespider]

We have a 'Menards Throwaway' that roasts our little finished basement. But there is no ash cleanout...

I'm not in a position to recommend a specific stove, or even a specific brand right now... because of some problems I believe any recommendation would be prejudiced to some greater or lessor degree. But with well over 30-years of burning wood I can give you some things to look for...
Ease of cleaning out ashes is a big one... pull-out ash drawers, or pans, are the best way to go, shoveling into buckets is a pain and tends to make more dust and such in the house.
Although most stove are pretty low anymore, extremely low stoves are just flat hard to load and maintain... and besides, as I get older, getting up off my knees is more work every day.
Depending on your set-up, stoves with the flue exit located on the stove-top will allow installation closer to walls and such, taking up less floor space... but flue connector location may be dependent on where your chimney connector is.
An option to add a blower kit may be something to look for... not a deal-breaker if it doesn't have one, but a nice option down the road to help move heat if desired.
If you have small children stoves that have metal panels (often enamel coated) mounted a short distance off the sides will greatly reduce the severity of accidental burns (I know, that shouldn't happen... but life is-what-it-is).
Cheap door handles/latches/hinges wear-out long before the stove.
Ease of operation... i.e., a single draft control is really nice for people without a lot of experience, multiple controls tend to get confusing or forgotten, which may result in over-fire or a smoke filled room.
More gadgetry ain't necessarily more-better.
I much prefer a firebox allowing north-south log orientation (the ends face the door), I find it easier to load without singing my eyebrows... but, that's me.
If you plan on hiring the install work, buy from a dealer that also does installs... more likely they'll be knowledgeable and can guide you in your decisions.

 

[jags]

JWJWJW - this sounds like you were trying to use a pellet stove as a furnace? Is that the case? If so, Englander doesn't design one to do that. They are space heaters. Sounds like your installer was trying to make it do something it was never designed to do. Just my thoughts.

 

[Fyrebug]

You're gonna get 100 responses with "try this stove or that stove"... There's a myriad choice and let's cut down to the brass tack otherwise you'll be more confused than helped.

1) Plate steel or cast (more expensive)?
2) What kind of chimney do you have? If you have a mansonry chimney, you'll have to drop a liner ($500 - $700). If you dont have a chimney you'll have to buy a stainless steel chimney HT2100 rated ($1,500 - $2,000)
3) Most importantly what is your budget? - I can quote you a stove from $499 to $4,999.

The more info you give us the more we can help.

 

[Fatarrow]

Since you live in VT, I would suggest you take a ride down to Lebanon NH and visit the Woodstock Soapstone Company for a factory tour. Absolutely top notch people building a quality product. They will answer all of your questions and give you a tour of the factory. Their customer service is excellent. This is, of course a bias recommendation, because it is what I have, but my experience has been nothing but good. We installed the Fireview in front of our hearth and couldn't be happier. My father has the Progress Hybrid in his house, and so does my uncle.

I will say that my cousin has a 20+ year old Hearthstone that still works great in his house. I have also heard great things about Jotul and Vermont Castings. I would say it comes down to what look you want. Here is a picture of my stove.


View attachment 282213

 

[Bushbow]

Fyrebug is spot on - start with your price point and build out from there. Keep in mind that most EPA stoves prefer specific chimneys so just funneling one into a large masonry chimney may not provide quality draft so a liner is the best upgrade and build that into the total cost/price point. beyond that there is a miriad of quality stoves and manufacturers all with their upside and faults vs. the others. I love the look of a soapstone stove and really like Hearthstone but those are going to be on the upper end of the price range. Cast stoves are popular, can be very nice looking but need more maintenance when compared to steel boxes due to parts/panels. They have a great following and many love them. Steel boxes will give you the most bang for your buck as far as new stove price and heat in the home but often are not as asthetically pleasing to the eye - think simple.

I like steel boxes because they are relatively maintenance free and inexpensive.

I am burning an Englander NC30 and the above mentioned avoidance is the first time I have ever heard anyone say anything negative about their stoves or service. I am not doubting the facts but wonder if there is more to the story. Not to the phone conversation with Englander but the stove, the install and the use?? Not starting a fight - just curious.

My NC30 was delivered to my living room for $749.00 - really tough to beat that and I have a direct contact with a rep who is top notch with service and will help you too if you go this route. Not selling Englander as I would be burning a Hearthstone if I had the lettuce but this stove rocks. I spent a year researching and nothing else even came close - or within a $1000.00 of this stove for the same design, size and BTU output.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions and I can help from my months of research on any type stove you are thinking about.

 

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+1 fatarrow