Choosing wood stove for my ma. Please help!

[YourFired]

She likes the dull black finish of the Endeavor. She also likes the easier top to cook on. I guess I'm leaning towards the Endeavor. The Greenstart system would probably be a big help too. She's only 64, and I don't think she'd have a problem starting a fire but every little bit helps. She also wants the work to go to the local guy.

 

[ddddddden]

Thx for all the answers. Dealer says the Leyden has a 10 hour burn time and the Endeavor 6. . .

Unless she's a veteran burner, I would not go with the Leyden. Ask your dealer to explain the difference in the secondary burn system of the two stoves, and ask lots of questions regarding how easy/difficult it is to establish a secondary(smoke) burn in each one.

How about a soapstone stove? I don't mind spending money on this as I want her to be safe/warm.

I have a Woodstock soapstone stove, and I do think it would be a nice fit for a smallish, well insulated home. The only drawback is that they are mail-order, so you would have to find a local installer. Your local dealer might use an independent installer.

. . .Be sure she has at least a couple cords of seasoned wood under cover. Buy or cut the wood now.

Always good advice. Wood vendors almost never sell wood that is as dry as modern stoves need. If you don't already have dry wood for MIL, you might as well forget about burning this season and take your time shopping for a stove. Stoves will be cheaper in another month or two anyhow.

 

[eclecticcottage]

Looks like greenstart isn't an option on the Republic either, just the Endeavor. I think it's a good stove and she should be happy with it for years to come. They have great clearances and the hearth protection is not nearly as extensive as some other stoves.

Now, you'll want to work on getting a good wood supply started seasoning, because most "seasoned" firewood you'll find for sale isn't. And although we made it through last season with bought "seasoned" stuff and ecobricks, I see a big improvement this year with one year seasoned wood. next year should be even better.

 

[lumbering on]

I agree with above, I am constantly fiddling with the air control to keep the secondary burn going. I'm still not sure if it's my inexperience or a quirk of the stove. I had no idea what I downdraft stove was when I bought it, and only now am I reading about how they can be a bit difficult.

I would have benefited greatly when shopping if I new more about stove TYPES before narrowing down to brand. Such as what the other options for a non-cat, non-downdraft stove are, and if they are indeed easier to use than either a cat or downdraft.
Also, the style I burn, (not constantly, not yet at least) means I want the stove to give up it's heat to the room quick, so a soapstone would not have been best for me, but perhaps steel would have been better than cast iron?

 

[begreen]

If she likes the Endeavor I think she'll be pleased. It's slightly more complicated with the flue damper, but hopefully that will be an asset and not a forgotten step. I dispute the salesperson claims of only 6 hrs on this stove vs 10 with the Leyden. For an equal sized load and heat demand, they are not going to be that far apart.

 

[ClanCameron]

Unless she's a veteran burner, I would not go with the Leyden. Ask your dealer to explain the difference in the secondary burn system of the two stoves, and ask lots of questions regarding how easy/difficult it is to establish a secondary(smoke) burn in each one.

I have a Woodstock soapstone stove, and I do think it would be a nice fit for a smallish, well insulated home. The only drawback is that they are mail-order, so you would have to find a local installer. Your local dealer might use an independent installer.




Always good advice. Wood vendors almost never sell wood that is as dry as modern stoves need. If you don't already have dry wood for MIL, you might as well forget about burning this season and take your time shopping for a stove. Stoves will be cheaper in another month or two anyhow.

I'm still shopping for a stove. I see comments often saying stoves will be cheaper in February or so. What type of savings are we talking about in general, and in the Woodstock and Lopi areas specifically? thanks guys.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I'm still shopping for a stove. I see comments often saying stoves will be cheaper in February or so. What type of savings are we talking about in general, and in the Woodstock and Lopi areas specifically? thanks guys.

Woodstock runs sales all year. Sometimes it's $200-300 off the MSRP, at other points it is $500+.

Stoves manufacturers like Lopi will run $200-300 sales at most, usually.

Englander 30 stoves will go as low as $649 from late winter to the beginning of summer at select Home Depots. You can search by zip code online to see which locations offer this price. Normally the stove is listed somewhere between $899 - $1099.

You will also notice a big price drop in used stoves on Craigslist during the late winter through mid-summer months.

 

[eclecticcottage]

My local Lopi dealer runs deals in the off season, best is usually around the county fair. We got a few hundred off plus a free blower.

 

[eclecticcottage]

I dispute the salesperson claims of only 6 hrs on this stove vs 10 with the Leyden. For an equal sized load and heat demand, they are not going to be that far apart.

I second that. I get 6 hour burns on half loads, and we're usually burning softwoods.

 

[lumbering on]

bought my lopi in the spring with $200 off.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Something way out of the mainstream might be a cookstove, if she is nostalgic and likes to cook. There are a ton of choices today of new stove designs and they are becoming very popular. Personally, since I have one, I like these > http://sopkainc.com/

No, I don't work for them. I'm just impressed with their ease of use, beauty, and the customer support I got. There are a lot of other brands as well. Just thinking out of the box and she might actually enjoy having some fun while staying warm.

 

[begreen]

Is there a Napoleon dealer in your area?