Used stove advice

I bought a used stove, good way to get a feel for one in general without the expense and it may be what you need but if you do need something different it's easier to change. Don't know what to look for on that particular stove personally.

Big price savings over a new Oslo, so even if there were some maintenance issues you could afford to put some cash into the stove. If you don't know what to look for in a used stove you might want to take someone along with you to help inspect it if you decide to pursue the purchase.

begreen said:

Examine the stove overall for any cracks and in particular look closely around the interior grate and base. Also carefully examine the secondary manifold for any sagging or baffle warpage.

Here is what you are looking for at the inside of the base:
View attachment 118702 View attachment 118703

Click to expand...

loved the info.. has anyone got any idea how to find a manual for a valco catalytic woodstove ? I have also checked inside and the previous owner had it installed since 1981. I found the patent info but company is out of business in indiana.

hydrant cowboy said:

loved the info.. has anyone got any idea how to find a manual for a valco catalytic woodstove ? I have also checked inside and the previous owner had it installed since 1981. I found the patent info but company is out of business in indiana.

Click to expand...

Here is an older thread about that stove: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/has-anyone-seen-a-stove-like-this-before-your-thoughts.32735/
The member Vandevav seems still to be active. Maybe send him a private message and ask how his investigations went.

New is new so it depends on condition I suppose. If you find a like new used all you do is pay more buying new lol. There's a lot of like new stuff out there that people just changed their minds on.

tle1288 said:

Any other thoughts on new vs. used?

Click to expand...

This is just a personal take on it, but I don't know enough to properly judge the condition of a used stove so I wouldn't feel confident doing it. Stoves are too easily abused. If you are confident about doing that, then you can get good bargains. But I'd prefer a new stove for the piece of mind and warranty and think it's worth the extra cost. The other thing is that with new, you'll have a much wider selection available to get exactly what you want.

I would think it must be hard to find a true bargain in good condition at this time of year. Maybe in the off season.

tle1288 said:

Any other thoughts on new vs. used?

Click to expand...

Buying stoves is a lot like buying a car . . . you may get a better deal on a used car/stove and it will almost always be less expensive, but if you don't know what to look for you could be buying a lemon . . . or rather an abused stove/vehicle that will cost you more than buying new in the long run.