New guy...would love input.

So, what is the consensus on the Drolet stoves? That Myriad is awfully hard to pass up for the price. And the free shipping to the store would be worth the 90 miles drive to pick it up.

I wanted to get a bigger stove for winters like this one. Minus temps are hard to keep up with my 2.1 cu ft stove.

The deal was too good to pass up and the stove may not be a $3000 one but it cranks out the heat from what I have read.

It has the heavier 5/16" top for no warpage issue since its a flat top . Its listed by menards as 3.1 cu ft but the manual has it listed at like 3.3 .

Build quality is reported to be very good , Lifetime warranty on firebox and welds , 5 years on other parts etc.. 2 years on electric.

Firebox dimensions listed as are 18.5" Wide by 21.25" Deep. I think its a little over 14" high in firebox.

I'll be heating not quite 1500sf, so I'm afraid the Myriad might be too much. The Escape 1800 for 649 might be just right.

Yep, the Escape 1800 would be a better size for you.

One thing to point out is that stove is designed to load east west but if you cut your wood 16" you could load North South.

Creekheat said:

Hello all. I am new. I live in central KY and my wife and I will be purchasing a wood stove this summer for our home. We are new to wood heat. This seemed like a great resource and would appreciate any input offered.

Our home is all electric with a heat pump. Now you know why im here. Lol we have good windows and really well insulated. The house is 3000 sqft but 1000 of that is basement which we are not concerned with. The main floor is 1100 sqft with a vaulted great room, 18ft ceiling that goes all the way up. The second floor is 800 sqft. Three bedooms off the landing upstairs and master, kitchen dining downstairs etc....

We thought about an indoor wood furnace in basement but like the idea of a woodstove better. With 2000sqft to heat, any ideas?

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Creekheat, Any Idea where you would like to put a stove in your house. Your house is large but sounds like well insulated and easy to heat.
The large room with the 18 ft ceiling would be the best area for the stove so you dont get to hot in one room. Maybe ceiling fan in that room would be a benefit also to keep the heat down from the ceiling. Are you looking to use only wood heat or to supplement the heat pump? If you dont put the stove in the basement its hard to get the heat down to the basement. But like you said your not concerned with that now. If you put a furnace down in basement you dont get the pleasure of sitting by your stove and watching the flames much like people like to do with fireplaces. I would want a stove in an area it can be enjoyed but that may not be for you and your family.

So if your putting the stove on the first floor your going to heat around 2000 sq ft. so a stove around 3 cu ft would be a good size. But different stoves have different ratings.

You might figure out the style of stove you like as in what it looks like. Then there are soapstone , steel stove, cat stove , hybrid stove , secondary air stoves (non-cat)

You can search this message board to learn about it all.

Lastly have fun with it. Dont get in a hurry.

don't forget my ring and cape too
Myraid and austral look to be the exact same stove except for the pedestal vs legs? Correct me if im wrong?
Mine was $682 with tax. I havent seen anyone say they got in cheaper in past posts and reviews i have read so i feel really good about the price.

I went back and forth, but decided on the Escape. I think it will be a better fit. $685 after tax is a heck of a deal. Big thanks to Huntindog1 for the links.

STIHLY DAN said:

Get your wood NOW!

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This. Your stove/furnace will likely be with you for 20+ years and you won't remember whether you paid $800 or $1200 or whatever. But if you go into your first winter with wet wood you will remember that: no heat, massive wood consumption, creosote build up, chimney fire, etc.

Also, look hard at wood furnaces. I don't know anything about them but if I had a house with ducting I'd probably have one.

W.B. said:

So, what is the consensus on the Drolet stoves? That Myriad is awfully hard to pass up for the price. And the free shipping to the store would be worth the 90 miles drive to pick it up.

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<- - - not a fan.

I look at a wood stove as a 20 year investment. What's $600 over 20 years (answer $30 per year)? Or $1000 (do your own math)? Why buy a cut rate product with a sketchy past from a box store that doesn't know the first thing about heating with wood? Why not get the stove you want?

Bigg_Redd said:

<- - - not a fan.

I look at a wood stove as a 20 year investment. What's $600 over 20 years (answer $30 per year)? Or $1000 (do your own math)? Why buy a cut rate product with a sketchy past from a box store that doesn't know the first thing about heating with wood? Why not get the stove you want?

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I'd like you to back up your statement, "Why buy a cut rate product with a sketchy past ......" with some proof. Thank you.

Bigg_Redd said:

<- - - not a fan.

I look at a wood stove as a 20 year investment. What's $600 over 20 years (answer $30 per year)? Or $1000 (do your own math)? Why buy a cut rate product with a sketchy past from a box store that doesn't know the first thing about heating with wood? Why not get the stove you want?

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What experience do you have with Drolet stoves that would make you say they are cut rate? Inexpensive doesn't always mean poor quality. I just moved into a new home and have several projects that I would like to complete. $2000 for a top-shelf stove may not seem like much over 20 years, but if I can get satisfactory performance and save money it seems like a no-brainer to me. I can do a lot with that extra $1300.

As far as buying from a box store, well I'm a DIY guy and will be doing my own install. I doubt a local dealer will be much help on a self-install anyway. Besides, that's what hearth.com is for!

Ok I am going to make a joke here so dont take me serious.

At least Drolet doesnt make a cheap boxwood stove that cast a shadow over all the other stoves they make.

But SBI who owns Drolet makes the following stoves.

Drolet http://www.drolet.ca
Century http://www.century-heating.com
Osburn http://www.osburn-mfg.com
Flame Energy http://www.flame-intl.com
PSG (Caddy Wood Furnaces) http://www.psg-distribution.com/index-en.aspx
Enerzone http://www.enerzone-intl.com
Valcourt http://www.valcourtinc.com/

Anyone notice the OP hasn't been around? Kindred got a stove, thanks in part to this thread, but Creekheat hasn't chimed in.

W.B. said:

What experience do you have with Drolet stoves that would make you say they are cut rate? Inexpensive doesn't always mean poor quality. I just moved into a new home and have several projects that I would like to complete. $2000 for a top-shelf stove may not seem like much over 20 years, but if I can get satisfactory performance and save money it seems like a no-brainer to me. I can do a lot with that extra $1300.

As far as buying from a box store, well I'm a DIY guy and will be doing my own install. I doubt a local dealer will be much help on a self-install anyway. Besides, that's what hearth.com is for!

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Hardrockmaple said:

I'd like you to back up your statement, "Why buy a cut rate product with a sketchy past ......" with some proof. Thank you.

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Isn't it self evident? A $600 stove from a national big box hardware store?

Also, I'm not saying they can't or won't heat. I'm saying he/she's got to look at and live with the thing every friggin' day for decades so why shop at the bottom of the market?

Bigg_Redd said:

Isn't it self evident? A $600 stove from a national big box hardware store?

Also, I'm not saying they can't or won't heat. I'm saying he/she's got to look at and live with the thing every friggin' day for decades so why shop at the bottom of the market?

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No it really isn't self evident, which is why I asked. My last stove was a Englander insert from a big box store. I might have paid $850 for it and couldn't have been happier. That little thing would run us out of our non-insulated, drafty, 1940s house with temps routinely over 80 degrees. It is still in great condition and will be going into my workshop soon. Again, inexpensive doesn't mean junk. I'd like to know if you have any first-hand experience or if your opinion is based solely on the price point.

As for looks, well it looks like any other basic steel stove. Won't win any beauty contests, but I'm ok with that.

Creekheat said:

After some research i was thinking all steel. Lopi, quadrafire, countryside, hearthside. I dont want soap or cast.

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Take a look at this stove for a basement install.


http://www.regency-fire.com/Products/Wood/Wood-Stoves/F5100.aspx

W.B. said:

No it really isn't self evident, which is why I asked. My last stove was a Englander insert from a big box store. I might have paid $850 for it and couldn't have been happier. That little thing would run us out of our non-insulated, drafty, 1940s house with temps routinely over 80 degrees. It is still in great condition and will be going into my workshop soon. Again, inexpensive doesn't mean junk. I'd like to know if you have any first-hand experience or if your opinion is based solely on the price point.

As for looks, well it looks like any other basic steel stove. Won't win any beauty contests, but I'm ok with that.

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It's really to each there own. Many can be happy with stove X, many other people may not. I now I personally don't want a stove made in china, or with Chinese made anything in it. Not saying there Chinese or not a good functioning stove. That is just my belief and preference. I am sure others have different preferences.

Dan, Not sure what your talking about in your post but if you are thinking Englandar or Drolet or the stoves the OP mentioned in this thread are made in china well that may explain your post , all the stoves listed in this post are made in North America.

Lets get back to the Original Posters topic. We can discuss other things in another posting.

thats a hell of a sale Menards has got going on in my opinion. I bought the Austral and now im eyeballing this smaller one for my cabin up north for $379.
I cant tell who makes it tho, any ideas??
http://www.menards.com/main/heating...od-stoves/fw2470-epa-wood-stove/p-1805203.htm

thanks

Creekheat said:

hey guys. i'm still here. lol I work some crazy hours and have been doing as much research as I can on woodstoves, etc... which is how I roll. Obsess over something until your head pops off which is where I am headed...lol anyway, thanks for all the input so far. As I said I think we have decided on a wood stove. now which brand? I like the steel stoves best I think. looked at Lopi Liberty, Country ST310 models such as those. so if I am heating 2000sq ft. is it wise to get one that does 2000 sqft minimum? or is this overkill? the ST310 will do 2000-3500 so will it "overheat"? also i have archways in between some rooms, will that kill my heat transfer from room to room? and as if that wasnt enough how about more questions! lol cat or non cat? I understand the science but have heard cat stoves don't last as long and are more expensive to maintain....when i started this i was thinking throw some wood in a box....now I know why there are forums...lol thanks in advance! i'll post some pics if i can figure out how.

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Don't feel bad I knew nothing when I started researching and I took around 3 months looking around before I decided I wanted a cat stove. Then another few weeks before I went with BK. These are a long term item. You could very well be using it 20 years from now so making sure you will be happy with it is key IMO.