Lots of Smaller Stoves for sale on CL

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Pellet_Pete

Pellet_Pete

Feeling the Heat
Jan 22, 2014
319
Franklin County, MA
Back before I did my homework on this site, I was thinking the Jotul F3 was just the stove for me, and I prophesied (ask my wife!) that lots of F3 owners would be selling on craigslist this year, seeking to upgrade to a bigger stove. Sure enough, this seems to be the case! Lots of F3's in the $600-1200 range, even well-priced enamel stoves that seem like new. This has got me second-guessing myself (or tenth-guessing myself). Seeing that my ideal setup (hearth expansion project, plus purchase of an Oslo & the liner) is not likely going to materialize this year, it makes me wonder if I should jump on an F3 as a "starter stove" since it's just the right size that I can plunk it into my fireplace without any hearth modification. Not ideal in terms of heat ouput (both in terms of stove size and setting it into fireplace), but at least it gets a little supplemental wood fire (and power failure resiliency) into the house with a much smaller price tag. Any opinions on this? Should I go big or go home? Or is a "starter stove" worth considering for the right price?
 
Pellet_Pete said:
Should I go big or go home? Or is a "starter stove" worth considering for the right price?
Click to expand...

No, it is not worth wasting money on a stove that is low priced but not the right stove. Sure, it's fun to swap stoves out and if you really only want a decorative, occasional burn, ambiance stove then I'm sure the undersized stove could do it but if your goal is to accomplish a job that only a larger stove could accomplish then you will be wasting time and money.

Buying used small stoves can be risky, they have often been overfired like crazy before the previous owner realized he should have bought a bigger stove and then dumps the little one on CL.
 
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Or the counterpoint to the above, You can install and be burning this year for 2000 all up, (stove,flue liner,and install) with minimal disruptions. Lets say your heating bills are $150 a month. If you can drop that to 50??? you save 1000 this year and break even next, then it is gravy.

IMHO if the choice is bigger stove or smaller stove get the bigger, but if it is smaller stove and no stove, get the smaller stove. use it a few years sell it to fund the purchase of a bigger one when you are ready.
 
If the stove is in good condition and the price is good, sure, go for it. But be sure that a) you install a liner in the chimney and b) you have a good supply of fully seasoned wood on hand.
 
Augie said:
IMHO if the choice is bigger stove or smaller stove get the bigger, but if it is smaller stove and no stove, get the smaller stove. use it a few years sell it to fund the purchase of a bigger one when you are ready.
Click to expand...

That makes sense so long as you can sell it.
 
Jotuls in good shape usually are an easy sell as long as the price is reasonable. I have sold a few and it never took more than a week to sell each one. I sold the F3CB for almost what I paid for it and actually made a $100 on the F400 thanks to a declining dollar raising the price of European imports. Sell them in Sept/Oct and there is a ready market.
 
Highbeam said:
Buying used small stoves can be risky, they have often been overfired like crazy before the previous owner realized he should have bought a bigger stove and then dumps the little one on CL
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Good point. I guess I shouldn't get too excited about prices (good advice for any CL venture). Luckily, from what I've read on here, there are some telltale signs of overfiring (or burning with ash pan door open) on Jotuls that I think I'm prepared to look for.

Augie said:
ou can install and be burning this year for 2000 all up, (stove,flue liner,and install) with minimal disruptions. Lets say your heating bills are $150 a month. If you can drop that to 50??? you save 1000 this year and break even next, then it is gravy
Click to expand...
I don't know if your $$ calculations would match up for me since I burn pellets at present and the F3 would only be supplemental and not really displace a huge amount of pellet consumption. If I went whole-hog, got the big stove and switched to all-wood, I could probably save $500-700 per season, and that would add up quickly. But it might be more like $100-200 per season benefit as a supplemental stove.

begreen said:
But be sure that a) you install a liner in the chimney and b) you have a good supply of fully seasoned wood on hand.
Click to expand...
Chimney liner definitely - already planning on an insulated smooth-wall flex liner. I have a cord of wood on hand and a good friend in the firewood biz that's just a phone-call away.

Good input everyone. Thanks.
 
If you get a good stove this should be a fun learning experience. Feel free to ask about any likely candidate. In the 3 series I would primarily look at non-cat versions. The cat versions weren't all that successful from what I've read. The F3CB that is still in current production is a solid little stove.
 
begreen said:
In the 3 series I would primarily look at non-cat versions. The cat versions weren't all that successful from what I've read
Click to expand...
Yes, I've heard this as well. I've acquainted myself with Jotul's guide to identifying older models. Lots of "old" models out there, including a few of the cat models, but quite a few F3CBs too.
 
I'm with Highbeam . . . I would be worried about the guy who buys the under-sized stove and runs it too hot before deciding that it is too small.

I'm also of the opinion of doing something once . . . I hate having to do the same job twice . . . even if it is as "simple" of lugging out a very heavy cast iron woodstove. Plus . . . I'm kind of partial of getting the right tool for the right job . . . and in this case, going with an under-sized stove may be a bit like using a tack hammer on a job when what you really need is a sledgehammer -- it may be a lot of work, waste a lot of time and in the end you may not be all that happy.
 
Practice makes perfect. :). I had the Castine out and the T6 installed in an hour.
 
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