First wood stove

I think PE would be a safer bet. VC changed its owners many times and people here didn't give the best reviews about VC's products. As far as the ratings you are right it's a perfect scenario, rule of thumb is the size of a fire box the bigger the box the longer burn and more heat. In your case I would advise at least 2cf fire box but like I said if you could put bigger the better. I am sure by now you know that new stoves need well season wood. 20% or less moisture content in a middle of a fresh split is optimal.

When you ask if the ratings given to the stoves any bit accurate, as the above reply says it is much better to go by firebox size than by how many sf of house the stove is rated to heat by the manufacturer. Same goes with the supposed burn times: judge by the cf size of the firebox.

I also agree PE over VC. and at least a 2cf fire box for longer burns/colder days, but also consider other brands including cat stoves (Woodstock, Buck, Blaze King) for more control and lower heat output when desired. And to get that 20% or less moisture content mentioned above, for optimal performance, as a rule wood should be cut/split/stacked a full year or more if possible.

Keep in mind that a stove is a space heater, so if the house layout is not conducive to air flow then a big stove in a small-ish room could mean that room gets too hot while the rest of the house does not. How is your insulation? The better the insulation/tightness, the smaller the stove you'll need.

Welcome to the forums!

Avoid VC. If you like the looks, go Jotul.

The Englander 30NC is a solid heater with many happy owners here and supported by great customer service directly from the manufacturer. It needs a hearth with a r-value of 1.5 though. Englander very recently released the Madison stove that only needs an ember-protection hearth. It's 2.4 cu ft firebox should be large enough for your home and climate. Here is a recent thread: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/madison-in-my-burn-trailer.128150/

However, you won't be disappointed by a PE (or Jotul or most other brands) stove either. PE's unique baffle system makes for easy cleaning of the flue and some of the longest burn-times for a non-cat stove.
Please be aware that you need to feed any of those stoves dry wood or you won't get near the posted efficiency ratings. Dry means an internal moisture content of less than 20% usually achieved through stacking the split wood for one to three years in a sunny and windy spot.

I have no direct experience, but the Englander NC30 is cited as the absolute best inexpensive steel stove on the market by many of our members, including a few of our forum staff.

I ended up with a Jotul . . . but I was originally also looking at the PE line up. Would have given them a more serious look if the local dealer didn't have all their PEs in crates.

VC . . . as mentioned . . . things have been up in the air. Me, personally, I would hold off on purchasing one until things stabilize a little more . . . but that's just me. I am a very cautious buyer.

Englander, Summer's Heat, etc. that you may find in some of the big box hardware stores. If I was looking for an efficient and modern woodstove and money is a concern, I would go with one of these in a heartbeat. They may not be as fancy as some of the cast iron or soapstone stoves, but their customer service is near legendary . . . matched only perhaps by the folks at Woodstock Stoves.

I am a novice myself, I considered the hearthstone heritage soapstone only but because of my fireplace clearances, I bought the PE summit insert. I have a friend who sells them and also a ton of research on this forum helped out tremendous.

The summit is plain jane looking, however has a pretty big firebox and has good warranty. I have 2100sq Ft and was told it will do a great job

Can't brat the price on the Englander.

Englander are good folks, one of their engineers is on this site......... Very helpful people.

Mv7fd said:

This is true but I can't help but feel that the pacific energy might be better and everyone knows they look better

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Reasoning? Just based on price alone?

Truthfully . . . I would be comfortable buying either providing it is sized appropriately for your home. That said . . . in the end . . . only you have to live with your choice in the home and whether it fits in with the decor and if you like it or not. As one former member here used to advise . . . go with what you like the first time rather than having remorse on not buying what you really wanted . . . or at least he said something to that effect.

Mv7fd said:

Anyone know the price of the fusion and how well they are

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Here is some guideline but your local price may vary: https://chimneysweeponline.com/pacfusion.htm
It's essentially the PE Super in a different outside package so expect some of the longest burn times for a mid-size, non-cat stove. For a modern looking stove I would rather go for the Neo 2.5 but that may just be me.

You should've sent her out hunting for pellets last March. That'd cure her.

Mv7fd said:

I can't help but feel that the pacific energy might be better and everyone knows they look better

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firefighterjake said:

Reasoning? Just based on price alone?

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If you can look at both stoves in person, that should tell you something about the differences, and you can then decide if one is worth more money to you, short-term or in the long run.

Mv7fd said:

If I can get my wife off the pellet stove kick

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Joful said:

You should've sent her out hunting for pellets last March. That'd cure her.

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Or when she hears the noise...

If you plan on using your stove for many years as a primary source of heat, even a more expensive model will pay for itself in short order. So don't buy a stove that you (or your wife) can't stand looking at, if appearance is a factor.

Whichever stove you get, be aware you will need a good 6" flue setup for optimal performance... and sometimes the cost of venting can exceed the cost of the stove itself.

Absolutely agree with branchburner. You will be looking at your stove for a long time. It's better in a long run to get what you really want, like etc. than changing it two years later.