Insert Opinions

wallet wise new blower is cheapest. insert plus liner and maybe hearth work $3-5grand. Course the insert does plug that big hole in the wall that tends to suck 1/2 your heat out of the home providing it is properly installed. 2 story dwellings are always a challenge due to the thermals- hot air going up stairs , cold coming down. that cold draft can make things uncomfortable - with the moe in the basement it might not have been too noticeable, with the insert or any stove on main floor in a living area you will unless the stairs are blocked off with a door which was the common way back in the day, ( new designs are not always better).

It is usually recommended to have the stove in the primary living area as it is a space heater. Especially in your case it sounds like the warm air from the basement goes right up to the second floor before it warms the first one. In that case, a blower for the Moe or beefed up insulation downstairs may not make that much of a difference in heating the first floor.

An insert depends more on a proper installation than a stove but then it can be as good a heater. A block-off plate is a must (https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/make-a-damper-sealing-block-off-plate/) and insulation around the insert when the fireplace is at an exterior wall should also help (https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/finally-got-around-to-insulating-my-fireplace.75755/). With a modern EPA-approved insert you will also notice much lower wood consumption, could easily be half of what you need right now. Not to mention the nice fire view or the longer burn times.

Check the dimensions of your fireplace and look for an insert with firebox of about 3 cu ft when you want to heat the full 2400 sqft. with wood. Regency I3100, Pacific Energy Summit, Osburn 2400, Lopi Freedom, Quadrafire 5100i are just a few units to check out.

Assuming the basement isn't living space at all, I would much prefer to heat on the first floor, even with an insert, over heating up the basement. It would be even better if you had room to put in a free standing stove in front of the fireplace. I would guess that if the fireplace is in a good spot the comfort level on the first floor would improve dramatically.