Heres my situation: I have a cottage in upstate NY that I need a woodstove for. I bet I would only use the stove 10-15 times a year. It is only 700 sq. ft and I dont want a big stove. I dont have alot of cash to spend on the stove itself maybe 500ish, I wont be installing it till next spring. Yesterday I found a good deal at Tractor Supply for a US Stove company model APS 11000B that heats 700-1100 sq. ft. with blower and 3 yr firebox warranty for $359.99. Home depot is selling the same stove for 700ish as are many others. Incredibly this stove by US Stove company is made in China.... rediculous..... Anyways am I missing something here as to why this so cheap at TS? Does anyone out there have a US Stove Co for a recommendation? Oh I know its not a Englander like you all love but for what I need it for it doesnt look too bad. Anyone want to chime in on why I shouldnt get this? Thanks much. Bob
US Stove comment and question
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The thing I noticed when I looked at one a couple of years ago is that the steel baffle was welded in and not replaceable.
Where is the steel baffle and what does it do? If it went , would I have to replace the whole stove and how often do they need replacement?
The baffle is in the top of the firebox. It holds heat in the firebox and distributes the seconday combustion air on that particular stove. If it warps it ain't worth fixing in a four hundred dollar stove. No way to tell you how long it is gonna last. Depends on things like how you burn the stove.
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
It is a big problem with many folks in that they want some wood heat but also want to go really cheap in the stove and installation. Yet, if they put in a gas or oil burner, they get a good one. I always think about that big fire you have inside that building and quite often think about that astronaut who, when asked what he was thinking when the space ship started liftoff. He stated, "I was thinking about this and then the though came that it was built by the cheapest bidder!"
It is a fire! You want to make sure it is safe for you, your family and your home. Don't scrimp too much. If money is tight it just might be worth saving until you can get a much better stove and it will be worth the wait. A better stove will reward you the same as a better car will reward you vs. a cheap car.
However you go, good luck.
It is a fire! You want to make sure it is safe for you, your family and your home. Don't scrimp too much. If money is tight it just might be worth saving until you can get a much better stove and it will be worth the wait. A better stove will reward you the same as a better car will reward you vs. a cheap car.
However you go, good luck.
Backwoods thanks but remember I would only use it 10-15 times a year. Is that stove that bad? honestly? How often ndo the baffles go on average? If its so bad why is home depot selling them?
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
The reason Home Depot is selling them is that they are cheap and they hope this suits more people's budgets. What companies like that sell has very little to do with how good it is. They are in the business to make dollars. If folks want to buy cheap they can. It is sort of like the fact that some folks want a nice Buick or Cadillac while others are satisfied with a second-hand Ford.
Usually those stoves do not last very long at all. I had a friend who bought a cheap stove and on his third year there suddenly became a big hole in the back of his stove. The steel had actually rusted through. It was very thin stuff. Fortunately they were home and saw the reflection of flame on the wall. Kind of scary what could have happened.
I understand the minimal use but I still am a bit gun shy when it comes to cheap stoves that I will build a big fire in. As for the baffles, I have no experience with those.
And now I'm heading off-line to go sit in the woods for a while. The weather is perfect. Temperature 34 degrees, sunny and very little wind. A great day to be in the woods!
Usually those stoves do not last very long at all. I had a friend who bought a cheap stove and on his third year there suddenly became a big hole in the back of his stove. The steel had actually rusted through. It was very thin stuff. Fortunately they were home and saw the reflection of flame on the wall. Kind of scary what could have happened.
I understand the minimal use but I still am a bit gun shy when it comes to cheap stoves that I will build a big fire in. As for the baffles, I have no experience with those.
And now I'm heading off-line to go sit in the woods for a while. The weather is perfect. Temperature 34 degrees, sunny and very little wind. A great day to be in the woods!
The lil stove ain't gonna kill ya if you do a safe installation. And nobody can tell you how long that baffle is going to last. The stove will produce heat but will have short burn times because of the small firebox. It is UL listed and EPA certified but is what it is. A small stove with the only serviceable parts being the fire bricks.
fredarm
Minister of Fire
Here is the link to the manual. http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pdfImages/d2/d2826394-b8cf-4cd7-93ae-2d6826ab86dc.pdf There is a parts diagram in it. Do you mean the flue collar for the baffle? I dont see baffle listed in it. BTW Home depot is selling the exact same stove for $749. Its 359 at TS.
I mean the baffle. It ain't listed because it is welded to the rest of the stove. Go down to TSC, open the door of the stove and look up in the top of the firebox. Then go up front and pay the lady.
Look for a used stove [craigslist? or local print classifieds?]... round here, if you are patient you can find a good quality used stove for a reasonable price. I just picked up a new in the crate englander ... seems the guy didn't want to install the necessary stainless piping and decided to go with propane.
-M
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I was also looking at a US Stove at Tractor Supply The Magnolia. Still researching. I actually bought a Pleasant Hearth at Lowes and I don't like the small firebox. They claim it has an 8-10 hour burn time. Very crazy. I contacted the manufacturer and asked them how they got that many hours because I wasn't getting any where near that. They told me to lincoln log the wood. I told them there wasn't room to do that. So now I am taking my stove back to Lowes after a month of trying. They are not giving me full price. Not sure if they have to or not. But anyways back to the drawing board.
corey21
Minister of Fire
i have the magnolia it is good and thick firebox and big it keeps the house at 81 mid 70's other end.dkf5 said:
I considered the Magnolia but, when I did the research and found out US Stove company had stoves manufactured in china. Nuff said
corey21
Minister of Fire
When I was looking at the manual for the AB1100B by US stove Co. it said they were the oldest manufacturers of Stoves in the US. Did they go by another name and how the heck did they wind up making them in China?
Hey guys,
Stove manufacturers certify their units to EPA (for emissions) and UL (for safety). Once this is done, they can have their units built wherever they want (provided that the specs are met). The certification agency (Omni, Warnock, etc.) is supposed to be able to conduct factory audits, and they apparently do, even in China. So really, the stoves are designed and tested here in North America, but rhey are built in China for cost reasons. Volgelzang does it, and so does USSC. GHP does it too. Are they bad stoves? Not necessarily. Do they have the North American quality? No quite! Eventually, when Chinese workers will want to work for more than 0.50$ per hour, having stoves manufactured in China (with the extra freight involved) won't really be worth it. So hang it there...
Stove manufacturers certify their units to EPA (for emissions) and UL (for safety). Once this is done, they can have their units built wherever they want (provided that the specs are met). The certification agency (Omni, Warnock, etc.) is supposed to be able to conduct factory audits, and they apparently do, even in China. So really, the stoves are designed and tested here in North America, but rhey are built in China for cost reasons. Volgelzang does it, and so does USSC. GHP does it too. Are they bad stoves? Not necessarily. Do they have the North American quality? No quite! Eventually, when Chinese workers will want to work for more than 0.50$ per hour, having stoves manufactured in China (with the extra freight involved) won't really be worth it. So hang it there...
the style in which you place the wood. Like when you built a lincoln log house. I thought it was a crazy idea. Nice idea if you burn with very small pieces but actually does that and I don't believe you would get 8-10 hours of burn. I haven't taken back my stove to Lowes yet I'm hoping tonight. On the back of my receipt it says money back if within 90 days, so they should not give me any trouble, I've only had it for 30 days. We are pretty serious about the Magnolia at Tractor Supply. Why does anything go to China.....Cost cutting. I'm sure in time like what was said above more products will be brought home.
corey21
Minister of Fire
I recently bought a US stove model 2000 at tractor Supply much better construction than pleseant heart at lowes great looking welds, 5/16ths top and replacable baffle. Last weeks ad 450.00 and BTW the baffle is 24.99 and is holding up fine and burns better than my old englander. Much better control overt burn times.
I recently bought a US stove model 2000 at tractor Supply much better construction than pleseant hearth at lowes great looking welds, 5/16ths top and replacable baffle. Last weeks ad 450.00 and BTW the baffle is 24.99 and is holding up fine and burns better than my old englander. Much better control over burn times.
I'm looking forward to the Magnolia. I love burning with wood it is a beautiful heat. I had a really old stove before so these new stoves that are made now just are different than 30 years ago. The Pleasant Hearth worked great the firebox just wasn't big enough.
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