Looking at used VC Encore

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bjorn773

Member
Sep 12, 2007
240
Rockford, Illinois
I've been looking for a better stove. I have a BK Princess on order, which got damaged in shipping. I am now in dealer limbo as far as if/when I get my stove. Anyway, I was surfing craigslist and found what appears to be deal on an Encore. He says it's about 20 years old. How efficient are these old cat encores? What is it gonna cost me to replace the cat? Can it be used with my 6" chimney? If it's a decent deal, I may use it or set my parents up with a stove.
 
bjorn773 said:
I've been looking for a better stove. I have a BK Princess on order, which got damaged in shipping. I am now in dealer limbo as far as if/when I get my stove. Anyway, I was surfing craigslist and found what appears to be deal on an Encore. He says it's about 20 years old. How efficient are these old cat encores? What is it gonna cost me to replace the cat? Can it be used with my 6" chimney? If it's a decent deal, I may use it or set my parents up with a stove.


Cat and cat assembly can run you several hundred dollars if purchased. I bleive it is about $200-$300 for the cat [I think] and about the same for the assembly. I believe you can make the cat assembly yourself and save quite a lot.

I would buy the BK Princess over the VC. Longer burn times, better quality, and it is new.
 
If it need both cat + refractory assembly it'll set you back several hundred dollars. And there are the other moving parts of the stove that will also have 20 years of wear on them. I'd pass.
 
Wait for the BK. The Encore is pretty but she is high maintenance, not a cheap date and not reliable.
 
Thanks, I will patiently wait for my BK. After burning a Century for seven years, it should be a drastic improvement.
 
SolarAndWood said:
Wait for the BK. The Encore is pretty but she is high maintenance, not a cheap date and not reliable.

Plus, they can only go for eight hours vs BK 10000000000hrs :)
 
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