opinions from owners....... 3 choices.....What would you get?

The Vista is smaller than the other 2. I owned a Regency a while ago and thought it was a well build and good heater but was a tad too small for what I needed. I think the Jotul is a better looker than the others as well.

Price on the Jotul seems a tad high, but I'm not familiar with the specials that are currently going on now, or even if there are any. I can only say that when I bought my 550 last spring I paid a couple hundred less than your price quote. Prices may have gone up since then. It included liner and installation. I also recall that the price difference between the 450 and 550 was minimal, maybe $100 after the discounts were taken. If the 550 could work for you, might be worth considering. I can't comment on the other stoves, but I love my Jotul.

The Vista is a great little heater for its size, but it is small. I couldn't get anything bigger in my fireplace or I would have. It's great for supplemental heating, but I wouldn't try to heat a whole house with it, unless it's a small house. It's well built and easy to use. The Jotuls are beautiful stoves and worth the extra money, from what I understand. Could you get a PE Alderlea insert in your fireplace? It would be more comparable to the Jotul.

I am a Jotul 550 owner and second what Jaugust said about getting a 550 if you have the room.

Many threads discuss why a larger firebox is preferred over a smaller one……

I made the mistake of buying a smaller insert first and soon discovered the error of my ways at quite an expense……

I too LOVE my Jotul. Great design - except the ash lip….and great heater.

I don't know anything about the other too either but know they are popular here also so I think it just comes down to personal preference in the end.

Good Luck

My parents have a Jotul 450 in their masonry fireplace. They have a 2250 sq. ft ranch with a pretty open floorplan. It does a great job heating their house with little effort.

Chris

The Regency I2400 is a work horse! it will heat up to 2000 sq. ft. I like that it will take an 18" log from side to side or front to back. real easy when it comes to chimney cleaning time too!

I am assuming that those prices include the purchase and installation of the stove AND the SS liner as well, correct? Wow...I know Im a cheap @$#^%&, but that seems like ALOT of dough-ray-me. :red:

Our Vista Insert was about $3500 installed in 2008 (stove, liner and labor), so his Vista price seems about right.

The vista isn't really comparable to the other two stoves, it is quite a bit smaller. The PE pacific and the super insert are comparable sizewise. All three brands make good quality inserts, all three will have pretty similar heat output and burn times. Look at things like price, looks, how far the units sit out on the hearth, clearance to combustibles, and find the one that makes the most sense.

The price on the Jotul sounds a tad high. I too decided to go with a Jotul. After much research on this forum and elsewhere I selected the 550 due to size of firebox and good reviews. Any other Jotul dealers in your area? There were only two around me but I settled at $4400 installed with SS liner cap etc. Good luck.