Any opinions on Jotul or Quardra-Fire ?

[jcolgan]

I have narrowed it down to two options of wood stoves Jotul and Quadra-fire, specifically the Jotul F 400 Castine or the Quadra-fire 3100 millennium. I have gone to two different dealers and of course each dealer likes their specific brand better. From what I have been told, the Quadra-fire keeps its glass cleaner, but other than that I dont see any benefits or drawbacks of either, other than the quadra-fire is about $400.00 cheaper and the jotul looks nicer.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[jtp10181]

The new Quads have an ACC system that makes it so you don't have to remember to close off the startup air (a timer does it for you). Not sure if the Jotul stoves have anything like that. Some people like that feature and some don't use it. Just wanted to let you know about it.

Overall that Quad brand has been reliable for us, and the mfg has stood behind the products when there have been any problems.

We don't sell Jotul stoves and I have never worked on them, so I can't give you a comparison, sorry.

 

[BrotherBart]

They are both outstanding wood stoves. Buy the one that fits into your installation setting and pleases you aesthetically. I prefer steel stoves mostly for no seams to have to deal with. But a Jotul should do fine for ten years or so without a rebuild. Advantage to cast iron stoves is that if a piece of the stove body needs to be replaced you can just replace it. In the unlikely case that a piece of the firebox of a steel stove warps or cracks you either have to have it welded or replace the stove.

Go with the one you like to look at. Either one is a fine stove. And a few hundred bucks spread over the life of a wood stove is, well, just a few bucks a year.

PS: Burn that Jotul hot with dry wood and clean glass will not be a problem. Burn that Quad choked down with green wood and it will crap up the glass. In fact both will in that case.

 

[jcolgan]

Another advantage of the jotul is that I can get a screen for it if I want the ambiance of a fireplace on a cool fall night or cool summer night when I dont really need to use it for heat. The quadra-fire doesnt offer a screen in the non-cast models.

The jotul dealer also told me that I should get an enamel coated model as I wont need to repaint the stove, but the matte black model needs to be repainted or touched up every few years, is this true?

I found out today that if I place an order soon for the quadra-fire 3100 they will install it for free, making that stove an additional 275.00 cheaper than the jotul. We are on a tight budget, but I definitely like the looks of the jotul better in a nice blue enamel.

So after all is said and done with installation:
the enamel jotul will cost $2,115.00 (1481 with tax credit) + 325.00 installation fee
the quadra-fire will cost $1699.00 ($1190.00 with tax credit) + 0 installation fee and comes with a $100.00 gift certificate for a STIHL chainsaw. Those figures dont include the 6% sales tax. So in total after the tax credit, I would save about $616.00 by going with the quadra-fire and that savings is hard to turn down, but I definitely like the jotul better.

 

[BrotherBart]

The enameled stove is definitely easier to maintain. Ya just dust it off. And the Jotul blue/black enamel is really rich looking. The screen is a non-event and a waste of money. Me and a lot of people here bought the things and used them twice, max. You get all the ambiance you can handle from the fire through the glass on these things. I guarantee you. The last time I put the screen on it I got up and took it off in less than a half hour and closed the door.

 

[mikepinto65]

I have narrowed it down to two options of wood stoves Jotul and Quadra-fire, specifically the Jotul F 400 Castine or the Quadra-fire 3100 millennium. I have gone to two different dealers and of course each dealer likes their specific brand better. From what I have been told, the Quadra-fire keeps its glass cleaner, but other than that I dont see any benefits or drawbacks of either, other than the quadra-fire is about $400.00 cheaper and the jotul looks nicer.

Any help would be appreciated.

I like the looks of the castine better but thats just me....

 

[BrotherBart]

I like the looks of the castine better but thats just me....

I like the looks of the Quad better but that's just me. :lol:

 

[Jfk4th]

I have a Quad 5100 and I love it, nice long burns, my buddy has the 3100 and also likes it but he wishes he listened to me about going bigger. He is probably in a different situation than you are in but be careful about choosing sizes, make sure it is the right size for your house and take into consideration insulation, windows, etc. If a stove says it will heat 1500 sq ft, you can probably zap some of that off unless your house is "perfect", no drafts, no leaks, more than adequate insulation....

I have another buddy that has the Jotul 500 and loves it, loves the side door as I do, easy overnight burns, nice clean burns too.

Stove shop guys that are on the website really know their stuff, many people that work for stove shops do not. Example, I had a guy in a stove shop that claims he has worked there for 15 years tell me the dollars bill test really does not mean anything, it is good to have some air space between the gasket and the stove... :roll:
Ask the pros here on this website and you will not go wrong with your choice

So again like others have said get the right size so you can burn clean and keep your house warm when it is really cold out there. Plus make sure you get a stove where you can really fill it up for a nice overnight burn with many hot coals left in the morning to easily get it going again. Some mid sized stoves won't be able to do this unless you cut your splits smaller than average size. But if you don't need an overnight burn or are more of a causal burner don't worry about burntimes..no worries

Plus do you prefer front to back loading or east/west burning. The 3100 is made for front to back, the Jotul is east to west burning, I like front to back but the flame is nicer looking in my opinion for east to west burning stoves. Front to back you don't worry about logs rolling out, east to west you do. No side door on the Jotul 400 (unlike on the 500 or 600 models). I am a big fan on side doors, you really can stuff the wood in there with side doors and keep that front door closed

The 3100 claims it can heat 1900 sq feet†...hmmmmm...read the fine print which is what I call the TRUE PRINT.... † Heating capacity and efficiency may differ due to climate, building construction and condition, amount and quality of insulation, location of the fireplace, type of fuel used and air movement in the home. Btu output will vary, depending on the type of fuel used. Units require standard maintenance in accordance with the owner's manual.

This is a big decision so get the one you really want and get something you will really happy with and not wondering "What If" when it gets cold out...

Plus I guess if you are really in a tight budget you do what you gotta do but think how long you are going to have this stove, it will pay for itself in a short period of time.

Enjoy yourself too you are going to buy a new wood stove!

 

[jcolgan]

I have a Quad 5100 and I love it, nice long burns, my buddy has the 3100 and also likes it but he wishes he listened to me about going bigger. He is probably in a different situation than you are in but be careful about choosing sizes, make sure it is the right size for your house and take into consideration insulation, windows, etc. If a stove says it will heat 1500 sq ft, you can probably zap some of that off unless your house is "perfect", no drafts, no leaks, more than adequate insulation....

I have another buddy that has the Jotul 500 and loves it, loves the side door as I do, easy overnight burns, nice clean burns too.

Stove shop guys that are on the website really know their stuff, many people that work for stove shops do not. Example, I had a guy in a stove shop that claims he has worked there for 15 years tell me the dollars bill test really does not mean anything, it is good to have some air space between the gasket and the stove... :roll:
Ask the pros here on this website and you will not go wrong with your choice

So again like others have said get the right size so you can burn clean and keep your house warm when it is really cold out there. Plus make sure you get a stove where you can really fill it up for a nice overnight burn with many hot coals left in the morning to easily get it going again. Some mid sized stoves won't be able to do this unless you cut your splits smaller than average size. But if you don't need an overnight burn or are more of a causal burner don't worry about burntimes..no worries

Plus do you prefer front to back loading or east/west burning. The 3100 is made for front to back, the Jotul is east to west burning, I like front to back but the flame is nicer looking in my opinion for east to west burning stoves. Front to back you don't worry about logs rolling out, east to west you do. No side door on the Jotul 400 (unlike on the 500 or 600 models). I am a big fan on side doors, you really can stuff the wood in there with side doors and keep that front door closed

The 3100 claims it can heat 1900 sq feet†...hmmmmm...read the fine print which is what I call the TRUE PRINT.... † Heating capacity and efficiency may differ due to climate, building construction and condition, amount and quality of insulation, location of the fireplace, type of fuel used and air movement in the home. Btu output will vary, depending on the type of fuel used. Units require standard maintenance in accordance with the owner's manual.

This is a big decision so get the one you really want and get something you will really happy with and not wondering "What If" when it gets cold out...

Plus I guess if you are really in a tight budget you do what you gotta do but think how long you are going to have this stove, it will pay for itself in a short period of time.

Enjoy yourself too you are going to buy a new wood stove!

Thanks for all the info. I am only trying to heat the downstairs of the house which is where my office is, this space is 1100 sq ft. I would love to heat more of the house with a bigger stove, but the stove is in the same room as my office where I spend at least 8-10 hours a day, so I dont want to heat myself out of the office. I think either stove would be more than fine as far as heating capability. The biggest thing for me aside from quality is clean glass, looks, and more visibility inside the stove as I think its nice to look at. Also I really want the option to burn with the door open for the ambiance, so I have to see if the quadra has a screen that will work.

 

[Jfk4th]

Sounds good,
Enjoy the stove

 

[BrotherBart]

Just buy a tiny fireplace screen at the hardware store that will cover the opening in the stove and sit on the ash lip if you buy the Quad. I had one for my old steel stove for years. Easier to not to use a twenty-dollar screen after a couple of times than to hang a $75 dollar one on a nail in the office like I did.

 

[Frostbit]

Tough call. Generally when I am in a situation like yours, I pose myself these words of wisdom spoken to me many years ago by a good friend.

1. You always get what you pay for
2. It only costs a nickel more to go first class
3. You're never dissatisfied when you buy the very best

 

[DAKSY]

Just a point of fact on the Castine.
They are temperamental & don't always draft correctly,
unless your vent goes straight up from the flue collar.
We've had some customer complaints about back-puffing of smoke with a horizontal vent
off the rear of the unit.
We actually stopped carrying them for a while because of this issue.
The door opening is higher than the baffle plate & this seems to be the culprit.
The smoke will roll out thru the top of the door opening BEFORE it can get around the baffle & into the flue.
Other customers have had no issues with a horizontal set-up,
but I thought I'd at least point this out...

 

[jcolgan]

Just a point of fact on the Castine.
They are temperamental & don't always draft correctly,
unless your vent goes straight up from the flue collar.
We've had some customer complaints about back-puffing of smoke with a horizontal vent
off the rear of the unit.
We actually stopped carrying them for a while because of this issue.
The door opening is higher than the baffle plate & this seems to be the culprit.
The smoke will roll out thru the top of the door opening BEFORE it can get around the baffle & into the flue.
Other customers have had no issues with a horizontal set-up,
but I thought I'd at least point this out...

Thanks. I read about that last night while searching the forum. So fare no one has had anything bad to say about the quadra-fires. This stove would be on the first floor of a two level house using a chimney that coes straight up through the house and out the top of the roof. hole in the wall of the chimney for the piping (you can see how technical I am) is about 2-3 feet above the outlet of the both wood stoves so the piping would need to extend vertically out of the unit and then make a horizontal bend to meet the chimney.

Im not sure if that is the same situation that has been known to cause issues in the jotul?

 

[begreen]

Both are excellent stoves. The Quad is a very clean burner. Member TMonter has had one for awhile now. The Castine is a great stove with excellent fit and finish. Our F400 was connected rear-exit to a double-wall elbow and then straight up ~20ft. This gave me comfortable corner clearances. The only time we had issues with minor smoke spillage was during early/late season burning when it was about 50 outside. We did have a couple back-puffs, but both times it was my fault. (Tried using the ashpan door to start a fire, then closed it off too early. I stopped doing that.) We never had issues as long as the stove was started correctly by leaving the door slightly ajar until the fire was fully started.

Top vented, the F400 should be a pussycat to run. Fitted out with the blue-black enamel, it's one of the nicest looking stoves on the market IMHO.

 

[Later]

They are both great stoves. We put in a Castine last January and haven't regretted it, straight chimney through the second floor and attic. Never a "puff". I don't like the looks of steel stoves but that's just me. If I were looking for a steel stove I'd also consider the Englander line(s).

We have the flat black model. Didn't think the extra $$$ were worth it - even though they are beautiful. Our Castine replaced a flat black Dutchwest that I needed to touch up every now and then with stove polish. No big deal.

 

[madison]

Curious, do you have to be concerned with overfiring when using the screen with the doors open?

 

[BrotherBart]

Curious, do you have to be concerned with overfiring when using the screen with the doors open?

Nah. So much cool air is sucked in and then up the flue that the stove doesn't even get up to normal operating temps.

 

[North of 60]

Just my guess Madison, with the front door completely removed it would act as a secondary dilution air and slow the draft at the base of the fire as more air would pass by from above. Primary air would end up being quite less. Thats my shot at it anyways. So nobody shoot me %-P
N of 60

 

[firefighterjake]

Only having owned a Jotul I can only say that both brands get high marks from owners here at hearth.com -- I don't think you would go wrong with either one.

As far as recommending one over the other . . . I think it all boils down to what you want and the features you find most desirable. Price, visual appeal, screen, etc. are just a few of those considerations. For me, the screen and visual appeal was not high on my "must have" list when I was shopping around for a stove (although I would have ruled out any really funky looking woodstove). For me, ease of use, low maintenance, excellent heating qualities, etc. were important . . . it really comes down to what you want in a stove and what do you value most.

I do think that based on what I've read here that most folks do not consider the screens a great value . . . honestly, I thought about buying a screen with the initial purchase of my Jotul, but in the end opted to save the money. As BB said, most of the stoves have a large enough glass door to capture the visual appeal and you can still hear the snapping and popping if you're looking for more of an auditory treat.

 

[Skier76]

We went with a Castine. It was kinda two fold for me...I grew up with a Jotul stove and I liked the looks of the Jotul over the steel. For my wife, it was all on looks. She liked the looks of it over the steel stoves. Remember, if you have a better half, get their opinion!

 

[chad3]

We went with a Castine. It was kinda two fold for me...I grew up with a Jotul stove and I liked the looks of the Jotul over the steel. For my wife, it was all on looks. She liked the looks of it over the steel stoves. Remember, if you have a better half, get their opinion!

Plus one on the other half. Make sure they like it and it will bode well for you. I ended up picking up a Oslo instead of the Castine. Side door sold me on it. Very handy and I have to say, I don't ever use the front door to load wood anymore. A bit bigger of a stove, but you can also use a few less pieces if you find yourself becoming too hot.
Just my .02
Chad

 

[Hurricane]

I also have a Quad 5100 for the last 11 years. It burns so clean my neighbors ask me how come I am not burning sometimes when it is going. I think it is a great quality and have not had any maintenance issues so far. I would buy another Quad without a thought. I am sure the Jotul is a great stove also, my brother went with the enamel stove because of the other half and is very happy also.
As others here have said it comes down to choice of looks and $616.00 would seal the deal for me !

 

[logger]

Another advantage of the jotul is that I can get a screen for it if I want the ambiance of a fireplace on a cool fall night or cool summer night when I dont really need to use it for heat. The quadra-fire doesnt offer a screen in the non-cast models.

The jotul dealer also told me that I should get an enamel coated model as I wont need to repaint the stove, but the matte black model needs to be repainted or touched up every few years, is this true?

I found out today that if I place an order soon for the quadra-fire 3100 they will install it for free, making that stove an additional 275.00 cheaper than the jotul. We are on a tight budget, but I definitely like the looks of the jotul better in a nice blue enamel.

So after all is said and done with installation:
the enamel jotul will cost $2,115.00 (1481 with tax credit) + 325.00 installation fee
the quadra-fire will cost $1699.00 ($1190.00 with tax credit) + 0 installation fee and comes with a $100.00 gift certificate for a STIHL chainsaw. Those figures dont include the 6% sales tax. So in total after the tax credit, I would save about $616.00 by going with the quadra-fire and that savings is hard to turn down, but I definitely like the jotul better.

Dont forget the cost of stovepiping and a heat shield if needed.. sometimes the little stuff adds up to nearly the cost of the stove.. By the way, Id go with Jotul too.

 

[danking49]

We like our Quad 2100 for heating 1100 sf ranch; plenty of heat to 0f outside temp. Very clean burning for the most part but the glass does need cleaning every day or so; even with Envi-8 blocks.