Brand new VC Resolute III

[TooChilly]

I am still looking for a wood stove. Visited a couple of dealers today and looked at many different stoves but did not fall in love with any of them.

I did, however, come across a brand new, never used Resolution III that I could buy. It's not cheap- I could buy a new, more efficient, modern stove for a tad more $$$. The RIII appeals on several fronts but hubby is scared after reading some of the comments online from unhappy VC owners. He does not want, as he calls it, an "expensive boat anchor" that might need a lot of maintenance and repairs.

Thoughts? Advice?

Thanks in advance!

 

[begreen]

Do you mean a VC Resolute 3 wood stove from about 1983? Do you have a picture? What are they asking for it? How large of an area would the stove be heating?

 

[TooChilly]

Yes. I don't have a picture of it but it is definitely a Resolution III. It was purchased new in 1985 and put into storage, apparently, and somehow just reappeared and wound up in the hands of a guy who refurbishes wood stoves, who is now reselling it.

He is asking $2850. It comes loaded with all of the options that were available at the time. Rear heat shield, bottom heat shield, warming shelves, mitten warmers, screen, etc.

I would be installing it in a 300 sq.ft. greenhouse/sunroom space that is part of our passive solar heating system. We have doors, windows, and vents into other parts of the house and on a sunny winter day if outside temps are 20 below F it can get up to 100 deg inside. We use a fan to blow heat into the rest of the house- but we have no way to store heat at night and with a 30' wall of almost solid glass, plus 10' wall with a glass door and two windows, we lose most of the heat after the sun goes down. This stove would be replacing the sun, just at night or on overcast days. We also have radiant floor heat in the concrete slab and currently use electric space heaters- all of which are expensive ways to heat that space.

We have another wood stove (an old Englander) in the basement on the opposite side of the house. It is not a good setup due to the layout of the house. This new stove on the South side of the house would cover the greenhouse/sunroom, attached main living area and master bedroom, and put some heat up into the second floor of the house as well through the wall vents, so to just say that the space is 300' is not very useful for this purpose.

 

[begreen]

OK, there is no Resolution stove. It's called the Resolute. That was an excellent little stove. I owned one and liked it. It is pre-EPA and quite rugged. The issues with Vermont Castings stoves came a few years later with the fragile refractory package redesigns to meet EPA requirements. The original Resolutes are all cast iron inside.

IMO, $2850 is highway robbery for this stove, I bought the stove for $495. Look at a new Pacific Energy Alderlea T4 or Jotul F35 or F602CBv2 for comparison. Though frankly, a Drolet Deco Nano would do the job well.

High Efficiency Wood Stove | Deco Nano

The Deco Nano wood stove is EPA certified at 1.8 g/h - 45,000 BTU/h to heat up to 1200 ft² - Logs of 17" - On pedestal - Made in Canada.

www.drolet.ca

 

[TooChilly]

My mistake, sorry, was typing while cooking, lol.

Yes, it is the Resolute III.

re: the price. A dealer yesterday told me that this stove "probably" sold new for around $2k. I thought $2850 was high but obviously the seller is trying to make $$$, and compared to what new modern stoves are selling for, kind of in the ball park- except that this is not a new, modern one.

Thanks so much for the great information though- I was definitely scared of the prospect of having to replace the refractory package every few years at $450-550 a pop, if I could find them 20 years from now.

 

[begreen]

That $450 was my new cost, in WA state. They were less on the east coast closer to VT where they were made.

 

[ComputerGuy]

I have a Resolute III that I bought used (obviously) 8 years ago. It’s been a very reliable and wonderful stove which is providing all the heat for my home. I agree with the previous person…..$2850 is WAYYYY too much for it! The recommendations of alternate brands and models are worth investigating. Personally, I like the Deco Nano and would purchase one if and when my Resolute needs replacing, if ever! Good luck!

 

[begreen]

This one is for a professionally rebuilt listing on Craigslist at a much fairer price. I suspect this was done by a hearth.com restorer, @D. Hermit . If so, it is done right.

WOODSTOVE Vermont Casting Resolute REBUILT - antiques - by owner - collectibles sale - craigslist

VERMONT CASTING RESOLUTE Wood Stove with glass door. This stove has been professionally REBUILT from the ground up. Stove has been completely disassembled , sandblasted, regasketed, recaulked,...

providence.craigslist.org

Personally, I wouldn't put such a nice stove in a greenhouse where the humidity is high.