Two stoves of the same size, both steel, will cost different amounts. The stove at the farm store will cost $700 say, while the one at the hearth store will cost $1400. What is the difference in quality? Generally the the hearth store stove has a little better styling, but these are black metal boxes! They hardly look like they cost $700, or $400, more to make. Thanks
Difference in quality between steel stoves? (Farm store stove vs. hearth store.)
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Dix
Minister of Fire
Todd
Minister of Fire
I think the difference may be a little more stout baffle and maybe thicker steel in places. Both will do the job and end up paying for themselves over time.
Have to know the particular stoves to tell you differences. And what you expect from the place you bought it from if you have problems down the line with the stove?
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
It has been our experience that the biggest difference is in the amount of time they are useable. Your question quickly brought to mind one home I was at. They went cheap when they bought their first stove. In just a very few years (don't remember for sure but probably 5 or 6) the suddenly had a hole in the back of the stove. Yup. Burned right through and you could see the reflection of the flame even before we looked back there. Needless to say, they stayed handy with fire extinguishers until that load burned down and then bought a better stove.
Is cheap really the main factor? For me, I just think of all those flames and all that heat and it would scare the wits (if I have any at all) right out of me to try to skimp on buying one of these beasts. I'll spend an extra hundred or a few hundred to get a good stove.
One more factor you can consider here. Our last stove was not a real expensive stove and we bought it mainly because a family bought it and decided they did not want it. We needed a new stove and picked it up almost new for a song and a dance. Our present stove was purchased for around $2,000. Big difference! One might say we were foolish. However, consider that we now burn only half the amount of fuel we did before and we stay a whole lot warmer. We don't have to clean our chimney multiple times each year (so far once in 3 years) and we have a beautiful stove rather than a plain black box.
On the fuel savings, let's say we bought our wood at $150 per cord and we burn 3 cords per year. That is $450 in savings each and every year we have the stove. It does not take long to repay and the added benefit is we don't have to work as hard getting wood in and taking ashes out and cleaning the chimney.
Good luck no matter which stove you buy but I hope you don't go cheap.
Is cheap really the main factor? For me, I just think of all those flames and all that heat and it would scare the wits (if I have any at all) right out of me to try to skimp on buying one of these beasts. I'll spend an extra hundred or a few hundred to get a good stove.
One more factor you can consider here. Our last stove was not a real expensive stove and we bought it mainly because a family bought it and decided they did not want it. We needed a new stove and picked it up almost new for a song and a dance. Our present stove was purchased for around $2,000. Big difference! One might say we were foolish. However, consider that we now burn only half the amount of fuel we did before and we stay a whole lot warmer. We don't have to clean our chimney multiple times each year (so far once in 3 years) and we have a beautiful stove rather than a plain black box.
On the fuel savings, let's say we bought our wood at $150 per cord and we burn 3 cords per year. That is $450 in savings each and every year we have the stove. It does not take long to repay and the added benefit is we don't have to work as hard getting wood in and taking ashes out and cleaning the chimney.
Good luck no matter which stove you buy but I hope you don't go cheap.
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