earth stove vs. vermant castings vigilant

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paddler

Member
Nov 29, 2010
16
Northeast Minnesota
i have a two stall detached garage that i have converted into an insulated workshop. currently, i have one of those 70's era earth stoves that i use to heat it. it seems to work well but it takes a lot of wood to maintain heat output and it also requires a good bit of time before its creating appreciable heat. i have an option of replacing the earth stove with an older vermont castings vigilant stove that used to be in my house. i am curious as to all of your expert opinions as to what my best be would be between the two stoves. i would be burning wood, i know that the vigilant is now sold as a coal burner. it didnt work terribly well in my house because it had a poor pipe system that resulted in lots of creosote but in my shop, the pipe would be a straight shot with no elbows or offsets. curious as to anyones thoughts. thanks.
 
Run properly, on a good flue, burning well seasoned wood, the Vigilant is a respectable heater. If ash has accumulated in the secondary passages and/or there are leaks, it may perform poorly. Before putting it into service the stove should be completely cleaned, then all the secondary passages blown out with compressed air. Take a bright light and check for any light leaks on the outside. If you find them, seal them.
 
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