How much is an old Fisher worth?

[XJma]

Despite my recommendation not to, someone wants to replace an old Fisher double door with screws and the cast in trees with something a little more modern, mainly with a glass front. I can't argue with the glass front.

Anyways, I already have too many. Are these old fire dragons worth anything to anyone? In perfectly good shape, maybe needs a few fire bricks replaced. It has chrome ball feet and the screen that goes with (which is useless). Thanx.

 

[Slow burn]

I see them go for 5-6 hundred in decent shape. I've also seen post on Craigslist people going to a newer stove that just want them out of the house. I'm in southern NH.
It's like a classic car some people see them and say cool car, some see them as old gas guzzling pollution makers.
All said I recently purchased a warner beast of a smoke dragon for 600 in very good shape. It know it's not a fisher but I think it's a close comparison

 

[coaly]

If you have damp or wet wood from a storm and need heat, using the screen to get it going comes in handy. You can see what the fire is doing and give it as much air as possible. Otherwise, for fire viewing you slowly close flue damper with screen in place until smoke rolls inward at the top. Open slightly to allow smoke to rise, but retain as much heat as possible. The damper becomes your only control, and without one it's not recommended using the screen. Many that closed off an open fireplace for more heat preferred the double doors capable of open door burning with screen in place, missing the ambiance and crackle of the fire.
The screen for a Grandma is quite common, but a screen for a Grandpa is rare and sometimes sells for more than the stove.
Your model and age would be a factor if it's a collectable. Prices vary by season for a user, and should be higher for a UL Listed stove. Nickel or brass plated doors are normally more valuable as well as glass models.

 

[bholler]

Around here $400 would be the top most are in the $200 to $300 range. There are just allot of them around and many people buying stoves are looking for more performance.

 

[XJma]

So other than needing a few bricks replaced, it's in great shape, and has been in continued use since about 76-77. It does not have the '76' in a star on the door but looks very similar otherwise, no nickel or brass on the doors, it's all black except for the ball feet which I assume are chrome?

I have an all nighter here at my house, and it's larger than this fisher. I would hate to get rid of this fisher, but the father in law got mesmerized by an EPA soapstone stove, which I'll admit is quite sexy, and has glass front, but I believe he is going to be disappointed. We just pulled a new insulated SS liner in yesterday, and it sucked, but it's in and it's insulated. The old SS liner wasn't insulated!!

I do have an extra flue that I could throw this bad boy in, but space would be tight and it would be right next to the all nighter. The all nighter, AFAIK, would be 86ish vintage as this is when my house was built. My instinct is to keep the all nighter, it's got a bigger fire box, but the fisher doesn't have a small one!!

Maybe I should change the title of this thread to 'should I keep this fisher for myself, or let it be sold?'

 

[bholler]

I would hate to get rid of this fisher, but the father in law got mesmerized by an EPA soapstone stove, which I'll admit is quite sexy, and has glass front, but I believe he is going to be disappointed.

why is that do you think he will dislike the longer burn times and more heat out of each piece of wood? Yes soapstone stoves take some time to get used to because of their thermal mass but they work very well. Have you ever used a modern stove?

 

[XJma]

why is that do you think he will dislike the longer burn times and more heat out of each piece of wood? Yes soapstone stoves take some time to get used to because of their thermal mass but they work very well. Have you ever used a modern stove?

Because I know him well, and despite me trying to get him to buy cords now for two-three years down the road and keep them stacked to season, he won't. With the Fisher, it's really not an issue, he calls his guy, he dumps 3-4 cords, he burns them and is happy. He loves my EPA glass front stove, but I keep a fairly good stash of wood that's fairly well seasoned.....very well seasoned compared to anything you can buy short of maybe kiln dried (some of mine is dryer, not all).

Dont' get me wrong, I would love the stove he bought and would love to find a place in my home for one too....but he's not going to like trying to burn wet wood in it. He's more of the, fire the stove up, leave it alone for a while, then stuff it full and forget about it for the night type of guy. Works fine with fisher or all nighter. Not so much EPA stoves.

 

[bholler]

Because I know him well, and despite me trying to get him to buy cords now for two-three years down the road and keep them stacked to season, he won't. With the Fisher, it's really not an issue, he calls his guy, he dumps 3-4 cords, he burns them and is happy. He loves my EPA glass front stove, but I keep a fairly good stash of wood that's fairly well seasoned.....very well seasoned compared to anything you can buy short of maybe kiln dried (some of mine is dryer, not all).

Dont' get me wrong, I would love the stove he bought and would love to find a place in my home for one too....but he's not going to like trying to burn wet wood in it. He's more of the, fire the stove up, leave it alone for a while, then stuff it full and forget about it for the night type of guy. Works fine with fisher or all nighter. Not so much EPA stoves.

Ok fair enough I am sorry for assuming you were just another modern stove basher. My apologies.

 

[XJma]

Ok fair enough I am sorry for assuming you were just another modern stove basher. My apologies.

No, no, I don't hate the stove....I'm jealous! I wish I could keep all that I have and find a place in my house for it, haha!! I'm a fan of anything that can turn wood into BTUs! It's like the classic car analogy above....and my father in law loves classic cars. I'm just concerned that he's about to feed a brand new corvette leaded gas is all, if that analogy fits?

 

[bholler]

No, no, I don't hate the stove....I'm jealous! I wish I could keep all that I have and find a place in my house for it, haha!! I'm a fan of anything that can turn wood into BTUs! It's like the classic car analogy above....and my father in law loves classic cars. I'm just concerned that he's about to feed a brand new corvette leaded gas is all, if that analogy fits?

good analogy I think I will use that one with some of the stubborn old guys I come across

 

[XJma]

So there is no chance that he is handing me over the brand new hearthstone, atleast at this point, prior to the first firing.

I started this thread wondering if it was worth selling the fisher, and I have since taken a turn. Now I'm thinking that I should take it and hang onto it in case he doesn't like it, at which point I could trade the fisher for the hearthstone, even though I don't really have a need for it....I could replace the rainier insert on the first floor with it, with some hammer drilling, haha.

Realistically, I'm now wondering if the older, smaller fisher is worth using instead of the moe all nighter?? The all nighter is in my basement, 2200 sq ft house with ~25x16 room with 20' vaulted ceiling (hence the pellet and insert). The all nighter, on the cold nights, once it's cranking makes it sweaty on the second floor. Not sure if I should mess with success.

 

[bholler]

Realistically, I'm now wondering if the older, smaller fisher is worth using instead of the moe all nighter?? The all nighter is in my basement, 2200 sq ft house with ~25x16 room with 20' vaulted ceiling (hence the pellet and insert). The all nighter, on the cold nights, once it's cranking makes it sweaty on the second floor. Not sure if I should mess with success.

Honestly out of the two of them I think the allnighter is a better stove. not that either is efficient but allnighters seem to do a better job of getting more of the heat off the stove. And both are built like tanks.

 

[coaly]

Yes, he will be disappointed because he is going to use it like an old stove.

If the Fisher has flat top doors, it was sometime before 1980. 76 and early 77 had star doors with round steel rod door seal. After that all use flat channel iron door seal with no gasket. (except glass doors) No flat top doors were plated with nickel or brass, they were all painted black. I can date it very close with a picture with doors closed as well as tell you the model. An added baffle if it does not have one (later models do) is a simple and the best improvement.
You can identify it by the first post in this thread written to identify any Fisher made in the US or Canada.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/everything-fisher.48309/

Both are well built stoves. The Fisher is built simpler without air tubes to rot out or wooden handles to replace. Leg length has become a factor for legal use of the All Nighter since NFPA 211 requires 6 inch clearance minimum. (I suspect both stoves you are comparing are unlisted?) It was built with a mat under bottom bricks which contains asbestos and is fine for use on a non-combustible hearth.
The Fisher with arched top doors and no angle iron corners is UL listed. BOTH box designs with and without angle iron corners were made by most fabricators $100 cheaper with angle iron in the old unlisted style for use on non-combustible hearth installations. This should have an effect on value as well. If yours is one of these listed models, it would be wise to use it instead of the All Nighter.

 

[bholler]

If yours is one of these listed models, it would be wise to use it instead of the All Nighter.

Why as long as you insurance company is ok with an unlisted stove what does it matter?

 

[coaly]

Because the listed models have a baffle, are more efficient with a bottom and rear shield and have a minimal body seam weld. I believe all the All Nighters have a rear weld seam up the back that was a listing issue. If the day comes that Listing is mandatory, and they are no longer grandfathered, he'll wish he didn't get rid of the Listed stove. (I stated "use" it instead of "keep" it since he stated he already has too many and wants to sell one being stored) I'm not assuming the laws will stay this way forever. Plus if he wants to change insurance companies it could become a factor.
The day it becomes mandatory will probably be EPA Cert only stoves anyway.

 

[bholler]

Because the listed models have a baffle, are more efficient with a bottom and rear shield and have a minimal body seam weld.

I still think that the all nighters are more efficient than fishers with a baffle. And what makes you think that a burning a non listed stove will ever be outlawed? What about a nation wide ban on non epa stoves? It wont happen. And there are plenty of insurance companies out there that are fine with non listed stoves.

 

[coaly]

Most local Governments have written ordinances or adopted into their codes (Uniform Family of Codes) the requirement of UL listed appliances for a new installation. Boroughs here (not townships yet) now nullify the Certificate of Occupancy when property is sold. You now have to bring the entire building up to code (not current building code, but the Property Maintenance Code, Mechanical Code and any other codes pertaining to the property) So a licensed rental, or change of ownership requires the removal of unlisted appliance. How close to being outlawed completely is that? Shows me they want no unlisted stoves in their jurisdiction.
It would not likely be federal nationwide, but by states requiring EPA regs. Many states are looking at CA, OR and WA for model codes to adopt. We'll see how far it goes.
Since it's almost impossible to enforce "grandfathered only" stoves, as you know how many are being sold and installed, it would make enforcement much easier.

 

[bholler]

Most local Governments have written ordinances or adopted into their codes (Uniform Family of Codes) the requirement of UL listed appliances for a new installation.

None that I work in require that. And none of the guys in our guild say they have run into it either. What pa local govt are you referring to?

Boroughs here (not townships yet) now nullify the Certificate of Occupancy when property is sold. You now have to bring the entire building up to code (not current building code, but the Property Maintenance Code, Mechanical Code and any other codes pertaining to the property) So a licensed rental, or change of ownership requires the removal of unlisted appliance. How close to being outlawed completely is that? Shows me they want no unlisted stoves in their jurisdiction.

Again we work in a prtty large area of PA and talk with guys from the guild who cover most of the state and again never heard of anything like that.

 

[coaly]

Uniform Construction Code (includes International Family of Codes or ICC) in PA since 2004 ?
Middle of this page gives dates of which years code to use; http://www.dli.pa.gov/ucc/Pages/UCC-Codes.aspx

Chapter 9 Solid Fuel burning equipment;
http://codes.iccsafe.org/app/book/content/2015-I-Codes/2015 IMC HTML/CHAPTER 9.html

East Stroudsburg Borough; http://eastburg.org/inspections.php
I don't agree with a property loosing its CO that was given when it passed the codes when built, but we have to have the Building Codes Inspector give us a list of needed repairs or upgrades before it can be sold. If the owner doesn't want to do the work required, a contractor's estimate can be used to deduct the cost of upgrade from selling price and the new owner is responsible before a CO is issued.

 

[bholler]

I don't agree with a property loosing its CO that was given when it passed the codes when built, but we have to have the Building Codes Inspector give us a list of needed repairs or upgrades before it can be sold. If the owner doesn't want to do the work required, a contractor's estimate can be used to deduct the cost of upgrade from selling price and the new owner is responsible before a CO is issued.

To be clear I was curious about what you said not saying you were wrong necessarily so thanks for the info. I will have to call our local code guy about the ul requirement because we have installed many non listed stoves some of which were inspected and passed with no problem. But you are right from what that says it does need to be listed.

As far as the co thing I agree with you it is not right but from that page they are not doing a full inspection for complete compliance just a few specific areas. Most of those areas can pose a serious safety issue as well. So I think requiring an inspection is not a bad thing but just require disclosure not fixing it in my opinion.

 

[XJma]

Thank you all for your replies, you all have answered my questions!

first off, listing/insurance issues are not an issue here in NH, or as far as my insurance co knows anyways. I have the original stove permit for the all nighter, nobody asks questions around here when you transfer ownership, live free or die.

I'll try to get some pics of the two stoves posted, but I have an old flip phone that no longer does pics....and I love it. I'm not even old, born 1981.

From the discussion above I have gathered, correct me if I'm wrong, that I'm going to keep my all nighter in place, perfect for cranking up the heat on cold days/nights. I'm also going to take the fisher and keep it for when I put an addition (because 2100 sq ft is not enough) and hopefully try to incorporate it into the house down the road.

Thanx again for everyone's input!