I bought a new Vermont Iron Elm stove, the Wildfire model and it is a wonderful stove. I live in Northern Michigan and have used it this year enough already to know it will do just fine as things get colder later. I am a beach person that spends most of my precious summer skimboarding in Lake Michigan and the inland lakes up here. I hate winter. I spent huge amounts of time researching wood stoves last spring and was really intrigued by some of the older cool looking wood stoves. I really was attracted to the Elm alone by its looks, but when I saw that it was still being made and in an improved version that was enough for me to dig deeper. I have burnt a Pacific Energy Spectrum for 10 years with excellent results. Moved to a new house and tried coal which sucked but had some merits but, my wife would never say so.
I have to say that my Elm stove is easy to start, throws off alot of heat, has secondary air tubes, there is a soapstone slab on top of it, the cavern of a fire box can hold a huge amount of wood and looks so cool that I really dont care if I missed out on a tax rebate. I can not say anything bad about my old P.E. stove except that is did look like box, a hot box. I was hot but my wife and I agree it was a bit finicky to get going.
Check out the videos on You tube about the Elm stoves. They are real and they are hand made here in the lower 48. I like going to art shows and dig it when you pick up something that not only looks cool but is of high quality and does the job. I have never seen a wood stove at an art fair but the Elm is the only one that I could imagine to see at one. I am a happy owner heating a big house with a 24" Wildfire, easily.
Bushman
I have to say that my Elm stove is easy to start, throws off alot of heat, has secondary air tubes, there is a soapstone slab on top of it, the cavern of a fire box can hold a huge amount of wood and looks so cool that I really dont care if I missed out on a tax rebate. I can not say anything bad about my old P.E. stove except that is did look like box, a hot box. I was hot but my wife and I agree it was a bit finicky to get going.
Check out the videos on You tube about the Elm stoves. They are real and they are hand made here in the lower 48. I like going to art shows and dig it when you pick up something that not only looks cool but is of high quality and does the job. I have never seen a wood stove at an art fair but the Elm is the only one that I could imagine to see at one. I am a happy owner heating a big house with a 24" Wildfire, easily.
Bushman