I'm looking for a little advice.
Here's the back story. I live in a 1870's brick farm house and to make it livable we burn wood...a lot of wood. The first winter in the house the chimney wasn't lined and we tried to get by with just our LP furnace. Several 30 degree nights and $6000 worth of LP that winter got me motivated to line the chimney and get a stove for the next season. I baught an early 80's Vermont Castings Resolute off of craigslist for about $100. I LOVE THAT STOVE. It ran like a top. FANTACTIC!! I have not had the 1st problem with it at all. However, it wasn't quite big enough to get the job done. But it ran so well and was so bulletproof I thought I had to get another VC stove. I wanted a to find a Defiant stove but the best I could come up with was a defiant encore 0028. Its pretty, blue with big windows. It puts out a lot of heat but as far as reliability it is not half the stove that the resolute is.
The problems I have had with the 0028. When I got the stove the 1st winter I just replaced the cat and ran it. About halfwqay through the winter I noticed the damper wasn't closing completely. After a little investigation I found that one of the bolts holding the tab that holds the damper in place had come out. So I took the upper back off and replaced the bolt. Later that year, I noticed the upper back was sagging in the middle and the lower back had a crack in it. So, this summer I ordered a new upper and lower back. When I took those off of the stove I found that the refractory material was in bad shape. There was a hole burned through the top and through the staneless plate on top of that. Also the large stainless baffle in the front was warped terribly. So I also ordered all new stainless baffles AND a new refractory kit. But I wasn't too concerened because I got the stove used and kind of thought that once I replace all that stuff the stove will be good as new and I would still be money ahead of what a new stove cost. (I also replaced the door, lid and ashpan gaskets too) WELL... This week I just noticed the new lower back is cracked and when I reached up under the lip on the lower back I can feel the stainless baffle is warped. What to do??? I did not put a new cat in the stove this time around becasue I thought that the old cat(s) had fallen into the stove and clogged the flow forcing all the heat through a narrow passage thus causing the stove to try to melt itself without actually over heating.
I understand that the encore 0028's are not the most desirable stoves to have. (I have been educated)
I am to the point that I am going to buy a NEW stove. We currently burn the stoves 24/7 during the winter. The Resolute is in the front room and the Defiant/Encore is in the center of the house.) The next stove I get needs to be freestanding and "pretty" and available with an enamel finish(wifes orders). I love the controls on both of my stoves but am unfamiliar with any other stoves except for my parents Buck insert.
The Defiant/Encore is good but I could still use a little bigger stove. Were heating 2400 square feet of 160 year old house.
I've looked at the Jotul 600 f and am a little concerned with the tubes inside it. (Should I not be?)
So the question is...
Is the new Defiant better? What about the Jotul 600 f. Or the Harmon Oakwood, or even the Hearthstone Mansfield or something else I am completely over looking.
Thanks in advance,
Here's the back story. I live in a 1870's brick farm house and to make it livable we burn wood...a lot of wood. The first winter in the house the chimney wasn't lined and we tried to get by with just our LP furnace. Several 30 degree nights and $6000 worth of LP that winter got me motivated to line the chimney and get a stove for the next season. I baught an early 80's Vermont Castings Resolute off of craigslist for about $100. I LOVE THAT STOVE. It ran like a top. FANTACTIC!! I have not had the 1st problem with it at all. However, it wasn't quite big enough to get the job done. But it ran so well and was so bulletproof I thought I had to get another VC stove. I wanted a to find a Defiant stove but the best I could come up with was a defiant encore 0028. Its pretty, blue with big windows. It puts out a lot of heat but as far as reliability it is not half the stove that the resolute is.
The problems I have had with the 0028. When I got the stove the 1st winter I just replaced the cat and ran it. About halfwqay through the winter I noticed the damper wasn't closing completely. After a little investigation I found that one of the bolts holding the tab that holds the damper in place had come out. So I took the upper back off and replaced the bolt. Later that year, I noticed the upper back was sagging in the middle and the lower back had a crack in it. So, this summer I ordered a new upper and lower back. When I took those off of the stove I found that the refractory material was in bad shape. There was a hole burned through the top and through the staneless plate on top of that. Also the large stainless baffle in the front was warped terribly. So I also ordered all new stainless baffles AND a new refractory kit. But I wasn't too concerened because I got the stove used and kind of thought that once I replace all that stuff the stove will be good as new and I would still be money ahead of what a new stove cost. (I also replaced the door, lid and ashpan gaskets too) WELL... This week I just noticed the new lower back is cracked and when I reached up under the lip on the lower back I can feel the stainless baffle is warped. What to do??? I did not put a new cat in the stove this time around becasue I thought that the old cat(s) had fallen into the stove and clogged the flow forcing all the heat through a narrow passage thus causing the stove to try to melt itself without actually over heating.
I understand that the encore 0028's are not the most desirable stoves to have. (I have been educated)
I am to the point that I am going to buy a NEW stove. We currently burn the stoves 24/7 during the winter. The Resolute is in the front room and the Defiant/Encore is in the center of the house.) The next stove I get needs to be freestanding and "pretty" and available with an enamel finish(wifes orders). I love the controls on both of my stoves but am unfamiliar with any other stoves except for my parents Buck insert.
The Defiant/Encore is good but I could still use a little bigger stove. Were heating 2400 square feet of 160 year old house.
I've looked at the Jotul 600 f and am a little concerned with the tubes inside it. (Should I not be?)
So the question is...
Is the new Defiant better? What about the Jotul 600 f. Or the Harmon Oakwood, or even the Hearthstone Mansfield or something else I am completely over looking.
Thanks in advance,
