PE Summit vs Quad 5700

[arbutus]

The largest freestanding Lopi stove was in the running too, but I would like to be able to load the logs in lengthwise and not sideways.

Today I stopped at a dealer that just started carrying PE stoves this year and I was impressed with the build quality and the price. My neighbor has a Quad stove that he continues to be impressed with after several years of heavy duty heating. I've used the search function and read MANY good things about both stoves, and haven't really seen much in the way of negative reviews or remarks.

Construction quality seemed similar.
The EBT feature on the Summit seemed like a good concept. Does it really work?
I am not a technical expert on the air intake, secondary burn system or baffle design, so if there are obvious advantages to one stove or the other please let me know.
Log length isn't that much of a concern.

I'm leaning towards the PE Summit because the cost right now is $1620 vs $2280 for the Quadrafire.

Any reason I should spend the extra $660 for the Quadrafire?

I should mention that I will be heating a 2100 sq foot house with a compact and open floor plan. The stove will be replacing an old steel non airtight 6 cu ft beast.

 

[TMonter]

Also look at the englander 30NCL if price is a major consideration. I have a Quad and love it, but for the price the Englander is just such a good buy.

 

[Gunner]

Both good stoves.

Plus for the Quad is takes longer splits and the firebox is bigger than the summit.

Plus for the PE is EBT (yes it really works) and built like a tank, thicker steel and an ash removal system that actually works.

That is a good price by the way for the Summit (I guessing it's not the Classic for that price)

They are both very good but I don't think the 5700 is worth $660 more...unless you feel you need the extra .5cuft

 

[arbutus]

Thanks. This is the plain steel Summit - not the fancy enamel wrapped version. I want a workhorse heater that can burn 24/7 for many winters to come and expected to spend between $2000 and $2500. Which is why the PE price surprised me a little. The steel on the PE and Quad is visibly thicker than the Englander, and I'd rather have a heavier duty stove.

 

[BrotherBart]

The Quad and the Summit both have a lot of things going for them. Both built like Bradley Fighting Vehicles and most importantly they are Big Steel Stoves. Consumables might be an issue. We are seeing on the Forum that the Quads use relatively less durable pumice fire bricks that are proprietary. On the Summits the guys have been talking about a little warping of the stainless baffles but it seems to be something you just straighten back out and may be coming from some Banzai burns.

Either one of them will make you one hell of a wood stove for a long time. Personally I can't see why anybody would pay six hundred more for the Quad. 24" splits are a cute bragging point but sixteen inch splits in a large firebox give you an infinite assortment of ways to stuff it for really long burns and for tossing less heat on the days when you just don't need an inferno in the house.

 

[titan]

One other thing to ponder...24" splits are much heavier than 16"s.That's never so evident as when your woodpile is 75' of mountaingoat path away from the house in mid February.

 

[arbutus]

OK, Thanks again!

I'll be buying the PE Summit this week.

As to wood length - I bring wood to my front door by the wheelbarrow load. I find it a bit more convenient to carry and stack 16 to 20 inch logs though. 24 also gets a bit unwieldly when you forgot to put on gloves and are attempting to cram that last log in an already burning stove.


A side note - I saw the Thelin Gnome pellet heater for the first time yesterday. The design and looks were truly captivating! Is anyone selling a wood heater that looks similar? (Not Rais or the round soapstone)

 

[Gunner]

I am do for a raise...the summit owners are multiplying like rabbits lately. :lol:

 

[BrotherBart]

I am do for a raise...the summit owners are multiplying like rabbits lately. :lol:

Yeah roospike's monthly check will go down this year since you took over as Sales Manager. Between you and hearth.com PE is going to have to put on another shift this year.

It reminds me of when the first Dirty Harry movie came out. Sales of .44 mag Smith & Wesson model 29s went through the roof. And then after they were fired one time and the shooter's wrist healed up they stayed in a drawer from then on. Gonna be the same with some of these 800 sq. ft. bungalows with a Summit cranked up in'em.

 

[Gunner]

You mean like Corie ;-P

 

[BrotherBart]

You mean like Corie ;-P

Corie's is a little different situation. When the new boss says take a stove home and use it the correct answer is to say "Yes sir." and back the truck up to the dock.

Just like the Summit the 30 can be tamed for low, clean maintenance burns. In fact the method is the same for both of them. The problem will be that most people want to just toss in the wood and let'er rip. When roo mentioned how he does it I laughed because it was exactly the way I used to do it with the big Sierra. I went back to it and never ran us out of the joint again with too much heat.

 

[arbutus]

If you gents would be so kind as to point me to the thread where tips on operating the Summit have been posted I'd appreciate it!

 

[BrotherBart]

If you gents would be so kind as to point me to the thread where tips on operating the Summit have been posted I'd appreciate it!

They were interspersed through a lot of threads by member roospike. Use advanced search to retrieve his posts and you will learn a lot about loading and burning the Summit.

 

[Gunner]

If you gents would be so kind as to point me to the thread where tips on operating the Summit have been posted I'd appreciate it!

For moderate burns in a big stove https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/6334/

I'll have to add you to the "list" of summit owners.....I can barely keep up

 

[BrotherBart]

A modified version of spike's method works really well with the 30. Since the 30 has a "doghouse" front and center with a little .32 caliber hole in it that shoots primary air you can make the tunnel closed top instead of laying the top split of the three diagonally on top. You aim the shot of primary right between the two bottom spits firing right at the secondary air riser in the center back of the stove. You also leave an inch of space between the back ends of the splits and the back wall of the stove.

What happens is that a very hot fire is created in the "tunnel" and the gases are blown out the back against the secondary air riser and up and back over the top of the splits. The super heated secondary air created in the riser by this method comes out of the burn tubes, mixes with the gases coming back over the top of the splits and voila! secondary burn at stove top temps in the 300 - 400 degree range and a burn that rolls right along for three or four hours.

I do overnight burns the same way. Just stacking the extra splits on either side of the tunnel and bringing the stove up to five hundred to five-fifty before closing down primary air to around 25 percent.

 

[Todd]

OK, Thanks again!

I'll be buying the PE Summit this week.

As to wood length - I bring wood to my front door by the wheelbarrow load. I find it a bit more convenient to carry and stack 16 to 20 inch logs though. 24 also gets a bit unwieldly when you forgot to put on gloves and are attempting to cram that last log in an already burning stove.


A side note - I saw the Thelin Gnome pellet heater for the first time yesterday. The design and looks were truly captivating! Is anyone selling a wood heater that looks similar? (Not Rais or the round soapstone)

Pretty sure Thelin has a wood stove that looks just like the pellet stove.