I've been reading on line about wood stoves for the last few weeks and finally this week will be able to get off the farm and into town to take a look at stoves in a store. Locally there are several brands. Lopi/Avalon at one place, Blaze King at another, and Quadra-Fire at a third. I've reluctantly decided against the Blaze King because of cost as well as the fact the guy who sells them is kind of a part time dealer who has a "friend" who does installations. He was an interesting guy to talk to on the phone, though. The Lopi/Avalon dealer heard I was interested in a wood stove and immediately started talking about how the price went up with the extras you wanted with the stove. It was a pretty big turn off talking to someone like that, about the equivalent of going new car shopping and the dealer saying "oh, you'll like this vehicle, it's red." Pretty much the last thing you want to know. Anyway, that brought me down to the Quadra-Fire dealer and they seemed decent on the phone.
I like the Isle Royale because it's a top loading unit and I have pretty bad arthritis in my knees and hands. Top loading sounds a lot easier on the joints. The stove is sized about right (maybe a little big, but not by a whole lot) for this house, so it's ok there. For no particular reason I'm not nuts about cast iron instead of the rolled steel stoves, but since that seems to be the way to get a top loading stove I'm not going to worry about that. (For what it's worth, the dealer was suggesting the 4300 step top when I talked to them on the phone. I hadn't been looking into actual models at the point I spoke with them, was more interested in the brand they carried.)
So those of you who are Isle Royale owners, what do you like or dislike about this stove? If you were doing it again would you buy it? I'd like to be able to ask the right questions when I go into the store, and if there's things you don't like I'd want to pay attention to those areas. I'm afraid I may be putting too much emphasis in the top loading idea and over looking something else.
Poult
I like the Isle Royale because it's a top loading unit and I have pretty bad arthritis in my knees and hands. Top loading sounds a lot easier on the joints. The stove is sized about right (maybe a little big, but not by a whole lot) for this house, so it's ok there. For no particular reason I'm not nuts about cast iron instead of the rolled steel stoves, but since that seems to be the way to get a top loading stove I'm not going to worry about that. (For what it's worth, the dealer was suggesting the 4300 step top when I talked to them on the phone. I hadn't been looking into actual models at the point I spoke with them, was more interested in the brand they carried.)
So those of you who are Isle Royale owners, what do you like or dislike about this stove? If you were doing it again would you buy it? I'd like to be able to ask the right questions when I go into the store, and if there's things you don't like I'd want to pay attention to those areas. I'm afraid I may be putting too much emphasis in the top loading idea and over looking something else.
Poult
