Quadrafire explorer 2 vs resolute acclaim 2490

[Trinaj]

hello . Does anyone own a quadrafire explorer 2 . I'm looking to upgrade my VC resolute acclaim 2490 for a bigger stove .
Ive had no luck finding a jotul 600 or any other 3cu ft firebox with a rear , 6 inch flue on Craigslist , but someone is selling a new in box quad explorer 2 for $1600 .
My question- on the 2490 website it says the 2490 puts out 50k btu, and the quad says 61k btu . Is this accurate info ? I would hate to get the quad to find out I still need a bigger stove . The firebox on the 2490 is 1.7 ( I think ) and the quad is 2.4.
My house is 2200sq and the VC did ok when it was blasted 24-7, but ended up warping the rear damper and firebrick damage.

 

[Jeffm1]

I just installed a quad explorer 2 a couple months ago during the summer and have used it a handful of times so far. The manufacturer specs say it's good for a house up to 3400 square feet. Mine is 2200 square feet and the explorer 2 is doing a fine job. I am totally happy with it. It gives off a LOT of heat. The room its in is sometimes too warm and we open a window for a bit. In the back of the house in our bedrooms it's really comfortable for sleeping. Not too warm, not too cool. Perfect for us for sleeping. I have got really good night's sleep when the stove was fired up. But the weather hasn't gotten too cold yet, only 40° or so on a few nights lately. As the temperatures drop we probably won't need to open any windows. But time will tell. I can't see you being disappointed with an explorer 2 and you won't have to blast it 24/7. It has more than enough heat and we both have 2200 square foot houses. For our house, any stove bigger would be too much heat. And at $1600 new in the box I would jump on it. Does that still have the manufacturer warranty?

http://m.quadrafire.com/Products/Explorer-II-Wood-Stove.aspx?p=specifications

 

[begreen]

I would focus on getting a large enough stove and consider the 3.0 cu ft Quadrafire Explorer III instead if the goal is more heat and longer burn time. Yes it will cost more but over the life of the stove it will amount to very little per month and the savings on repairs vs the Acclaim should be large.

 

[jharkin]

I'm thinking of you other thread trinaj, with your older house in cold New Hampshire I agree with BG you want to go big.

 

[Trinaj]

I'm trying to stay within a $1500 budget . The explorer 2 is $1600 , new from CL. I'm having a hard time finding a rear , 6 inch flue with a 3cu ft box on Craigslist . I was looking at the jotul 600 , but nothing's for sale . I did see a beautiful old jotul 12 , but I'm not sure of its firebox size .
There are few jotul Oslo 500, but I think the quadrafire explorer 2 is bigger . I think ...

 

[begreen]

The Explorer II should work as well as the Acclaim. If you get too small a stove and again push it pedal to the metal, its lifespan may be disappointing. The F12 is a large stove similar to the F600 in capacity, but you will need to be sure it is in great condition or the cost of getting it there may be higher than budgeted for.

 

[Grisu]

Since you will also have to raise the lintel to get any larger stove installed there, why not put a thimble in the chimney a few feet up and install a top-vented stove instead? Get a new Englander or Drolet and you will easily stay within your budget.

 

[begreen]

+1 A convection stove with a blower could be an asset here.

 

[Trinaj]

The 200+ year old fireplace I'm installing it in is very unique and Flares out at the lintel .
So I'm against putting a thimble in a few feet up . I'm really trying to keep the fireplace as-is , but to get a big enough stove , I'm going to raise the lintel from 26 inches to around 31.
I just saw a 1 year old , high valley 1600 , rear flue setup with a blower for $1300. It might work . I need an internal damper as well so I'll have to do a little research .

 

[Jeffm1]

I'm trying to stay within a $1500 budget . The explorer 2 is $1600 , new from CL. I'm having a hard time finding a rear , 6 inch flue with a 3cu ft box on Craigslist . I was looking at the jotul 600 , but nothing's for sale . I did see a beautiful old jotul 12 , but I'm not sure of its firebox size .
There are few jotul Oslo 500, but I think the quadrafire explorer 2 is bigger . I think ...

I'm curious. Why are they selling a brand new Explorer II out of the box on Craigslist?

 

[Trinaj]

It was for a new house they are building and it didn't work with the changes in the build. I've decided to listen to advice from this forum . It's not big enough. It's down to the jotul 600 , hearthstone Manchester or the quadrafire isle royale .
I found a used isle royale , but it has a crack in the strangest place . Can this be fixed by a simple weld ? I'm waiting to hear back from the seller .

 

[Jeffm1]

Well, both our houses are 2200 sq. ft. I don't know if your house is older and poorly insulated. But ours was built in 2007 and I wouldn't dare get anything bigger than the explorer 2. It would be too much heat.

 

[Jeffm1]

Thought you might find this interesting:

 

[Jeffm1]

Well, both our houses are 2200 sq. ft. I don't know if your house is older and poorly insulated. But ours was built in 2007 and I wouldn't dare get anything bigger than the explorer 2. It would be too much heat.

Yup, after burning now for a full season, I can confirm the explorer II has PLENTY of heat for our 2200 sq. ft house.