Talk me out of this stove at tractor supply

[tickbitty]

The Republic saves you about 500-600 over the endeavor right? That's mainly on the door it seems, I think that the Republic is a very good deal. The Endeavor is a great all-around stove that people on here seem to love, and it's the one featured on all the videos on the Lopi website. The Republic is just about the same stove.

I am not sure what all you miss out on with these other stoves. Probably the thickness of the steel and durability of the parts and firebricks I am guessing. The "better" more expensive makes also back up their stoves with pretty good warranties and have replacement parts available for a long time to come, which the cheaper stoves may not. Lots of people on here run cheaper stoves as secondary stoves and most seem to feel they are decent. I guess it's just whether you want something as a "starter" to get you going and use for a few seasons or unknown period of time, or one that will last you a long while and have some "resale" value left if you change your mind down the line.

I was in a similar situation to you, and was very swayed by the lower prices and availability of the cheaper makes. But in my case I was looking for an insert, and none of the cheaper makes or even Englander/Summer's heat made one that claimed to heat more than 1500 sq feet max, or extended out of the fireplace to give more "in the room" heat or a cooktop. So I ended up back with Lopi which is the one I had liked to start with. I missed out on a craigslist Lopi Revere early in the season that I could have gotten for $1000, which was a major bummer, since I spent over twice that on the Republic insert a couple months later, but c'est la vie. I have been REALLY pleased with the Republic. I wonder if you would need an even bigger stove than that though... but good luck with your decision!

 

[tickbitty]

Also, you know Summer's Heat IS Englander, right? Some folks on here claim you can still "make deals" with the box stores on stoves that are not necessarily on sale. If the ones at your Lowes are the type you are looking for (13 or 30 right?) maybe you can give it a try? If you get an Englander, you get the added bonus of a virtual t-shirt from BBart, too!

 

[FireBall]

Kathleen- if you are considering one of the Buck Stoves, there is a Buck retail store in Asheville. You could stop by and examine the Buck offerings in person, to get a better idea if one would meet your needs. I have Buck 81 insert and have been pleased. Have no personal experience with Englander stoves, but have heard great things about them as well. Good luck with whatever stove you go with!

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I have a stove from Tractor supply ,Its the King model the one with the large viewing glass ,it costs about $599 right now. $499 when i got it. ALl its good for is a garage or hunting cabin as its out in 2-3 hours no matter where you set the flue pipe damper.THe stove has no air adj of it own,and the flue damper is purposely made so you cant close it too far. All the stoves i saw at Tractor supply were cheap and China made looking.

If your going to heat your home you need A GOOD WOODSTOVE THAT BURNS THE SMOKE AS WQELL AS THE WOOD. Expect to pay $2000 + for a new one.
I have a Harman 300TL It a downdradft model (noncat) and i love it . IT burns the smoke and throws a lot of heat in the process, you can burn it 24/7 . I regularly get
15-17 hour burn times on 1 load of wood. you can find out a lot about it by typing Tl-300 in the search forums box.

 

[FireAnt]

You cannot go wrong with the NC-13 or 30.

 

[drdoct]

I was once tempted by the cheap (and cheaply built) stoves at tractor supply. What temped me the most was they were the only ones in my city that had ANY stoves. After a lot of research I figured out I would just be wasting money one these. FWIW I would look for used stoves and even an old fisher if you aren't an environut. They heat like noone's business. If I had to pay for a new one I'd probably go with the Englander because they are really supportive and actually show up here unlike almost all the other makers. That means something to me. It means that they actually care about the wood burning community AND they are confident enough to take the risk of having a question asked. I really doubt you'll be happy buying a bottom of the line no name chinese stove. To me it's the same as asking if you should buy the new YUGO for 5600 or the 5yr old Honda Accord for 5500. They're both cars, but one is only good for a little while and all that while it's still not really acceptable.

 

[BrotherBart]

If your going to heat your home you need A GOOD WOODSTOVE THAT BURNS THE SMOKE AS WQELL AS THE WOOD. Expect to pay $2000 + for a new one.

The Magnolia she looked at is an EPA certified re-burn stove that burns the smoke. They build it under a license from Drolet. And the U.S. Stove products that are made in China say so in the manual. There is no such wording in the Magnolia manual.

 

[Larrys land]

Kathleen, I had a US stove Woderwood stove[think that was the name] the stove burner through behind the fire brick after five years. Luckly we caught it before we lost our home. They are real junk,and should not be sold any where. Only my opinion of course.

 

[Dix]

I could wait to buy a stove, but time is money. My house is cold all the time. I have two more months before it gets warm-ish here. With no stove, I will burn through the remaining oil I have and have to pull money out of my stove/wood fund to get some more. Any extra money I might have to save for a dream stove (PE Alderlea T5, Jotul Oslo) is now going towards paying off the new water pipes in my yard. Truck needs new tires and brakes. Kid needs new shoes.....and on it goes.

K, if that's the deal, git 'er dun. You'll be better off in the long run.

You are going to need wood ( I know, I've said this before), but you are going to need it as soon as the stove goes in.

Do you have a HELOC, for a short term loan? That's what I did.

 

[gyrfalcon]

My home depot has no stoves.

Have you checked Home Depot on line? They're likely not discounted, but when I went to look on line at the Englanders a while back, the site said they deliver for free. I don't know for certain they'll deliver if your local store doesn't have them in stock, but I'm pretty sure that they do.

You may not want to buy a stove without eyeballing it first, nor do I, but Englander and Woodstock have such over-the-top stellar reputation here that I'd feel completely secure in buying sight unseen.

Just in case-- have you checked for clearances in your home where you want to put the stove? That's another advantage of the Englander NC-13 is very small clearances, so the stove can go just about anywhere.

Tractor Supply stoves -- perhaps unfairly, I don't know -- don't have a good reputation. Englander stoves have a fabulous word of mouth. If they're close to the same price, get the Englander and have peace of mind about it, I'd say.

Oh, boy. Good luck. I know where you're at with the finances and the cold.

 

[tickbitty]

Home Depot seems to have the 30-NCH for $1.039 which includes shipping, online.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

 

[Mrs. Krabappel]

thanks for the link

I can't find the specs for the one I saw at Lowe's
http://www.lowes.com/pd_8492-76845-50-SNC13LC_0_?productId=1197793&Ntt=wood stove&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL;=/pl__0__s?newSearch=true$Ntt=wood stove

to compare it to the smaller one at HD online. The only difference I can see other than price is the size of the logs it will fit, so it must be a different size.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...angId;=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100157775

And I'm not complaining. Love the kid even though he grows out of shoes. Love the new pipes and the free flowing water. Very fond of my plumber. Thrilled that I have the means to get this stove and I'm having fun trying to figure it all out. I know it will work out fine in the end whatever choice I make. I'm blessed to have so much help making the choice.

Yes, wood! I'm working on that. If we don't get too much snow over the next couple of days I'll be getting some this week.

 

[BrotherBart]

Take a look at overstockstoves.com.

 

[BrowningBAR]

thanks for the link

I can't find the specs for the one I saw at Lowe's
http://www.lowes.com/pd_8492-76845-50-SNC13LC_0_?productId=1197793&Ntt=wood stove&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL;=/pl__0__s?newSearch=true$Ntt=wood stove

to compare it to the smaller one at HD online. The only difference I can see other than price is the size of the logs it will fit, so it must be a different size.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...angId;=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100157775

And I'm not complaining. Love the kid even though he grows out of shoes. Love the new pipes and the free flowing water. Very fond of my plumber. Thrilled that I have the means to get this stove and I'm having fun trying to figure it all out. I know it will work out fine in the end whatever choice I make. I'm blessed to have so much help making the choice.

Yes, wood! I'm working on that. If we don't get too much snow over the next couple of days I'll be getting some this week.

England's Stove Works, Inc. is the parent company of Englander, Summers Heat, and TimberRidge.
You can review the stoves here: http://www.englandsstoveworks.com/

The two links you posted are the exact same stove just with a different brand label on it. Not sure why the log specs are different as they are identical on the company's website. They both are listed as accepting 18" logs.

 

[WNCburner]

While shopping for a new stove, I checked out Jack's Stove shop in Black Mountain. He was very helpful, and had some really nice stoves and inserts at a good price. You can check out his store at firebyjack.com. I didn't end up buying from him, but was impressed with what he had to offer. He also gets some used inventory at times...worth a look if you are in the area. Stay warm, and good luck finding an affordable and capable wood heater.

 

[begreen]

If your going to heat your home you need A GOOD WOODSTOVE THAT BURNS THE SMOKE AS WQELL AS THE WOOD. Expect to pay $2000 + for a new one.

The Magnolia she looked at is an EPA certified re-burn stove that burns the smoke. They build it under a license from Drolet. And the U.S. Stove products that are made in China say so in the manual. There is no such wording in the Magnolia manual.

If I recall correctly, the Magnolia is also made in China. I only got to look at one once, but that's what I remember.

 

[Mrs. Krabappel]

While shopping for a new stove, I checked out Jack's Stove shop in Black Mountain. He was very helpful, and had some really nice stoves and inserts at a good price. You can check out his store at firebyjack.com. I didn't end up buying from him, but was impressed with what he had to offer. He also gets some used inventory at times...worth a look if you are in the area. Stay warm, and good luck finding an affordable and capable wood heater.

Thanks- I did go to see Jack. He only wanted to talk to me about Vermont Castings which I have decided against. I think he carries Napolean though, so I may go see him again. Also, he quoted me a fair price on a liner+install and he will install a stove that was not purchased from him. He had a nice used Lopi, but it was too small.

 

[gyrfalcon]

While shopping for a new stove, I checked out Jack's Stove shop in Black Mountain. He was very helpful, and had some really nice stoves and inserts at a good price. You can check out his store at firebyjack.com. I didn't end up buying from him, but was impressed with what he had to offer. He also gets some used inventory at times...worth a look if you are in the area. Stay warm, and good luck finding an affordable and capable wood heater.

Thanks- I did go to see Jack. He only wanted to talk to me about Vermont Castings which I have decided against. I think he carries Napolean though, so I may go see him again. Also, he quoted me a fair price on a liner+install and he will install a stove that was not purchased from him. He had a nice used Lopi, but it was too small.

Reminds me I forgot to mention there are independent installers out there. They're usually chimney sweeps. Look for one with the various certifications for professional training. My opinion, you're much better off with an independent installer than having the dealer do the install.

 

[tickbitty]

Reminds me I forgot to mention there are independent installers out there. They're usually chimney sweeps. Look for one with the various certifications for professional training. My opinion, you're much better off with an independent installer than having the dealer do the install.

Not sure where "out there" one finds them though. I could not find one... two major sweep companies in this area, one doesn't do installs, the other wanted $1400 to do one. (on a one story house, easy.) The stove shop was vague about whether they would do one if I didn't buy from them and they wanted a lot. (I bought from a better stove shop that had my stove in stock (instead of denying it existed) but it was over an hour's drive). I even contacted sweeps that advertised on Craigslist and they either ignored me or wouldn't do it. I ended up doing all the research here and elsewhere online, and had a friend who is a handyman do it, for $150. I am pleased with the outcome though and the price.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Home Depot is now listing the 30NC for $1,039.20. Which is less than $100 more than the Tractor Supply Stove's sale price.
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...angId;=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100291302

As you stated earlier, price is now important as you have upcoming bills. So, if you were willing to pay $950 for a smaller stove with a potentially dodgy track record, you should have no problem buying a 30NC for $89.20 more.

If you have also decided that your house isn't poorly insulated you can get the 13NC for $919.20, which is $31 less than the Tractor Supply stove.
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...roductId=100157775&langId;=-1&catalogId=10053

 

[gyrfalcon]

Reminds me I forgot to mention there are independent installers out there. They're usually chimney sweeps. Look for one with the various certifications for professional training. My opinion, you're much better off with an independent installer than having the dealer do the install.

Not sure where "out there" one finds them though. I could not find one... two major sweep companies in this area, one doesn't do installs, the other wanted $1400 to do one. (on a one story house, easy.) The stove shop was vague about whether they would do one if I didn't buy from them and they wanted a lot. (I bought from a better stove shop that had my stove in stock (instead of denying it existed) but it was over an hour's drive). I even contacted sweeps that advertised on Craigslist and they either ignored me or wouldn't do it. I ended up doing all the research here and elsewhere online, and had a friend who is a handyman do it, for $150. I am pleased with the outcome though and the price.

I started by looking for a sweep, and that led me to some Web site with a list of "certified" ones who'd gone through various training programs. I followed up on the closest one of those and the guy turned out to be experienced and trained in both putting in new chimneys, which I needed, and installing stoves. I have a bit of a bias towards independent operators whose ability to stay in business depends entirely on the quality of their work and the reasonableness of their prices, and away from larger companies. I bought my stove secondhand, so it never even occurred to me to ask a dealer.

 

[oilstinks]

Nice to see someone from my neck of the woods kathleen. I got my englander at homedepot off of fairview just off of 240 for $460 in the spring a couple of years ago. Im just outside of aseville too.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

My King stove (which i do not use anymore )Made by US Stove From tractor supply is basically a steel box with a hole in the top, no design or thought put into it at all. I was just green so to speak when i bought it and knew nothing about what quality stove should look like. That stove almost made me give up on wood burning as home heat.But i have so much free wood i pressed on and decided to give it one more try and went right to the best stove i could buy in my area,the Harman TL-300. I like this stove so much that some day im going to build a log home around it. Ill tell you i would not trade it for any 10 Stoves from Tractor supply. There are other very good stoves out there and you will hear about them right here on this site.

 

[tickbitty]

Now that's a persuasive post, trump!

 

[thinkxingu]

K,
You're wasting time--each day you use oil, you're throwing money away. If you want a great bang-for-your-buck stove, get a 10% off coupon for HD or Lowe's and pick up the 30 series. The 13 is a fine stove, and it heats our 1K square foot basement, but if your insulation's not great you'd be better of with the 30.
If you want to spend more money for a nicer looking or better quality stove, do so knowing the Englander would keep you reliably warm. I've yet to, literally, hear any negatives (other than 'luxury' wants) about the Englanders.

Oh, and don't buy it off the internet--the prices listed are full retail with crazy shipping costs. You'd be better to borrow a truck and some friends--I'm sure a wink'll get you those easy enough. Or you could try some beers.

S