Vermont Castings Aspen vs Jotul 602

[neumsky]

I'm hearing that Vermont Castings now builds the Jotul 602??? But I'm also hearing that the aspen does'nt have a good track record as I need a small stove for a 200 sq. ft. room. Thanx

(edit: Jotul builds the Jotul 602)

 

[kingquad]

How about an Englander VL-17? Plenty of happy users here. Cheaper too.

 

[neumsky]

I just looked at the 17-VL and it's not the style that I have an interest in... I do appreciate all options as that is the first time I have heard of that model... so thank you very much.

 

[leeave96]

I considered the Aspen when I was in a search for a woodstove a few years ago. Long story short, I wound-up with a Woodstock Keystone. The same stove with a different look is the Woodstock Palladian. Check out woodstove.com

Good luck,
Bill

 

[kingquad]

From what I understand, the 602 is a very capable little heater. I don't know your budget or style, but you could check out the Hearthstone Tribute or Woodstock Keystone as well. The soapstone would probably be more tolerable than a cast heater in that size room. Keystone has really good burn times too.

 

[kingquad]

I considered the Aspen when I was in a search for a woodstove a few years ago. Long story short, I wound-up with a Woodstock Keystone. The same stove with a different look is the Woodstock Palladian. Check out woodstove.com

Good luck,
Bill

Damn. Beat me to it.

 

[neumsky]

I noticed that the Aspen is almost 100 lbs. more than the Jotul... to me that means more quality??? How long has the Aspen been in production??? does'nt seem to be as many out there as the Jotuls?

 

[kingquad]

I would choose the Jotul over the VC. I believe the Aspen is a downdraft stove. Do a board search on "everburn" and read about the potential problems with these stoves. Then go buy the Jotul.

 

[Stephen in SoKY]

What about a little Morso Squirrel?

ETA: http://www.morsona.com/index.php/classic-stoves.html

 

[precaud]

The Aspen is a bit of a turkey. All that extra weight is not a good thing for a small stove, unless you like stoves that dribble out small amounts of heat over a longer period of time. I'd go with the F602 over an Aspen any day. The 17-VL will out-heat either one of them for less $$$.

 

[bjkjoseph]

i had an aspen...not a good stove..every fire was a runaway inferno..longest burn time was about an hour and a half.....i cut a bunch of my wood in half and it worked good that way..if i was just going to have a fire after work for a few hours it would be ok...i replaced it with the fireview...it has a long burn time..but does not throw a lot of heat like a cast iron stove...so there perfect for smaller areas.

 

[fraxinus]

The Jotul 602 is, I believe, the largest selling wood stove in the world. Mine, used mainly just in the spring and fall, is more than 30 years old and looks as good and works as well as it did the day it was installed. There are just too many uncertainties with the present Vermont Castings company in terms of design, quality control, and warranty issues for its products to be the equal of Jotul's, imo.

I believe the Vermont Castings foundry did and may still cast some parts for Jotul in the US, but they do not make the stove.

 

[webby3650]

I would choose the Jotul over the VC. I believe the Aspen is a downdraft stove. Do a board search on "everburn" and read about the potential problems with these stoves. Then go buy the Jotul.

The Aspen is not a down draft stove, but you gave sound advice. Go buy a Jotul, you will bot be disappointed.

 

[fishingpol]

I had an Aspen for my first stove. It is firebrick lined so it adds to the weight. The 602 has interior burnplates. I did find that the air inlets on the Aspen get clogged with ash, which required frequent cleaning. My dad has a 1970's 602 without secondary air intake. He is putting in a new one soon, and I can't wait to see the difference in heat output and burn time. I'm partial to Jotul, as the quality is there, and the 602 has been a proven small room heater.

I do miss the north/south burn though.

 

[neumsky]

@ Stephen in So Ky...I looked at the Morso...it's cute... and would be a consideration as I go thru my research for what I need. Or want. It will be nice if someone would chime in on this that has a Morso squirrel or any Morso to let us know how the company & product is. Thanx

 

[neumsky]

When you guy's say North to South burn... that means Rear to Front burn??? Why does it do that and whats the advantage? disadvantage?

 

[neumsky]

I want to thank you all for your input

 

[fishingpol]

When you guy's say North to South burn... that means Rear to Front burn??? Why does it do that and whats the advantage? disadvantage?

My bad,I should have said north/south loading. The wood is loaded perpindicular to the glass, whereas east/west is when the wood is parralel to the glass and there is a chance of a burning split rolling towards the stove door during burn cycles. The Jotul F118 black bear is a front to back burner or "cigar burn". The F118 reccommends pulling the coals forwardtowards the door and adding new splits. I don't know if the 602 is considered one or not, as the firebox is smaller that the 118.

I don't see a real disadvantage to it, just one less thing to worry about I guess.

We did get my dad's 602 installed yesterday, and it is is a beauty. It was neat to see the technology difference in the two of them.

 

[precaud]

My bad,I should have said north/south loading. The wood is loaded perpindicular to the glass, whereas east/west is when the wood is parralel to the glass and there is a chance of a burning split rolling towards the stove door during burn cycles.

Actually, it doesn't describe the orientation of the wood to the glass, but of how the primary air is delivered to the wood. In a north/south burner, the primary air is presented at one end of the wood load. In an east/west burner, it is presented at one side. In most stoves, primary air is delivered from the front of the stove, but not always.

The Jotul F118 black bear is a front to back burner or "cigar burn". The F118 reccommends pulling the coals forwardtowards the door and adding new splits. I don't know if the 602 is considered one or not, as the firebox is smaller that the 118.

That is a common misconception. The original 118 (and 602) was a front-to-back (i.e. north/south) burner, but the F118 is not. It burns the entire load at once. The F602 still burns north/south, mainly because there is no secondary air at the very back of the firebox.

 

[fishingpol]

Ah, I see. I looked at the new 118 manual, and it makes sense. Cigar burn was the old style. Thanks for the correction Precaud.

 

[neumsky]

But in their new liturature...they still use the term...cigar burn!

 

[neumsky]

@ Greenteam....I went to a Jotul distributor yesterday...not a retailer... and they said Jotul still makes Jotul. Those stoves are stout! I don't believe I've seen a more stout cast iron stove yet! No... I do not work for Jotul haha. I'm learning...just like the rest of ya'll. Thanx

 

[precaud]

But in their new liturature...they still use the term...cigar burn!

Yes, marketing dep'ts can use non-technical terms like that, playing on our fond memories of (smoldering, polluting) "cigar burns" in the box stoves of yore... romantic images of trails of smoke emitting from the chimney of a cabin deep in the snow-covered northern woodlands... xmas postcard material... and that is essentially the F118's reason for being. Box stoves have a powerful, almost anthropomorphic aesthetic appeal. Heck, I know better, and it still tugs at me when I see one. (read my brief encounter with a Waterford box stove last year - or was it two years ago - one loses track after a while...)

But it is, in fact, irrational. No modern combustion engineer would ever design one like that intentionally, without a marketing dep't twisting his/her arm to do so. It's just not a firebox geometry conducive to the requirements of modern wood burning. It does nothing that a different geometry couldn't do better and more reliably.

 

[VCBurner]

Sorry to drop in on you again Jeff,
The 602 is A step in the right direction. Vermont Castings makes parts for Jotul North America, the parts are too heavy to ship, hence you don't see too many imported stoves anymore.
VC has been tossed around from company to company since the 80's. But their foundry has picked up business due to increased shipping costs and low quality of Chinese made castings. The Dutchwest line was not discontinued like someone said on your other threads. It has been one of themost popular and lucrative lines since it was purchased by VC in the late eighties. VC revamped the Federal Airtight CDW line into what it is today and improved mechanically on an already popular catalog line. The DW line was recently shifted out of the VC line and into its sister company's line. My gues is VC dealers have a lot on their plate with the introduction of their 2n1 system and the mother co. wants to diversify the other line by adding the DW to it. Less competition for DW could boost sales.

It is true the 602 is the most popular stove in the world. There have been more of them sold than any other model or brand. The Aspen, is another story. I've seen lots of bad feedback on them. Given the choice between a Dutchwest 2460(small), an Aspen or a Jotul 602 I would go with the DW or the 602. Personal experience would push me to the DW. But I think you are barking up the wrong tree. Those smaller stoves have short burn times, there's nothing like loading a stove at night and knowing you will have heat all night and will not need a match to start it before you leave to go to work! The Jotul Castine or Oslo, the DW 2461 and the Woodstock Keystone will do just that.

 

[Bub381]

I asked about an Aspen here and they said NOOOOOOOOO,it wont draft.That was at the stove Shoppe.It was in the corner and going back.
.