When should you replace a stove?

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Kamiobi

Member
Feb 4, 2008
49
North Island Japan
I have had my VC Intrepid II for 14 seasons and the first 8 or so it was just occasional weekend and winter vacation burning. The last few years, however, it has been much more. I am on my third CAT unit, (the first one I switched out too soon and still have it as a spare), I replaced the refractory last year, but now I need to replace the secondary probe assembly. When I replaced the refractory unit I also replaced all of the gaskets on the parts I had to remove to get to the unit refractory. I am wondering how you decide when to switch stoves because it seems like some people here have been through several stoves.
 
Guess that boils down to one of the following reasons: financial (will a new stove save me money in the long run with more heat/less fuel/less repairs/etc?), structural (is the stove simply worn out w/warped plates/cracks/sags/etc?) or aesthetic (do I want a newer/prettier/bigger/smaller stove?). The first 2 choices are no brainers - if the answer to either is yes then you need to make a switch. The 3rd is more subjective - do you really need more/less heat/prettier stove? Some folks have to buy a new car or a new set of golf clubs every other year or so just because they want to - I'm sure that applies to stoves as well.

For me, it's all about the Benjamins (money). It about killed me forking out $2500 for a new stove recently, but I am quickly seeing the benefits of that decision and anticipate the new stove paying for itself in a matter of a couple of years thru increased heat and decreased wood, propane usage. I made the choice to switch even though I had a fully functional, albeit old, pre-efficiency stove.
 
The older VC stoves are actually pretty good. You are experiencing what most of us who've used them for a longer time do; the maintenance cost. But, you're not (yet) buying a new stove. It does seem there is a bit higher maintenance cost on these units but if you break it down and add its yearly cost to your wood, it is still a pretty good deal.

Most of the newer stoves that are using non-CAT secondary burn tubes or baffles are producing great results for their users. (pursposefully exclude the downdraft stoves that use the Everburn or like licensed technolocy) Users of these stoves are realizing lower maintenance cost and ease of use. While they do not achieve the VC CAT stove's efficiency they are very close.

Jotul, Quad, PE, Hearthstone. Englander, Morso, are just a few that come to mind; there are many more.

As the previous poster said, it is much like upgrading to the looks and benefits of the latest model car after you've had your old betsy for a long time. Sometimes you just get to a point where you need a new beginning; other times you decide you can afford the maintenance more than a new unit and you defer it for another time.

When you finally do get one of these modern stoves in your house, you will then begin to understand exactly how far we've come in the pat 15 years.
 
When should you replace a stove?

Ahhhhggg I’ve been going round and round over this very question with my wife for 3 years now.

For the last 10 years we’ve been using a Shenandoah (mod# unk, rectangular box) I liked cause it would burn anything any size. Well she wanted to see the fire and do less polluting of the atmo.

So she got a used Quad st4300 and that was that.

But I tell you what… now that I’m use to it I like it a whole lot. The ashes aren’t the problem they were at 1st, I’m using less wood keeping my house warmer and now I enjoy looking at the fire too. Not only for the mood…but as a valuable status update. Also there's never any smoke coming out of my chimney cause the stove is designed to burn the smoke...no smoke no creosote fires in the chimney.

With a bed of coals just 1 maybe 2 logs will efficiently burn hot at 500 and throw out plenty of heat. With our old stove I’d have to fill it up (5or6 logs) for the same results.

Also for some reason it’s easier to restart the fire from even a small amount of available hot coals for those times we fall asleep without toping off. I don’t even use kindling…just throw a few logs on and take the dogs out…10min later it’s burning.

So yeah now that I’m properly schooled imo it’s worth it to upgrade. Of course I don’t have to pay for wood so you have to add that to you calculations.

Again thanks to the quad owners here for helping me out…cause without a manual I was out to lunch. Hell I didn’t know how to properly operate the 2 levers in front… LOL
 
What got me thinking about a new stove was the maintenance and reading about the different stoves people talk about here. Also Dutchwest opened a new showroom in town and seeing the new ones up close is really different from seeing them online or in a catalog. Right now I am thinking I will keep this one until I have to replace the refractory unit again which could be another 8 or 9 years.
 
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