Which one?

[webbie]

Cat stoves win the aniti pollution issues less grams of pollutantes emitted. They have less forgiving draft requirements
can't be used effectively in a 12/12 direct connect masonry flue. Stove dealers delight

Just FYI, stove dealer hate call backs and warranty work. It is not like the car business. In the stove biz, all the money is made on the sale and installation and money is lost on call backs and service - even under warranty. Most stove makers expect the dealer to eat a lot of the warranty work - they pay only a small amount after you do a lot of paper work.

Cats may have lower emissions in tests, but some say that when you consider over the life of the appliance - the cat getting dirty, wearing out and the bypass not being tight - etc. etc. - that it can even out. In other words, back to the drawing board on an easy way to buy a stove.

As far as the hardware store brands of stoves, there are many models and styles. The steel century line that CFM makes now was a $399 "hardware store" stove called Haughs a couple years back. HearthStone made (and maybe still makes) an exempt stove that cost well over a grand. I've seen some decent Ashleys, Englanders and such around and they might be fine for some people and climates. If the stove is UL tested and if it is EPA tested or exempt, then people (in most locales) have the right to buy it. The South is a big market for these because they don't use the stoves very hard.

ALL of the stoves available today, even including Vogelszang, are much better in quality than the early dutchwest and scandias. Also, unlike the early dutchwest, the cheap stoves are not being marketed as top of the line. It was rumored that the original Dutchwest co (before VC) spent $200 in advertising for each stove they sold. The stoves cost them less than that (about $80-$100 FOB Taiwan). These were honestly about the worst stoves I've seen even including my old scrounging days in WV and TN.

The good news is that vast majority - I'd say 98%+ of new wood stoves - have passed EPA clean burn standards and also UL. There are also less companies selling barrel kits and other such polluters.

If you go the Vogelzang Web site, you will see they are starting to push EPA stoves. Demand drives supply, and the customer is becoming more educated.

 

[BrotherBart]

ALL of the stoves available today, even including Vogelszang, are much better in quality than the early dutchwest and scandias. Also, unlike the early dutchwest, the cheap stoves are not being marketed as top of the line. It was rumored that the original Dutchwest co (before VC) spent $200 in advertising for each stove they sold. The stoves cost them less than that (about $80-$100 FOB Taiwan). These were honestly about the worst stoves I've seen even including my old scrounging days in WV and TN.

Sometimes it can take twenty years to feel good about a decision. I wanted a Dutchwest Large Federal so bad in 1985 I could taste it. I was on the verge of driving three hunded miles to pick one up when I stumbled over a deal on the Sierra insert locally. I have wondered and wondered all of these years if I should have bought the Dutchwest and now I know that I dodged a flaming arrow.

Thanks.