1999 Quadrafire 4300 Step Top

[Grizzly Gamon]

Hey all,

As the wife and I continue our quest for a used stove purchase - we have come across a 1999 Quadrafire 4300 step top wood stove. We have been hounding the local classifieds (FB marketplace and Craigslist) for the last month.

We are re-doing our whole fireplace and ripping out the prefab unit to accommodate an alcove setup with new stone etc.

We have been on the hunt for a nice freestanding wood stove that won't break the bank. Also trying to get something that is not terribly outdated so we don't waste our time and efforts.

This Quadrafire 4300 popped up and I'm thinking we can get it for a bargain. The build date is 1999 and it looks to be in great shape other than basic maintenance it may need (rope gasket etc). Have these stoves changed much in design since 1999? I see their newest 4300 has the ACC control system, where as this one does not.

Any insight on this stove would be appreciated. Just want to make sure we aren't wasting time and effort into a dinosaur (potentially).

Thanks

 

[Hoytman]

I hate to do this, but asking price would be the greatest determining factor for me. With out knowing that I couldn’t give you my best opinion. I’m not asking you to divulge the asking price. That’s up to you.

That said, it looks in great shape from this phone. Being an older model, if it’s anything at all like other top brands, the older models, to me, are built a little better. Myself, I would prefer the newer ACC version…but again price would dictate my ultimate decision.

Then again, there are some gentlemen here that work on stoves and chimneys for a living and they may have a better working knowledge of which system is better and may have a different opinion. I’m sure they’ll be along shortly.

 

[Grizzly Gamon]

I hate to do this, but asking price would be the greatest determining factor for me. With out knowing that I couldn’t give you my best opinion. I’m not asking you to divulge the asking price. That’s up to you.

That said, it looks in great shape from this phone. Being an older model, if it’s anything at all like other top brands, the older models, to me, are built a little better. Myself, I would prefer the newer ACC version…but again price would dictate my ultimate decision.

Then again, there are some gentlemen here that work on stoves and chimneys for a living and they may have a better working knowledge of which system is better and may have a different opinion. I’m sure they’ll be along shortly.

I appreciate the honesty! That's kind of why I posed the question. There are a lot of used stoves for sale locally to me...but most, are older than I'd like to invest my money, time, and energy on.

I also know there are some older stoves that are actually MORE desirable than current offerings. I just don't know exactly which ones they are. My only experience with a used stove was a Jotul Oslo the wife and I restored about 5 years ago. We got it for free and dumped about $450 into it. It wasn't their latest version, but it still did the job and I wouldn't have known any different (I think).

I'm pretty certain I could probably get the 4300 Quadrafire for no more than $500 I'd say. It sounds like a decent deal, but the last thing I want to do is install a dinosaur that won't be worthwhile.

To answer any other questions, this will be supplementary heat to our hot water baseboard in the house. Depending on how good of a job the stove does, I'm sure it would make our boiler cycle much less in the colder months.

 

[Hoytman]

I can tell you this, the design of that stove, to me, is far superior to others simply because by design it will naturally move lots of heated air out into the room even without a blower.

To move additional air you would want a floor box fan turned on low and blowing cold floor air towards the stove. That along with the air that stove will move will create quite the convection loop in the house. Repeat…box fan far away from stove blowing to the stove.

For that price or a tad cheaper it will make a good stove. Go to Quadra-fire’s website and look to find that stoves manual and compare emissions and efficiencies, as well as burn times and make up your mind. That should help you with your decision.

Also, see if any parts (bricks are cheap) need replacing and ask a dealer to price parts. Not sure you can go directly to manufacturer and if not parts will be higher and possibly hard to get or at least potentially have a long wait on parts.

That stove operates identically to my Lopi Liberty. That 4300 would be a comparable stove to a Lopi Endeavor and are very close in size, outer appearance, and firebox size. They may or may not have similar burn times. You can go to Lopi’s website near the bottom and click manuals and pull up a manual for a 5-15 year old Lopi Endeavor to compare.

Be mindful if top of stove and side if stove steel thickness and also weight to compare. Both are good stoves, but comparing gives you a reference.

Innards will be slightly different and will separate how each run. Doors, hinges, door latches, door design will be slightly different and glass retainers will also be slightly different. Also consider price of exact new model relative to used stoves condition. That’ll help determine if price is right for you.

Getting it for $500 or less would seem like a decent value to me. Cheaper the better, and I would want it for less, even slightly less…but I have several stoves at my disposal. If this will be your only stove that will change what you’re willing to pay.

Hope that helps you some more.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

The top has a white spot, that may indicate over firing, or it might just be dust. Get a good look at the inside. Look for abuse.

 

[Hoytman]

The top has a white spot, that may indicate over firing, or it might just be dust. Get a good look at the inside. Look for abuse.

Very true. I couldn’t see it on this phone.

It also could be that it’s never seen a repaint. That is the hottest spot generally on step top stoves.

Certainly worth looking at innards and checking for any warpage.

 

[begreen]

It's a good workhorse stove, standard tube design. I wouldn't worry about it being ACC vs ACT. More important are the alcove clearance requirements for the stove. Will the alcove be wide enough to meet the requirements including the ceiling height?

Check the stove carefully for any cracks around the door, the flue collar, and around the secondary manifold. Look for other telltale signs like sagging or burn secondary tubes.

 

[Grizzly Gamon]

Very true. I couldn’t see it on this phone.

It also could be that it’s never seen a repaint. That is the hottest spot generally on step top stoves.

Certainly worth looking at innards and checking for any warpage.

I will definitely do a complete look over when I go to check it out. I'm assuming the same as you, never seen a repaint and that is indeed the hottest spot on the stove!

 

[Grizzly Gamon]

It's a good workhorse stove, standard tube design. I wouldn't worry about it being ACC vs ACT. More important are the alcove clearance requirements for the stove. Will the alcove be wide enough to meet the requirements including the ceiling height?

Check the stove carefully for any cracks around the door, the flue collar, and around the secondary manifold. Look for other telltale signs like sagging or burn secondary tubes.

Ok, good to know. I was wondering about the later ACC & ACT versions that came out after this one. Didn't know if that was a deal breaker or not. This 4300 seems to be a better option than the Lopi 380 you chimed in about the other week (from my previous post).

I will check the stove over carefully, for sure. I will also try to find the original manual online for this 4300 so I can make sure we have the alcove built accordingly.