1st time buyer looking at a used Enviro Windsor pellet stove. Is this a good buy?

[ska]

We bought our first house in a new city. We’re from a tropical area so pellet stoves are completely new to us.

I found a 10 year old Enviro pellet stove on Craigslist. It’s $550. Photos show it running and it’s a good looking stove. I couldn’t buy anything as nice new. However, I’m wondering if it’s worth the price. It looks like there’s some rust on it.

There’s also a $770 pellet stove at Lowe’s (on sale). Am I better off buying this used stove or a new, but not as nice one?

 

[gfreek]

Pellet stoves are not set and forget . They need attention, some more than others. Cleaning ash from stove & pipe, noise- some louder than others due to motors running exhaust fan, room fan, auger feed , etc..different heat than a wood fired stove..storage of wood pellets, 40lb bags. Add in the stove pipe, straight out the wall, or up, or up and out.. Floor pad.. Install..Some go by code, some by manual.. Usually a learning curve to operate the stove. Service and parts. Can you diagnose and work on the stove yourself or need to call "reputable" service person in your area..Just some thoughts..Picture of fire in stove doesn't mean much...Stove heating capacity, will it heat your area or just standing in front of it.. The Lowes stove is most likely made by Englander Stoves, who you can call directly for help. Enviro Stoves, Made by Sherwood Industries, pretty sure is no. Some have heated entire homes, some not so much. Also I'd advise on using it as a supplement heat source..I'm sure I missed some things, so maybe others will chime in...

 

[johneh]

Envrio is one of the best stoves on the market .The Windsor is a good stove
and the price would be excellent here in my market . pellet stoves
are a space heater and people love or hate them . I have been
using the same Envrio stove for 16 years . Rust is normal on the outside
sand and paint colour match . on the inside ether paint or just spray with
cooking oil. The pellet stove takes a little attention it is not
just plug and play . A clean stove is a happy stove
Keep Warm and welcome to the forum

 

[zrock]

One thing that should have been mentioned as well is look at how many square feet the stove is recommended to heat and compare that with your home. If you go to small you will hate yourself bigger than you need is always better.

 

[ska]

Pellet stoves are not set and forget . They need attention, some more than others. Cleaning ash from stove & pipe, noise- some louder than others due to motors running exhaust fan, room fan, auger feed , etc..different heat than a wood fired stove..storage of wood pellets, 40lb bags. Add in the stove pipe, straight out the wall, or up, or up and out.. Floor pad.. Install..Some go by code, some by manual.. Usually a learning curve to operate the stove. Service and parts. Can you diagnose and work on the stove yourself or need to call "reputable" service person in your area..Just some thoughts..Picture of fire in stove doesn't mean much...Stove heating capacity, will it heat your area or just standing in front of it.. The Lowes stove is most likely made by Englander Stoves, who you can call directly for help. Enviro Stoves, Made by Sherwood Industries, pretty sure is no. Some have heated entire homes, some not so much. Also I'd advise on using it as a supplement heat source..I'm sure I missed some things, so maybe others will chime in...

So i’ve been wanting a wood stove instead of a pellet stove because of cost and because our house will likely become a rental within the next couple of days. Is that a better option for newbies like us?

 

[ska]

Envrio is one of the best stoves on the market .The Windsor is a good stove
and the price would be excellent here in my market . pellet stoves
are a space heater and people love or hate them . I have been
using the same Envrio stove for 16 years . Rust is normal on the outside
sand and paint colour match . on the inside ether paint or just spray with
cooking oil. The pellet stove takes a little attention it is not
just plug and play . A clean stove is a happy stove
Keep Warm and welcome to the forum

It’s a very nice stove! They said it cost $2700 brand new. But is 10 years old nearing the end of its life?

 

[ska]

One thing that should have been mentioned as well is look at how many square feet the stove is recommended to heat and compare that with your home. If you go to small you will hate yourself bigger than you need is always better.

We did do that and it will work with the size!

 

[zrock]

Personal opinion a wood stove in a rental is a bad idea. If a person does not know what they are doing they can cause a lot of damage to your stove or worse. Especially if they start butning crap wood and get buildup in chimney. With a pellet stove once it's installed properly and working a little bit of time you can teach your tennant how to use and maintain.
One thing I would check for a rental is your insurance requirements for both.


Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

 

[Ssyko]

If its going to be a rental, is the tennant going to be responsible for heating costs? Are they required to carry renters insurance? I would never put in a wood/pellet in a rental. To much to lose if they aren’t maintained properly.

 

[johneh]

It’s a very nice stove! They said it cost $2700 brand new. But is 10 years old nearing the end of its life?

My stove is 16 and a long way from the end of its life
There are people on this forum that still maintain and use stoves 25 years +
They preform as good as and sometimes better than newer stoves .
We all can't drive BMWs

 

[ska]

If its going to be a rental, is the tennant going to be responsible for heating costs? Are they required to carry renters insurance? I would never put in a wood/pellet in a rental. To much to lose if they aren’t maintained properly.

We’d require it. We’d need it as our heating unit now can’t handle really cold weather and to install a whole house heater is $13k (our house is only 800 sq ft).

 

[ska]

Personal opinion a wood stove in a rental is a bad idea. If a person does not know what they are doing they can cause a lot of damage to your stove or worse. Especially if they start butning crap wood and get buildup in chimney. With a pellet stove once it's installed properly and working a little bit of time you can teach your tennant how to use and maintain.
One thing I would check for a rental is your insurance requirements for both.


Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

Ok. Pellet stove it is! And I agree rental insurance is a must. It’s so cheap, I don’t think it’s too much to ask for.

 

[ska]

Envrio is one of the best stoves on the market .The Windsor is a good stove
and the price would be excellent here in my market . pellet stoves
are a space heater and people love or hate them . I have been
using the same Envrio stove for 16 years . Rust is normal on the outside
sand and paint colour match . on the inside ether paint or just spray with
cooking oil. The pellet stove takes a little attention it is not
just plug and play . A clean stove is a happy stove
Keep Warm and welcome to the forum

Do you know if Breckwell is a good brand? We found one for $200, but the owner got it when they bought their house and don’t know much about it.

 

[Ssyko]

My Breckwell Big-E is a good heater fairly easy to clean and heats well. But Breckwell sold out to USSC a few years ago and i hear the quality has suffered. But the early ones were very well built.

 

[ska]

My Breckwell Big-E is a good heater fairly easy to clean and heats well. But Breckwell sold out to USSC a few years ago and i hear the quality has suffered. But the early ones were very well built.

Is it a stove that I could repair if something went wrong? By that I mean not overly complicated repairs and easy to get parts?

 

[Ssyko]

Yes its pretty simple. Can’t use Chinese motors on them (found that out the hard way)

 

[ska]

Yes its pretty simple. Can’t use Chinese motors on them (found that out the hard way)

Great! Thank you so much! I appreciate everyone’s help!