about ready to purchase -- down to two choices... ... I would love your comments!

[voner]

Okay folks:

You have been so helpful! Thank you. I've gone from total ignorance, to somewhat educated, and knowing what I want in a wood stove.

Here's my details: I have a double brick house, with plaster walls, about 800 ft.² on the lower level and 500 ft.² on the upper level. It was built in the 1890s -- no insulation. My rooms are small, and are in a shotgun formation pretty much on the lower floor.

So -- I want a wood stove that can heat this place, but doesn't have large clearance requirements, and is a quality stove, but relatively good value. I have settled on these two stoves: Pacific Energy Vista, and a Quadra Fire Millennium 3100. I found a really decent dealer, and the Pacific energy Vista is very affordable, while the Quadra fire is $500 more -- at the base prices, not considering any add-ons or options.

I am drawn to the Quadra fire because it is extremely low polluting. I live on the Front Range of Colorado, and we have a very bad pollution problems, and I want to be a decent citizen. I spent years studying air quality, and 20 -- 30 years ago we had a huge problem with woodsmoke.

I am drawn to the Pacific Energy Vista, because it is so simple and Pacific Energy seems to get very good reviews, and I want to stove that I don't have to worry about much. I mean here is -- I don't want a large maintenance problems.

I read some really good comments about how these new stoves are manufactured in a way that makes them vulnerable to being damaged when throwing the wood into the box, and so I'll pay some attention to that, and if I buy one that's like that -- I will be very careful. I live alone, so I don't have the problem of other people in the stove.

I am on an extremely limited budget. So I'll probably end up buying the Pacific energy Vista, but ........

So -- I would like any comment you all have. I will absorb them, and make a decision.

Thanks again, this forum has just been incredible. I find it interesting that it is Canadian and East Coast base, and you don't get so many comments from people out here in the Rocky Mountain West. But maybe that's just that I am a newbie.



Thanks again!


Timv a.k.a. voner

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

Well, they're all fantastic stoves. If you're looking for a true price point stove that meets the EPA requirements and tax credits, look at the Enerzone (broken link removed to http://enerzone-intl.com/product.aspx?CategoId=1&Id=492). This stove only retails for $999. The Enerzone product is a well built epa steel stove for an amazing price. IF that was not an option, i think that either PE or Quad will make you an excellent stove. Based on price, i would go with the PE. PE has quite the following on this site, but for some reason we have a hard time selling these locally.

 

[Poult]

If the pollution aspect of the stove has a lot of meaning to you, maybe you should go with your choice in that area. It's something you are going to be living with for quite awhile, and if it's a case of looking at the stove and feeling a twinge of regret that you didn't go with the other stove, well, something to think about, is all.

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

My favorite stove in that size/price range is the Hearthstone Shelburne.

but of the two listed,
i like the PE baffle and door gasket design, but
i like the Quad door handle, and larger firebox

 

[Todd]

The Quad is more money because it has a larger firebox. I think the Vista would be fine if your just trying to heat one level or room, but I think you should look at larger fire box stoves in the range from 2-3 cu ft since you have no insulation.

 

[burntime]

Gp big on the firebox to get long burns.

 

[iceman]

The Quad is more money because it has a larger firebox. I think the Vista would be fine if your just trying to heat one level or room, but I think you should look at larger fire box stoves in the range from 2-3 cu ft since you have no insulation.

+1 with no insulation and brick you should be looking at the largest firebox you can fit in there with your budget.... i am a summit owner... but get a large firebox

 

[jadm]

Larger firebox vote here. I went with a smaller one (1.7CF) and it just didn't keep up on days below 30*. Lots of coal build up by mid-afternoon (I am home during the day and add wood as needed as insert cools down.).

So I ended up buying another insert 2 years later in order to keep up with the cold.

An expensive lesson.

I am well pleased with our current insert and it keeps us nice a toasty.

A side note. From what I have read here statistics on pollution from wood burning stoves is tricky since tests are done in a controlled environment with wood that is going to vary from shop to shop.

Good Luck and may I suggest that you do your break in fires early when you can still have open windows and fans running to get the noxious odor out of your house ASAP. :ahhh:

 

[voner]

THANKS TO ALL THAT REPLIED!

I will take the "larger Firebox" suggestions into consideration. I made a mistake on the Quadra-fire # - it is the 2100 not the 3100... but the discussion you folks engaged in was valuable.

thanks again.

next up......installing into an old double brick chimney, etc.... I'll read the hearth.com notes first.

timv aka voner

 

[Highbeam]

Hello! we're here in the NW. We just don't wake up and start posting until later in the morning.

That PE vista is their teensy weensy model right? I would spend the extra pizza money for the week and at least get into the super model which I believe they call the spectrum.

Oh and don't get hung up on their relative emission levels, that's splitting hairs since on any given day the operator will have significantly more effect on the emissions than the amount that the published rates differ.