After 10 years of using an old '70's era woodstove in our loghome we decided this was the year we would upgrade to the Vermont Castings woodstove I've always wanted. Well, or so I thought. Must say, I think my dreams have been dashed. I've done alot of research the last few weeks, including reading countless reviews on this forum. So I guess these are my questions...........Do I stay away from Vermont Castings due to the issues they have had over the last number of years and get another brand? How many of you out there are very happy Vermont Castings owners with stoves purchased over the last few years?? Thanks for any input.
Always Wanted a Vermont Castings
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Welcome. It's good that you are doing your homework first. The original VC stoves were great. They had a good run for several years. Unfortunately their redesigns to meet EPA phase 2 were not so great. This coupled with a stream of different owners, some that knew nothing about stoves, has done harm to the brand. The company is now owned by a major parent stove company again but it's too soon to know whether the recent models will stand up better or not. The good news is that there are several nice alternatives on the market that not only look good, but heat reliably year after year.
Welcome to the forum and kudos for doing your research first. You are right, VC stoves have some problems. There are still plenty of owners out there that heat their homes with one but the consensus here is that there are easier to operate and more reliable/durable stoves out there. What exactly does appeal to you in a VC stove? There are others that can give you most of the features of a VC stove without their problems.
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Got a VC Encore Flex Burn last year, was manufactured July 2014, so far so good, wasn't used to an Encore with catalyst took a little getting used to but seemd to burn very well heated 2500 sf house pretty much all winter with it -- helped when I put three floor registers from the stove room to upstairs to move the heat better. The past issues of poor refractory material, etc. I think have been addressed. The big seller for me was the top load capability which I really prefer. Will maybe post a year two followup, but nothing untoward happened last year. Good luck.
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What appeals to me about Vermont Castings? The look and topload feature. Here are some stoves I've looked at:
Jotul F50 Top Loader -- not the look of Vermont Casting, small top load door
Lopi Leyden -- similar look, design -- discontinued
Quadrafire Isle Royale -- similar look, design -- discontinued
Jotul 600 -- similar look, no top load, doesn't have flat top for cooking
Quadrafire Explorer III -- similar look, top load, new product no reviews
Going through all of these models and still remaining undecided is what prompted me to ask members of this forum about recent experiences with Vermont Castings as it has (Defiant) all of the features I would like.
Jotul F50 Top Loader -- not the look of Vermont Casting, small top load door
Lopi Leyden -- similar look, design -- discontinued
Quadrafire Isle Royale -- similar look, design -- discontinued
Jotul 600 -- similar look, no top load, doesn't have flat top for cooking
Quadrafire Explorer III -- similar look, top load, new product no reviews
Going through all of these models and still remaining undecided is what prompted me to ask members of this forum about recent experiences with Vermont Castings as it has (Defiant) all of the features I would like.
Sounds like you'll have to plug in "reliability and cost of ownership over time" to the search criteria. For me that is a high priority. I'm lazy and don't like having to tinker a lot with a stove. If an Isle Royale would work I would call around to all the dealer within a 100 mile radius and see if you they have one in old inventory. It's a very good stove.
FWIW, I owned the original Resolute and loved it. After that for years I was dead-set on only owning a top-load, thermostatic stove. Since then I have owned only front loaders and don't really miss the top loading feature. With a highly radiant stove a thermostat is very nice, but since we got the T6 that also has become a non-issue. The mass of the cast iron jacket buffers the heat very well so there is little room temperature swing between loadings.
FWIW, I owned the original Resolute and loved it. After that for years I was dead-set on only owning a top-load, thermostatic stove. Since then I have owned only front loaders and don't really miss the top loading feature. With a highly radiant stove a thermostat is very nice, but since we got the T6 that also has become a non-issue. The mass of the cast iron jacket buffers the heat very well so there is little room temperature swing between loadings.
claydogg84
Minister of Fire
A friend at work has a 3 year old Defiant which just required $600 worth of parts and a near complete tear down. He does like the stove though, and it does heat a large space.
Was this covered under warranty? Parts are expensive on VC stoves and they are more complex than many others.
Where are you in Ont?? I'm south of Cambridge and have an original VC Resolute that was in use up to Jan. of last winter. We bought it new 30 yrs. ago and cleaned it out and re-polished it and listed it last year for sale with 20' of insulted chimney. I'm semi retired and bought a much larger stove so we can now use almost no electric heat. If you are interested, PM me and I will post the photos in the for sale section here in the next day or so as this is the wrong forum section to advertise it.
I had one buyer who was very keen but he got his ear twisted by the local chimney sweep who convinced him that VC was junk. Have to agree with others, the old models were awesome but the newer ones are to be avoided.
I had one buyer who was very keen but he got his ear twisted by the local chimney sweep who convinced him that VC was junk. Have to agree with others, the old models were awesome but the newer ones are to be avoided.
I looks like you really did your homework and found all the models that are similar to a VC. If you are dead set on those features I would go with the Explorer 3. I know it is unproven but still better than proven less durable like the VC Defiant. I would also take a close look at the BlazeKing Ashford 30. I know it is not quite what you are looking for but its catalytic combustion and almost constant heat output will offer you a convenience that other stoves have trouble matching.
I am in the same boat , Wife and I really like the style and top load of the Defiant. She likes the whole look with shelves and teapot. The design issues i learned about on this great forum are causing me to think twice about it. I wanted the Quasra Fire Isle Royale but no dealer around here has one. Dont know why they discontinued it. The new Quadra Fire Explorer 3 dosent look as good but seems like a solid stove. Its a steel box covered with a cast iron shell. Also top loading. Also looking at the Jotul Oslo and F600 although they are not top loaders. Would also like to hear more recent VC owners takes on thier stoves as well.
Explorer 3 appears to have the same burn system as the Isle Royale. I watched a consumer video on the Explorer 2 and that thing was cooking ! Almost too much fire but no worries with a steel box i guess.
claydogg84
Minister of Fire
No, not covered. I believe it had a cracked fireback and I think he said the fountain was also cracked/falling apart. Not really sure what the fountain is.
That sounds like a major bummer. Thought they were covering those parts now according to the warranty. Did they claim owner abuse or overfiring? This is from the Defiant 2N1:
Limited Lifetime Warranty
MHSC warrants that all refractory brick and material used in this product will be warranted against deterioration not resulting from physical damage or overloading of the woodstove for the lifetime of this product. This coverage includes the components of the 2N1 System: “engine, inner cover, access cover and fireback.” In addition all cast iron parts are warranted against breakage, cracking or burn-through and glass door panels against thermal breakage. Coverage is provided only to the original purchaser. MHSC will also pay labor associated with repairing or replacing the component described above for up to five years.
Limited Lifetime Warranty
MHSC warrants that all refractory brick and material used in this product will be warranted against deterioration not resulting from physical damage or overloading of the woodstove for the lifetime of this product. This coverage includes the components of the 2N1 System: “engine, inner cover, access cover and fireback.” In addition all cast iron parts are warranted against breakage, cracking or burn-through and glass door panels against thermal breakage. Coverage is provided only to the original purchaser. MHSC will also pay labor associated with repairing or replacing the component described above for up to five years.
claydogg84
Minister of Fire
I didn't think to ask him about being covered under warranty. It's quite possible he didn't know and simply ordered the stuff. Although you would think the dealer where he went would have mentioned it possibly being covered? Either way, he's already paid for the parts and installed them himself.
I have a Defiant from 1999 in my basement and it still amazes me with its steady heat output and ease of use. When I decided last year to put a stove upstairs on the fireplace hearth, I really wanted to move the VC upstairs but the clearances didn't work, ended up with a Jotul Oslo, nice stove but still like the VC better.
I have a VC Cat Defiant. At first, I fell in love with it. But, after one issue after another, not so much. While the stove is warm, and beautiful, it is a high maintenance stove. The cats for the stove break down quickly and are not cheap to replace. The doors are prone to leaking due to the gaskets. Everything needs tightened continuously, including handles, and the stoves have so many small parts. The glass on ours has cracked three times, and those are not fun to replace due to the screws getting too tight, and the glass is also costly. The sunshine brick in the back broke four times in four years, requiring us to replace it as well. Fortunately, VC seems to have fixed that somewhat by manufacturing thicker parts.
I suspect we will be replacing this stove soon. It's just too much of a headache.
I suspect we will be replacing this stove soon. It's just too much of a headache.
Simonkenton
Minister of Fire
I bought a new VC Resolute in 1988 and it was a great stove. Used it daily for 6 years, and finally sold it along with the house it was in. Wish I still had that stove.
In 1989 I got my mom to buy that same model stove. She still has it and it has been a great performer for her all these years.
Back in the seventies and eighties Vermont Castings was the gold standard for wood stoves. They performed well and were also beautiful. I just loved those stoves.
Read up on this forum for a little while and you won't want to buy a new Vermont Castings. Very sad for me to see this company in decline.
I just shelled out $2,500 for a new wood stove and it is not a VC, I got a Jotul Oslo.
In 1989 I got my mom to buy that same model stove. She still has it and it has been a great performer for her all these years.
Back in the seventies and eighties Vermont Castings was the gold standard for wood stoves. They performed well and were also beautiful. I just loved those stoves.
Read up on this forum for a little while and you won't want to buy a new Vermont Castings. Very sad for me to see this company in decline.
I just shelled out $2,500 for a new wood stove and it is not a VC, I got a Jotul Oslo.
husky345 vermont resolute
Feeling the Heat
I got rid of my Vermont resolute acclaim . Switched to a drolet classic and am very satisfied. So much money to maintain the vermonts. So many positives with the plate steel stoves . I thought I would miss the top load but I don't at all
husky345 vermont resolute
Feeling the Heat
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