Best used stove? (VC vs. Jotul)

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Smith19

New Member
Feb 20, 2021
2
Colorado
Hello everyone -

I've been reading these boards for a while and thought I'd finally join. Basically, I have a place in Colorado and a place in Rhode Island. In Colorado, I run a 2008 VC Intrepid II 1990 in a very small space for supplemental heating. In Rhode Island, I'd like to start looking for a stove as the house is NC and has nothing - however I'm on a tight budget and brand new may be out of the question. (At least for now).

A couple of questions on used stoves:
There's a lot I like about my Intrepid. Small, compact, top load, good-looking, etc. I can get pretty high burn times if I pack it with the right wood. However, when reading about used VC stoves, all I see are warnings. Spotty QC, overly-complex mechanical designs, and unpredictable behavior. I've had mine all apart on occasion for serious cleanings and can see that the design of the damper assembly is certainly irritating to say the least. Firebacks warping seem to be another common complaint. I recently found a used Resolute Acclaim on craigslist, another stove users have warned against. But for supplemental or occasional burning, would it be as problematic? Should I perhaps look for a used Intrepid instead?

I really like the look of Jotul stoves but have never used one. There are, however, a few things I've picked on that I don't like so much, namely the lack of top loading. I also notice with the Oslo (through pictures/videos) that wood tends to fall forward as it burns, mashing up against the glass. I would think that this would make loading through the front a bit tricky during hot burns, given the lack of a grate or andirons. The last thing about Jotul that I have noticed, merely through looking at classifieds of used stoves, is the constant tendency for panels to crack. I've never seen this with a VC stove, at least to the extend that I see it with Jotul.

To recap: looking for a used stove, and leaning towards VC given experience. Warped firebacks, though a b**ch to remove, seem preferable to cracked side panels or grates. Again, I have little experience with Jotul, so I could be talking out my rear. Let me know what you think!
 
Hello everyone -

I've been reading these boards for a while and thought I'd finally join. Basically, I have a place in Colorado and a place in Rhode Island. In Colorado, I run a 2008 VC Intrepid II 1990 in a very small space for supplemental heating. In Rhode Island, I'd like to start looking for a stove as the house is NC and has nothing - however I'm on a tight budget and brand new may be out of the question. (At least for now).

A couple of questions on used stoves:
There's a lot I like about my Intrepid. Small, compact, top load, good-looking, etc. I can get pretty high burn times if I pack it with the right wood. However, when reading about used VC stoves, all I see are warnings. Spotty QC, overly-complex mechanical designs, and unpredictable behavior. I've had mine all apart on occasion for serious cleanings and can see that the design of the damper assembly is certainly irritating to say the least. Firebacks warping seem to be another common complaint. I recently found a used Resolute Acclaim on craigslist, another stove users have warned against. But for supplemental or occasional burning, would it be as problematic? Should I perhaps look for a used Intrepid instead?

I really like the look of Jotul stoves but have never used one. There are, however, a few things I've picked on that I don't like so much, namely the lack of top loading. I also notice with the Oslo (through pictures/videos) that wood tends to fall forward as it burns, mashing up against the glass. I would think that this would make loading through the front a bit tricky during hot burns, given the lack of a grate or andirons. The last thing about Jotul that I have noticed, merely through looking at classifieds of used stoves, is the constant tendency for panels to crack. I've never seen this with a VC stove, at least to the extend that I see it with Jotul.

To recap: looking for a used stove, and leaning towards VC given experience. Warped firebacks, though a b**ch to remove, seem preferable to cracked side panels or grates. Again, I have little experience with Jotul, so I could be talking out my rear. Let me know what you think!
Between the two jotul without question. I have only seen cracks in modern jotuls if the ash pan is left open to start fires. Otherwise they are pretty bulletproof. There are also many other brands out there to consider as well.
 
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Agreed, Jotuls are tough stoves. Only a few have burn plates and those parts are often sacrificial, wearing items that are expected to last about 10-12 yrs. in normal use. In light use they may last 20+ yrs. There are many other used stoves that will work well for an occasional burner. The Hampton H200 or H300 are good. A used PE Alderlea T5 or Super would also work well. Quadrafire made the Explorer series for a bit.

One problem with online forums is that most people that show up on them are people with problems. It much less common for happy owners to show up unless they need help. This tends to skew the view. Any used stove is going to need careful inspection for abuse and neglect. Bad treatment of a stove can make the best perform poorly.
If you are on a tight budget then consider looking at all stoves and not just those that are pretty. Top loading is nice, but far from being essential. My preference is a stove that has a squarish firebox that allows one to load in either direction, E/W or N/S.

Also, be sure to factor in the cost of the flue system installation along with the stove cost. It could very well exceed the cost of a used stove.
 
I'd be super interested in exploring Jotul. Are there any models that come recommended for stuff to look for on Craigslist? Two I've been interested in but may stay away from are the F100 and F602. Love the legacy of the F602 but would like something larger and something that has an ashpan. In terms of other makes, I may be persuaded - but I love the character of both the VC stoves and the Jotuls. Since I will not be heating only with wood and do not urgently need a stove, something attractive is definitely important. It'll go in the living room, so a steel box stove is out of the question, no matter how practical it may be.
 
My sister had a VC at her snowmobile/ski house in the Northeast Kingdom of VT that turned me right off about them. I also believe they are now made in China but I could be wrong and that's another huge turn off for me.
 
I also believe they are now made in China but I could be wrong and that's another huge turn off for me.
This was pointed out to be old news before. CFM (one of their previous owners) were cash-strapped for several years and did what they needed to survive. VC makes many products, not just wood stoves. I think it was some of the non-casting parts of their grills that were made in China. VC has its own, excellent foundry in VT that has had a major $10 million upgrade in 2018. In that previous thread, it was discussed that VC stoves are cast in VT and some are assembled in PA or Iowa now.

 
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This was pointed out to be old news before. CFM (one of their previous owners) were cash-strapped for several years and did what they needed to survive. VC makes many products, not just wood stoves. I think it was some of the non-casting parts of their grills that were made in China. VC has its own, excellent foundry in VT that has had a major $10 million upgrade in 2018. In that previous thread, it was discussed that VC stoves are cast in VT and some are assembled in PA or Iowa now.

I do recall that info being shared. My bad.

Still doesn't change the fact on her stove. I also had bought a VC gas grill and that was indeed China and no replacement parts were available. That was a painful dump run tossing a perfect looking grill into the metal pile.
 
I do recall that info being shared. My bad.

Still doesn't change the fact on her stove. I also had bought a VC gas grill and that was indeed China and no replacement parts were available. That was a painful dump run tossing a perfect looking grill into the metal pile.
Their wood stoves were and are made with American parts and castings AFAIK. The replacement parts for the grills are an unfortunate outcome of change in ownership of the company, but I see they can still be ordered directly from China for many models.
 
Their wood stoves were and are made with American parts and castings AFAIK. The replacement parts for the grills are an unfortunate outcome of change in ownership of the company, but I see they can still be ordered directly from China for many models.
RE: Grills
The one model I bought was a complete only sold only by Home Depot. No replacement parts were available according to the factory and the usual web course stores had nothing.
Expensive lesson.
 
I bought a used Jotul F400 near Boston last year for $1,400. It was in like new condition. Blue black enamel finish. Dealers wanted $3,000 new. I really like it. No real worries about logs rolling onto door ceramic glass. Just need to pay a bit of attention to how you load it. Just load for backwards or straight down collapse. Not hard at all. I had an old non epa jotul 3 (for 20years) before this F400 and loved that stove to. But the f400 burns more efficiently by far, and has an ashpan.
 
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And if you do Top Down fires (which work best by far), you will never be temped to open the ash door to help the fire catch, (which can potentially crack the bottom plate). Opening the ash door when starting a top down fire has almost no effect on burn rate, Top Down Starting eliminates the blast effect of the open ash door.
[Hearth.com] Best used stove?  (VC vs. Jotul)
 
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