choosing a wood furnace...max caddy, Yukon, VF100?

[ccjumper]

Hi, I recently bought a 3000 sf home on the Ohio Pa border and it is being heated with just a heat pump. The heat pump blower constantly runs when its cold like under 20 degrees. While the people who sold me the house used it this way since 2008 its starting to drive me crazy. The house is older but renovated and does have some noticeable air leaks that ill take care of in the future.
I moved from a farmhouse built in the 1800s that i heated with an outside boiler. I have over 100 acres behind the house to cut from so im thinking of adding a wood funace to the house. I have a masonry chimney that isnt lined so ill have to do that but no big deal.

I think i have it narrowed down to a Max Caddy, Vapor fire 100, and was thinking the Yukon but recently learned due to EPA issues i may not be able to buy one in US, could i go buy one in Canada and drive it home?
I have googled these three and got some good info but nothing very recent and not sure why? Is their newer technology that Im not aware of? Just seems like people quit talking about these furnaces on the forums compared to 2008 to 2011ish...
Any suggestions,experiences, or answers would be appreciated
Thanks!

 

[brenndatomu]

Max Caddy or VF100 would be my suggestions...I have a Yukon and am not using it right now due to it being a dirty burner and I was tired of cleaning the heat exchanger and chimney all the time. I am waiting to see what Yukon comes up with as far as their new 2020 certified model...it is supposed to retrofit to the older units too...we'll see, if its too much money I will do something else.

I wouldn't recommend going over the border for a new one either...with the new EPA regs you cannot legally install one...your insurance company would be the enforcing body here...if you already had one prior to last spring then you can continue to use it...but cannot move it to another home, cannot sell it, supposed to be destroyed if you sell the place.

Anyways, the VF100 would be the #1 choice here for sure...also the most expensive and the only wood furnace that is currently certified to meet the upcoming 2020 EPA regs.
The Max Caddy or its sister the HeatPro would be a good second choice though.
JUst FYI, all these units must have DRY wood...like 2 to 3 years cut/split/stacked...they don't work well at all with subpar wood...although the VF100 might be slightly more forgiving than the Max or Pro. Either way, better get cutting/splitting/stacking now to be ready.
My 2 cents...

 

[JRHAWK9]

I can tell you my choices were either a Kuuma or a Caddy.......those were the only two I was even considering.

 

[Jgib4]

With you being so close to Ohio are any of those a multi fuel unit so if you ever run out of wood you can burn coal?

 

[brenndatomu]

With you being so close to Ohio are any of those a multi fuel unit so if you ever run out of wood you can burn coal?

The Yukon can...they can be wood/coal/oil as mine is, or with a simple burner change they can be wood/coal/gas (or LP, with just the flip of a button)

 

[Jgib4]

The Yukon can...they can be wood/coal/oil as mine is, or with a simple burner change they can be wood/coal/gas (or LP, with just the flip of a button)

That’s part of the reason I got the one I did. Having options are nice when burning

 

[brenndatomu]

That’s part of the reason I got the one I did.

Whatchu got?

 

[Jgib4]

Whatchu got?

Fire chief 450 wood/coal unit

 

[brenndatomu]

Fire chief 450 wood/coal unit

You run coal?

 

[Jgib4]

You run coal?

And wood.

 

[brenndatomu]

I've never tried 100% coal...just ran a wood coal mix...sure didn't hurt burn times any!

 

[Jgib4]

I've never tried 100% coal...just ran a wood coal mix...sure didn't hurt burn times any!

The coal I have doesn’t do well all by itself in my furnace. It cokes over and becomes a solid sheet of coal and chokes out if not broken up frequently. It does mix well with wood and keeps my burn times up though so I’ll take that.

 

[motoguy]

2nd year running our VF100, and I LOVE it. Completely happy with the purchase. It's nearly a set-and-forget wood furnace, which is what I was searching for.