Dauntless Review

[bert670]

So I’m about 20 days in to my new VC Dauntless, and I must say I’m very happy with our purchase. It’s been burning about 24/7 since the install, with maybe 3-4 days where we let it burn out due to warm weather.

We had the stove installed into a new addition that we had competed this past fall. The new room was our former 2 car garage that was converted into a approx 450 sq ft family room. The room has a 12 ft peaked ceiling with 4 very large windows and a 6’ glass sliding door. Spray foam insulation on the floors, ceiling and exterior walls. Besides the stove, we have a Mitsubishi mini split that we have not had to run at all while the stove has been in operation.

The stove was professional installed by the dealer (good reputation) with a approx 15’ straight vertical flue. Starting a fire is incredibly easy, which I attribute to the straight flue. I usually add a few pieces of paper with about 4 small kindling splits on top. I warm the flue by holding a lit piece of paper in it, then use that paper to light the remaining pieces in the fire box. No matter the outside temp, I’ve always been able to get a fire going very easily with that set up.

Once going I’ve found the temp very easy to control. I’ve been getting overnight burns with no problem, with enough coals in the firebox to toss some small splits on to get the fire going again.

Some of the negatives-

1)The air control lever is loose, and is only tightened by a small allen wrench screw that applies pressure to keep the handle attached to a small metal knob on the stove. Not a huge issue, but not sure why it’s not a better design.

2)On my first few small break in fires, I noticed a small amount of black colored “water stains” on my floor. Not sure if this was extra enamel dripping off or what. Luckily it did clean right up with a wet rag, and hasn’t happened since.

Overall, very happy. Feel free to ask any questions and I’ll answer them honestly.

 

[Rearscreen]

The air control lever is loose, and is only tightened by a small allen wrench screw that applies pressure to keep the handle attached to a small metal knob on the stove. Not a huge issue, but not sure why it’s not a better design.

I repair pinball machines and use locktite blue for many applications, I believe that there is a high heat version used for spark plugs. If there is I'd give that a whirl.

 

[bert670]

Yea I was thinking about some sort of loctite product, but I just wish they had a single one piece design originally for it. I grew up with my dads early 1990’s VC Intrepid which had the air lever directly connected to a chain that lifted/lowered the air control valve.

 

[bert670]

Also forgot to mention, very happy with the enamel finish. It looks great, and so far has held up to having things like wood, fire poker and the like dropped on it accidentally. I made sure to do the break in fires without rushing into full loads, so hopefully that helped with hardening the finish, but only time will tell.

 

[Rearscreen]

Permatex® High Temperature Threadlocker Red, 6 ML - Permatex

www.permatex.com

 

[Stormandrewd]

We’re debating upgrading our Intrepid II to a dauntless. I’m really looking to be able to get overnight burns and I can’t with the intrepid.

How long have you been able to get the Dauntless to burn with a full load of wood?

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

We’re debating upgrading our Intrepid II to a dauntless. I’m really looking to be able to get overnight burns and I can’t with the intrepid.

How long have you been able to get the Dauntless to burn with a full load of wood?

2 cubic feet of firebox should get you a overnight burn with coals in the morning, not flame. With any product that's burning proper moisture content wood.

 

[Ant428]

Does your stove have a blow torch sound when closing the damper? The manual says that's over firing, but mine is doing it every time I add a log.

 

[bert670]

Yes mine had it pretty consistently when the cat is properly engaged. I believe the blow torch sound they’re referring to is when the stove may be drafting too high. I’ve had once or twice when the cat began to climb to near the max level on the gauge, and the blow torch sound was present then as well. By opening and closing the bypass and playing with the secondary I was able to get the cat to calm down. My flue set up is 15” straight vertical from the stove, so draft has never been an issue to get established, and it rarely over drafts due to the lower height.

 

[Ant428]

Yes mine had it pretty consistently when the cat is properly engaged. I believe the blow torch sound they’re referring to is when the stove may be drafting too high. I’ve had once or twice when the cat began to climb to near the max level on the gauge, and the blow torch sound was present then as well. By opening and closing the bypass and playing with the secondary I was able to get the cat to calm down. My flue set up is 15” straight vertical from the stove, so draft has never been an issue to get established, and it rarely over drafts due to the lower height.

Yeah, according to the manual and VC customer support, that sounds is over firing and should not happen. I can't get it to stop.

 

[bert670]

It’s not over firing if the temperatures are all staying in the right zone. Without a camera to see exactly what’s going on in there when the sound is active, I just have to use my best guess and say it’s either the cat being active, the sound of the air being sucked into the cat chamber, which is essentially a air moving from a large area (firebox) to a small area (caf chamber), which when being done at a fast rate could cause such a sound. Or some combination of both. But since the temperatures are not out of control, I have no worry of over firing. I inspect the stove each time I do a cleaning.