Hi all! I'm looking into options for my 1800's house, and am looking into the Drolet Escape 1500 and the PE Vista. My downstairs is just under 1000 sqft, and this would be in the main kitchen area. I expect a bigger model would give more heat, but I do like that both of these aren't too deep and seem to have small rear clearance, as I'm trying to keep the stove from sticking out too far into a walking area through the kitchen. Does anyone have insight into pros and cons on these models?
Drolet Escape 1500 vs PE Vista
- Thread starter Summer40
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
If the goal is to heat more than just the kitchen, then a larger stove will help. They are both good stoves. The Drolet is more of a value line with some notable differences in the baffle which is vermiculite. It has a slightly larger firebox than the Vista. The Vista's firebox components are stainless steel including the baffle. The Osburn 1700 is an upgrade on the Drolet 1500 with a bit nicer door and a tougher C Cast baffle. At 23" deep it is slightly shallower than the Drolet. The Drolet 1500 is 24" deep.
Also, consider the PE Neo 1.6 which is 2" shallower than the Vista. at 21" vs 23".
Another good small stove is the Lopi Answer.
Also, consider the PE Neo 1.6 which is 2" shallower than the Vista. at 21" vs 23".
Another good small stove is the Lopi Answer.
Last winter our Drolet Columbia II (same firebox as the Escape 1500) kept our 1200 square foot drafty old storey and a 1/2 farmhouse warm (with lots and lots of main-floor windows and just a couple upstairs) even in the bitterest cold of northern Alberta. Even in the wind at -35C. However, it was a challenge to keep logs and coals off the glass with E/W loading and very short burn times due to coal buildup and no room to put wood. We bought a bigger stove even tho we loved the Columbia. If we could load 16" wood N/S in it we never would have changed as it effortlessly dealt with weather to -20C and even beyond. Our furnace barely came on all winter, which created another challenge - keeping the basement warm enough to not freeze up. In the coldest weather we had heat-tape, a space heater, a fan and reluctantly ran the furnace some. Oh well.
I would highly recommend the next size up if about 3 more inches in depth is acceptable.
Pros on the Columbia (very similar to the escape 1500); good solid stove, plenty of room for 18" wood E/W (even 19" fits), simple to operate, runs like a dream, and pumps out the heat. Cons; only 13 1/2 " from the back to the glass. Also, there's enough room on top of the columbia for a big pot of water. Not so with the escape. Everybody's taste is different. We prefer the flat tops. Both of our flat top Drolet's still push lots of heat forward. That wee deflector actually works pretty good. Remarkable.
I would highly recommend the next size up if about 3 more inches in depth is acceptable.
Pros on the Columbia (very similar to the escape 1500); good solid stove, plenty of room for 18" wood E/W (even 19" fits), simple to operate, runs like a dream, and pumps out the heat. Cons; only 13 1/2 " from the back to the glass. Also, there's enough room on top of the columbia for a big pot of water. Not so with the escape. Everybody's taste is different. We prefer the flat tops. Both of our flat top Drolet's still push lots of heat forward. That wee deflector actually works pretty good. Remarkable.
Great, information! Thank you! I'll be looking into all these stoves. There are so many options, seems like it will take a while to wrap my head around it all. And good to hear that the Columbia kept warm in those cold winters! We don't get nearly those temps here so I'm optimistic. But it seems to be worth considering the larger Escape 1800, especially now I'm seeing it's on their list of approved stoves for a the 26% tax rebate here, and we'll be putting in a flu so that would go a long way.
Note that the 26% credit is only for this year and that there is some dispute at SBI claiming it.
Easy Livin’ 3000
Minister of Fire
Definitely consider the 1800. It's really not that big, and it's going to be a lot more versatile heater than the 1500. I have no issues putting in a half load and burning clean and cooler than a full load.
Similar threads
