England's Stove Works: Englander, Summer's Heat, & Timber Ridge

[Cath]

DH's brother is thinking about getting a pellet stove. He has been to one of the two stores near him and is considering a Lenox and an Enviro. I can't remember the models but I think they were in the 35,000 btu range. I didn't think about it at the time I spoke with him I believe he needs to heat about 1776 sf so he probably needs something larger.

I couldn't find any reviews here on the two models he is considering so I suggested that he check the other store near him to see what they have to offer and go to HD or Lowes to check out the Englanders.

I am hoping he finds them there, but I know that as of our last trip to HD they didn't have any. Are they expected in? Also, Lowes didn't have Englander, which is the name I've seen on these boards but they do have "Summer's Heat". I know from visiting ESW's site that this is one of their lines. I'm hoping someone here can save me to trouble of doing a model to model comparison. Do the Englander, Summer's Heat, and Timber Ridge lines directly parallel each other. Are any differences relatively minor, (e.g.: cosmetics/trim) or is one line of better quality than the others? If so, which one?

Additionally, I took a closer look at the ESW website and it is hard to gauge the aesthetics. I know his wife places a premium on appearance and will likely want a high end look, especially since it will be the focal point of their main living space, where they do their entertaining. Is the fit and finish on one of these lines appreciably better than the others? Also, I have heard that they come with upgrade trim kits. How much of a difference do these make?

Also, when buying through HD or Lowes do they help you find an installer?

By the way, it looks like they are in Virginia. What made me think that some of their parts are manufactured in New England?

Thanks in advance for any input, especially from Mike.
~Cath

 

[elkimmeg]

I let mike fill in where I may error here but the same stoves are all made by Englander and are basically all the same stove You know the Lowes VS HD less comparison
shopping when the models are called different names Many ACE type hardware stores also cary these stoves . One can also find them on line PM me I will provide the link.

All cast Iron parts are in fact made in New England at VC

So how are those bio bricks working out in your stove and for that matter, the stove its self I'm still amazed at its condition for the price. What a great find.

 

[eernest4]

hi cath,

I've noticed some of your posts on the bb before.
englander,summersheat and ridgeline are all mostly the same stove usa made at the same pa.state factory and probably many parts interchange.
englander goes to home depot, summersheat goes to lowes and ridgeline to independent retailers.

That being said , these are amoung the least expensive pellet stoves i have been able to find anyplace, so you dont have 2 worry about paying too much.

If appearance is a big deal, englander,summersheat & ridgeline all offer immitation silver & gold door dress up kits.

I always buy the pellet stove that looks like im going to put it in my basement and then plop it in the center of my living room.

But then, i am confident about myself and not trying 2 impress any one.

It is better to buy a larger pellet stove with higher btu ratings and run it on lowest speed pellet feed than to buy a small pellet stove, only good to heat 1 room, because, they get
the stove & heat 1 room & say lets put a fan into the next room to see if it will heat that too
and if the pellet stove does, then they put another fan into another room until there is not enough heat for more rooms.

This ,I think ,is human nature. to see how far they can push the envelope.

That being said: I heat my living room, kitchen, bedroom , bathroom and moms' bedroom
all on the first floor, then ,on the second floor, i warm the hall way to up stairs, and take the chill off the second floor kitchen and bathroom.

And that is all I can do with a 50,000 btu pellet stove. There is no more heat left for the other 2 rooms in the house.

Of the other 2 rooms in the house that the pellet stove does not have enough heat 4,
one is a storage room, so it can stay at 40 deg forever and they other is my tv & computer room, which i frequently inhabit , so, I have to heat it with a 1350 watt electric space heater,
but only when i am in it.

There are better pellet stoves than englander, but not a whole lot better and for $ 400.oo to $1200.oo more. That seems a lot to pay for a stove that is 10 % more efficient or 10% quieter
running or 20% prettier to look at.

But different strokes 4 different folks.

I prefer 4 strokes to 2 strokes myself because you dont have to mix the oil with the gas and they start easier.rothlmao :lol:

all depends on how much $$$ or $$$$ they want 2 spend and their taste.

But bigger btu is better than not enough btu/hr to do the job. so upgrade to the next largest size. If its too warm ,you can always turn it down 2 low or off.
Do buy a pellet stove with automatic igniter and thermostatic control, 2 features that you very much want 2 have. 80 pound hopper is adiquately large 4 most people.

Check to hear the sound of the blower motors, even if the stove has no pellets and is not hooked up to heat. It won't hurt to listen to the blowers for 30 or 40 seconds to hear what they sound like.

Some pellet stoves have annoyingly loud blower motors.

12 VOLT DC CAR BATTERY BACKUP is an awesome thing to have on your pellet stove.

If the power fails, you can run your pellet stove up to 400 hours off a car battery,

depending on the battery size and the power drain of the stove. There are pellet stoves whose 12 volt dc blowers only use 27 watts or 2.25 amps dc from your car battery.

This is the equivalant of having 2 dome lights on, in your car.

When I buy another pellet stove, it is going to have 12 volt dc motors instead of 120 volt ac motors, so I can run off car battery in case of power failure.

PS do expect to spend about $1,900.oo +ship+tax,
for a car battery back up pellet stove that heat 1,800 sq ft from www.bbqsandfireplaces.com , the easyfire pellet heater model #ef-3801G
wieghs only 125 lbs
That is the only battery back up pellet stove I could find after a 6 hour web search for my buddy
who wants to stick one in his motor coach.

I hope this helps.

 

[Cath]

hi cath,
...
That being said , these are amoung the least expensive pellet stoves i have been able to find anyplace, so you dont have 2 worry about paying too much.

If appearance is a big deal, englander,summersheat & ridgeline all offer immitation silver & gold door dress up kits.

I always buy the pellet stove that looks like im going to put it in my basement and then plop it in the center of my living room.

But then, i am confident about myself and not trying 2 impress any one.

It is better to buy a larger pellet stove with higher btu ratings and run it on lowest speed pellet feed than to buy a small pellet stove, only good to heat 1 room, because, they get
the stove & heat 1 room & say lets put a fan into the next room to see if it will heat that too
and if the pellet stove does, then they put another fan into another room until there is not enough heat for more rooms.
...
There are better pellet stoves than englander, but not a whole lot better and for $ 400.oo to $1200.oo more. That seems a lot to pay for a stove that is 10 % more efficient or 10% quieter
running or 20% prettier to look at.
...
all depends on how much $$$ or $$$$ they want 2 spend and their taste.

But bigger btu is better than not enough btu/hr to do the job. so upgrade to the next largest size. If its too warm ,you can always turn it down 2 low or off.

Do buy a pellet stove with automatic igniter and thermostatic control, 2 features that you very much want 2 have. 80 pound hopper is adiquately large 4 most people.

Check to hear the sound of the blower motors, even if the stove has no pellets and is not hooked up to heat. It won't hurt to listen to the blowers for 30 or 40 seconds to hear what they sound like.

Some pellet stoves have annoyingly loud blower motors.
...
PS do expect to spend about $1,900.oo +ship+tax,
...
I hope this helps.

eernest4,
I was aware of some of this but the overview helps. I especially appreciate the reminder about blower noise. Can anyone comment on how noisy the England Stove Works' stoves (Englander, Summer's Heat and Ridge Line) are?

I agree it is better to go bigger as long as the floor plan isn't too "closed".

I don't expect that my brother in law is out to impress anyone so much as he &/or his wife feel that anything that they'll be looking at that often and that long ought to be attractive. Having said that, I'd like to help them avoid spending $400.00 to $1,200.00 more.

So, I'm very interested in hearing about the three different model lines and their respective upgrade kits. Is the fit, finish, etc. better on one line than the other? I did take a quick look at their website and see that the basic stove is the same so I suspect that there is very little difference in the "base model", I'm guessing any difference may be in the upgrade kits. But I could be way off on this.

I know my brother in law has a Home Depot where he should be able to get the Englanders near him but I'm wondering if it's worth looking for an independent dealer with the Ridge Lines.

I think the other reason I'd like to know how similar they are is because there weren't any on display at Home Depot so if that's what's closest to him or if the prices are lower I'm wondering if he can go somewhere else, and see the Ridge Line on display to get an idea of what the fit and finish on the Englanders look like.

Thanks, ~Cath

 

[Cath]

I let mike fill in where I may error here but the same stoves are all made by Englander and are basically all the same stove You know the Lowes VS HD less comparison
shopping when the models are called different names Many ACE type hardware stores also cary these stoves . One can also find them on line PM me I will provide the link.

All cast Iron parts are in fact made in New England at VC

So how are those bio bricks working out in your stove and for that matter, the stove its self I'm still amazed at its condition for the price. What a great find.

Elk,
Thanks for responding. I realize that all three lines are made by ESW and therefore are basically the same. However, I am looking for any feedback on which of these three lines may have a kit that creates an overall higher end look. I suspect this is important to my sister in law.

The more I think about it the more I realize it may purely be a matter of personal preference. However I wanted to rule out there being any real difference in the quality, durability etc. of the fit and finish.

I have found the ESW link. I think I'll go back there and see if I can find a Ridge Line dealer near him in case the HD near him doesnt' have any on display.

Re: the BioBricks. Obviously we haven't made a scientific study of it by Craig's impression is that they burn as well as cord wood. I'll try and report back with more specific observations after a couple of more fires.
Thanks, ~Cath

 

[begreen]

12 VOLT DC CAR BATTERY BACKUP is an awesome thing to have on your pellet stove.

If the power fails, you can run your pellet stove up to 400 hours off a car battery,

depending on the battery size and the power drain of the stove. There are pellet stoves whose 12 volt dc blowers only use 27 watts or 2.25 amps dc from your car battery.

This is the equivalant of having 2 dome lights on, in your car.

When I buy another pellet stove, it is going to have 12 volt dc motors instead of 120 volt ac motors, so I can run off car battery in case of power failure.

Not to disagree, but could this be a bit of a math error? Last I checked, car batteries were no where near 900+ amp hours it would take to run the dc blower on a Thelin pellet stove for 400hrs. According to Thelin, their stove will run almost a week on a 200amp deep cycle marine battery. That would be a 4D, which is a really big battery and expensive relative to a std. auto battery.

(broken link removed to http://www.apexbattery.com/upg-group-4d-agm-marine-battery-marine-batteries.html)

 

[BrotherBart]

And somebody relocated Monroe, Virginia to Pennsylvania without telling me.