Fisher Honey Bear upgrade? advice needed

[JP-90]

Hi there, I'm new to the forum. I hope this question isn't too redundant, but I searched here quite a bit (which was very helpful) and still have some questions.

I moved from Texas to a very inefficient (but nice) converted barn in western NY two years ago. I quickly learned that I could burn propane (at a cost of about $600+ per month!), or learn how to use the wood stove. Well, I was pretty cold the first winter. Last winter, I fared considerably better (seasoned wood--what a difference that made. ha!) The Honey Bear kept the roughly 1200sqft house fairly warm and burned about 5 full cords (pretty much 24/7)--no propane.

So, now I'm thinking of asking my landlord to upgrade the stove, but I'm wondering how much of an efficiency increase I can get out of a modern design in say, the $500-$1000 range (used). Even if the house was no warmer, simply not having to reload it every 2 hours (tops!) would be great. I've seen Lopi 1250 and 1750's in that price range, which claim 8 hour burn times. Would these be bigtime improvements over my 30 year old stove? Would the efficiency be improved enough that it would make financial sense for me to shell out for the upgrade even if my landlord isn't into the cost?

If I bought something like a Lopi, what are the odds that hooking it up to my existing stovepipe would be fairly simple?

THANKS.

 

[mellow]

You can figure about 40%-50% savings in wood over a non-epa stove like the Fisher. I would venture to say you could cut it down to 2.5 - 3 cords a year and still keep warm.

Hooking it up is pretty easy as long as it is already setup correctly, problem is that Fisher is more than likely 8" exhaust and newer stoves are 6". A lot will just depend on how that chimney is setup.

 

[mellow]

As for your budget 1200 sq feet can be heated with a medium sized stove, quite a few models out there to choose from ranging from $600 new to over $2000 if you want really long burn times.

For a budget stove for that size house I would recommend looking at the Englander 13 nc.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Tell us about your chimney. That will dictate which stoves are an option.


Matt

 

[JP-90]

WOW! that much more efficient? If I bought one around $600 it would pay for itself in just about a year!

The stove pipe on the honey bear is 6" (held a tape measure up real quick and it looked to be about 5.5" actually). It pipes out through the wall and up on the side of the house. As far as I know (which isn't saying much) the pipe is good to go. It has been swept/inspected once a year.

If I end up buying it myself, I'd like to buy used because I will likely be moving back south in a few years, so it would be nice to resell it for roughly the same cost. I saw a used Lopi 1750 for $600. Would that work well? Would it hold it's value?

What other brands and models should I search for in that price range, used or new?

THANKS.

 

[BurnIt13]

The Lopi 1750 is a good stove. It was on my very short list of stoves at the time I purchased. I wanted new, so I went with an Englander 30 as the others were easily double the price of what I paid for the Englander.

One of the best stoves in your price range is the Englander 30. It goes for around $900 this time of year but can be had for as low as $600 in the spring. There are some other budget stoves others may chime in with, including one that can be purchased at Tractor Supply. I think it is a US Stove. Not sure of the model number, but I think it is the one good stove they make.

If the Lopi is in good shape and doesn't require any work I'd take it over a new Englander 30. Or any new stove in the <$1000 price range.

 

[JP-90]

I think I found a date on my stove saying it was made in '85. It's the brass and glass door model. Is anything made before 1990 going to be non-EPA approved and much less efficient?

 

[BurnIt13]

And even since the EPA has been approving things....stove builders have continued to improve their designs. I'd buy as close to 2013 as possible. Not all EPA stoves are considered equal.

 

[mellow]

No way do you want to put an NC30 in 1200 sq ft. Trust me you would be well served to buy the Englander NC 13, they hold value pretty good for selling down the road.

 

[begreen]

Agreed, the 13 NC would be a better fit, though read up on it's hearth specs. It needs a very well insulated hearth. Maybe you already have a good one for the Fisher? A couple other stoves to look at are the Timberwolf 2200 and the TrueNorth TN19. And keep your eyes open for a used Woodstock Keystone. That would be a perfect fit.

 

[JP-90]

I definitely don't want to big a stove, but my house is a VERY drafty 1200 sq ft. When it gets really cold here (high of 30F or less) I have to run the Honey Bear very hot to keep the room at 70F. Furthermore, I've closed off my bedroom in the past and just heated it with an electric heater at night, otherwise the rest of the house would be much cooler. So, I'm wondering if a bigger stove would be better, and would allow me to heat the bedroom as well. Would the Lopi 1750 be comparable to the Englander NC30?

 

[mellow]

The only time I don't see that NC30 blasting you out is during a Noreaster.

 

[begreen]

No, it is less than 2/3ds the capacity of the 30NC. However, if you are trying to save money, sealing up those leaks is going to be the best investment you can make. And once done it just keeps paying back.

 

[JP-90]

Thanks for all the tips so far. I'll check out some of those other suggestions. Sounds like the Englander NC30 is overkill, but maybe the Lopi 1750 would be a fit. Would the 1250 be too small coming from the Honey Bear?

I will continue to plug the leaks in the house. It's the classic case where so many layers were poorly added over others that it's hard to plug all the leaks--no one ever just stripped it back and started the right way.

 

[JP-90]

There's a Lopi 1750 in my area. 5 years old, new bricks and rope gasket last spring. comes with blower and piping. "excellent" condition. They're asking $600. Is this a reasonable price?

THANKS.

 

[begreen]

If not abused or overfired that could be a nice deal. Examine closely for signs of overfire, warped internals, repaint (to cover up overfiring).

 

[tickbitty]

Thanks for all the tips so far. I'll check out some of those other suggestions. Sounds like the Englander NC30 is overkill, but maybe the Lopi 1750 would be a fit. Would the 1250 be too small coming from the Honey Bear?

I will continue to plug the leaks in the house. It's the classic case where so many layers were poorly added over others that it's hard to plug all the leaks--no one ever just stripped it back and started the right way.

I'd go for the 1750. 600 is a very fair price for that stove.

 

[eclecticcottage]

There's a Lopi 1750 in my area. 5 years old, new bricks and rope gasket last spring. comes with blower and piping. "excellent" condition. They're asking $600. Is this a reasonable price?

THANKS.

New they are about $2k, give or take depending on area. That's a good price and nice stove.

 

[JP-90]

Well, I bought the Lopi 1750 last night. The couple who owned it were switching to pellets and sold it for $500--AND I might even get a free cord of wood out of it! It really seems in great condition, and I felt even better about the deal when I got home and found the original receipt showing they paid $2200 for it.

My friend and I managed to get it home and in place with an appliance dolly, but if there had been any more than one step up, we would have needed more help. We have a truck, but I still decided to rent a U-haul open trailer with a ramp--best $15 you can spend in moving one of these.

This morning it fired up pretty easily and shot up to 550. When I opened to reload the stove, it bellowed quite a bit more smoke then the honey bear. Perhaps this is somewhat of a design flaw, since I know later models include a bypass damper to avoid this. Also, I'll admit my wood isn't as seasoned as it could be, and I expect somewhat of a learning curve on a new stove.

Two issues with the stove though, both of which were probably induced by our manhandling:

--The intake adjustment is very hard to push and horribly screechy when it is moved. Anyone else experienced this? I think it might be off track or something. I don't think it did this before we moved it.

--The blower kicked on, but I don't feel any air (should I?) and the motor sort of sounds like it is bogging down--like the fan isn't turning--so I quickly shut it off. How can I tell if the blower is working? Could the two problems be related?

THANKS for all the advice.

 

[eclecticcottage]

Republic's don't have the bypass as far as I know, the Endeavors do though (sister stove). Well, and the 1750I (insert).

If the smoke blew out of the door, try opening the damper all the way, then open the door slowly. If there's a fan running in the room it can also blow some smoke into the room.

Our bypass is screechy but not difficult to move.

Yes, you should feel the air blowing out between the top and that little step on the top when the blower is running.

 

[JP-90]

Is there any reason I can't remove the blower while there's a fire going in the stove? I assume it's fine.

 

[eclecticcottage]

Other than being careful not to burn yourself, not that I know of. We had a dealer install our stove, and while the guys were doing it I overheard the one telling the other how he had gotten called out to replace a blower and the people had a fire going when he got there and he was kinda peeved because it was hot. Nothing about it being dangerous aside from burning himself though.

I imagine since they're an option, it's something removable at any time.