Good price for used Quadrafire 3100i?

[Hugemoose]

I have been lurking on this forum for a while as a fantastic outlet for my research into wood stove inserts, so I finally signed up because I thought it was time to reach out for some expert opinion.

I'm looking to pick up an approx. 20 year old Quadrafire 3100i insert. It has been well maintained, comes with a new box of firebricks, and had the door replaced a few years ago. I know these older models come with a steel baffle plate, but I have yet to physically check it and the insulation above it. They did mention that the one damper (the handle on the right which I believe is the main airflow one used upon start up, doesn't appear to be working as well as it used to. I expect to have to take it apart and see what's going on but am unsure what I will find.

They are replacing it with a gas fireplace as they are converting the entire house to gas.

They are asking $500 for the unit. Does that seem fair? The cheapskate in me wants to talk them down because of its age and potentially broken damper, but I do realize new firebrick alone is almost $150. A picture of the unit is below. It is unfortunately the only picture of it.

Thanks for any help!

 

[begreen]

Not a bad price for an EPA insert, but it is 20 yrs old. Inspect carefully. The greyed paint on top may just be age, but look for signs of overfiring. Have you considered any new stoves for around $1000 as an alternative?

 

[Hugemoose]

Not a bad price for an EPA insert, but it is 20 yrs old. Inspect carefully. The greyed paint on top may just be age, but look for signs of overfiring. Have you considered any new stoves for around $1000 as an alternative?

I will certainly inspect carefully when I go look at it tomorrow. Any other typical over-firing signs I should look for? And honestly I haven't look at too many new stoves because it seems most seem to be $2500+ for a good one.

I see the 20 year old thing as a good testament to it's construction and quality, but obviously everything wears out at some point so that is my concern.

 

[begreen]

There are mid-sized Drolet 1800i, Century 2900, True North TN20 and Englander 13-NCi inserts in the ~$1000 range.

When inspecting the Quad look carefully at the secondary rack and at the upper back center of the stove where the secondary manifold comes up.

 

[Hugemoose]

There are mid-sized Drolet 1800i, Century 2900, True North TN20 and Englander 13-NCi inserts in the ~$1000 range.

When inspecting the Quad look carefully at the secondary rack and at the upper back center of the stove where the secondary manifold comes up.

Thanks for the tips, I'll look into those stove as well and inspect those particular areas of the Quadrafire tomorrow.

 

[woodhog73]

I have a quad 3100. Price seems decent if it’s in good shape. They are great stoves. That stove top that sticks out a foot or so really radiates a lot of heat.

Did you get a price on a new Quad ?

Mine does not have a steel baffle. It has the lighter removable one with a blanket on top to keep more heat inside.

My start up air control also stopped working. It’s very hard to move so I leave it in the closed position permanently and don’t use it. I simply leave the door open a couple inches for 5 minutes on cold starts then close it once my fire is established.