Hearth-mount stove help

[Belafonte]

Hello, I've been lurking these wonderful forums for about 4 months now and I am in need of some advice. I am helping my mom choose a new wood stove to replace the old country flame(slammer) in her 2600sf external chimney ranch.(15ft chimney,not very open plan) I have decided to install an insulated lower block off plate so that we can use an insert without the surround or install a suitable freestanding stove into the hearth for those ice storms that kill the power. We will be using the stove as primary heat in our 6b winters.(burning mostly oak, seasoned of course)

The hearth is raised 12in off the floor and extends 16in out from the fireplace opening. The fireplace opening measures 33in high by 51in wide and plenty deep. We would like to mount the unit out on the hearth at least 12 inches to allow us to cook on it if need be.(A hearth pad can be added to the floor if more clearance is needed)

We have been looking at the big Buck Stoves and really like them but are reluctant to drop the cash on them since our gas furnace and ac are 20+ years old and should be replaced soon. Our chimney sweep has an older Country Flame BBF that he would sell for $750. I checked their web site and it appears that the BBF is no longer in production so this kinda worries me about buying it.(replacement parts) I also wonder if the BBF is one of the retrofitted cat stoves that caused so much hate towards cats.

We have no experience with cat or secondary stoves but have no problem following instructions on proper use. Our preference is for non-cat but we are open to both. We absolutely love the soapstone stoves but think the side doors on the Woodstocks and the prices on the Hearthstones pose a problem. Ideally the budget would be less than $2000 but closer to $1000 is much more comfortable.

Here are my questions.
1. I would like any advice on the BBF whether it be quality, efficiency, or our quoted price? Opinions welcome
2. Are there any freestanding stoves out there that have the rear exit flu?
3. People seem to like the englander 30(we love the price). Do you think the top exit would pose a problem for our opening?
4. What inserts might match our criteria?
5. What about the Buck 74 ($2172 tax included), would it heat our home very well considering its smaller size compared to the 91/94 ($2700+tax)?

I look forward to your opinions and hope that I have provided the right information in clear manner.

Jason

 

[DAKSY]

1. I would like any advice on the BBF whether it be quality, efficiency, or our quoted price? Opinions welcome

If it's not made any more, make sure that somebody supports the aftermarket parts that may be needed.

2. Are there any freestanding stoves out there that have the rear exit flu?

There ARE. There are also freestanders with reversible flue collars so you can adapt to different install situations.

3. People seem to like the englander 30(we love the price). Do you think the top exit would pose a problem for our opening?

You will need to know where the flue collar will be located in relation to your damper opening. If the height allows for an install that will let you attach a liner then it should work fine. You say the fireplace is "Plenty Deep". Your definition of "plenty" may be different than mine. what is the depth at the top & the bottom of the opening?

4. What inserts might match our criteria?

There are many inserts that will fit, but you will have to look for ones with oversize surrounds. 51" is a pretty big opening to cover...

5. What about the Buck 74 ($2172 tax included), would it heat our home very well considering its smaller size compared to the 91/94 ($2700+tax)?

That's a good price, but I assume that's only for the stove. You'll need a liner kit added to that, & the price of the kit will be determined by the height of your chimney. $500 for a Stainless Steel Liner is not out of the question.

P.S. I realize that you are hesitant to spend a lot of money to have an alternate heat source added to your home, but to be honest, $1000 isn't gonna get you very much & when you are considering putting fire in your home, you want to do it right. A good woodstove will pay for itself in the long run if you take care of it & burn it correctly.

 

[jcjohnston]

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[DAKSY]

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[weatherguy]

There are some Jotuls that would fit the bill, reversible flue collars, big enough to heat the house, not sure on price though, they're probably in the low $2,000's

 

[ridensnow23]

If you are buying an insert new, don't forget to include the price of the surround and blower in the price. A lot of companies sell these ala carte.

I really love my Buck stove now that I got it figured out. Have you checked on craigslist to all? I've seen used Buck Model 81's going for about $750 around me. You could get a used one and a liner for under $2000.

 

[Belafonte]

Thanks for the replies everyone. The opening is 23.5" deep at the top and 30" deep at the bottom from brick face to back wall. The lintel is 8 inches deep from the brick face to the opening before the damper. My mother has fallen in love with the cast iron enamel stoves now, so it looks like a low priced setup will not be possible. Our local installer has quoted us $950 for the 6" liner with labor. He also carries Jotul stoves so we are looking at the f500($2995) and f600($3295) stoves in the majolica enamel. We are torn between them and the enamel Quadrafire Cumberland($2413) and Isle Royale($2599) that are being sold about an hour away in a different town. I'm a bit hesitant to buy the stove from a different town for warranty reasons though. I really wish those Jotul prices were more inline with the Quadrafires. I assume these primarily radiant stoves will be able to do a decent job heating a ranch home with 7'11" ceilings if we use the two ceiling fans in the stove room to move the air into the hallway. I have been thinking of doing a mounted fan behind the stove if it doesn't cut it as is.( I believe someone else on these forums has done this with some success.) Our cragslist seems to have only old smoke dragons in the 300-500 dollar range at this time but I continue to check it daily. I still like the buck stoves too, but the price wouldn't be much less than these shiny enamel stoves. Whether their convective design would better suit this house layout I do not know. Thanks for the replies once again and feel free to give more advice.