Help me decide between a Quadra Fire Adventure 3 and a Pacific Energy Summit Wood Stove

[Rangerbait]

I will be putting in a wood stove this spring, and am trying to decide between the Quadra Fire Adventure 3 and the Pacific Energy Summit models. I like the looks and reputation of the Summit better, but I also like the thermostatically controlled aspect and (claimed) long burn times of the Adventure. I am a bit leery of the complete lack of reviews of the Adventure however, despite it having been out for over a year now.

My house is right at 5,000 sq. ft. with about 1,300 of that being the finished basement. The main floor is right around 2,000 sq. ft. and very open, with a two-story entryway that really draws the heat upward, and a common catwalk area upstairs that all of the bedrooms connect to.

My main heat source is a pair of electric heat pump units that do a great job of heating the house, as long as I don't mind snow-shoveling cash out the windows. My December electric bill was almost $700! :-|

Additionally, I have a gas fireplace that contributes exactly nothing to the heating of the house, although is does somewhat scratch my caveman need to have fire to look at. I will be relocating that fireplace to master bedroom, and then opening the 5' plus wide bump out to within a foot of the ceiling to create the hearth, maintaining all clearances and r-value requirements of course. I will have a good 20' of pipe exiting the bump out vertically, with a chase built around the pipe to maintain the aesthetics of the home.

At this point I am leaning toward the PE...but I have not ruled out the Quadra Fire. My local hearth store that's going to be doing the install is a Quadra Fire dealer, and the closest PE dealer is about an hour away.

Are there any other stoves in this class that I should be considering? Your input is appreciated.

Adventure 3:



This is roughly the installation I am looking at, although the stove will be a much tighter fit:



Pacific Energy Summit:



Summit with legs:

 

[Jags]

Make no mistake that you are in the big stove world. The quad is a much larger stove than the PE. Blaze king king, the big Buck and the other big boys are others I would be looking at.

Note: I am secretly sending you telepathic messages in the hopes you buy the quad. It is purely a selfish wish so that we can finally get some reviews on it.

 

[bcrtops]

Will Leave the "other" stoves for others.

• As, I've stated in another thread with a PE vs. XXXX stove -- I always look at the guts (innards) of a stove. Do your own maintenance? How is the stove constructed for ease of working upon & long term cost of repair/maintenance. Simple is good in all respects. I doubt you will find a simpler stove to work on than the PE line-up.
  
• However, both good stoves.

 

[Attaboy]

Both Pacific Energy and Quadra Fire are highly reputable stove manufacturers, you can not really go wrong with either.

However the Quad you are looking at is more powerful and can heat a larger area than the PE Summit.
2000 - 3000 sq. ft for the Summit up to 4000 sq. ft for the Quad, however the Quad obviously will require more wood as well to achieve its peak.

Larger is not always better, in your particular case how much do you want to heat or how many square feet do you absolutely need to heat.

Personally I like simple, the simpler the better, the less gadgets and gizmos, the less to go wrong.

The Summit has been around for ever and has truly been tested under all kinds of scenarios and has proven itself over and over again, it is definitely one of the best regarded stoves in the industry, as well as one that is very often used for comparison purposes or as the benchmark. Rarely do you hear complaints about the Summit and when there is more often than not it is not the stove but rather problems caused by the installation, or flue, chimney itself or poor quality of the wood fuel.

IMHO the one piece all welded stainless steel baffle in the PE Summit is much simpler and far more rugged and robust than its competitors, it is made out of stainless and guaranteed for life as are the stainless steel rails that support it. As well for the average DIY home owner who cleans and inspect his stove it will be simpler and quicker to remove and re-install the one piece stainless baffle vs most other stoves.

The Quad you are considering is undoubtedly a nice and powerful stove, it has many more recent gadgets / gizmos in its design as well, there has not been as much information here on this model as on the Summit. I do not like all them gizmos and controls on a stove, but that is me others may view it very differently.

IMHO there is a lot to be said for the simplicity and convenience of the single only control of the Summit and its proven design, operation and efficiency.

Here is my 1999 PE Spectrum Classic the Summit's little brother, it still looks like new and operates like the day it was installed 18 years ago.

 

[Rangerbait]

Great replies so far...thanks! I am under no illusion that either of the stoves will be very effective at heating the basement, so I'm really only looking to heat around 3,000 sq ft.. Wood consumption isn't really a concern for me because I have several really good local cutting areas and plenty of room to store it.

I am a little leery of the complexity of the Quadra Fire design, but if there's good support from the company and the local shop, that would mitigate some of my concerns there.

I like to ability to really dampen down the unit when we're actually using that room, and it looks like the Quadra Fire might have a slight edge there.

The PE is a good $1k cheaper. Decisions, decisions...

 

[Jags]

In the world of quad your support team is the dealership not the mfg. The dealership should be taken into account.

 

[Rangerbait]

In the world of quad your support team is the dealership not the mfg. The dealership should be taken into account.

Good point. They're close by, have been in business for a good while, and seem like reputable.

 

[bcrtops]

In the world of quad your support team is the dealership not the mfg. The dealership should be taken into account.

This true of the PE line-up, as well. Any support will come from the dealer, not the mfg.

 

[Attaboy]

This true of the PE line-up, as well. Any support will come from the dealer, not the mfg.

True ! However less to go wrong with the PE than the Quad also.

 

[snavematt]

I have a new Explorer 2 and it heats 3800 sqft without an issue


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[begreen]

Check alcove installation requirements for clearances for these stoves. Typical requirement is an 84" ceiling height.

 

[JA600L]

What kind of warranty does Quadra Fire give you for the electronics on the stove? From the research I have done, it looks like you can pretty easily unhook the actuator for the air control and still run it like a normal stove should it fail. I would price out some of the electronics pieces on it and see how much they might cost down the road should you need it.

The electronics don't scare me though as most furnaces use them also. You are getting a much more efficient and convenient system but it may have some costs of repair and maintenance further down the road. This would be a perfect stove for your setup.

 

[Rangerbait]

Check alcove installation requirements for clearances for these stoves. Typical requirement is an 84" ceiling height.

I'll have about 8'...the ceiling in the room is 9'

 

[begreen]

I'll have about 8'...the ceiling in the room is 9'

No problem then.

 

[Rangerbait]

What kind of warranty does Quadra Fire give you for the electronics on the stove? From the research I have done, it looks like you can pretty easily unhook the actuator for the air control and still run it like a normal stove should it fail. I would price out some of the electronics pieces on it and see how much they might cost down the road should you need it.

The electronics don't scare me though as most furnaces use them also. You are getting a much more efficient and convenient system but it may have some costs of repair and maintenance further down the road. This would be a perfect stove for your setup.

Watching this video, it looks like there is indeed a very easy way to bypass the "smart burn" functionality should something happen to the electronics

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[Rangerbait]

I have a new Explorer 2 and it heats 3800 sqft without an issue


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Hmm...now you've got me looking at the Explorer line too. I actually like the looks of those better, and I like the open door/screen option

 

[Niko]

I was about to post that video myself as I think the guy did a real good review of the stove.

Big stove with only a 6 inch exhaust is pretty cool. I have this on my radar, maybe a second stove in the future in my upstairs part of the house so I can run it up my clay chimney with a insulated liner. I like to run a big stove on low range to get super long burn times. My blaze king king does this with no problem, it uses 8 inch exhaust.

I don't like that adventure 3 has no reviews at all from customers. I'm also a lil skeptical about the electronics for now. It also does not have a ash bucket from what I see. So don't know about the other stove on your list. But the adventure 3 needs to show me a lil more proof and reviews for me to dish out that money.

As of now if I buy a second stove it will be the blaze king princess ultra.

 

[Rangerbait]

I was about to post that video myself as I think the guy did a real good review of the stove.

Big stove with only a 6 inch exhaust is pretty cool. I have this on my radar, maybe a second stove in the future in my upstairs part of the house so I can run it up my clay chimney with a insulated liner. I like to run a big stove on low range to get super long burn times. My blaze king king does this with no problem, it uses 8 inch exhaust.

I don't like that adventure 3 has no reviews at all from customers. I'm also a lil skeptical about the electronics for now. It also does not have a ash bucket from what I see. So don't know about the other stove on your list. But the adventure 3 needs to show me a lil more proof and reviews for me to dish out that money.

As of now if I buy a second stove it will be the blaze king princess ultra.

I hear you on the complete lack of reviews...a bit of a head scratcher actually. If there were even a half dozen out there, I'd feel a lot more confident.

 

[snavematt]

Hmm...now you've got me looking at the Explorer line too. I actually like the looks of those better, and I like the open door/screen option

I have yet to stuff my 2 full, just don't need to. The 3 has a larger box. If you like the classic look the Explorer series is it compared to adventure, plus no electronics


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[Rangerbait]

I have yet to stuff my 2 full, just don't need to. The 3 has a larger box. If you like the classic look the Explorer series is it compared to adventure, plus no electronics


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I'll do some reading on that line...should be plenty of feedback since they've been around for a while.

 

[Rangerbait]

My wife is very interested in the thermostatic control of the Adventure 3, so looks like my decision is getting much easier.

 

[jeff_t]

Are there any other stoves in this class that I should be considering? Your input is appreciated.

Another big stove for a big space, if you can take the look. Personally, I think it looks pretty cool, and there are lots of options. It might be a little more versatile for your climate, as well. And the price seems really good for what you get.

I'm not sure about alcove installation. The manual is on there. Or you can call them. They're really nice people.

 

[mstoelton]

If I were in the market for a new stove I would be looking at a Woodstock Progress Hybrid. Lots of good reviews for both the stove and the service from the manufacturer.

Long burn times and good heat output.

 

[Attaboy]

If I were in the market for a new stove I would be looking at a Woodstock Progress Hybrid. Lots of good reviews for both the stove and the service from the manufacturer.

Long burn times and good heat output.

YEP ! Good choice for people who are in to catalytic burning and need long time heat, as a big bonus you get that Woodstock guarantee to buy it back including transportation if you are not happy with it, that's is a great offer .

 

[JA600L]

If money is not an issue at all I would spring for the Quad. The idea of loading the stove, pushing a button, and walking away sounds pretty amazing. The firebox size is good and it only requires a 6" flue. Think about how many hours a year you will save not having to mess with the air control. Plus it should be pretty easy for anybody to operate it.