Is getting an old Vigilant a bad idea?

[Anicole]

Hey ya'll. I'm looking to replace my Vermont Castings Aspen with a bigger stove. Although last year suggestions from folks here helped a ton it still has some issues including :
1. It is top venting so has to sit really far back in our fireplace, though running a fan on the back as suggested by Bhollar last year has helped distribute the air some
2. The ceramic baffle board drives me crazy, it's super fragile and we break it several times a season.
3. It has a small firebox and seems to burn best with really small splits, so it's a lot of extra splitting work

I am looking for a bigger stove that can back vent. I was thinking a Jotul F45 Greenville might be nice but they are out of stock everywhere so we haven't even been able to see one. I am also worried I'll regret not gong bigger. Recently a Vermont Castings Vigilant has been posted on the Clist for $300. I had a Vigilant in my old house (we bought it used, it was from the early 2000s i believe) and loved it. The owner of this one is a renter so doesn't know a ton about it but thinks it was built in 1980. The serial number is 087882 but i really haven't been able to figure out what information the serial number can tell me. Is it a bad idea to buy a stove this old? How hard is it to rebuild a 1980s VC? Is this a weekend project or much more involved, and is it possible the stove will not be operable even with a rebuild?

Thanks so much for any advice anyone can give. This forum is so helpful and pretty much my favorite place on the internet.

 

[begreen]

The Vigilant was a great stove, in its day. Modern stoves however are more efficient and much cleaner burning. Looks like this one needs repair which could get expensive or impossible if parts are not available.

See if you can locate a Pacific Energy T5 Alderlea. It is about the same size as the F45, but has a durable and unique stainless steel baffle system that is very tough, yet easy to clean. Like the F45, it can be ordered with a blower.

If set on the Vigilant, post an inquiry in the Classics/VC stoves forum.

 

[EbS-P]

I am of the opinion that they look good but in the same way an old British sports car looks good. Loos better than they perform.

If wanting cheap stoves look at Drolet.

 

[Anicole]

The Vigilant was a great stove, in its day. Modern stoves however are more efficient and much cleaner burning. Looks like this one needs repair which could get expensive or impossible if parts are not available.

See if you can locate a Pacific Energy T5 Alderlea. It is about the same size as the F45, but has a durable and unique stainless steel baffle system that is very tough, yet easy to clean. Like the F45, it can be ordered with a blower.

If set on the Vigilant, post an inquiry in the Classics/VC stoves forum.

Thanks for the feedback. T5 Alderlea is a beautiful stove but it looks like it might only be top venting? My lintel is only 31" and the Alderlea is 29.75". When I first looked it up I saw some wild pricing ($7000) but now I see it's pretty comparable to the Jotul (should come in under $3,000).

 

[begreen]

I was wondering about the lintel height. 1" clearance is ok. Stove pricing this fall has been nuts. A lot of it is well above retail. For comparison, last year at this time it was under $2700 for the painted version. Call around to see if anyone has it in stock at a reasonable price.

 

[weatherguy]

I am of the opinion that they look good but in the same way an old British sports car looks good. Loos better than they perform.

If wanting cheap stoves look at Drolet.

Pun intended?

 

[Anicole]

I am of the opinion that they look good but in the same way an old British sports car looks good. Loos better than they perform.

If wanting cheap stoves look at Drolet.

Yeah thanks for the feedback. Its a good analogy, and I drive a Prius! Bring a solid heater is most important to me.

 

[Anicole]

I was wondering about the lintel height. 1" clearance is ok. Stove pricing this fall has been nuts. A lot of it is well above retail. For comparison, last year at this time it was under $2700 for the painted version. Call around to see if anyone has it in stock at a reasonable price.

I actually just found a T4 that looks to be in pretty good shape. I am a little worried about tucking it back in the fireplace. I wonder if making a chimney access midway up the chimney is a reasonable option.

 

[EbS-P]

I actually just found a T4 that looks to be in pretty good shape. I am a little worried about tucking it back in the fireplace. I wonder if making a chimney access midway up the chimney is a reasonable option.

View attachment 300336 View attachment 300337

If you have the height it would be ok. Its 29.5” high. It’s not a big stove. 1.6 cu ft. I have a 1.7 cu ft because I wanted white. Wish I had something like 2.3 I use a blower on the fireplace floor behind the stove blowing up. Works well.

As a point of reference check out the Drolet 1600i and 1800i inserts. They are the cheapest new solution for inserts that are good quality. I did the 1800i last fall in my basement.

 

[begreen]

That's a good price. The T4 is 28" high. Easy fit. Does it have the blower?

 

[Anicole]

That's a good price. The T4 is 28" high. Easy fit. Does it have the blower?

Does not have the blower. I just measured and although it would fit in the fireplace, I could not meet the clearances to the mantel on each side . I think if I want a bigger stove bumping the hearth out into the room and getting a rear vented one is my best option. Sucks, this does seem like a really great deal. I'll never understand why people don't put the readily available model and make in their post, it seems like it would help them sell their wood stove.

 

[EbS-P]

Do you have a picture and measurements of the fireplace?

 

[begreen]

We need the full picture. Can you post some of the fireplace? The T4 has reasonably close clearances. If it won't work, the Vigilant never would have.

 

[Anicole]

We need the full picture. Can you post some of the fireplace? The T4 has reasonably close clearances. If it won't work, the Vigilant never would have.

The lintel is 31" and the opening is 34". The wood mantel is only 2.5" from opening. We were thinking if we got a rear vented stove we could bump it out into the room if we used two elbows.

 

[Anicole]

Do you have a picture and measurements of the fireplace?

This is actually a more recent one than the one below. The lintel is 31" and the opening is 34", with the wood mantel just 2.5" on either side on the opening. It's a frustratingly small fireplace!

 

[begreen]

One option could be shielding the fireplace opening. Looks like there is an Aspen in there now. What is the width between the two mantel side posts? What is the distance from the hearth to the mantel shelf trim?

 

[Anicole]

One option could be shielding the fireplace opening. Looks like there is an Aspen in there now. What is the width between the two mantel side posts? What is the distance from the hearth to the mantel shelf trim?

the posts are 38.5" apart, the ground to the bottom of the mantel is 43", the ground to the bottom of the mantel shelf is 56"

 

[begreen]

Yes, the T4 is wider due to its shallow firebox. The T5 is a little slimmer.
38.5" is narrow. I can see why the Aspen was chosen.

 

[mysticcoffeeroaster]

We just moved into a place that has an existing 1980s Vigilant that looks like it has been barely used (maybe refurbished?). The house is about 1550 sq ft, 2 stories. It's in the living room, which is about 12x17 and the living room is wide open to the kitchen , which is about the same size. Stairwell on the opposite side of the room from the stove, so heat rises upstairs nicely. But the living room is unbearably hot when we're running the stove. We get a nice fire with well seasoned wood up to about 600-650 degrees on the griddle; go horizontal; close down the vents; and it only goes down to 550 or so. Even if we could get it to go down to 400-450, I think it would be too much. If we shut the vents when the fire is cooler, we get too much smoke. We either need to put it in the basement or replace it with a smaller stove.