Is upgrading stove worth the expense and trouble?

[LarryP]

Greetings, so here's what I've be thinking about.. I have used my VC Resolute to good avail for many years, about 20 I'd guess. It's still in perfect condition. I use a thermocouple temperature alarm in the stack to monitor what's going on in there. I burn about 4 to 5 cord a year. Wood supply is no problem or cost.
I like the look and idea of a new stove like the Lopi/Avlon 1750 or the medium Dutch West, though the idea of getting a stove with a cat combustor so I can damp the stove way down for the night and have that combustor turn the smoke into heat instead of creosote appeals to me. The question is, is it worth the thousand bucks( after tax credit) for the new stove and should I pass on the catalytic units? Whadaya think? Thanks, Resolute42.

 

[central_scrutinizer]

Resolute42,

Nobody can answer that question for you. You've already pointed out the advantages and disadvantages of moving to a cat stove. You just need to decide what's right for you. $1000 to one person is not what $1000 may be to another. If you plan on keeping the new stove for 20 years like your VC, then that's $50 a year. Not too bad when you think of it that way...if you get the features you want. No doubt a cat stove will burn cleaner and probably longer than a non-cat. How much would you save on wood and cleaning each year? At least $50? If the thought of buying a cat stove has crept into your brain to the point where you make a post on this board about it, chances are it's what you need to do and you won't let it go until you do it. Instead of trying to get someone to talk you out of it, embrace it and go for it. The worst thing that can happen is you get a new stove.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

I disagree that a cat will burn cleaner longer, but i do agree they will burn cleaner and longer at the beginning of the cat life. Cat degradation, can destroy the efficiency and burn time. Cat stoves have tighter requirements from the epa (4.3 ish gph) then non cats, because the epa knows they are going to degrade over time. Over the ten year life of a typical appliance, a non cat and a cat will average out to about the same efficiency. This is one of the reasons why most manufactures only produce non cats these days. There easier to operate, less parts to replace, and are more reliable in the long run then cats.

Resolute, if you decide to upgrade, you will use less of your wood, even though its free, this means less time every year you have to spend processing it. Your stove will not last forever, and now is a good time to take some of the governments money. I would go for it.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Resolute42, welcome to the forum.

You remind me of what we went through 2 years ago. Except for the fact that we had heard bad things about the cat. stoves and wanted to stay away from them. Long story short, we now have a cat stove and love it. Here are the reasons we love it:

1. It cut our wood needs in half (we also have our own wood so cost is not an issue). We used to burn from 6 to 7 cords per year and now only 3.

2. We stay much warmer with the new stove than with the old even though we use less fuel.

3. We've gone two winters now and have not yet cleaned the chimney. (I did clean some fly ash out of the pipe where it goes through the wall. Yes, we run through the wall and the SS chimney is up the side of the house.)

4. The stove is so simple to operate and maintain that if necessary the wife can do it all.

5. We now have a beautiful piece of furniture rather than just a stove.

6. We bought from what we feel is the most reliable company out there and they also have the best guarantee. Nothing less than a 6 month trial on the stove.

You live in the NE, you owe it to yourself to drive to NH and visit the Woodstock factory.


btw, with all due respect, I do not agree with MountainStoveGuy when he stated, "This is one of the reasons why most manufactures only produce non cats these days. There easier to operate, less parts to replace, and are more reliable in the long run then cats."

Forgive me but we would not expect any different because he is just like other dealers in that he does not sell Woodstock stoves and therefore he makes statements like that.

 

[summit]

of the two stoves you mentioned, i would pick the lopi: the dutchwest stoves have been prone to issues forever.

 

[summit]

Greetings, so here's what I've be thinking about.. I have used my VC Resolute to good avail for many years, about 20 I'd guess. It's still in perfect condition. I use a thermocouple temperature alarm in the stack to monitor what's going on in there. I burn about 4 to 5 cord a year. Wood supply is no problem or cost.
I like the look and idea of a new stove like the Lopi/Avlon 1750 or the medium Dutch West, though the idea of getting a stove with a cat combustor so I can damp the stove way down for the night and have that combustor turn the smoke into heat instead of creosote appeals to me. The question is, is it worth the thousand bucks( after tax credit) for the new stove and should I pass on the catalytic units? Whadaya think? Thanks, Resolute42.

the secondary burn of the non cat units also burns off the smoke, and i think perform better over the life of the stove, not just when brand new...

 

[begreen]

The original Resolute was a wonderful stove. It sounds like yours has given you great service. At this point it's up to you to decide whether you want to take apart the stove, clean out all passages and regastket, seal seams and replace any wearing parts. It very likely needs this attention at this point. A thorough rebuild done right should put another 10+ years into this stove. If you love it and are burning nice dry wood in it then it may well be worth the time invested. If not, let us know what your budget and aesthetic desires are for a replacement.

 

[Highbeam]

I knew Dennis would like the "There easier to operate, less parts to replace, and are more reliable in the long run then cats" statement. I've been convinced that I want to run a cat stove due in part to the actual operator testimony from all of the cat stove owners. I would not purchase the dutchwest because it is a VC stove and IMHO all newish VC stoves are junk with a bad company to support the junk.

Consider other cat stoves like the blaze king or the woodstock.

I do not care how cleanly a cat stove burns. I do care that I can run it on a low heat setting for a long long time without snuffing the fire or smoking out the neighborhood.

 

[North of 60]

[quote author="summit" date="1251680177
the secondary burn of the non cat units also burns off the smoke, and i think perform better over the life of the stove, not just when brand new...[/quote]

My problem with my secondary burn non-cat unit was it was either on and to flipping hot or off and smoldering and smoking.
Kinda like a Two stroke compared to a four stroke engine. A two stroke has a power band and out side of that it is useless.
Outdoor temps change but the stove top temp becomes un-adjustable into the turn down. Well it does but a secondary burn non cat does still require a hot minimum temp to run clean and efficient. To me thats wasted heat. Now I dont need to hear, is that in warmer weather you just add a couple of splits to control the stove output. I am not home all day to babysit and feed it a split at a time. Been there and come home with the furnace running and a cold stove. A soapstone non cat like a hearthstone model at least will have some storage so to speak to do the small hot fires. My opinion is only based on softwoods but its a factual opinion. I had to replace parts on my old stove yearly.
Going on past year 4 on the new stove and haven't spent a dime. If I had to replace my Cat yearly I would still be ahead in the application I am using it for. Just My respectful 2 cents summit and probably was expected by a few members here. Cheers Hearth Family This is what forums are all about. I will shut up now. :coolgrin:
N of 60

 

[bjkjoseph]

i would keep the stove you have.dont fall for the non cats are the greatest thing since sliced bread line.non cats are more idiot proof,that's the true reason they are ''pushed''

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Greetings, so here's what I've be thinking about.. I have used my VC Resolute to good avail for many years, about 20 I'd guess. It's still in perfect condition. I use a thermocouple temperature alarm in the stack to monitor what's going on in there. I burn about 4 to 5 cord a year. Wood supply is no problem or cost.
I like the look and idea of a new stove like the Lopi/Avlon 1750 or the medium Dutch West, though the idea of getting a stove with a cat combustor so I can damp the stove way down for the night and have that combustor turn the smoke into heat instead of creosote appeals to me. The question is, is it worth the thousand bucks( after tax credit) for the new stove and should I pass on the catalytic units? Whadaya think? Thanks, Resolute42.

I replaced my stove this year because it was a pile of sh_t and I used if for three winters in spite of that. If I had a properly functioning stove and wood consumption was not a big concern I wouldn't bother replacing it.

On the question of the cat stoves, I was completely against them till my old man started looking at Blaze Kings. I'm now a fan of Blaze King cat stoves - simple to operate, lots of heat, long burn times, and very reasonably priced.

 

[firefighterjake]

As mentioned only you can make the final decision.

Keeping the stove and maintaining it is a viable option. Pros: It's paid for and been reliable. The wood use (in my opinion) isn't bad and it sounds like you're running it the way it should be run. For a little bit of money you can fix it up and hopefully keep it running for quite awhile longer. Unlike some posters, it sounds as though things are running well and this is not a simple decision.

That said, there are some compelling reasons to buy a new stove. While I also have access to "free" wood . . . time is the one commodity that I do not have a lot of and for this reason if I can burn less wood each year this translates into more free time. Burning cleanly is another good reason to upgrade. Perhaps the most compelling reason however is the government tax credit . . . nothing lasts forever . . . so if you're thinking about going new this is without a doubt "the time" to do so since it's not every year that the government is willing to help you buy a woodstove.

One thing you can keep in mind is that you can reduce the cost of a new purchase by selling your old stove which folks still buy (mainly because of VC's past reputation) . . . or hedge your bets by keeping the old stove until you decide whether you like the new stove or not.

As for the cat vs. non-cat . . . I came into this whole stove buying deal thinking I would not want a cat. I am very happy with my non-cat stove performance-wise and environmentally, but like Highbeam after reading many users' personal experiences I would now give some serious consideration to buying a woodstove . . . mainly because of the long burn time performance of cats.

And as a FYI . . . I would also shy away from the Dutchwest . . . of the two stoves mentioned, I would favor the Lopi since the VC/Dutchwest line-up as of late has raised many questions among many members in terms of warranties, expense of parts, quality control, etc.

 

[Jags]

I will shut up now. :coolgrin:
N of 60

Ohhh Nooo you don't. Anybody that burns for 350 days out of the year has my ear when they start talking about wood stoves.

 

[Redburn]

I like the cat stoves mainly because of the clean burns 2 friends of mine came over and where like hey wheres the smoke and I explained how it worked and they where impressed .I just cleaned my ss chimney yesterday maybe a half gallon of stuff I just switched to a steel cat i still have to get in there and check on it . If you do buy a new stove keep your old one for a while just in case won't hurt , and from reading posts here about all the different stoves people are burning with when I'm ready for a new one it will probably lean towards Jotul or wood stock for my needs from what I read here sounds like what I would fit my situation . good luck

 

[Wet1]

Worth it? Well I guess that's for you to decide. Even though your wood might be "free", I'm guessing you're like me and put a lot of work and a little money into getting that "free" wood. With a new cat stove you would certainly use less wood.

VC? I wouldn't buy a new one. They are prone to issues, parts are costly, and they don't stand behind their products.

Cat vs non? I've owned both. I'm now convinced the folks who don't like cats simply haven't owned one, or they haven't owned a GOOD cat stove... or have a vested interest in putting them down. You'll use less wood with a cat. You'll get more even output with a cat. You can burn much lower (while still burning cleanly), and you can burn significantly longer with a cat. The downside is you have to flip an extra lever when reloading and the cats dont last forever. Cats typically last 6 years or more and are usually around $100 to $200 for a replacement, so yearly cost of ownership is peanuts compared to the benefits they give.

If it were me, I'd look at a new Woodstock or Blaze King. The WS FV is a great stove, but it's not all that large so it might not be a good choice if you need to heat over ~1500 sq ft. There are folks here that heat a larger area with the FV, but I'm sure they would be the first to say they would welcome a larger firebox if it were an option. The BK cats are superb in their performance. The have a built in thermostat so they are incredibly easy to use (you don't have to fiddle with the air throughout the burn) and will go a very long time on a low burn. The BK's are also much larger than the WS products, but they can be dialed way down as well which makes them very, very versatile.

I have zero regrets with buying a cat stove, in fact, I wish I did it a long time ago.