Jotul f500, f45, Napoleon 1400C

[Bostongal]

I have been driving myself a bit crazy looking for a new stove to fit in my fireplace. I'm looking for a 2.0+ cu ft freestanding stove and have been limited by the height of the fireplace (29"). The stove needs to fit inside the chimney such that I can have 15-16" clearance from the front. I am having the fireplace refaced and I can check to see if it is possible to remove one row of bricks, but I'd prefer to find a solution that doesn't entail this.

I've narrowed it down to these and have added comments:
Jotul f500 w/short leg kit-I can't use the side door and worry about the ash spillage with front door use
Jotul f45 w/short leg kit-I like the idea of an iron jacketed stove as I'm not accustomed to full cast iron
Napoleon Banff 1400C-I haven't been able to find much opinion on this model, but it is also iron jacketed

Is there anything else that I haven't thought of? I thought that I needed a rear vent, but I have now learned that if the stove can fit within the opening, I can use a top vent. I'm looking for a good quality stove to heat about 1000 sq feet in the Boston area. I use it daily as supplemental heat and for a few blackouts each season. I have to admit that looks matter as well-traditional, like those above.

I presently have a Lopi Answer which works well, but is too small.

The fireplace dimensions are below:
Hearth: will be 30" deep
Fireplace opening: 41" wide x 29" high x 23" deep
The fireplace tapers back to 32" and is 23” deep
The combustible mantle is 14" away from opening

 

[cptoneleg]

The only time I get ash spillage from my f 500 is when I use side door for a few days and then decide to use the front.
Use front door when loading and don't have problem.

 

[Bostongal]

That is really great to hear! I was thinking of ruling it out on that issue alone and I know so many people like this stove.

 

[Cajcas]

I owned a Jotul 600. It was primarily a side loading stove. I loved it except when front loading. Then it was messy. Our house was an 80 yr old 2000 sf craftsman with no insulation in the walls. It heated it nicely. Now we live in a 30 yr ofld ranch of 1200sf amd well insulated. I bought a Napoleon 1400 c and love it. Both stoves are great but the application was different. We needed close tolerances...front loading and less heat. This stove is steel with a cast iron jacket. The pipe comes right out the top and I can cool right on the steel because the lid goes up. I love it. But then...I loved the 600 too. Just had dif needs.

 

[Cajcas]

I owned a Jotul 600. It was primarily a side loading stove. I loved it except when front loading. Then it was messy. Our house was an 80 yr old 2000 sf craftsman with no insulation in the walls. It heated it nicely. Now we live in a 30 yr ofld ranch of 1200sf amd well insulated. I bought a Napoleon 1400 c and love it. Both stoves are great but the application was different. We needed close tolerances...front loading and less heat. This stove is steel with a cast iron jacket. The pipe comes right out the top and I can cool right on the steel because the lid goes up. I love it. But then...I loved the 600 too. Just had dif needs.

 

[Woody Stover]

If you have the room, put the stove out on the hearth as much as possible and rear-vent it. Radiation and convection of heat into the room will be much enhanced. You can then use the side-load door. You can also put a tee back there so that to sweep the chimney, all you do is remove the cap at the bottom of the tee and brush down into a plastic bag secured to the bottom of the tee.