Jotul or Pacific Energy?

[ArthurSpooner]

Hi there.
My family and I are new to wood stoves. We’re in the middle of a pretty big renovation project in our house and are planning on installing a wood stove.

That said, we were originally looking at Hearthstone stoves but kind of started to think that maybe there is a lot of marketing going on there (maybe not), so we switched our focus to Jotul and Pacific Energy. More specially, the Jotul F55 V2 Carabasset or the PE Summit lined with cast iron (the aldealera model).

We have a 3,000 square foot two story house (figure about 1,500 downstairs and 1,500 upstairs). Looking for something to keep us warm in low teens and single digit weather. Any insight regarding build quality, customer service, longevity, etc would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[begreen]

Both are quality stoves that have a good reputation for low maintenance and reliability. How well either will work is a guess. The location of "here" says nothing about the climate zone, wood in the region that will be burned, etc. If the house has a lot of glass and cathedral ceilings the stove may need supplementation from the central heat during the coldest weather.

 

[bunfoolio]

I have a Jotul Oslo and it has worked out great. Looks matter and you do have to look at the stove year round. Both companies make quality but is there one that looks better to you?

 

[begreen]

The T6 Alderlea and the F55 Carrabasset are both good stoves. The T6 has been out longer and has the unique swing-out trivet top plus the PE stainless steel firebox. It is a KISS design that looks nice in a living room. The Jotul F55's fit and finish are finer than the T6. It's hard to beat a company with over a century of casting stoves experience. The latch mechanism is nicer too. Inside, the T6 is a winner for me. I like the combined secondary baffle design and the regulated secondary. The popout baffle makes cleaning easier. Both are strong ~3 cu ft heaters. That said I'd be quite happy to have the F55 heating our house.

 

[vwmike]

Both are excellent stoves. I’d buy witch ever your closer to where they are made. I’m in the PNW about 150 miles from where Pacific Energy’s are made so they are the dominant stove. They are a bit cheaper than Jøtul here, and I can walk into a couple different dealers and most gave stock of genuine parts.

 

[Woody5506]

As others have said you won't go wrong either way but I too originally looked at Jotul stoves then ended up going with a Pacific Energy T5. The selling point for me was the close clearances it allowed for, since my corner install is a bit tight but within those clearances. I don't think any of the Jotuls would have allowed for this install, I would have had to modify the hearth OR not even have a corner install since one of the walls the stove mounts against has a sliding glass door so the hearth could only be so big before intruding on the doorway.

I'm going into my 4th or 5th season with the T5, I burn 3+ cords a year in it. The only maintenance I do is sweep the chimney once a year and replace the baffle gasket. Door gasket is still good as well, but I would expect it to need replacing maybe next year.

 

[Newburnerwisconsin]

I always wanted a F55.....until they added the Turbulator. Read page 24 of the F55 owners manual. I decided to pass on the stove for that reason. I am sure it’s a great product, but moving a 475 pound stove away from the chimney pipe and walls, then taking the top off to clean out the manifold just did not go over well with me. The PE is going to be easier to maintain. That’s the Achilles heel of the new F55 design.

 

[Todd]

I always wanted a F55.....until they added the Turbulator. Read page 24 of the F55 owners manual. I decided to pass on the stove for that reason. I am sure it’s a great product, but moving a 475 pound stove away from the chimney pipe and walls, then taking the top off to clean out the manifold just did not go over well with me. The PE is going to be easier to maintain. That’s the Achilles heel of the new F55 design.

Good catch, I didn't realize this maintenance was so involved, looks worse than a cat stove. If someone was to burn 24/7 all Winter I assume this maintenance should be done every year. Same maintenance is required for the F45, a stove I was maybe considering in the future if my 602 doesn't work out.

 

[Newburnerwisconsin]

Good catch, I didn't realize this maintenance was so involved, looks worse than a cat stove. If someone was to burn 24/7 all Winter I assume this maintenance should be done every year. Same maintenance is required for the F45, a stove I was maybe considering in the future if my 602 doesn't work out.

Yah, its definitely a red flag. According to the manual, you will need “assistance“ meaning: it’s a two-man job. So now, you have to get your buddy, son or neighbor, or just call the dealer and they will gladly send out two guys to do the job for you. Of course, two guys with labor charge . No thanks.

 

[begreen]

Not really a red flag. The manual's nice instructions are for removal of the secondary manifold. This should not be a frequent operation. Jotul stovetops are all removable and yes, cast iron is heavy, but not really a 2 person job. I'm a geezer and I could lift off our F400 stovetop without assistance. I would estimate it was about 40lbs. That said, removal of the T5 baffle/secondary assembly is definitely easier. It's still heavy and it's a little awkward until one gets the hang of it, but again I remove ours for cleaning and the T6's is bigger.

 

[Newburnerwisconsin]

Not really a red flag. The manual's nice instructions are for removal of the secondary manifold. This should not be a frequent operation. Jotul stovetops are all removable and yes, cast iron is heavy, but not really a 2 person job. I'm a geezer and I could lift off our F400 stovetop without assistance. I would estimate it was about 40lbs. That said, removal of the T5 baffle/secondary assembly is definitely easier. It's still heavy and it's a little awkward until one gets the hang of it, but again I remove ours for cleaning and the T6's is bigger.

I respectfully disagree. To each their own opinion. The manual states you should have a assistant. It’s just not something I would want to deal with. I am sure it’s a fine stove. I wish I could have had a pre-2020 one instead. This is just something that a potential buyer needs to be aware of. It’s like Chevy vs. Ford. Each model has pro and cons.

 

[begreen]

Assistant is optional. The construction and procedure is almost the same for the pre-2020 Greenville. The main change is the addition of the turbulator fins. The difference is that they added some helpful instructions to the new manual.
From the manual:
"Wearing gloves and using both hands or assistance from another person, "

 

[Newburnerwisconsin]

You are talking about the F45 Greenville. I am talking about the 475 lb. F55. That’s quite a difference. You are not even talking about the right stove. I am done discussing this with you.

 

[begreen]

Sorry. Didn't have the ne F55v2 docs on hand, but now looking at them, I see the situation, differences and documentation are the same. Just a larger top. Having lifted the cast iron top off the BK Ashford 30 by myself, I suspect it will not be that big a deal for a reasonably strong person.

 

[Todd]

Maybe you can access that area through the flue collar with a vacuum instead of taking the top off? Not sure how fragile the insulation manifold thingy is though, might poke a hole in it.

 

[ArthurSpooner]

Thanks everyone for the help

 

[Draughts15]

ArthurSpooner, what did you decide on and has it been installed?

 

[mar13]

As others have said you won't go wrong either way but I too originally looked at Jotul stoves then ended up going with a Pacific Energy T5. The selling point for me was the close clearances it allowed for, since my corner install is a bit tight but within those clearances. I don't think any of the Jotuls would have allowed for this install, I would have had to modify the hearth OR not even have a corner install since one of the walls the stove mounts against has a sliding glass door so the hearth could only be so big before intruding on the doorway.

I'm going into my 4th or 5th season with the T5, I burn 3+ cords a year in it. The only maintenance I do is sweep the chimney once a year and replace the baffle gasket. Door gasket is still good as well, but I would expect it to need replacing maybe next year.

Clearance was what made me get a PE. If you want cast iron with more radiant heat, Jotul has some in that category. That said, I'm happy with my T5.

 

[ArthurSpooner]

@sheadu061,

Thanks for checking in. We actually had a clearance issue which made us throw an audible at the last second. We ended up with the Hearthstone Manchester Tru Hybrid, and it is fantastic! It had some of the tightest clearances we could find and does a great job keeping our house warm. We have a 3,000 sqft two story home with vaulted ceilings in the PNW and it’s been amazing thus far. If we’re home all day, we can get our stove room to 78-80 degrees (if we want) and the opposite side of our house is anywhere from 67-71 degrees, which is perfect for us. Upstairs can get a little too warm, but we just crack a window from time to time. Our house is much more comfortable than relying on our propane heat pump like we have done for the past four years. In all honesty, it’s our first stove, so we don’t have anything to truly compare it to, but we have been very pleased so far. We’re hoping we can continue to love it for many years to come.