Looking at new stove options and need opinions

[Montgomery413]

We are looking to upgrade from our old vermont castings vigilant. If you look at my previous posts you can see the trails we have gone through with that stove.

Our house is 1300sq ft and has an unfinished basement. We are looking to put a new wood burning stove in our basement. I have contacted a couple different stove shops and so far I have a couple working options.

Pacific Energy Super 27 - seems like a really well put together simple stove. Warranty is lifetime on the firebox and seems like a relatively easy to run and maintain stove.

Regency F2400 - This stove was suggested to me by a different stove dealer. He said this is equivalent to the Super 27 but had a better warranty. He also said he works directly with the company and they have great customer service.

Both of these stoves come in around $1600 and are in our price range.

I would really like some independent opinions about these 2 choices. We need to move on a stove in the near future. Thanks for the input.

 

[begreen]

Both are good stoves. The PE has a more sophisticated design that helps it burn longer. AFAIK the warranties are similar.

In order to verify the stove size is good, can you provide a bit more info? Does the 1300 sq ft include the basement? Is the basement insulated? Also need to know what climate zone this is, where is Hilltowns?

 

[Montgomery413]

I am located in Western Massachusetts, above a 1000' in elevation so it is always colder up here. Our basement is not included in the 1300 sq ft and the basement is not insulated except for the door and the rim joists which are spray foamed.

We have an insert wood stove in our living room that we would be ok with using on the coldest days. We don't want a stove that is too large for our space.

 

[begreen]

I would consider going up to a 3 cu ft stove if the basement is included. How many sq ft in the basement? The heat loss in uninsulated basement is significant. One out of three cords burned can go to heating outdoors via the uninsulated walls. A larger firebox will provide longer burn times and more reserve capacity. Decent 3 cu ft stoves can be bought for $900-1100. They will have a shorter warranty, but that doesn't mean that the stove won't last a long time with proper operation.

That said, if the plan is to go with the smaller stove then I would definitely invest in basement insulation. A compromise might be the 2.45 cu ft Englander Madison.

 

[vasten]

Since you are in mass have you looked at these guys yet?
http://www.woodstove.com/ideal-steel-hybrid

They remind me of the original Vermont castings company, they invite you to come and tour the plant, meet the people that are building your stove and the one person that seems to handle all customer service issues, Ron I think his name is from researching them. ( I am big on customer service and support, I would rather speak to someone in my time zone, than someone where english is a second language but that is just me.)

With the company being from the state you are in then, I would expect that if they tell you it will heat 1300 Sq feet it would be pretty accurate. Plus you can drive there an pick out your stove, then when its ready you can pick up your stove straight from the factory and save even more money.

Their ideal steel hybrid with all options is on sale right now for $1995.
Only problem may be that since you can custom design it to your taste it may be too nice to put in a basement.

 

[Montgomery413]

Our basement is about 600 sq ft. We have about 5 feet of cement wall below grade and a foot exposed. I wouldn't mind getting a bigger stove down there but having some clearance issues is my only concern and price of course. Our Vigilant is back vented into our existing fireplace and the liner tees at the back of the fireplace. We have about 41" of clearance from the basement floor to the first course of hearth bricks. A top vented stove would have to bend 90 degrees to work. Not the ideal set up but I was told it would work just fine.

Is Englander generally less expensive? They I have not heard of them before. They are good quality like regency and pacific energy?

 

[Mitchhorne8]

I second the Vasten. I have a progress hybrid and can't say enough good things about the stove it's self and the company that made it. I recall a post on here where a older gentleman said " I've been buying things for 64 yrs and this is the best customer service I ever had" that led me to checking them out and buying my stove. My stoves proformence led to my father in law buying one.

 

[vasten]

something else to consider for your set up:

Our Vigilant is back vented into our existing fireplace and the liner tees at the back of the fireplace. We have about 41" of clearance from the basement floor to the first course of hearth bricks. A top vented stove would have to bend 90 degrees to work. Not the ideal set up but I was told it would work just fine.

FREE OPTIONS

• Left or right door - pick the most convenient for your installation
• 5 Standard cast iron colors - choose the one which goes best with your decor: Black, Charcoal, Metallic Blue, Brown, or Grey
• Back or top vent - standard reversible flue collar (click here to see reversible flue)
• Short legs kit for fireplace installation - free in place of standard long legs
• Free 3 burner cast iron cook top. Included free with every Progress Hybrid stove

You could pull your VC out and drop this right in with the exact same set up as the VC with the rear vent.

 

[begreen]

Englander (and Drolet) stoves are mass marketed, big box store stoves. They are about half the price so of course one worries about quality. So far their track record is excellent. The Englander 30NC is owned by many folks here and has proved to be a real workhorse. Moderator BrotherBart has been heating with one for about a decade so far with one. The Madison (2.45 cu ft) came out last year and the newest 3.0 cu ft stove (Monroe?) came out this year. There are some compromises for the low price. The baffle is a bit more fragile and needs care to not knock splits against it, but the stove is a solid heater. PE has a nicer, almost bulletproof baffle system and regulated secondary control for long burn times. Drolet also makes some very nice affordable heaters in this size range. Drolets are made in Canada and Englanders are made in Virginia. Their stoves heat well and are reported quite easy to control.

 

[branchburner]

I would get either the Englander-30 for under $1k or the Ideal Steel for $2k. Even if you are leaning towards spending less, I agree it's well worth the drive up 91 to visit the factory in West Leb.

Over the long term the Woodstock should give more useful heat for the same amount of wood as the Englander uses, but the bigger factor would be to throw some insulation in, as the extra cords you need to burn will add up over the years!

 

[Montgomery413]

Thanks for the solid advice. Home Depot currently has Englander NC-30 $719.99. Recently reduced from $899. That price makes it a pretty easy decision after listening to what folks have said about the Englander brand. I cannot justify spending double that amount on a smaller stove when the quality, reliability and operation are so similar. If I had $2k to spend I might go for one of the other brands but getting a 3.0 cu ft fire box for just over $700 seems like a deal breaker to me.

 

[begreen]

One thing to note when planning the installation. The 30NC has a high hearth requirement of R=1.5 that should be planned for if the hearth is on a combustible surface like a wood floor. If it is on a concrete slab, then no additional protection is needed. Some Drolet stoves and the new Englander (aka Summers Heat brand) model 50-SHSSW02 require an ember protection only hearth.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_669024-76845-50-SHSSW02_0__?productId=999918850

 

[Master sweep walt]

We are looking to upgrade from our old vermont castings vigilant. If you look at my previous posts you can see the trails we have gone through with that stove.

Our house is 1300sq ft and has an unfinished basement. We are looking to put a new wood burning stove in our basement. I have contacted a couple different stove shops and so far I have a couple working options.

Pacific Energy Super 27 - seems like a really well put together simple stove. Warranty is lifetime on the firebox and seems like a relatively easy to run and maintain stove.

Regency F2400 - This stove was suggested to me by a different stove dealer. He said this is equivalent to the Super 27 but had a better warranty. He also said he works directly with the company and they have great customer service.

Both of these stoves come in around $1600 and are in our price range.

I would really like some independent opinions about these 2 choices. We need to move on a stove in the near future. Thanks for the input.

I'd been installing regency wood-burning and gas burning stoves for many years and have had great success stories from my customers . The F 2400 should be sized appropriately with the square upon each in your house .

 

[JA600L]

Thanks for the solid advice. Home Depot currently has Englander NC-30 $719.99. Recently reduced from $899. That price makes it a pretty easy decision after listening to what folks have said about the Englander brand. I cannot justify spending double that amount on a smaller stove when the quality, reliability and operation are so similar. If I had $2k to spend I might go for one of the other brands but getting a 3.0 cu ft fire box for just over $700 seems like a deal breaker to me.

Not all 3 cf stoves are created equal. Have you researched modern catalytic stoves at all? I agree the Englander is great bang for your buck. However, a more efficient catalytic or hybrid stove may provide a more mannered burn when you don't need as much heat. The secondary burners like to make a lot of heat all the time.

 

[quotejso]

Not all 3 cf stoves are created equal. Have you researched modern catalytic stoves at all? I agree the Englander is great bang for your buck. However, a more efficient catalytic or hybrid stove may provide a more mannered burn when you don't need as much heat. The secondary burners like to make a lot of heat all the time.

I would definitely check out Woodstock soapstone if I lived nearby. The Englander is a good stove but check out other options before making the investment.

 

[Deano31]

Woodstock stoves are like buying a piece of furniture that you will have forever. My feelings are if you buy a Home Depot or lowes or tractor supply stove you could get a decent one but it's a crap shoot and it is not a lifetime stove. One thing I learned a long time ago when buying tools is you get what you pay for. My feelings you spend 700 on a stove then in 5 years you have to buy another one was it worth it. I myself have a Hampton hi300 same brand as regency and a ideal steel in basement and am very happy with both stoves. Then again if you can only spend 1000 then you get what you can afford good luck with whatever stove you decide and let us know

 

[brenndatomu]

Home Depot currently has Englander NC-30 $719.99. Recently reduced from $899

Go back on the HD site, set "your store" to Durango Colorado, see what happens to that price...betcha order one! Even with the $99 shipping to your doorstep, still save a nice lil chunk o money! (and look at the reviews on this stove, hard to beat)(oh, and their is a Englander service rep that hangs out here sometimes...priceless)