Looking for advice on buying a Jotul #3 or #8

[McBurn]

Hello Hearth community

I've lurked (and learnt) a lot in these forums, but now I have a specific question as am close to making a purchase.

The contenders:
Jotul F3TD
Jotul F8TD

These are both the "traditional" versions of these series (ie no 2nd burn), they are within my budget and available locally.

My plan is to heat a modestly insulated 95 sq meter cottage (~1000 sq ft).

Ideally I'd like the stove to provide heat all night and be easy to get going in the morning. An option for slow burn on mild winter days would be great too.

My questions:
1. Is the F8 overkill for this space size, will it be too hot or can I set it to burn long and slow?
2. I've also found an old F8 for sale second hand. it's a model from the 1980s. It's about half the price of new, no airwash, just one air input control. Is this older model terribly inefficient or polluting, or would it perform well enough by today's standards?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[begreen]

Depends on which part of Australia you live. If you live south and it gets down to freezing go for the F8. You can always build smaller fires for the milder days. The larger capacity of the F8 will make it easier to heat overnight. The F3 is nice, but it lacks the fuel capacity for 24/7 heating in most cases.

The original F8 is not a clean stove compared to its replacement, the F400 Castine, but it is a nice stove. Burn only fully seasoned wood and don't let it smolder for a cleaner burn.

 

[McBurn]

Thanks - I'm in the blue mountains, where winter minimums get down close to 0.

It sounds the old F8 will do the trick, if I manage it well.