Looking for stove opinions

[gagraham]

Hi! Yes, I know this is asking for trouble, but I'm looking for wood stove opinions. I have read reviews, articles, posts, you name it and now I'm asking for actual opinions, experiences, what have you. I know it's all subjective, but I'm willing to take the risk.
We currently have a Kent Tile Fire and unfortunately, it needs replacing (I know, I have already wept for it) at any rate, there are a lot of stoves out there and some advice would be appreciated. We will be heating an 1015 sq ft area, very open floor plan. The stove is our main source of heat, so we are going to be working whatever stove we get. Our floor plan is open. I understand answers are all subjective, but I've been looking at these stoves:
Kuma Aspen
Lopi Republic 1250
Regency F1100
Enviro Kodiak 1200
Napoleon Independence 1450

So thanks for your help!

 

[blacktail]

I think you're required to buy a Lopi as a Washington resident.
I'm heating 1155sf in western WA with a Lopi 1250i. It works fine. When I was shopping, I also considered the Enviro 1200. It and the Lopi were both available locally and close on price. Both have good reputations.

 

[begreen]

The Lopi, Kuma and the Napoleon have square fireboxes that will allow for N/S loading. So does the True North TN20.

 

[gagraham]

I think you're required to buy a Lopi as a Washington resident.
I'm heating 1155sf in western WA with a Lopi 1250i. It works fine. When I was shopping, I also considered the Enviro 1200. It and the Lopi were both available locally and close on price. Both have good reputations.

Yeah, Lopi IS the local darling. Do you use yours for your primary heat? I want to make sure it can keep up with our demand as we usually run ours most of the day/night in the winter.

 

[gagraham]

The Lopi, Kuma and the Napoleon have square fireboxes that will allow for N/S loading. So does the True North TN20.

That was important too. That is what keeps the Regency near the bottom.

 

[blacktail]

I do use my 1250 as primary heat. My electric heat only kicks on when I've been gone all day during our coldest weather. When I'm home, the electric never gets used. Well, when it's really cold I sometimes use an electric oil radiator in my bedroom at the far end of the house.
Look at it this way. I have electric heat and my last PUD bill, which included the abnormally cold weather last month, was $44. That's the biggest PUD bill I've ever got.
When we got hit with the heavy snow and unusually cold weather I happened to be off work for 4 days during the worst of it. My electric never turned on. Mine is an insert in the absolute worst location of my house. A more centrally located freestanding version would do even better. It will not give the 8+ hour burns of a larger stove. Maybe 5 hours with typical NW woods.
I don't think the Lopi 1250 has a square box. For my insert I cut a lot of wood 13" long for loading NS at night.

 

[begreen]

Yes, squarish, but not the shallower rectangle of the small Regency and small Enviro.

 

[gagraham]

I do use my 1250 as primary heat. My electric heat only kicks on when I've been gone all day during our coldest weather. When I'm home, the electric never gets used. Well, when it's really cold I sometimes use an electric oil radiator in my bedroom at the far end of the house.
Look at it this way. I have electric heat and my last PUD bill, which included the abnormally cold weather last month, was $44. That's the biggest PUD bill I've ever got.
When we got hit with the heavy snow and unusually cold weather I happened to be off work for 4 days during the worst of it. My electric never turned on. Mine is an insert in the absolute worst location of my house. A more centrally located freestanding version would do even better. It will not give the 8+ hour burns of a larger stove. Maybe 5 hours with typical NW woods.
I don't think the Lopi 1250 has a square box. For my insert I cut a lot of wood 13" long for loading NS at night.

Thank you for being so in depth! This is exactly the kind of review/ first hand experience that I was hoping someone would offer up. It's very helpful. Now, if someone out there would do the same for the Kuma Aspen, it would be much appreciated.

 

[begreen]

The Kuma Aspen is a rare bird here. It may be a great stove but we don't hear much about it. In general their products are stout and well made, but small volume.

 

[begreen]

Have you looked at the Lopi Endeavor and Pacific Energy Super?

 

[illini81]

Yes, squarish, but not the shallower rectangle of the small Regency and small Enviro.

I believe the Enviro Kodiak 1200 is deeper than it is wide. I believe it can handle 18" logs N/S, with 16" being preferred.

EDIT: I just looked it up - I was wrong. The 1200 is wider (18.25) than it is deep (16.1).

 

[begreen]

The firebrick in the firebox on the Kodiak 1200 is 12" deep x 18" wide.

 

[Highbeam]

Yeah, Lopi IS the local darling. Do you use yours for your primary heat? I want to make sure it can keep up with our demand as we usually run ours most of the day/night in the winter.

The Lopi stoves have a reputation for burning hot and fast, less control than most noncats, so burning through the night might be a challenge. If you're home and awake to feed it the Lopi stoves seem to have a decent track record. I owned a lopi freedom bay for a couple of seasons before I decided to just get rid of the silly masonry fireplace/chimney and go to a freestanding stove.

Quadrafire is a northwest brand too, so is BK. PE is canadian but seems to offer advantages over the very expensive Lopi.

 

[begreen]

PE, Enviro and Regency are all made just north of the border from us. Same with most BKs I think. My friend has an Endeavor in his shop. I wouldn't say it burns too hot. It seems to do fine with a partial load, but a full load will last many hours.

 

[WES999]

I heated with a Regency F1100 for about 10 years(1100SF), good stove for it's size, but it was really too small.
Burn times were not much more than 4-5 hrs.
Replaced it a few years ago with a BK Ashford 20 and am very happy with it.
I can get 10-12 hrs burn time out of it. House temp is much more even now.

 

[gagraham]

Have you looked at the Lopi Endeavor and Pacific Energy Super?

I have not. The Endeavor is a tad big for our heating means, and the PE wasn't available at either of the stores we looked at.

 

[gagraham]

I heated with a Regency F1100 for about 10 years(1100SF), good stove for it's size, but it was really too small.
Burn times were not much more than 4-5 hrs.
Replaced it a few years ago with a BK Ashford 20 and am very happy with it.
I can get 10-12 hrs burn time out of it. House temp is much more even now.

Yeah, the regency firebox is super small, I don't think we'll be considering it anymore.

 

[begreen]

The difference between heating with a 1.6 cu ft firebox and 2.0 firebox is negligible. If you want less heat, burn smaller 3-4 split fires.