newbie buying a used wood stove in a hurry

[mattmania]

Hi,

Had a question about used wood stoves. First experience with one was when I was (recently) overseas, and I fell in love with wood stoves ever since. Had a nice German one where I was staying, and now with the price of oil the way it is, want to get one here now that I am just recently back stateside. The thing was pretty basic, and worked well..forget the company name though.

In a rush to buy something for this season and did some looking around. Saw a bunch of Vermont Castings used in my area, an "Alaskan" stove, and a couple "Dovre"s. Also saw a Century stove, which is made by cfm. What I want is a fairly simple bulletproof stove that wont require too much cash on hand to maintain or fix, and doesn't have too many expensive fragile parts, and that will provide effective safe heat for a one story 1300 sq foot house, with a 6 inch flue in the chimney.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. In a bit of a pickle and wanting to get a stove asap.

 

[edyit]

check out the englander line of products. they provide some of the best lower priced stoves out there, just make sure you can get what they need for hearth clearances and R values.

 

[JA600L]

I agree get a new Englander. Better to spend your money there then pay as much or more for a used stove with potential problems.

What kind of wood supply do you have? Most hardwoods will need 1-3 years of seasoning to burn correctly and that is no joke.

What kind of flue system do you have and how tall is it? Think through these things carefully before you rush into burning. Otherwise, you will be in for a frustrating and disappointing winter.

 

[Simonkenton]

You saw a bunch of used Vermont Castings because the quality of the Vermont Castings stoves is not good. Those people are dumping those stoves so they can buy a good stove.

 

[aansorge]

Englander 30 would be a good choice as would a Drolet.

 

[claydogg84]

A classic Vermont Castings Vigilant would heat that space perfectly.

 

[claydogg84]

You saw a bunch of used Vermont Castings because the quality of the Vermont Castings stoves is not good. Those people are dumping those stoves so they can buy a good stove.

That's not completely true. The newer stoves have issues, but the old stuff (1980s) was solid.

 

[mattmania]

I have a 6 inch flue, that is about 25 feet long...out through a masonary chimney. Lined the darn thing with flex liner just yesterday!

I am guessing from what you guys said that Englander requires more clearance than other (more expensive) stoves? One local guy is selling the Englander 30 used for 500 bucks. 3 years old.

As far as old school Vermont Casting stoves go, there is a Defiant Encore 1983 for sale...the thing is, the seller told me that they had trouble starting the thing and that the thing ran too hot for there 1100 foot home. They also have a 6 inch flue, and she thought that was the main issue why it didn't work for her. She did mention something about the cat. combuster not working. Sounds like that might be the culprit, from what I researched. Anyhow they want $350 for it...not sure if I should go with it or not. Looks pretty good in the picture though.

 

[JA600L]

I have a 6 inch flue, that is about 25 feet long...out through a masonary chimney. Lined the darn thing with flex liner just yesterday!

I am guessing from what you guys said that Englander requires more clearance than other (more expensive) stoves? One local guy is selling the Englander 30 used for 500 bucks. 3 years old.

As far as old school Vermont Casting stoves go, there is a Defiant Encore 1983 for sale...the thing is, the seller told me that they had trouble starting the thing and that the thing ran too hot for there 1100 foot home. They also have a 6 inch flue, and she thought that was the main issue why it didn't work for her. She did mention something about the cat. combuster not working. Sounds like that might be the culprit, from what I researched. Anyhow they want $350 for it...not sure if I should go with it or not. Looks pretty good in the picture though.

As far as the Englander, you could have a new one and warranty for probably $2-300 more. Look for warpage and cracks inside a used one.

The VC I believe is cast iron. Could be a bad cat, bad gaskets, cracks etc.. it could need a total overhaul. Especially if it was hot.

 

[BrotherBart]

Depends on where that liner is. All of the Engdlander stoves are top vent. But the Vermont Castings stoves are too. What is the hearth setup here?

 

[mattmania]

Well, here is a picture of their Vermont Castings stove and setup. Looks like the liner connects up to the back of the stove, no? They say that there are no cracks. I think they mentioned that the gaskets are also new. How much would fixing the cat cost, assuming I am handy enough to do it myself?

 

[cfec2008]

I just joined the site today. Newbie wood burner also. I bought an Englander 30 nch from Home Depot because it was an affordable American made wood stove. Definitely gonna take me a bit to learn how to run it the right way. I paid 1000 plus tax. Read a lot of great review on it. I have called twice and talked to the customer help guys, and they have been very nice so far.

 

[Woody Stover]

Avoid the VCs, they are for seasoned veterans that enjoy a challenge. That woman was being exceptionally honest, that's refreshing. For your cheapest options, I would check out the Century (depending on size...nice to be able to get an overnight burn if you want.) Or the Englander 30. Like Bart said, you have to know weather it will vent through your chimney setup. You will have to look at any used stove carefully and try to determine if it's been over-fired. Have the owner describe how he started the stove, and see if it sounds like he knew what he was doing (monitoring stove temp, cutting air as the stove gets up to temp.) Ask if he had a stove top thermometer. Of course if he burned wet wood, most of this won't apply, but he may have over-fired trying to get the wood to burn. Check for warped steel, broken welds, cracked bricks etc. You may have to move the baffle boards to look at the top welds. Be careful; The boards are delicate, and easily damaged. Shine a light inside toward the seams and look outside for light leakage. Google how to buy a used wood stove. https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/used-stove-buying-primer/

 

[claydogg84]

Stay away from that VC Encore.. The stove I suggested was older than that - No cat, and no glass doors.

 

[Simonkenton]

When I was beating up on Vermont Castings, I should have been more specific. Yes, they made great wood stoves once upon a time. I had a 1988 VC Resolute and it was a great stove. I sold it along with the house I had installed it in, and I wish I still had it.

I wouldn't buy one made in the last 20 years. Why fool with a finciky, fickle stove that is costly to maintain and operate when there are so many great wood stoves on the market.

 

[firefighterjake]

Getting a cheap, reliable woodstove for this Fall will most likely be the easy part . . . a new Englander (Summers Heat) from Home Depot or Lowes is usually a no-brainer for someone looking for cheap and good.

The hard part will be getting well seasoned wood to go into that woodstove . . . and at this time of the year . . . this could be a challenge.

Also, bear in mind that buying a woodstove is just one part of the wood burning equation . . . you also need the correct chimney set up for it . . . which in some cases can be as much, if not more, expensive.

 

[mattmania]

I actually have a fair amount of wood. There were a few dead dry trees on my property, mostly elevated from the ground, which I started cutting up last week. They were probably dead/completely down for nearly 5 years or so. About 2 cords of hardwood, and 5+ of really dry Douglas fir.

Gonna start stacking behind my shed...I do have room in the cellar though. Just afraid that if there any termites in the wood, they will go into the house. The cellar does have cement floors and walls though. Is this a rational concern?

 

[mattmania]

You know guys, I've been thinking...is the Englander 30 a bit overkill? Says it heats 2400 sq feet....75,000 BTUs. I got a 2600 foot house, but I'm only heating the first floor, which is tightly separated from the second floor with a weatherproof exterior door...so 1300 sq ft. I read that it is good to run the stove at full potential (for creosote build-up reasons), and saw that the Englander 13 does 1200 to 1800 square feet, 60,000 BTU. Insulation of the house is not fantastic, but this thing might fit the bill. Its cheaper, and maybe all I need...what do you all think? Dont need the house to be above 65 personally...

 

[pma1123]

Personally, I'd say go bigger. The NC30 is a well liked heater around here and has great support. Think of the larger firebox as having a bigger fuel tank for longer burntimes. You can always build a small fire in a big firebox if less heat is desired. When it is brutally cold out, you'll be happy you chose more firepower. (IMO) Take sq footage ratings with a grain of salt, as woodstoves are space heaters and spreading that heat is part of your learning curve with a new stove in your living space. You mentioned that you are in a setting with not the best insulation which automatically changes that assumption on sq footage.

 

[begreen]

For decent inexpensive new stoves, those by Englander, Drolet and Century offer good value and quality. Pacific Energy, Napoleon and Heatilator also make value lines. There are numerous choices under $1000. Pay attention to hearth requirements and clearances when choosing a stove if space and budget are tight.

 

[usmc1371]

I was also looking at the Englander 13 but ended up getting the Madison from Lowes, largely based on the hearth and clearances (thanks to Begreen). The price was a big selling point as well I paid 749 for the Madison and can't wait to get it up and running.

 

[Dix]

Love my 13, but it's down fall is the smaller fire box, and max 4-6 hour burn times with primo firewood. It will throw for another hour or 2, but it will be minimal at the end. It's heating a 600 SF apartment on a lower level.

I will also say, that the 13 has heated the entire 2000 of this place, when the PE was down. We just had to feed it often.

 

[firefighterjake]

I actually have a fair amount of wood. There were a few dead dry trees on my property, mostly elevated from the ground, which I started cutting up last week. They were probably dead/completely down for nearly 5 years or so. About 2 cords of hardwood, and 5+ of really dry Douglas fir.

Gonna start stacking behind my shed...I do have room in the cellar though. Just afraid that if there any termites in the wood, they will go into the house. The cellar does have cement floors and walls though. Is this a rational concern?

The wood may or may not be good to go . . . a few factors that will influence whether the wood is dry enough or not is the wood species and if they were upright or lying directly on the ground. The fact that many have been dead for 5 years could mean it will be very good (especially if it wasn't touching the ground) or very punky and wet. Stay optimistic!

Some folks haul their firewood inside and stack it in their cellar or garage . . . me . . . I'm not a big fan. Then again I don't tend to stack any wood on my porch (I stack about a week to two weeks worth there) until the temps are cold enough to keep most of the bugs inside and in a nice, deep sleep. A buddy of mine brings his wood inside his cellar and says he always finds plenty of spiders and other bugs -- no reports of ants or termites (carpenter ants tend to leave when you split the wood and we don't seem to have termites up here.)

 

[firefighterjake]

You know guys, I've been thinking...is the Englander 30 a bit overkill? Says it heats 2400 sq feet....75,000 BTUs. I got a 2600 foot house, but I'm only heating the first floor, which is tightly separated from the second floor with a weatherproof exterior door...so 1300 sq ft. I read that it is good to run the stove at full potential (for creosote build-up reasons), and saw that the Englander 13 does 1200 to 1800 square feet, 60,000 BTU. Insulation of the house is not fantastic, but this thing might fit the bill. Its cheaper, and maybe all I need...what do you all think? Dont need the house to be above 65 personally...

When I was first here someone recommended that I figure out my heating space needs, find a manufacturer that I liked . . . and pick the stove rated for the next size up. Their belief was that it is easier to build a small fire in a big days when the stove just can't keep up. I've always been of the mind that equipment works best when it isn't running full steam ahead all of the time.

Not so great insulation . . . another possible reason to go bigger.

And then there's the numerous stories where folks come here from running their oil boiler or gas furnace with the thermostats set at 60 or 65 degrees F and they figure they'll be more than happy if their woodstove gets them to that temp . . . until they've had a few weeks of high 60 or low 70 degree temps and after awhile many start to really love that extra heat . . . and complain about freezing to death when they visit frugal friends.

 

[Simonkenton]

I doubt that you will have a problem with termites, bringing firewood into the basement. Concrete floors and walls, not a hospitable environment for termites. They need to have a path from the ground going up and they need a damp space to operate in.
Now, you might get some other bugs or beetles hopping around your basement.