newbie here! woodstove for very small space/used purchase?

[cabinliving4michelle]

hello there,

i've been reading through this forum with big wide eyes. what a comforting group you are! i am completely new to the world of woodstoves and could use some sound advice:

i'm building a 400sq foot cabin to live in year round. hoping to find a used woodstove that somehow meets my needs. seems i'm going to end up with something that is a little overkill unless i buy totally new and i'm figuring that could be okay if it's not over the top.

i have about a zillion questions but wanted to begin with sharing a stove that i found for sale and thinking it may be the closest thing to what i am looking for so far, due to small size (and size of stove body... rectangular shaped. my cabin is only 12x32 and im thinking a lot about clearance around a woodstove).

any thoughts on this non-catalytic model? (and non-catalytic vs catalytic in general?):

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/hsh/3986072234.html

Thank you!
Michelle

 

[Woody Stover]

Welcome, Michelle.
Will you have a back-up heat source in the cabin? If so, you can feed the stove a smaller load so as not to roast the place overnight, and not worry if it burns out a bit early. A long burn time to last all day, if you work, would not be as critical either.

 

[begreen]

Greetings Michelle. 400 sq ft is a small space to heat 24/7 with wood. A small catalytic stove would probably work best. Look for a small Dutchwest cat stove or maybe a Vermont Castings Intrepid cat in good condiditon?

 

[lumbering on]

How about a Jotul F 602?
rated 800 square feet. Classic looks for a cabin.

http://jotul.com/us/products/stoves/jotul-f-602

 

[begreen]

The 602CB could work, but it will need more frequent feeding and the temperature swings in a small space will be noticeable. It's hard to match the slow burn capabilities of a cat stove if heating 24/7 in a small space.

 

[Sprinter]

Begreen's suggestion of a catalytic stove is (I think) based on their reputation as providing long burn times which would be beneficial for 24/7 burning, especially without another source of heat.

Other information that will be helpful is the construction of the house and how well insulated it will be, the winter climate there, and other heat sources available.