Old or new?

[scubaliz]

Hi! We are in the exciting process of putting in our first woodstove. We have been given a gorgeous older (mid 80's) VC Resolute III stove in amazing condition. Looks like it was rarely used. It is a blue enamel, two door with half glass windows, is missing only the replaceable door handle. We are trying to decide if installing an older stove is a much greater risk than purchasing new. We are on a budget... We have been warned against the VC due to its age and because it does not have EPA certs. The two stoves we are considering new, which would be a financial stretch are the Morso 7110 or the Harmon Oakwood. We have researched our heat/size requirements, we would like an overnight burn, cast iron stove that we can also use the top as a cooking surface for eggs in the morning. Harman also has a mini grill we would use. We have a cathedral ceiling, will be going straight up through the roof with most of the pipe being inside. The Harman and the Morso both have the rear clearance (less than a foot) we would like. The VC does not, and can we find a rear heat shield for it. Thanks for any advice!

 

[DAKSY]

You'd better re-check your info on the Oakwood.
With the flue collar straight up, double-wall pipe & a rear heat shield,
I believe the measurement is 13" off the wall...
It is a good stove with a LONG burn time, but the heat output is
only about 32K BTU...

 

[Bobbin]

I think new is definitely better. The benefits of technology should never be underestimated, and there are a TON OF TAX BREAKS asscociated with them!

But budgets count for a lot, too; if wood heat is going to be part of your long range picture think carefully about cashing in on tax breaks and spreading the cost of a new stove over a few years. Put the pencil to the paper and work it out. If you make the time to do that you'll make a good choice. Trust me on this.

I damn near died when the good man saw the Woodstock and wanted it (1991)... but he was RIGHT; it was a way better stove than anything I'd considered; I was just too dumb to see it initially and that meant I hadn't done the arithmetic associated with it. In nearly 20 yrs. I've never once regretted saving longer to buy something so wonderfully engineered. When it was time to add another stove, guess where we shopped?

 

[scubaliz]

Thanks, 13 is still better than the rest, my head is full of measurements right now! Our house is not very large, two loft bedrooms overlooking a large den/kitchen/dining room. We figured it would not need to do much more than 1200 but the cathedral ceiling will probably guide most of the heat up to the bedrooms. There are two ceiling fans in place that both have reverse options. The house originally had a wood stove heat source, but it was previously removed with the pipes. We do have an electric heat pump, but with a and winter like last year I don't think it ever turned off! We are hoping to reduce our electric and get rid of some of the huge amount of downed oak we have. it was a foreclosure property, and had been logged a few years ago. We have started collecting, splitting the wood, and its in great shape!

 

[branchburner]

Assuming the Resolute takes a 6" pipe (since you may eventually get a new stove, and you'd want 6" for that), why not give it a try? Free is good when on a budget. Sounds like a nice stove, and you can always upgrade. My father still burns his original mid-70's VC Defiant. You'll want to keep an eye on the creosote, and the stove won't be as efficient as a new stove, but it will work.

My Oakwood is a hearth-mount, so I don't even know the rear clearance, but it throws a lot of heat from the back (where the secondary burn chamber is). It's a great stove that will easily heat your space (and then some), but is a little trickier than some stoves to get the hang of. It can also require a bit more maintenance, perhaps needing a $200+ part five years down the road. But it cranks out the heat, and the grill is great (we also do daily stove top cooking in the winter).

You can always throw open the VC double doors and grill on coals that way, too.

 

[bmwloco]

I have a double door Resolute mid-80s in my house. It heats well, does the job, and I love the rock solid consistency.

The door handles are easy to find; just find a good VC dealer; they usually have them in a bag on the shelf.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

I can't comment so much on the stoves you are considering however I will say a few words on the purchase of new vs. used.

I was in the same boat as you 5 years ago debating new vs. used. After consulting with many stove owners and making
considerations for our circumstances (to be our homes primary heat source) we decided to go new knowing this stove
would serve us better right 'out of the box', there was no "show me the stovefax" here. No regrets, the money was well spent.

good luck!!

 

[tickbitty]

That Morso 7110 is a gorgeous stove, in my opinion, just beautiful styling! I don't think the firebox is very big though, and you are hoping for overnight burns.

I'd be inclined to use the free one, those stoves were considered "the best" by many during that time, and if this one is like new, that could be pretty great! Pretty sure you can figure out a shield for it, weren't there lots of these stoves out there? You can probably find a manual and get your stats pretty easily.

The other big obvious plus for the "new" column though would be getting 30% back on whatever you spend (up to 5000) for a new EPA stove and the install, but only this year (as far as we know so far!)

 

[firefighterjake]

I bought a new stove since I liked the heating efficiency -- getting more heat with the same or less wood was certainly appealing since I love working with wood, but I also have a life that doesn't revolve around cutting, bucking, splitting and stacking wood. More over I liked the look of the new woodstoves (i.e. being able to watch the fire) and I didn't want to worry about how good a condition the stove was and if it was safe or not . . . the whole environmental thing . . . well that was just a nice benefit . . . which I now actually think is nice, but at the time I didn't really care if I was belching smoke into the air. Another positive for folks buying new now is the tax credit.

That said . . . it's pretty darned hard to beat free . . . especially if you just need to replace a handle . . . if the stove is the right size for your home and is in a good condition I would think it would be hard to turn down the offer. My own feeling would be to try it . . . see how it works . . . and if you think you want a new one start saving while you're using this one . . .

 

[begreen]

If this is a Resolute Acclaim, pass for sure. It is not the same as the earlier Resolute models. You might also want to look at a Pacific Energy Alderlea T5 for flexible cooking options with a 2 cu ft firebox.

 

[Gunks]

If your budget allows, go for the new stove. We just install our new stove. It burns a lot more efficient than our old one. Less pollution. And looks 100 times better than the old one.

 

[scubaliz]

Hi everyone, we have a guy scheduled to give us a full quote on the new stove install- pretty sure that the route we want to take! The old stove is pre acclaim, one of the original resolutes. I will try to post a pic, it is pretty nice, even if it is blue! SO we still need to decide between the Morsø 3610, 7110 and the Haman Oakwood. We really like the styling of the Morsø stoves, we do have concerns about the burn times even on the 3610- the 7110 is more the size we need for our smaller place, but does not seem to have a long enough burntime. The Oakwood seems like the ideal stove, not crazy about the style for the space it will be in, the house is sort of a contemporary mid 80's design. But the Oakwood seems to have the right burntime, ease of maintenance and the store it would come from had the nicest staff we encountered, they even cooked two hotdogs on the grill insert for us as we looked at it! The harman rep happened to have a nifty trailer set up there that day with 4 stoves all lit and burning. It was really nice to get the op to see the stove we were interested in up and running! (The hot dogs were not bad either and the grill is a nice touch. One of our requirements was a surface that could be used to cook if needed) Any negative experiences with either brand? Thanks again, Liz BTW_ The husband is pushing for Morso- I am leaning towards Harman, but we both like the other.

 

[scubaliz]

The Resolute

 

[scubaliz]

Resolute

 

[scubaliz]

Resolute (198?)

 

[scubaliz]

Sorry all the pics are one by one, just getting the hang of this...

 

[begreen]

Wow, electric blue too! Looks like the older style Resolute. That was a decent model stove. It's not a big stove, but worked pretty well. The stove will need a very good cleaning of the air passages and should be checked for the bypass damper operation to be sure it is working well and no warped parts there. Considering the low price, it certainly could be worth trying it for a season.

 

[scubaliz]

I was cleaning it out, its still covered in soot! It is pretty blue. we do have option "B" We have a place already set up for a stove that would heat the garage and the office above it, we could install the VC there, and the new stove in the house. When the house was foreclosed they took the stove from the garage, but the chimney etc is still there. My concerns with that are the stove would have an elbow pipe going from it to the chimney, and I have read the older Resolutes can create a lot of creosote buildup. When going straight up through the roof as we will be in the house, the pipe will stay cleaner and be safer. then there are ins concerns, would our ins cover the older stove in our house? It is none EPA.

 

[pen]

Wow, that is some color!

If you can't make the stove work for you, contact me, I think I'd have a good home for it.

pen

 

[Todd]

If your looking for a small stove with a long burn time check out Woodstock.

www.woodstove.com

 

[scubaliz]

Those soapstones are really nice! But the efficiency on the Morso and the Oakwood is a little higher (75-76% vs 72%). Plus we are trying to stay local for the install and possible future service. Within an hour drive we have only 4 stores to choose from and only liked a couple of the lines they carried. The stove does not look quite so blue in the room- at least not as bright as it does in the photos!

 

[begreen]

I was cleaning it out, its still covered in soot! It is pretty blue. we do have option "B" We have a place already set up for a stove that would heat the garage and the office above it, we could install the VC there, and the new stove in the house. When the house was foreclosed they took the stove from the garage, but the chimney etc is still there. My concerns with that are the stove would have an elbow pipe going from it to the chimney, and I have read the older Resolutes can create a lot of creosote buildup. When going straight up through the roof as we will be in the house, the pipe will stay cleaner and be safer. then there are ins concerns, would our ins cover the older stove in our house? It is none EPA.

Resolutes don't make creosote unless you force it to smolder. But unseasoned wood and too cool flues do. Burn dry wood and if the connector is long, used double-wall pipe.

 

[branchburner]

Those soapstones are really nice! But the efficiency on the Morso and the Oakwood is a little higher (75-76% vs 72%).

Don't trust those numbers - the Woodstock is a catalytic stove and should be marginally more efficient than either of the others.

I still say "old" - you're bound to have the bluest stove on the block!

 

[Todd]

Those soapstones are really nice! But the efficiency on the Morso and the Oakwood is a little higher (75-76% vs 72%).

Don't trust those numbers - the Woodstock is a catalytic stove and should be marginally more efficient than either of the others.

I still say "old" - you're bound to have the bluest stove on the block!

Actually that 72% is an EPA default for all cat stoves. The Woodstocks have been tested as high as 91% LHV and are much more efficient than the Morso and Oakwood.

 

[branchburner]

For the space you are heating, I'd say the most efficient (and prettiest, IMO) stove you could get is the Woodstock Keystone. The two stoves you are considering are very different from each other: the Morso takes shorter wood (16" vs 21") and gives shorter burns (8 hrs vs 12 hrs) than the Oakwood. But if you get that Oakwood cranking on seasoned oak it will often be more heat than you need for your 1200 sq ft. So the Morso is a better sized for you. I'd say get that VC in next week and start burning!