Older VC Defiant stove....but never installed/fired - worth the gamble?

[therdlesstravld]

I agree with you welding cast is a crap shoot. That being said... I've got an old 1982ish VC vigilant that had a rusted/busted front leg also. I got some cast sticks for my arc welder and looked up the amperage to set my machine at and laid it on thick with a few passes. It's held up for me for a few years with no issue whatsoever. The amount that you actually move a woodstove is pretty minimal. I've really only moved it in and have scooted it out a few times for maintenance.

So I'd say the legs a non-issue and if its down to a new cheaper stove like an englander @7-900$ plus the stove pipe price or this stove AND pipe for 600$ id go for the VC as a first stove. You'll learn on this stove and find out if burning woods for you, stockpile your wood and in a few years decide if you wanna upgrade.

 

[peakbagger]

Legs can be snapped off by folks who don't know how to move a stove. Just pushing a stove and getting the legs to vibrate can bust them or trying to tip the stove on two legs will do it.

It sure sounds to me that this is a scratch and dent situation. Some folks inherently can not stand a scratch and dent and will pay full price while others will buy the scratch and dent and if asked will proudly say that they saved a bunch of money because of the scratch and dent. Fundamentally I haven't seen anything that impact the operation of the stove. I tend towards the scratch and dent mentality so to me it is just a bargaining point on what could potentially be a good stove.

 

[begreen]

At least the leg is a static part that doesn't have movement to deal with. If you get a good weld on it and then move the stove carefully by lifting in place, not dragging, the leg may hold up ok.

 

[Diabel]

I would take the stove.

The only thing is, this particular line of stoves (downdraft) tends to be very finicky. For a new wood burner with potentially subpar wood supply...it might be a recipe for disaster.

This stove has many inner moving parts that if not properly attended to can be easily and quickly damaged beyond repair. Plus, any repairs to VC stoves will run you hundreds and hundreds of $$!!

 

[johninwi]

Would cutting off all the legs and building a pedistal or legs with there own frame be an option or does this alter the stove enough to make it an untested stove then requiring very large clearances?

 

[claydogg84]

Would cutting off all the legs and building a pedistal or legs with there own frame be an option or does this alter the stove enough to make it an untested stove then requiring very large clearances?

Legs have been modified before, but I think your best bet is to have a good welder take a look at repairing the one broken leg.

 

[therdlesstravld]

Another option is to grind the top of the leg and where it mounts smooth and then reinstall it with as many screws as you can fit in the space. You'd have to look at it to be sure your not screwing into any integral part of the stove but drilling and tapping cast iron is VERY easy. A few short 1/4 20 machine screws would hold that leg on there better than new.

I install flip down grab bars for bariatric units in hospitals with 4x 1/4 20 machine screws drilled and tapped into 1/4" steel. If it can hold the weight of an 800lb person getting off the crapper it'll hold the stove up!!

 

[cptmoney]

Well....this much I've learned: a replacement side is made of unobtanium. I called a half dozen parts places this morning....and nobody could chase one down for me - green or otherwise.

I'm with you guys at this point; either figure out how to get it welded or perhaps tap in some screws. Either option seems reasonable.

 

[Charles1981]

That is a helluva deal for stove and pipe. Because yes, new that stove and pipe would easily run $3-4k without install charges.

That said you have to be willing to deal with the scratch and dent aspect of the stove. I would also make sure 100% there is a catalyst in that stove and you can visualize it before purchase.

If I could have gotten that deal when I got a stove I would have jumped on it for sure. But what I know now and after having a VC stove the past 3 years is...I won't be going with VC in the future. To many other great options without all the horror stories.

 

[bholler]

There is no cat in the spot a cat should be i can tell you that is it included separately?

 

[cptmoney]

Is there not? I don't really know, to be honest. In the last two photos that I posted, up in post #21 of this same thread - isn't that where it SHOULD be? Is it not there? Or can you even tell from these photos?

These are the kinds of details that I am so grateful for; you're already seeing what I clearly missed! Good thing I asked all of you all before I found myself in over my head. I'm afraid this is just about to turn into a "well then what stove should I be looking for" thread....

There is no cat in the spot a cat should be i can tell you that is it included separately?

 

[Diabel]

Also, is the catalytic converter included ?

That is why I asked. You got to love this site! You should venture to the gear forum....very educational and sooo addictive

 

[slindo]

I wouldn't touch it. For the same price you could find a good used Jotul Oslo, that will run and run and run with no aggravation. Unless you buy it as a throw away and chuck it the first time it burns out its guts you could find that stove easily costing you $300 or so a year to run - these stoves need regular cats and overhauls. Just because it is technically unused doesn't mean you will get new-stove service from it, sitting and being banged around takes its toll too, as the chips testify. An overhaul on one of these stoves will cost you about $100 labor, $600 parts, and $200 for the cat. Mine seemed to need one every three years by the time I sold it (due best I can figure to the deteriorating quality of the parts) and every time it did the parts price seemed to have doubled.

 

[Woody Stover]

Looks like it might have fallen in shipping and landed on the right front side

If that's the case, I would closely inspect all the seams at the corners where the cast panels meet (there are many other seams as well,) looking for cracked or broken cement ( I don't know, seams could be gasketed, for all I know.) If the seams are compromised, they may allow air to enter where it's not supposed to, and you would need to patch them....unless you want to take the stove apart and rebuild it, which would be a daunting task unless you had experience.

 

[SpaceBus]

OK.....so the plot thickens!

I went over to check out the stove, and found a few things that bring up more questions....

First off, the enamel finish is chipped/repainted in many places. Definitely not a deal breaker for us - but I have a question: how do I know the touched up areas were done with a high temp enamel paint? Are those touched up spots going to burn off to black, leaving be with a green/black Dalmatian stove? The seller knows nothing about it, so there's no help there. Here's what I'm talking about:

Secondly, the right front leg (as you're looking at the stove face) has been broken off completely at some point, and somebody has tried to weld it back together, but it's not holding. It's the leg in the photo above. The leg is still quite wobbly, and it's discolored from the last attempt to repair it. Looks like I'd need to purchase the entire right side of the stove at an approximate cost of $250, give or take. This IS a deal breaker for me...unless I can get it repaired. Just the safety factor makes me nervous about this. The leg shows some heavy wear compared to the rest of the stove, for what's it worth.

Third - the stove genuinely looks brand new. Fire bricks are all stone white, The metal appears brand new with only surface rust. Same with the stove pipe; it all looks brand new. Here's what I saw:

What do you think now? Things coming into focus a little better? Even though it's a great price....she's got some baggage. I'm chasing a new side panel while in a holding pattern. That's got to be right for my own peace of mind. So far, $246 is about the best price I've seen.

At some point, it appears to have been sold through discountstove.com, as I noticed some notes in the owner's manual that seller produced. Not sure if that matters, just putting that out there.

P.S. - sorry for some wonky pictures; I was using my cell phone!

I know this is an oooold thread, but does anyone have the color code for that paint? I would love to paint my old defiant this color when I rebuild it.

 

[bholler]

I know this is an oooold thread, but does anyone have the color code for that paint? I would love to paint my old defiant this color when I rebuild it.

It isnt paint it is enamel

 

[SpaceBus]

It isnt paint it is enamel

I do understand that it is enameled and not painted, but I still need the color code.