Osburn or Lennox?

[DKranger22]

Hello everyone. I've been contemplating a wood burning insert now for the past two seasons. I've read quite a bit on these forums in that time, and understand that there are a number of good quality makes and models to choose from. As a result of my research, I have been leaning towards the Osburn 2400 insert. Main reasons being,it is a quality build for the money, has a large fire box, and puts out tons of heat. With this in mind, I located two local Osburn dealers, and went out to see the unit in person.

The first store did not have a 2400 in stock, but was knowledgable about the unit. He was primarily a Napoleon dealer, so naturally, that's what he was pushing (i think his preference was to sell something on his floor - perhaps clean out some inventory prior to year-end). Being new to this, I am going into this open minded, so I am open to recommendations. I just plain did not like the looks of the1402, and I felt that the 1101 was just too small. They appeared to be quality units, and from what I have read, Napoleon gets good feedback here. However, I was still leaning towards the Osburn 2400.

A few days later, I went to dealer #2. This dealer was both an Osburn dealer and a Lennox dealer. Once again, no 2400 in stock, but could easily be ordered if that was my preference. This fella spoke highly of the 2400, but felt that the Lennox line is a better made insert. The Canyon 310 is most comparable to the Osburn 2400, but is quite a bit more money. My house is a 2400 square foot split level, but I am only trying to heat roughly 1600 sf. He felt that both units were too powerful for the job, and he recommended the Lennox Performer C210 for my needs.

Now I must say, I really liked the C210. Though not as big as the 2400, it still can accept a 20" log and has good output. Burn times are listed at 7-9 hours, but I would like to hear from someone with this unit as to what they are consistently getting. Also, I really like how the C210 extends out onto the hearth (12" or so), giving more radiant heat and doubling as a cooktop in the event of a power outage.

So at the end of the day, I am torn between the Osburn 2400 and the Lennox C210. Both would be about the same price. The 2400 puts out more heat, but do I really need it for 1600 sf? Supposedly, the Lennox is a little better built, but both are well made, so this is not a huge deciding factor. I also like the functionality of the Lennox, as it sits further out on the hearth.

Any recommendations between these two units? Is it really a big mistake if I get "too much" insert for my needs (the Osburn)? Also, one last question. I am being quoted $1,200 on the install. Is this reasonable?

Thanks in advance!

--Andrew in Cleveland, OH

 

[begreen]

Welcome to the forums Andrew. If you are in an area of frequent or long power outages then having a heater that convects naturally is a good plus. The Country 210 is a solid stove, made locally in Auburn, WA.

That said, we need to know more about the area the stove will be heating. Is it closed off or relatively open to the rest of the house? Would you like to heat more than just this area? How well insulated is it? The $1200 installation charge seems reasonable. Is this a single story install?

 

[DKranger22]

Welcome to the forums Andrew. If you are in an area of frequent or long power outages then having a heater that convects naturally is a good plus. The Country 210 is a solid stove, made locally in Auburn, WA.

That said, we need to know more about the area the stove will be heating. Is it closed off or relatively open to the rest of the house? Would you like to heat more than just this area? How well insulated is it? The $1200 installation charge seems reasonable. Is this a single story install?

Thanks for the warm welcome, BeGreen. To give some more specifics, my house is roughly 2300 SF in total. Of that, 400 SF is a 4-seasons room that is heated by a gas burning stove. This room is closed off unless in use, so thus only heated when in use. Therefore, this area is not in need of being heated by the wood burner. My lower level is finished (2/3), the portion that is unfinished is my utility area (1/3), which will be closed off via door. Therefore, that leaves roughly 1600 SF in need of heat. Of that, roughly 800 SF is the main living area, which is very open with cathedral ceilings. The living area which has the fireplace is open to the dining and kitchen. The fireplace is in a corner (internal to the garage, so not on an exterior wall), facing the rest of the house, so it should be in a very good position to radiate heat into the main living areas. Both the steps going upstairs and downstairs face the fireplace directly, so I should be able to move the heat pretty effectively with just a couple of fans. I will try to upload a sketch later to illustrate this.

I was just at my cousins house last night, who has a Lopi w/ 24 inch firebox. He once again reiterated the importance of getting the largest box I can fit into my existing masonary fireplace. I think I would be set on the Lennox Performer, but the 21 inch firebox has me second guessing this. I could step up to the Canyon model, but for the cost of doing so, I think the Osburn would be the better value.

For my needs, do I need this much of an insert? Are there other makes/models I should be considering for my needs,.or would you agree that either of the two that I am considering are worthy contenders?

 

[dafattkidd]

Welcome DKranger, and Merry Christmas. Sounds like you've been diligently researching the market and getting some good advice. I have the Osburn 2400 insert and have been very happy with it. We heat a drafty 1700 sf. I really like having the oversized stove for several reasons: I like having extra firebox space for very cold windy days I have the extra fire power, I never have an overabundance of coals, I don't have to cut as much firewood down because it takes long splits, I love the ability to load NS and EW. I'm sure there are other reasons, but for me a large factor was the fact that my house is drafty so I loose heat quickly (although I have been making significant improvements to the insulation).

The Osburn 2400 does protrude about 9" into the room so it radiates a significant amount of heat. Actually as I type my house is in the 70s and the stove top is 450* and the fan is off, and it's still pushing heat.

All that being said, I think you'll be happy with either unit. We decided on the Osburn 2400 because it was the largest quality unit I could fit in my firebox, at a very affordable price point. I hope that was helpful to you. Whichever unit you go with make sure you fully line the chimney, have some sort of block off plate installed, and try to find some quality wood. Good luck!

 

[begreen]

The heat is not going to go downstair very well, even with fan assistance. That's just a fact of life. If that means the insert will actually be heating ~800 sq ft then go for the Country C210. Or consider putting a stove on the lower level if this is a split-level with a big open stairway.

Floorplan sketches always help if you can post them.

 

[DKranger22]

Welcome DKranger, and Merry Christmas. Sounds like you've been diligently researching the market and getting some good advice. I have the Osburn 2400 insert and have been very happy with it. We heat a drafty 1700 sf. I really like having the oversized stove for several reasons: I like having extra firebox space for very cold windy days I have the extra fire power, I never have an overabundance of coals, I don't have to cut as much firewood down because it takes long splits, I love the ability to load NS and EW. I'm sure there are other reasons, but for me a large factor was the fact that my house is drafty so I loose heat quickly (although I have been making significant improvements to the insulation).

The Osburn 2400 does protrude about 9" into the room so it radiates a significant amount of heat. Actually as I type my house is in the 70s and the stove top is 450* and the fan is off, and it's still pushing heat.

All that being said, I think you'll be happy with either unit. We decided on the Osburn 2400 because it was the largest quality unit I could fit in my firebox, at a very affordable price point. I hope that was helpful to you. Whichever unit you go with make sure you fully line the chimney, have some sort of block off plate installed, and try to find some quality wood. Good luck!

Really appreciate your feedback on the Osburn 2400. It sounds like this was an excellent choice for you, and I'm thinking that it would be for me as well. I like the fact that it sticks out onto the hearth like the Lennox model. I also really like the large firebox and the ability to load the logs N S as well as E W.

I have my mind pretty well made up on this model, but with all of the positive talk on the Blaze King Princess, I'm beginning to think that I should be giving this some consideration as well. I know this is a cat insert, while all of the other inserts I have considered are non cats. I'm just really attracted to the long burn times. I am gone for work roughly 12 hours M-F, and it seems to be the only stove that would get a long enough burn time to keep my furnace from kicking on. This would be a nice plus for sure.

 

[DKranger22]

The heat is not going to go downstair very well, even with fan assistance. That's just a fact of life. If that means the insert will actually be heating ~800 sq ft then go for the Country C210. Or consider putting a stove on the lower level if this is a split-level with a big open stairway.

Floorplan sketches always help if you can post them.

I know the basement would be challenging to heat, but thats not a huge concern for me. 95% of my time is spent in the upper levels. This would still leave about 1400 - 1500 SF in need of heating. I'm going to try to upload a sketch of the floor plan to help illustrate my needs. The fireplace location is highlighted in red, and is very open to the living, dining and kitchen areas. Also, the stairway is in pretty much a direct line of the fireplace.

 

[begreen]

The upstairs will definitely benefit, though not as much as if they were directly over the main section of the house. One idea that comes to mind is to scavenge heat up high at the bedroom level ceiling and blow it out low into the basement. If this worked, it would create a circular air flow, pulling heat upstairs while helping temper the basement room somewhat.

After looking at the layout I would lean toward the C210 sized insert. If you prefer Osburn I would consider the Osburn 2000-I instead. You might also take a look at the Enviro Kodiak.

 

[dafattkidd]

If you can afford a Blaze King and you have somewhere to store wood (at least 8-9 cords) then based on what I've read on this forum you can't go wrong with a Princess.

 

[DKranger22]

The upstairs will definitely benefit, though not as much as if they were directly over the main section of the house. One idea that comes to mind is to scavenge heat up high at the bedroom level ceiling and blow it out low into the basement. If this worked, it would create a circular air flow, pulling heat upstairs while helping temper the basement room somewhat.

After looking at the layout I would lean toward the C210 sized insert. If you prefer Osburn I would consider the Osburn 2000-I instead. You might also take a look at the Enviro Kodiak.

Begreen: You are recommending that I go with the smaller insert (C210) based on my requirements. While I understand that this unit would probably give me the desired amount of output/heat required for my house, would I be causing myself any problems in getting a bigger, more powerful unit? Reason for asking, in terms of pricing, the Osburn 2400 would probably be about the same or perhaps a little cheaper than the Lennox Performer C210. That being the case, I would be getting more "bang for the buck" with the Osburn unit. Even though I might not need it, are there problems associated with having too much firepower? Two of the three dealers that I have spoken with seem to think that the Osburn unit would be well-suited for my application.

Which brings me to my next topic... I spoke with a 3rd local hearth store today... one I have been recommended to by a family member, and one that I felt very comfortable in speaking to. They have me considering a third model: The Lopi Freedom. This unit seems to be on par with the C210 Performer from an output standpoint (73,000 BTU's as compared to 76,000 from the C210), but is a bit larger (50 lbs more mass than the C210). Also, this one can accomodate 24" logs and has a cooktop surface... two features that I really like, not to mention the bypass damper.

Perhaps if the Osburn 2400 is a little "too much" stove for my needs, the Lopi Freedom might be a better fit?

I will also investigate the Enviro Kodiak and Osburn 2000. Thanks for the recommendation!

--Andrew

 

[begreen]

If one gets too big a stove you may need to be run inefficiently, burning only small loads to avoid overheating the house. That means lots of fire starts. Not a big deal if the intention is to burn mostly nights and weekends. But a bit of a pain if the goal is to heat 24/7, especially in milder weather. The 2400 will work, with partial loads of fuel when the weather is say in the 20's and 30's, and full loads when it dips into the teens. So if most of your weather is say 15 degrees or colder for a couple months, it may be a good fit. It most of your winter weather is say 30-40F, then it might be a bit big. It will still work, but just not as efficiently as a smaller stove with fuller loads. Conversely, some folks like it to be 80-85F inside in the winter and want the reserve for that once a winter dip into the single digits. In that case an oversized stove is a good fit for them.

Lopi makes very good stoves. They have a great reputation and the Freedom would get the job done. However, I am not a big fan of the tapered back of the firebox unless it's needed to get a good fit. It's a good solution for folks that need it to match the taper of their fireplace, but if you don't have this issue, then go wide and deep. I prefer a squarish or deep firebox because it allows me to load both N/S and E/W.

 

[etiger2007]

I have the Osburn 2000 insert and love it. I heat 1700 sq ft and It has no issues keeping this place heated. It is 20 outside right now and its 77 in the main living area family room, kitchen/dining room, living room. The 2000 looks just like the 2400 just a wee bit smaller. They also have great costomer service should you need it. Hope this helps.

 

[noce]

Dk & BeG,
any significant reasons the 2200i is not part of the discussion on options b/w osburn 2000 - 2400 or lennox?

 

[Swedishchef]

I think the "i" stands for insert as Osburn make a 2200 and 2200i.

Andrew

 

[bag of hammers]

Dk & BeG,
any significant reasons the 2200i is not part of the discussion on options b/w osburn 2000 - 2400 or lennox?

Yeah... feeling a bit left out here....

Actually i don't have the insert, but I'm sure I caught a few glimpses of 2200i ownership in other sig's or comments? maybe they will chime in.

Not suggestion the advice here is any less than excellent, just stirring the pot a bit. BTW, SBI (Osburn) has been a good experience here, fwiw, but the veterans can provide much broader perspective on the various models and options....

 

[begreen]

No significant reason on my part. I was just trying to provide similar 2 cu ft fireboxes and styles to the Kodiak and C210. If bay is preferred that would work too.