I fortunately spent those 30 minutes back in 2007 on this site when things were turning south for VC. I almost blindly bought another VC based on my great '79 Resolute.
Thank you Hearth.com
Owning a VC boat anchor .... soul searching time
- Thread starter Ductape
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
I fortunately spent those 30 minutes back in 2007 on this site when things were turning south for VC. I almost blindly bought another VC based on my great '79 Resolute.
Thank you Hearth.com
Excavator
Feeling the Heat
I guess I am the odd mad here lol. 
However my 1987 defiant encore 0028 burns 24 - 7 and perfectly after rebuilding with the fireback kit. Few years ago I installed 8 inch double wall liner insulated and made a block off plate. I have zero complaints.. Stove had not been out since first burn back in October 2014
![[Hearth.com] Owning a VC boat anchor .... soul searching time](/talk/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2F-9BiwLS_bxX4%2FUrllN2mEJRI%2FAAAAAAAAD8g%2FhIP7HwNZBrI%2Fs512%2F20131224_054028.jpg&hash=fbe30bcc04963b2658663b9fc481efe8 "[Hearth.com] Owning a VC boat anchor .... soul searching time")
![[Hearth.com] Owning a VC boat anchor .... soul searching time](/talk/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2F-KyW6XLbb3rg%2FUrllQoi7oBI%2FAAAAAAAAD8k%2FwsDN_H9_kBw%2Fs640%2F20131224_053556.jpg&hash=545e7d2a6400c656fb885e733345c694 "[Hearth.com] Owning a VC boat anchor .... soul searching time")
However my 1987 defiant encore 0028 burns 24 - 7 and perfectly after rebuilding with the fireback kit. Few years ago I installed 8 inch double wall liner insulated and made a block off plate. I have zero complaints.. Stove had not been out since first burn back in October 2014
I can confirm that I would buy an Englander for less money than it costs to fix your existing stove.
Last edited:
I guess I am the odd mad here lol.
I'm not a VC history buff but I don't thing an '87 defiant encore qualifies for boat anchor status. VC still made good stoves then.
IIRC the 87 Encore was VC's first EPA stove. It should be noted that VC did and still does make great castings and has a beautiful timeless design. Personally I hope with the latest new owners that they can turn things around and get back to producing great stoves that heat well and require much less servicing.
Last edited:
I have a sneaky suspicion that these casting are no longer made in the US.!
And are no where near the quality that the 87 Encore was put together.
The VC foundry is still alive and one of the best in the country. They cast for several other stove companies besides their own stoves.
Changes of ownership and very poor management that only wanted to capitalize on the brand without investing in the company. At one point it was even owned by a school teacher's pension fund or something like that.
Last edited:
Truly a shame. No question the Defiant was a great stove but just too much to go wrong for my liking.
In 2013 the company was acquired by an entity owned by the employees of the company. As a result of the acquisition, Vermont Castings Group (VCG) is the largest privately held, employee-owned company in the hearth industry. The old stoves were complex due to the top loading and bypass mechanism, but they stood up pretty well. There are many of the original 4 VC stoves still heating today. That said, I have a KISS stove now and like the low maintenance.
I was surprised they were still around, which is why I edited my earlier derogatory post. Thanks for the 411 and best wishes to VCG.
And then last fall they were sold again...
http://www.vnews.com/news/13787895-95/iowa-firm-buys-vermont-castings
http://www.vnews.com/news/13787895-95/iowa-firm-buys-vermont-castings
Simonkenton
Minister of Fire
Sold again, last fall. Good Lord. I do hope they get organized and once again begin making great wood stoves.
I am grateful for this forum. I had to turn my '88 Resolute loose in 1995 when I sold that log cabin. That was a great stove and I still miss it.
So, in 1998 I had built another house. I wasn't on computers at the time so my only source of wood stove info was a big dealer in north Atlanta. He sold Vermont Castings, and also Waterford and a few other stoves. The Waterford stove was made in Ireland by the crystal company.
So, I went in there to buy another VC, but this dealer gave them the bum rap. He said their quality went downhill in order to comply with EPA specs.
He had 2 Waterfords up and running in the store and he said they were well made. So I bought a Waterford for $1200. I am still using it and it has been a pretty good stove, looks a lot like the VC line, in fact, this dealer told me that the Micks had copied the VC, just modified the looks enough to not get sued by the Americans. The Waterfords were non cat stoves.
This guy also sold the Jotul and he said that, in 1998, all Jotuls were cat stoves, this guy wasn't real wild about the Jotul cat stove either.
So, without this forum to turn to, I was lucky to get the scoop from that wood stove dealer.
I never see the Waterfords mentioned on this forum. They must not have sold too many stoves. I know they are not sold in America any more, I heard they are still sold in Europe. Don't know what happened to them but they made a pretty good stove.
I am grateful for this forum. I had to turn my '88 Resolute loose in 1995 when I sold that log cabin. That was a great stove and I still miss it.
So, in 1998 I had built another house. I wasn't on computers at the time so my only source of wood stove info was a big dealer in north Atlanta. He sold Vermont Castings, and also Waterford and a few other stoves. The Waterford stove was made in Ireland by the crystal company.
So, I went in there to buy another VC, but this dealer gave them the bum rap. He said their quality went downhill in order to comply with EPA specs.
He had 2 Waterfords up and running in the store and he said they were well made. So I bought a Waterford for $1200. I am still using it and it has been a pretty good stove, looks a lot like the VC line, in fact, this dealer told me that the Micks had copied the VC, just modified the looks enough to not get sued by the Americans. The Waterfords were non cat stoves.
This guy also sold the Jotul and he said that, in 1998, all Jotuls were cat stoves, this guy wasn't real wild about the Jotul cat stove either.
So, without this forum to turn to, I was lucky to get the scoop from that wood stove dealer.
I never see the Waterfords mentioned on this forum. They must not have sold too many stoves. I know they are not sold in America any more, I heard they are still sold in Europe. Don't know what happened to them but they made a pretty good stove.
Waterfords were/are good stoves. A friend had one for years and they loved it. They've now merged with Stanley. The dealer may have been blowing smoke about the Waterford stove foundry being the same as the House of Waterford Crystal. Though they both are located in Waterford, Ireland I think they are different businesses entirely. I also think they were making stoves long before VC was started (1934).
I've had this happen to me a few times as well, not a pleasant experience trying to reignite the load.
Calentarse
Feeling the Heat
I used to own a 2010 VC Encore. I had problems. The refractory inside broke 3 times and my cat fell apart in just a few years. Luckily, VC warrantied all that. This past October, I found the actual cast iron had a crack in it. Could have been there all along, but who knows.
Anyway, VC warrantied my stove in full for the casting even though it was over the 3 year limit on the casting warranty. I now have a Blaze King and am working out some other issues with it. why can't wood burning be as easy as with smoke dragons? I was in your same situation financially. Thank God they provided a warranty stove bc I was truly screwed.. you can read about my ventures on this site - search for Blaze King for a 2n1.
I can understand what you're saying about top load. You feel you get a full load but in all actuality, If you had another stove you wouldn't know the difference. The BK I have now is front load and I don't need a little 13" piece to drop in the top like on the old VC. I can load the firebox with full length pieces from top to bottom. So I guess what I'm saying is don't rebuild the stove just for the small things that, for all you know, you'd never miss. Buy the $700 Englander, enjoy the security of a safe stove and don't throw any more money away. Put it outside and make a beautiful outside fireplace! Then you'll have added to your property value and saved $300 + the labor to rebuild it.
Anyway, VC warrantied my stove in full for the casting even though it was over the 3 year limit on the casting warranty. I now have a Blaze King and am working out some other issues with it. why can't wood burning be as easy as with smoke dragons? I was in your same situation financially. Thank God they provided a warranty stove bc I was truly screwed.. you can read about my ventures on this site - search for Blaze King for a 2n1.
I can understand what you're saying about top load. You feel you get a full load but in all actuality, If you had another stove you wouldn't know the difference. The BK I have now is front load and I don't need a little 13" piece to drop in the top like on the old VC. I can load the firebox with full length pieces from top to bottom. So I guess what I'm saying is don't rebuild the stove just for the small things that, for all you know, you'd never miss. Buy the $700 Englander, enjoy the security of a safe stove and don't throw any more money away. Put it outside and make a beautiful outside fireplace! Then you'll have added to your property value and saved $300 + the labor to rebuild it.
Simonkenton
Minister of Fire
begreen at the start of that video they show an Irish castle made of stone. That castle is molded into the side of my Waterford stove. Must be an important castle.
The dealer who talked me into buying the Waterford may have been kissing the Blarney Stone, but, he told me that Waterford bought 6 VC stoves, and shipped them over to Ireland and they set them up at the Waterford foundry and just copied them. He said, they got the lawyers in there, so they had to change just a few things in order to avoid being sued by the Americans.
Some wood stove dealers will kid you a little bit, I don't know what the real story is, like you said Waterford has been around for a long time.
My Waterford is very similar in appearance to a Vermont Castings stove. VC has always made some of the most beautiful stoves on the market.
I use my little Waterford quite a bit up here in the North Carolina mountains, and it has really performed well. I have had it for 17 years. This is a non cat stove.
I must say, when I read these stories on this forum about cracks in the cast iron, warped this or that, burned out cats etc usw, ad nauseum, I realize that my little Waterford is a champion. It is a beautiful little stove, the only problem has been, there is a 6 inch by 6 inch grate in the middle of the stove, you pull a handle, and you can scrape the ashes through that grate, down into the ash pan. The little grate is 1 inch high and is not attached, you can just pop it out.
That grate burned out 6 years ago and I had another made at the welding shop for $25.
That grate burned out last year and I had another made.
In 17 years, cost of repair $50.
Time to do the repairs, 1 minute 45 seconds.
The dealer who talked me into buying the Waterford may have been kissing the Blarney Stone, but, he told me that Waterford bought 6 VC stoves, and shipped them over to Ireland and they set them up at the Waterford foundry and just copied them. He said, they got the lawyers in there, so they had to change just a few things in order to avoid being sued by the Americans.
Some wood stove dealers will kid you a little bit, I don't know what the real story is, like you said Waterford has been around for a long time.
My Waterford is very similar in appearance to a Vermont Castings stove. VC has always made some of the most beautiful stoves on the market.
I use my little Waterford quite a bit up here in the North Carolina mountains, and it has really performed well. I have had it for 17 years. This is a non cat stove.
I must say, when I read these stories on this forum about cracks in the cast iron, warped this or that, burned out cats etc usw, ad nauseum, I realize that my little Waterford is a champion. It is a beautiful little stove, the only problem has been, there is a 6 inch by 6 inch grate in the middle of the stove, you pull a handle, and you can scrape the ashes through that grate, down into the ash pan. The little grate is 1 inch high and is not attached, you can just pop it out.
That grate burned out 6 years ago and I had another made at the welding shop for $25.
That grate burned out last year and I had another made.
In 17 years, cost of repair $50.
Time to do the repairs, 1 minute 45 seconds.
Last edited:
- Status
Similar threads
