Pellet Stove Vs. Wood Stove for my 1500 sq foot cabin?

[fuitenray]

I purchased a 24'x30' (approx. 1500 square feet) cabin in Eagle River, WI where there are some cold winters. This is a vacation home and am wondering if I should go with a wood burner or pellet stove to heat it. The first floor is one room 24'x30' and the second floor is a loft with a rafter roof. Is there a preferred brand, size, manufacturer of pellet stove or wood burner that would work best for me? Thanks

 

[Wood Duck]

Either you don't have plumbing in the cabin, or you already have an alternate, automatic heat source in the cabin, right? That means you aren't counting on the new stove to run overnight without some attention. In either case, I think I'd go with a wood stove just because wood stoves are fun, in my opinion, while pellet stoves do not seem like much fun. Also, you can collect your own wood, but not your own pellets. Pellet stoves would work a little easier overnight, since they have an auto feed mechanism, but that wouldn't be enough to change my opinion. If you're out at the cabin, starting and maintiaining a wood fire seems like part of the fun, to me.

 

[jtakeman]

A wood stove would have the feel, But a pellet stove would be easier to deal with.

Personally I would go with something that looks more like a vermont casting.

Enviro has the Empress

http://www.enviro.com/fireplace-products/pellet/freestanding-fireplace.html#empress

Quad has the Castile

(broken link removed to http://www.quadrafire.com/Products/Pellet_Burning/Pellet_Model.asp?f=Castile)

Or MT Vernon AE(this stove is a multifuel unit an added plus)

(broken link removed to http://www.quadrafire.com/Products/Pellet_Burning/Pellet_Model.asp?f=mtvernon)

Lopi has the Leyden

(broken link removed to http://www.lopistoves.com/productuide/detail.aspx?id=249)

Harman has the XXV

(broken link removed to http://www.lopistoves.com/productuide/detail.aspx?id=249)

There are a lot of nice looking stoves and 1500sq is pretty easy to heat. Should only take 30,000 to 35,000 BTU's or so. But I would go 45,000 to be safe and you know the stove will keep up even on the coldest days. Better to be a tad over than not enough. Plus the stove will not work as hard!

just my 2
jay

 

[OpenWater]

Congrats on your purchase!!

Just made this decision myself. I've got a 1500 square foot log home, and decided on a wood stove. I originally was thinking wood, then went to pellet, and came back to wood. Reason being, whatever I got would have to go into the basement (long story there). In short, I wanted a beast that could put out some heat, and wood seemed the best way to go. The final factor was fuel. I've got a good chunkof land with lots of wood...so...free fule was a no brainer inthe end!

I would factor fuel availability into your decision. Do you have wood on your property? Close by you can scrounge? What about pellets. Availability, from what I understand, can fluctuate. Mess factor is good to consider as well. Obviously, wood is messier, but it comes down to what you're willing to do and put up with. I will tell you this, working with wood and splitting, etc., while tough, is a very satisfying pasttime!!

 

[THE ROOSTER]

As much as I love my pellet stove, I too agree with the above posts... Unless you have a easy/close place to buy pellets and you want something a little different and would be a good topic for conversation with friends about what this "pellet thing" is...

 

[imacman]

A wood stove would have the feel, But a pellet stove would be easier to deal with.
.......

Even though I'm biased, I DID have a wood burner before the pellet stove. So I can still see both sides.

I think the other factors that have to be taken into consideration are, even if he has lot's of wood on the property, there's still all the work of cutting down the trees (need to buy/rent a chain saw, gas, etc), cutting them to length, buying/renting a splitter, the actual splitting, stacking it, giving it enough time (1 year?) to season, bringing stacks of wood into the house so all the bugs that wintered in the bark can warm-up and crawl out, splinters, etc.

The pellet stove, on the other hand, still has the issue of stacking the bags, but I've never gotten a splinter, didn't have to rent a splitter, didn't need to buy a chain saw or gas, and NO BUGS in the house. PLUS, he can hook it to a thermostat, and program it the week before to come on a few hours before the next time he goes to the cabin...or not. Even if he doesn't go the stat route, when he walks in the door, all he has to do is press a button, and the stove is started...no getting kindling, paper, building the stack, lighting, fooling with the damper, etc.

And lastly, if he drives past a pellet dealer on the way, he can buy a whole weekends worth of fuel & bring it with him...probably 3-4 bags.

 

[dac122]

If your power is unreliable, or seasoned wood is easily available and in plentiful supply, not too much of a hassle then a wood stove would add to the mood. Otherwise I agree with macman you can pick up a few bag of pellets in many places now to easily get you thru the weekend.

 

[mark d fellows]

To prepare for disasters, Wood stove. for less trouble and equivalent heat, Pellet Stove. Wood stoves need no power. Pellet stoves need a little electric power to fun the augers, blowers, etc.

 

[R-Heating]

At our cabin we had a wood stove. It keep the cabin warm but there was a problem. Before you went to bed you had to load the stove up for the night. It got about 120+ degrees in the cabin and you were sweating in bed. By 4am in the morning you would wake up and shaking and shivering because it was 55 degrees and the stove need more wood. Last year we put a pellet stove in and set the thermostat to 72 and you sleep all night. We go hunting all day and come back to a warm cabin and the fire has not gone out. I love the pellet stove idea if you have electric.

 

[imacman]

At our cabin we had a wood stove. It keep the cabin warm but there was a problem. Before you went to bed you had to load the stove up for the night. It got about 120+ degrees in the cabin and you were sweating in bed. By 4am in the morning you would wake up and shaking and shivering because it was 55 degrees and the stove need more wood. Last year we put a pellet stove in and set the thermostat to 72 and you sleep all night. We go hunting all day and come back to a warm cabin and the fire has not gone out. I love the pellet stove idea if you have electric.

Exactly...I rest my case.