Please help me decide - ready to place the order

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bigbluebus

New Member
Jan 8, 2011
44
Northern IL
OK...I've got it down to the Englander TNC30 or the Drolet HT2000. Both have great reviews and are priced about the same.

Some websites call the Englander's large firebox a "Super-clean burn" and that it emits just 1.63 g/hr.; if this is in fact true, then that makes this the cleanest burning stove that I've read about; and I have researched A LOT of stoves over the last few months. One question I have though: is the Englander TNC30 the same exact stove as the Summers Heat SNC30?

Both the Englander and the Drolet have good reviews and the Drolet HT2000 is very well liked on Northerntool site, but I would like to hear the opinions of the "experts" on this site. Any information or opinion anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
John
 
bigbluebus said:
OK...I've got it down to the Englander TNC30 or the Drolet HT2000. Both have great reviews and are priced about the same.

Some websites call the Englander's large firebox a "Super-clean burn" and that it emits just 1.63 g/hr.; if this is in fact true, then that makes this the cleanest burning stove that I've read about; and I have researched A LOT of stoves over the last few months. One question I have though: is the Englander TNC30 the same exact stove as the Summers Heat SNC30?

Both the Englander and the Drolet have good reviews and the Drolet HT2000 is very well liked on Northerntool site, but I would like to hear the opinions of the "experts" on this site. Any information or opinion anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
John


Yes, the Englander and Summers Heat are the same stove made by the same company.

Both have about the same sized firebox. I think only one poster on here has the HT2000 and it was a new burner that just purchased the stove. I don't think you'll hear much real-world experience on this specific Drolet from many on here. The Englander has a strong following, though.
 
Drolet HT2000 because it is a wood stove.

In the end, ask yourself (if married, of course), what is "she" gonna like. Yeah it matters!! All the "good reasons" in the world won't mean much if "mama ain't happy." (There are other more technical questions other than esthetics to consider of course; Pellet storage -vs- wood storage; mechanisms that can break or need replacement -vs- no mechanized parts that you depend on for heat production;
dependency on electricity -vs- not).

As for the similarities of the Englander TNC30 and the Summers Heat SNC30: yep.........they sure LOOK to be the same. Same heating space potential, same door glass size (I personally wouldn't go for the Gold trim.......less to look old and worn out in later years if it's left "black."), same optional legs-vs-pedistal (I like the "legs" but then again, I've ALWAYS been a "leg" man). Only difference "I" would think possible is "price" depending on where you buy either one. (Reputation goes a long way. You can get a great and dependable stove from "Travis House Of Fire" on the west coast from many local dealerships. Lopi, Avalon).

=Soupy1957
 
soupy1957 said:
Drolet HT2000 because it is a wood stove.

In the end, ask yourself (if married, of course), what is "she" gonna like. =Soupy1957


Sometimes that is all that matters !!!

Shawn
 
soupy1957 said:
Drolet HT2000 because it is a wood stove.

They are both wood stoves.
 
BrotherBart said:
soupy1957 said:
Drolet HT2000 because it is a wood stove.

They are both wood stoves.

In my initial Google search, I got the impression that the Englander TNC30 was a Pellet stove. If not, ........My "bad" I guess.

-Soupy1957
 
soupy1957 said:
Drolet HT2000 because it is a wood stove.

In the end, ask yourself (if married, of course), what is "she" gonna like. Yeah it matters!! All the "good reasons" in the world won't mean much if "mama ain't happy." (There are other more technical questions other than esthetics to consider of course; Pellet storage -vs- wood storage; mechanisms that can break or need replacement -vs- no mechanized parts that you depend on for heat production;
dependency on electricity -vs- not).

=Soupy1957

They are both wood stoves, similarly priced, with similar firebox size, and both EPA non-cat stoves. Otherwise, this discussion would be silly.

It does not matter what she likes, it's going in MY house.

I'm leaning more towards the Englander because Brother Bart has one and I've read all (maybe most) of his posts and he seems to know what he's talking about and seems to be happy with it. Others here also have had good things to say about it. I particularly like the extremely low rated emissions, that tells me it's well made, no air leaks, etc. The Drolet, though it may be a very good unit as well, only has 3 reviews here which does not tell me much. It is highly rated on NorthernTool website, but then so is the POS Vogelzang I'm replacing; so I can't really rely on any reviews from that site. I trust the people here much more so than any other site.

Any others care to chime in?
 
shawneyboy said:
soupy1957 said:
Drolet HT2000 because it is a wood stove.

In the end, ask yourself (if married, of course), what is "she" gonna like. =Soupy1957


Sometimes that is all that matters !!!

Shawn

Ain't it da truth, AIN'T IT DA TRUTH???? ;-)
 
I wouldn't hesitate to heat my house with either stove. Drolet has been making stoves for a long time and makes a nice steel stove. I don't know about their customer service, which is probably a good thing since it means we don't see people here having problems with it. Some people mistakenly think Drolet is constructed of all 5/16" steel. That is only the top plate. The rest of the stove is 3/16" just like the 30-NC. The top plate on the 30 is 1/4".

Were I to be considering a Drolet I would cook up a couple of questions and call their customer support number to get a feel for how you feel they would support you. They responded quickly to my inquiry about steel thickness a couple of years ago. There is no question that the Englander would have rock solid support. Witnessed time after time in posts here.

I don't think you will go wrong either way.
 
I have an Englander NC-30 and would recomend it to anyone. Everyone I show it to says "WOW thats a big firebox" even though it doesnt look big from the outside.
 
PM board member Fyrebug if you have specific questions about the Drolet. He works for SBI who makes Drolet stoves. They have very good customer service from what I've seen here. The HT2000 may be the same stove as another SBI product like Osburn or Enerzone, just rebadged. If so, you could probably find some more reviews on it. Lots of happy Osburn owners here. It's a 3.4 cuft firebox, so it could just be an Enerzone solution 3.4 being sold under the Drolet name.
 
Battenkiller said:
shawneyboy said:
soupy1957 said:
Drolet HT2000 because it is a wood stove.

In the end, ask yourself (if married, of course), what is "she" gonna like. =Soupy1957


Sometimes that is all that matters !!!


It's always all that matters to me. :)

Bought the 30. Installed it and told her to come down and see the stove she was going to love.
 
Can't beat the Englander support, from everything I have heard and from personal experience.
 
The HT200 is a Washington State Approved unit, which means that it burns less than 4.5 g/h. per EPA test. So, both units are among the cleanest in the market! Keep in mind, EPA testing is done with an specific wood type and controlled environment, at the end of the day, most of the “real world†emission will be dictated by the quality of the wood you will burn in your stove! The HT200 does indicates 100.000 BTU’s against the 75.000 BTU’s indicated by the NC30, so for similar money, the Drolet unit gives you more value. It also has a bigger ash pan and a significant better warranty! These are certainly things you want to consider too. Regards!
 
Well...thanks for all the posts. But you guys are not making this any easier... :(

I put the order in yesterday morning for the SummersHeat NC30 (Englander) which would take 2 weeks to arrive. But I'm thinking it's not too late to cancel and get the other one. Now I'm leaning towards the Drolet again, after reading ozzy's post, and since I also believe that heavier is better (am I right?)
The NC30 (which I ordered thru Lowes) was about $100 more than the Drolet (Menards), so price has NOTHING to do with this decision; I'm just looking for the best performing stove out of these two.

One thing that still puzzles me: Why would the Drolet at 3.4 cf firebox be rated at 95k BTU's while the NC30 with a slightly larger firebox (3.5cf) be listed as 75k, like others here have mentioned. Is the Drolet more efficient or does it produce or radiate more heat because of the larger mass?
I know the NC30 claims to emit just 1.63 g/hr (which is very impressive, even in a controlled environment), but I can't find the emissions output of the Drolet ANYWHERE.

thanks guys and keep the posts coming!
 
Those ratings can differ big time.
I think they only rate my 4.0 box at 40k...trust me..it will do more then that..lol.
But I have seldom found the need.
I have no idea which stove to suggest.
I would think how they hold up is important and availability of parts in case they don't.
Good luck!
 
I think either would be a good choice. The baffle in the Drolet is a c-cast baffle, there's a thicker top, and there's a better warranty. I have a furnace made by the same company, and have nothing bad to say on quality, and their customer service is very good. It made me think different about drolet, osburn, etc. With all that said, I don't think the 30 would disappoint giving years of dependable heat.
 
The maximum BTU output all the manufacturers advertise is what will be obtained with a full load of seasoned cordwood inserted inside the firebox. Unfortunately there’s no standard test for all wood stoves but one thing is certain, nowadays with all the multiple ways that consumer have to express their opinions and comments, if the HT2000 won’t actually give out as mush heat as advertised, the ratings and overall comments regarding the unit wouldn’t be as great as they are! Of course, the same can be told about the NC30 since I haven’t seen complaints about them not giving the 75.000 BTU they advertise.

Regarding the emissions, the EPA test procedure requires that a special type of wood be used and positioned inside the firebox in a manner that does not represent the way the firebox volume would normally be utilized using seasoned cordwood. The EPA test load is typically much smaller. Still, both units qualify for the Washington State standard of less than 4.5 g/h. Keep in mind, Drolet does indicates on their website the “average†emissions of 3.9 g/h http://www.drolet.ca/en/products/wood/ht2000-with-pedestal . The NC30 does not indicates if the emissions are the average or minimum obtained during the test.
 
The Englander is a great stove,had I not went with a BK it would have been my choice,however my friend has one and he reports it eats wood hungrily,not a problem if you've a good supply. Personally I'd go with Englander.
 
bigbluebus said:
Well...thanks for all the posts. But you guys are not making this any easier... :(

I put the order in yesterday morning for the SummersHeat NC30 (Englander) which would take 2 weeks to arrive. But I'm thinking it's not too late to cancel and get the other one. Now I'm leaning towards the Drolet again, after reading ozzy's post, and since I also believe that heavier is better (am I right?)
The NC30 (which I ordered thru Lowes) was about $100 more than the Drolet (Menards), so price has NOTHING to do with this decision; I'm just looking for the best performing stove out of these two.

One thing that still puzzles me: Why would the Drolet at 3.4 cf firebox be rated at 95k BTU's while the NC30 with a slightly larger firebox (3.5cf) be listed as 75k, like others here have mentioned. Is the Drolet more efficient or does it produce or radiate more heat because of the larger mass?
I know the NC30 claims to emit just 1.63 g/hr (which is very impressive, even in a controlled environment), but I can't find the emissions output of the Drolet ANYWHERE.

thanks guys and keep the posts coming!


Ignore Claimed BTUs. The numbers are marketing spin. Focus on firebox size.
 
Coin toss. Same sized stoves that should both give great performance. Excellent customer service from both companies. I'd buy the Englander cause it has legs. If I was going to do pedestal or OAK, then I'd buy the Drolet because it's cheaper.
 
BrowningBAR said:
bigbluebus said:
Well...thanks for all the posts. But you guys are not making this any easier... :(


Ignore Claimed BTUs. The numbers are marketing spin. Focus on firebox size.

Well...there are plenty of stoves out there with large fire boxes, but that does not mean it's efficient; i.e. the Vogelzang Performer; Vogelzang I think rates it at 110k BTUs but one reviewer claims he installed it one day, and took it out the next. He went on to say, that the only way that stove would put out 110k BTU's is if he stuffed the firebox full of logs that had been long soaked in used motor oil, but then the stove would shortly fall apart and self destruct; They are crap!

I installed a Vogelzang last fall, and took it out this spring as soon as the weather turned, I got so tired of fixing it; it literally fell apart every week. I want a stove that I can install once and hopefully leave it in until I have to sell this house, or until the kids (now in elementary school) are done with college; by that time, I hope to be able to afford a new Blaze King.

On another note: I will be installing 22 gauge black stove pipe (not the snap together crap) between the stove and the ceiling connector. Would it be ok to put a Magic heat above the new stove, or is that not recommended? I had very good draft last winter, even on windy days, and even with the Magic heat in place. I only added the magic heat out of desperation in order to get some more heat out of the POS vogelzang.
 
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