Price Difference

[GrnMtnBoys]

Howdy from Vermont...

I did actually read the "Which Stove to Buy" sticky before posting this, honest.

Have an old ('98) Englander 24-ACD stove that is ready to be replaced; we purchased the home in 2000, so didn't buy the stove, but it certainly has been used even abused in the past 15 years.

We are on 20 acres of hard wood, burn 5-6 cord a year of which the majority comes from our land, point being that it's not my first rodeo.

My question is, what is the appreciable difference between dropping $2500 on a stove at the local shop (beyond service and support) and $1200-$1500 at Tractor Supply? I guess from a pure engineering standpoint, is there anything hotter/more efficient between the two price ranges? Ready to pull the trigger on a new stove.

Thanks for your time, folks.

Andy
Starksboro, VT

 

[bholler]

We would really need to know the stoves to compare some of the budget stoves are very good some are not good at all. As far as cheaper stoves go the englanders and drolets are pretty good but to make them cheaper they need to compromise on some things. You need to evaluate stoves and see if you think the differences are worth the extra money or not

 

[GrnMtnBoys]

Thanks for the reply bholler.

I guess I'm still at the point of looking at tags, seeing the sq/footage it's rated for and then checking the price; my sister's family has a beautiful soapstone VT Castings (I think) that cranks out heat... that wasn't cheap. My brother has an old stove with almost a console stereo/tv cover around it at his deer camp that was free that he rebuilt, and it cranks out heat. The Englander has been fine, just looking a bit old and the catalyst seems to need to be replaced more often than it used to.

I will take your advice and come back with some models/manufacturers. Thanks again for your time.

 

[bholler]

beautiful soapstone VT Castings

Well it isnt a vt castings probably a hearthstone. I am asuming the one you are talking about that your brother has is an old circulator or a parlor stove neither are very good woodstoves at all. they are inefficient and have short burn times.

 

[firefighterjake]

As mentioned . . . depends on the stove. Some "box store" models are great . . . others are not so great.

Thinking the Vermont soapstone stove you mentioned might actually be a Woodstock Soapstone stove that is made in NH . . . maybe . . . possibly.

Knowing your square footage, price tag requirement, home insulation and lay-out, etc. may help folks offer up some advice on various stove models that might work for you.

 

[Grisu]

seeing the sq/footage it's rated for

The sqft rating is usually a very vague indicator for choosing the right stove size. It is better to look at the firebox size since the more wood you can load the more heat you will get. How big is your home? How well is it insulated? And how long do you leave your split wood dry before burning?

 

[bholler]

Thinking the Vermont soapstone stove you mentioned might actually be a Woodstock Soapstone stove that is made in NH

or a hearthstone

 

[firefighterjake]

or a hearthstone

Are they based in NH or VT? While I realize Woodstock doesn't have a lock on every soapstone stove sold in NH I kinda thought there was a pretty good chance it would be a Woodstock since they mentioned VT . . . then again if Hearthstone is based out of NH or VT . . . you could be right. 50-50 chance of it being one or the other I suppose.

 

[Grisu]

They are in Morrisville, VT.

 

[bholler]

Are they based in NH or VT? While I realize Woodstock doesn't have a lock on every soapstone stove sold in NH I kinda thought there was a pretty good chance it would be a Woodstock since they mentioned VT . . . then again if Hearthstone is based out of NH or VT . . . you could be right. 50-50 chance of it being one or the other I suppose.

Yeah it could be either but i kind of assumed hearthstone was a safer guess because of vt

 

[firefighterjake]

Yeah it could be either but i kind of assumed hearthstone was a safer guess because of vt

True.