Quadra Fire... Why the bad Rep?

[JA600L]

I've seen a lot of bad reviews on Quadra fire stoves like mine.. I am just wondering why they are not favored? Mine seems to work good but I've never used another one so I can't compare it. Different places I've read about them online have had pretty rough reviews. I don't see the name tossed around much on here either. Maybe I'm missing out on a much better stove. Just checking. thanks!

 

[Prof]

I have a cumberland gap. This is my first EPA stove, so my previous experience was with an old smoke dragon. The cumberland gap heats well and I use around 4 cords of wood to heat my house--I heat exclusively with wood. Prior to this I burned 6+ cords. That being said, the cumberland gap is far from bullet-proof. The baffle is fragile and so are the fire bricks, especially the ones with the start-up air tubes coming through them. I think my next stove is going to be a Pacific Energy Summit--they seem much more durable.

 

[Makers Mark]

I dunno, mine is working just like said it would. Acc works well, got a 13 hr burn last wk. Some people like Fords, some like Chevys. 75 in house tonite. Gas heat hasn't came on since install. No complaints here.

 

[begreen]

Quad makes some very good products. The ACC control seems to confuse some folks on some models. Their cast iron line are very nice stoves and good performers.

 

[molly1414]

Well I can't tell you why there are so many bad reviews. I guess they speak for themselves. If a stove has a lot of bad reviews then i think it means people don't like the product and it does not work the way they want it to. The majority of used stoves for sale in my area are either older non EPA stoves or quadra fire stoves only a few years old. Bought a house with a Quadrafire and really wanted to like it but ended up disliking it so much I spent a lot of money to replace it. I dont think i would have ever bought the stove myself due to it being a convection stove, having heat shields on all sides,having two air controls instead of one and having a tiny fire box. The fact that it ate wood like crazy , did not produce any heat and could not close the air controls enough nor modify the rear air intakes just made it impossible to work with.

 

[ArsenalDon]

Love my Quad!

 

[Ash]

Not another stove out there that I'd trade my quad for.

 

[JA600L]

Ok so what makes my 4300 a convection stove? I'm just curious what the main difference is?

 

[Makers Mark]

Mine kept house 75 with it 4 outside. That is cold for Ga. 22" split E/W 14" N/S pretty good size firebox on mine.

 

[BrotherBart]

I would let my sister marry somebody that owned a Quadra-Fire stove.

 

[Makers Mark]

Lol

 

[Ashful]

I would let my sister marry somebody that owned a Quadra-Fire stove.

As opposed to...

Cats stoves are fine. But I wouldn't want my sister to marry anybody that owns one. :coolgrin:

 

[Jags]

I like my quad. Not a bad word to speak.
Plus it puts me into contention for BroB's sister.

 

[BrotherBart]

Baby sister just turned sixty.

 

[northwinds]

I'm already married, but I have two Quads. No complaint--with stoves or wife.

 

[embers aplenty]

My little Quad Yosemite was my first epa stove. I got it new for near half the suggested retail. My house is small, so it does me well. When it gets down in the single digits, it requires a fair amount of attention with only a 1.5 cu. ft. firebox but, here in East Tennessee that usually only happens a handful of times a year so I normally get good burn times and plenty of heat. My fireplace and hearth is low,small and short, so rear vent stove shopping was a bit more limited. The Yosemite fit to a tee.

All the Quad cast iron stoves like the Yosemite, Cumberland Gap and the Isle Royale have manual air controls which is probably more inviting for some folks then the timed acc style. I never use my startup air control. With good seasoned wood, just leaving the door cracked a few minutes does the trick and I don't mean the ash door.

I cleaned out my chimmney liner the other day and got probably 2 coffee cups full of white powderish stuff which I thought was really good for 1 1/2 years burning. The black specs is from tapping on the top cap after putting it back on. I did get about another handful of the white powder off the top of the insulation blanket. Would I buy it again? Sure I would. Love my big NC 30 in the drafty garage but the Quad Yosemite makes me warm and comy in my easy chair.

 

[richg]

Having been chastised for "whining" about my 2010 Quad 4300 ACC Step Top , here are issues I have:

-The heat shields rattle when the blower is on. Given that this is a "jacketed convection stove", operating it without the $290.00 blower is not an option. Upon removal of the heat shields, I found that a support brace had been inadequately welded and was the cause of rattling on that side of the stove (it rattles on both sides). I globbed Red RTV on both sides of the brace and it has calmed down on that side. the other side still rattles.
-The $290.00 blower squeals, chirps and itself rattles at any speed. The bearings are supposedly sealed so I can't figure out how to stop that. Oh, you should hear what it's doing at this very moment.
-I have double wall stove pipe and double wall insulated chimney pipe, along with an outside air kit. The stove is very difficult to control, although I understand this is systemic to many EPA tube stoves. I used magnetic tape to block off some of the primary and secondary air inlets which has helped some. The secondary inlet had no control/damper on it at all.
-The insides of the heat shields are rusting and I'll have to sand them and hit them with high temperature paint.
-Ash removal system: Quad specifies that the stove has to be cold before you can remove the ashes into the pan...uh, it's cold as bleep outside and the stove is being used around the clock. I picked up an Ash Dragon and it works very well.

Given the caulking, blocking off the air intakes and the need to sand and paint, if I wanted a stove that needed work, I would have bought a used one and saved some money. As for the blower, forget it, I'm not buying another. This stove will go on the market before the next heating season.

 

[Jags]

From my recollection - it does appear that the 4300 has had its fair share of issues posted. Maybe it is Quads red headed step child?
I don't ever recall an actual complaint on the Isle Royale, but that could be my selective memory.

 

[begreen]

I have never heard a complaint against the Isle Royale. Perhaps this is due to its European (Dovre) heritage?

 

[Paul L]

I'm still looking for anyone to say a good word about the Voyageur. It seems that anyone that installs one bitches about it ... burning issues ... and then disappears from the forum. Another candidate for Quad's "red headed step child".

I like my Voyageur Grand well enough but I am amazed that the ACC operation documentation for both the V and the V Grand are so poor. Also amazed that the company is so unresponsive to inquiries regarding this issue. After sending them an email on this subject and getting no response, I sent them another 4 days ago that said if they didn't fix their totally inaccurate "instructional" ACC video on their website within 60 days, I will post one on youtube and it won't be kind. Stupid company in that regard.

 

[Jags]

I am amazed that the ACC operation documentation for both the V and the V Grand are so poor.

You wouldn't be the first person to scratch their head over some questionable documentation.

 

[northwinds]

A lot of the stove companies rely on dealers to answer questions. Another reason why Woodstock (no dealers) is so popular for its good customer service.

 

[MofoG23]

No complaints here with my Quad.... I'd recommend it!

 

[Todd]

Didn't quad have an issue with cheap Chinese steel awhile back? I've never been a fan of their steel stoves, I'd opt for a Blaze King, PE or Lopi first.

 

[MofoG23]

I've never been a fan of their steel stoves, I'd opt for a Blaze King, PE or Lopi first.

Based on? What model Quad did you own to make that comment?