Quadrafire outfitter or Enviro Mini

[JerseyRobb]

I have a small 1k sq ft ranch house (thank you Sims) where I am going to install a pellet stove. Does anyone have experience with the outfitter stoves? They seem to be incredibly efficient. The current heating source is a still-reliable oil furnace, which would ideally be used less than half the winter. The attic is well insulated. We like these two stoves due to them being simple in appearance. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

 

[johneh]

I have no experience with the outfitter stoves. The Mini by Enviro
is a rock solid easy-to-clean and operate stove which can pump out a lot of heat.

 

[lowb35]

I just asked about the Outfitter in another thread as it's a new stove. Looks to have replaced the old Eco-Choice/Quad CAB series in their line, which were their previous economy stoves (I have a CAB50 which is why I was looking at these). The new Outfitters appear very similar to the Pelpro stoves with almost identical internal components and thermostat. My guess is that you get the big box economy but with Quad dealer support with these new stoves. Are you looking at the Outfitter I? If so, it's most similar to the Pelpro PP60 and you might want to look through the forum for people's experience with those. That might help with your decision since it looks like the Enviro Mini is a few notches up and is a proven stove compared to the cheaper Outfitter I. Or, if cost and/or hopper capacity are factors and you don't need the dealer support, then the Pelpro PP60 might be another option.

 

[Jls667]

I just asked about the Outfitter in another thread as it's a new stove. Looks to have replaced the old Eco-Choice/Quad CAB series in their line, which were their previous economy stoves (I have a CAB50 which is why I was looking at these). The new Outfitters appear very similar to the Pelpro stoves with almost identical internal components and thermostat. My guess is that you get the big box economy but with Quad dealer support with these new stoves. Are you looking at the Outfitter I? If so, it's most similar to the Pelpro PP60 and you might want to look through the forum for people's experience with those. That might help with your decision since it looks like the Enviro Mini is a few notches up and is a proven stove compared to the cheaper Outfitter I. Or, if cost and/or hopper capacity are factors and you don't need the dealer support, then the Pelpro PP60 might be another option.

I also asked recently about the Outfitters and their relation to PelPro and updated what I found in that thread, but I e-mailed PelPro since they're both HHT products and the gist was exactly as you said. Basically the Outfitters and matching PelPros are identical in every way from how they operate, engineering and reliability, but the Quad had two distinct advantages. The Quad can utilize an external thermostat probably making the temp controls a bit more intuitive for most. The other part was as you mentioned, the Quad comes with dealer/retailer support and servicing. They specifically said that the PelPro was created for DIY installation and servicing, so if you're more mechanically inclined then either PelPro or Quad are nearly identical. If you're not then you'll probably want to peace of mind the Quad brings from a retail and servicing standpoint. That's why PelPro has a bunch of videos on how to service the stoves and troubleshooting, it's aimed at those who have no issues handling their our mechanical issues.

 

[lowb35]

Thanks! This is good to know especially about the external thermostat - it looks like they can run either way then unlike the CAB series they replaced in the Quad line which only run on an external thermostat. I maintain my own stove which I think sometimes frustrates our local Quad dealer when I go in for parts rather than service so I guess that makes me a potential Pelpro customer. But this also means for the OP that the Outfitters have more of a track record if you look at people's experience with the Pelpro versions of these stoves.