Quadrafire vs. Northstar

[bcinva]

I'm wrestling between the Heat-n-Glo Northstar and the Quadrafire 7100 . Firebox and fans are the same size according to manufacturing rep and features seem to be almost identical. The face is included with no choice on the Northstar but on the Quad you can choose between two but the local sales rep says this is why there is a difference of 900.00. What to do ...what to do...Anybody researched these two?

 

[bacsales]

It is probably a chevy vs gmc type thing. They are both from the same parent company.

 

[BrotherBart]

It is probably a chevy vs gmc type thing. They are both from the same parent company.

Yep. I still prize the laugh I get from the little sticker on the windshield of my Chevy Blazer. "GMC - Built With Pride".

A dealertold my father-in-law that, sure, they are built on the same assembly line but the GMCs are moved down the line slower so they are put together better. :bug:

 

[bcinva]

Yeah the brochure for the Quad boasts a 16 hour burn where the Northstar says 10 but from what i have read ,the 10 is more realistic for the Quad as well

 

[scfa99]

It is probably a chevy vs gmc type thing. They are both from the same parent company.

Yep. I still prize the laugh I get from the little sticker on the windshield of my Chevy Blazer. "GMC - Built With Pride".

A dealertold my father-in-law that, sure, they are built on the same assembly line but the GMCs are moved down the line slower so they are put together better. :bug:

Reminds me of the guy that told me the envoy is much tougher than a trailblazer. I said don't they come off the same line. he said well gmc uses much stronger parts and gmc's are much tougher than chevy's because all they make are trucks.

 

[scfa99]

I'm wrestling between the Heat-n-Glo Northstar and the Quadrafire 7100 . Firebox and fans are the same size according to manufacturing rep and features seem to be almost identical. The face is included with no choice on the Northstar but on the Quad you can choose between two but the local sales rep says this is why there is a difference of 900.00. What to do ...what to do...Anybody researched these two?

back on topic. when i purchased the price diff was much smaller. the quad has a slightly larger firebox, but essentially the same unit. i went with the quad due to the slightly larger box and largely do to appearance. i didn't like how heat n glo is stamped into the metal and i liked the trim kit with the quad. let me know if you have any specifc questions, i've been running mine for 2 years. do a search on 7100 first as i have a bunch of threads on it. i also have a review written in the review section. welcome aboard.

 

[scfa99]

Yeah the brochure for the Quad boasts a 16 hour burn where the Northstar says 10 but from what i have read ,the 10 is more realistic for the Quad as well

8 hours for the quad, and its still 200 degree surface temp on the face and lots of hot coals. 16 hours never, not even close, maybe if you chock it all the way down and risk clogging your pipe.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

we have gotten close to the adverstied burn times in our show room model. Of course the firebox was so packed that you coudnt stuff a toothpick in it, it was loaded north south and every cubic foot was taken up.

 

[BrotherBart]

we have gotten close to the adverstied burn times in our show room model. Of course the firebox was so packed that you coudnt stuff a toothpick in it, it was loaded north south and every cubic foot was taken up.

Please tell me it was stuffed with that pine that the other dealer here on the forum said ya can't burn in Quads or other modern stoves.

 

[Corie]

Who said that?

*edit* Nevermind.

 

[BrotherBart]

Who said that?

The statement was:

"All wood QUAD products I have seen you must burn well seasoned hard woods only. Some softer woods could be mixed but you cannot burn pine or any “junk” wood like 2x4’s plywood, trim, etc…"

 

[bcinva]

Thanks for the info guys! Makes me want to pack up my "Forester" insert when we move and really save some dough. Probably will go Northstar since i need to save money to pay for the "Escape" gas fireplace my wife wants upstairs!
Thanks again

 

[TMonter]

I burn pine at the start of every season in my Quad. Since I want small hot fires before bedtime it works great. I agree you wouldn't want to burn engineered woods however.

 

[jtp10181]

I didn't mean the stove would implode if you burn pine. But more saying saying its a bad idea to burn straight pine in a stove like that (just didn't come out right). We get a lot of people around here who burn sopping wet wood, rotted wood, pine and other soft woods, 2x4's, stained trim, etc.... and then they call and wonder why they have liquid creosote coming out of their cap or why they cant get a fire going.

Anyway, the main feature the 7100 has over the Northstar is the AUX air component. Most of the time this is not used at all and personally I have not seen it used at all around here. But what you can do with it is hook up the aux air to return registers in other rooms (separate from the furnace system). Then you flip the lever at the bottom to draw air from those rooms for combustion. Combined with a heat zone it helps you distribute the heat to other rooms. Also I like the brick layout in the 7100 better. The 7100 has a little heavier duty fronts. The 7100 fresh air damper seals up better, preventing cold air infiltration. They may have finally updated the Northstar to the same style damper though.

FYI both units are made in the SAME factory, by Quadrafire. They just label them different. There is also the "Constitution" which is labeled Heatilator.

You will LOVE the Escape, awesome fireplace. I hope you have a large room its going in.

 

[bcinva]

yeah the "Escape" is going in a 20x20 two story great room. I wanted one with a blower but she liked the "clean" face of the escape. She also likes the brick and the backlighting. I don't care so much as i will be hangin in the basement with my woodburner!

 

[begreen]

Burning seasoned, dry pine in this kind of stove is all a lot folks burn east of the Cascades in our state. Burning wet, sopping wood, any kind of wood, will get your chimney gooey quick.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

I didn't mean the stove would implode if you burn pine. But more saying saying its a bad idea to burn straight pine in a stove like that (just didn't come out right). We get a lot of people around here who burn sopping wet wood, rotted wood, pine and other soft woods, 2x4's, stained trim, etc.... and then they call and wonder why they have liquid creosote coming out of their cap or why they cant get a fire going.

Anyway, the main feature the 7100 has over the Northstar is the AUX air component. Most of the time this is not used at all and personally I have not seen it used at all around here. But what you can do with it is hook up the aux air to return registers in other rooms (separate from the furnace system). Then you flip the lever at the bottom to draw air from those rooms for combustion. Combined with a heat zone it helps you distribute the heat to other rooms. Also I like the brick layout in the 7100 better. The 7100 has a little heavier duty fronts. The 7100 fresh air damper seals up better, preventing cold air infiltration. They may have finally updated the Northstar to the same style damper though.

FYI both units are made in the SAME factory, by Quadrafire. They just label them different. There is also the "Constitution" which is labeled Heatilator.

You will LOVE the Escape, awesome fireplace. I hope you have a large room its going in.

Wrong.
burning strait pine is not a bad idea in any stove.
You can burn pine in any appliance as long as its properly sesoned, and most of the western half of the US does?
And yes, i can get 14 hours burning pine in out 7100.
what implications should i be aware of if we only burn pine in quads?

ohh and one more thing, do you know what the federal goverment uses to test all the stoves on the market with?
pine.

 

[jtp10181]

Well I guess I was mis-informed then. I stand corrected.