Replacement for VC Encore Cat ?

[downeast]

Shoulder season time: those quick, hot morning fires....and, time for the annual maintenance of the complex 13 year old VC Encore cat. It's ready for a new refractory assembly, maybe a new steel cat ( they don't quite do the job ), secondary air assembly, and the usual gaskets in and out. Some of the cast plates also need re-cementing. I don't look forward to broken bolts, grinding cast parts, and the usual sweating getting all the parts back together.....again. Comittment is normally a weekend; no beer, no drinks.

So.....last November we toured the Woodstock plant on our annual trip to the Thetford Vermont Game Supper ( moose, raccoon, wild boar, alligator, etc...). Impressive operation ! Professional and no questions were too much for them. The comments here on the Hybrid Progress all sound positive.

But, the Encore is a top loader, the spacing and shielding is just right for the Encore. The Progress is only left or right loading. It is also slightly larger (and heavier) than the Encore with a higher BTU rating.

Comments ? Suggestions for a stove replacement ? Will do cat, not BK since she does not like the looks.

 

[jeff_t]

Wait for the new Woodstock? It's a front loader.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Shoulder season time: those quick, hot morning fires....and, time for the annual maintenance of the complex 13 year old VC Encore cat. It's ready for a new refractory assembly, maybe a new steel cat ( they don't quite do the job ), secondary air assembly, and the usual gaskets in and out. Some of the cast plates also need re-cementing. I don't look forward to broken bolts, grinding cast parts, and the usual sweating getting all the parts back together.....again. Comittment is normally a weekend; no beer, no drinks.

So.....last November we toured the Woodstock plant on our annual trip to the Thetford Vermont Game Supper ( moose, raccoon, wild boar, alligator, etc...). Impressive operation ! Professional and no questions were too much for them. The comments here on the Hybrid Progress all sound positive.

But, the Encore is a top loader, the spacing and shielding is just right for the Encore. The Progress is only left or right loading. It is also slightly larger (and heavier) than the Encore with a higher BTU rating.

Comments ? Suggestions for a stove replacement ? Will do cat, not BK since she does not like the looks.

• Ignore BTU ratings. Focus on firebox size.
• The progress is about twice the weight of the Encore.
• Fireview would put off about the same amount of heat.
• The Progress will put off about the same amount of heat as the Defiant.
• If you run the Encore hard and hot, go with something the size of the Progress.
• Top loading is nice, but front and side loading work fine.
• Pretty much any stove you move to will require a lot LESS maintenance than a VC stove.

 

[jeff_t]

Welcome back.....

 

[downeast]

• Ignore BTU ratings. Focus on firebox size. Correct.
• The progress is about twice the weight of the Encore. Mostly the soapstone.
• Fireview would put off about the same amount of heat. Barely, but we need real heat all the time.
• The Progress will put off about the same amount of heat as the Defiant. Don't really know this except for stove ratings. But possible.
• If you run the Encore hard and hot, go with something the size of the Progress. We do: 24/7, no central heating.
• Top loading is nice, but front and side loading work fine. Now you're wrong- love top loading: carry, drop, close. Think BAR.
• Pretty much any stove you move two will require a lot LESS maintenance than a VC stove. CORRECT!

Will not hold that BAR against you boy
Appreciate the input. Woodstock honestly impressed me: quality, build, professionalism, comments about their service.

Worth repeating: there's no furnace here with thermostat @ 65 F, indoor temperature swings in winter can delta 20-30 degrees.
BAR got it--the Encore is run " hard and hot". Super appliance when all systems are operating.

Thanks.