Rob From Wisconsin said:
elkimmeg said:
Back pack I have the Intrepid in a similar size room What the intrepid offers is thermostatic controlled burning ,,smokeless top loading, and up to twice the burn times of similar size fire box stoves. I believe it to be the best stove in the small fire box range The Aspen will require more frequent reloading.
Another good feature is long enough splits to hold a decent burn times 16" I have had very good productive heat times of 6 hours and been able to rekindle the next morning wit some kindling and raking the coals into a pile.. All smaller stoves have one thing in common, Very small ash pans or none at all. The Intrepid has a small ash pan that needs to be emptied daily or
every other day.. I speaking from personal experience backed by 30 years of wood heating
Another nice feature is a great glass viewing area for a stove that size.. I can tell you this stove really makes a very warm pleasant room Picture this on the couch watching Patriots
playoff games with my wife Great view of the fire a little wine A pats Touchdown or two Little more wine Halftime snuggling little more wine Does not get to much better than this Tee shirts in the dead of winter and comfortable very comfortable
Sorry if not a Patriots Team insert you own favorite team
I'm interested in the Intrepid - good looking stove, many great features.
You have the Cat version, I'm assuming??
Sounds like you get decent burns & decent heat in spite of its size.
What burn times do you typically get using what kind of wood??
Running reliably with few or no breakdowns seen in VC's typically??
A bit pricey, but perhaps you could convice me that this stove is worth it.
Your input is appreciated....
Rob
the non cat version was discontinued last year. It plain could not compete with the cat model With fireboxes this size. Actually it really only competed with the smaller Aspen.
Plan at best to get 3 /4 hours productive heat. Add a cat and thematically controlled combustion 6+ hours of productive heat is the norm (Productive heat my explanation griddle top temps over 400 degrees. not just a few coals raked into a little pipe and stove temps under 200 degrees) This is a very well designed combustion system, going threw revisions and enhancements for its 20 year run. Mine is 20 years old. Other than replacing the original cat combustor and some gaskets, I have not had to replace any internal parts. None are warped and none need replacing. It was this stove that proved to me and dispelled the non cat myth. I was given the stove about 3 years back it replaced an Mid 80 plate steel stove which I gave to a needy family. At first I looked at the stove and immediately figured I made a big mistake No way this small stove was going to heat this cathedral ceiling family room. IT looked so small
What if everybody was right? The cat stoves are too sensitive to draft in my concrete block masonry chimney. Imagine the I told you so from the wife and my own self doubt?
I fired it up not too bad getting it going build a good bed of coals then loaded it got it up to temp engaged that cat the thermo on the griddle remained an even 550 I was so accustomed to regulating the air that I was waiting for the temp to drop to add air my primary air was only 1/4 open..,. Ok go out side look up at the chimney hell no sign of smoke I know that cat is working. Time passed and the room thermo is rising temp 66 to 71 outside in now 18 dropping Hell Im only 3 hours into the burn and there is plenty of remaining wood. Better yet I haven't touched any air controls and the stove top is still around 550 to 575 At the fith hour it is now 15 out but a very cozy 74 inside and still the stove top is at 550 .
The last hour before I reloaded hour 6 the stove top went down 100 degrees and room temp went back a degree About 11:00 now I loaded it again. within 15 minutes the fire was ready to
engage the cat I went to bed Next morning about 10 degrees outside but inside was still 68 degrees stove was at 250 raked the coals in a pile some smaller kinfdling and I was back in businesses. I never experienced this performance before. This stove was out preforming my New resolute Acclaim. Honest it burned longer with little fussing with controls.
No more fiddling and diddiling with controls like I was doing with the resolute to find that sweet spot. Hell this was too easy I felt like the old Maytag repairman set it and forget it.
It must have been a fluke? 3years later its not a fluke but the norm. I look at it as the little engine that could. I could not believe how well it preformed .I got to thinking maybe I should replace the Resolute Acclaim with a Cat Encore. In my travels I found one, used only two seasons, $500 Great shape, I changed a few gaskets. Sold the Resolute and just about an even swap. Best move I made in a long time, it preformed better than I expected. Same routine set and forget and now a realistic 8+ hour productive heat range.
That intrepid is still here going into season 4 and if the Patriots may the playoffs so will the warm fire be providing heat and a little wine producing another kind of heat. It is true a wood stove came warm you up in more ways that one..
did I tell you it has an open fire screen option That's right, you can admire an open flame on that couch session with your wife. Something has to be said about fire and good wine.
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