Stepping into the present...but not excited about "extras"...What's good? What's bad?

[Jahfre]

I'm planning to replace my Fisher; probably sooner than later after all I've read at Hearth.com about newer stoves. From what I've read here, a new, smaller stove could cut my consumption nearly in half; to about $350 per year. I live in a harsh environment with my only fuel sources being yellow pine, Douglas fir and aspen. My house is small and round with a center peak roof about 13' high. The kitchen/great room is about 500 sq ft and the two bedrooms and bath take the other 400 sq ft. Since the house is round and the stove is near the center and all the rooms have doors the directly face the stove, the whole place heats rather nicely and evenly. Since this is a single story house and the stove is on a pedestal, the chimney is only about 10' tall to get it 4' above the peak. I have no back up heating options but my house has full southern exposure with a panoramic view that lets in maximum winter sun so even on the coldest day, like today 7 degrees for a projected high temp with wind gusting to 80MPH, it is HOT in here with the stove shut down to embers.

I'm a very utilitarian man. I want a phone that allows me to call others but I don't care if it has a ringer. That thing is for my convenience, not to make me convenient to others; I have an answering machine for that. I don't need bells and whistles on my wood stove either; just a safe place to build an indoor fire.

I have my own bias based on great experience with welded plate steel stoves like the American Eagle back in the '80s and the Fisher today. I like the big black hot box in the middle of the room.

I do think my Fisher is a bit of overkill, the firebox is about 17"X20"X22" @ 4 cu ft., but I don't want to under size myself for the future either. The Fisher works fine and has no structural issues but it is getting ugly; I repainted it a few years ago and it is getting ugly again...it isn't going to get any better. I also think it is a great time to invest with an eye towards a much different social and economic future in our country so I'm looking to replace it. I'm not a Y2K - type survivalist but yet I do spend a lot of time thinking about self-sufficiency in an uncertain future. Better safe than sorry is my perspective so I want to get a new stove while the getting is good.

I've never had a stove with a glass door before and I'm a bit apprehensive about that. What next, little microphones inside to broadcast the crackling sounds? I just need heat. What do I need to know about glass doors and are there still black box stoves available anywhere?

Cast iron seems fragile to me when compared to a hunk of steel like my Fisher. Are there any concerns about cast versus steel I should know about?

Comments? Recommendations? Suggestions?

Thanks,
Jahfre Fire Eater

 

[begreen]

Nice place. I like round homes.

I would consider the PE Summit, or an Englander 30-NC (cheap, big, solid hunk of steel that kicks out the heat). If you want a black box, consider a Sedore. But personally, I would also strongly consider a soapstone stove for keeping the place a more comfortable even temperature. A Hearthstone Mansfield is what comes to mind first.

 

[KWillets]

Just a thought, but if you don't care about seeing the fire you could put a forced-air blower unit underneath the house near your woodpile. It looks like you could run the ducts under the floor pretty easily.

 

[nshif]

Based on your needs I second the Englander. Good stove from all reports and great coustomer service. 2 Employees are on this forum regularly and solve every problem that arises.... and they are very well priced

 

[Jahfre]

We talked about taking the stove out of the house but decided it belongs in the center of the room. However, with a new stove and a reduced clearance requirement, I could move the stove enough to put in a pool table. Hmm....I'll bet there would a a couple shots that would really burn my butt though.

Jahfre Fire Eater

 

[webbie]

I'd be looking in the 2.2 to 2.5 cubic foot range (cat) or 2.8 to 3.2 cubic foot size non-cat (generally speaking).

Up sizing a bit will not hurt because you are burning softwood - the main advantage of going up is longer burn times.

Based on your preferences, I would say a steel stove similar to what you have but with updated combustion. There are a number of such units on the market - if you have a local dealer, a visit there might be in order. If you don't have access to a decent dealer or selection, there are also a lot of options like the Englander mentioned or some dealers like the chimneysweep who hang on the board here. They ship direct and can provide you the personal support advantages of a dealer who has been in the biz for a long time.

 

[Jimbob]

This stove would look good in the centre of that house!
(broken link removed to http://www.pacificenergy.net/product_spectrum.php)

The glass won't break, it's actually a clear ceramic sheet. It's functional too because you can check on the fire w/o opening the door.
The Spectrum is porcelain on steel, so it won't ever need re-painting.

If you want something a bit bigger:
(broken link removed to http://www.pacificenergy.net/product_summit_classic.php)


VERY nice place, btw.

 

[bwolfe1]

I would recommend the Sedore. It creates more radiant heat than any I've seen and they are built to last forever. the other great features are top loading, this is a biggie as no more trying to shove wood in from the front or side, burns 15 different fuels, who knows whats coming down the road so being able to burn many different fuels could be very important? Easy to operate with very long burn times, and it can be shut down when the temps warm up. If Independence is important the this is the stove for you. This would be the last stove you'd ever buy as unlike the Ficher, it will outlast us all. so you can leave something behind for your kin.
Oh I forgot to mention that you would also be supporting a small US owned and operated business, using local resources. If nothing else go and see a Sedore in action and then make you're choice. The sedore sells it self, and there's quite a few out there now so one might be in you're neighborhood or close by.

www,sedoreusa.com

 

[webbie]

Ah, Bruce - stepping close (or over) the line to commercialism.....it's other people that are supposed to "pimp" you stoves, not the manufacturer himself......sort of the general forum rules.

Reason is that once it starts, every maker is gonna be on here doing it over and over, and that will ruin the basic idea (some independence) of the forums.

 

[bwolfe1]

Understood.

 

[WoodMann]

Little off topic here, but- Jahfre Fire Eater, how are the property taxes up there? I dream of moving to Colorado someday and your elevation looks perfect. Hermit Living, that's the life for me...............

 

[Jags]

Although, I love the 30NC, I am with BeGreen on the soap stone stove.

1.) only source of heat.
2.) central location
3.) burning softwood
4.) small sqft foot print of home

Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner - SOAPSTONE

Just my opinion of course.

Nice place, by the way. I would have to build another smaller circle to the side, just for the hot tube with panoramic view. :cheese:

 

[begreen]

Recent experience with the Alderlea is giving me respect for combining a large mass of cast iron with a steel stove. I can recommend the PE Alderlea T6 as having enough mass to retain heat for quite awhile after the fire dies down. Conversely, it takes a while to get that mass up to temp. The T6 behavior is more like a soapstone stove than I expected.

 

[dakota03]

That's what I like about this forum. It's kept as honest as posible... Many first time buyers come here for advice and it would be worthless (not to mention harmful) if bias opinions were given by manufactures or their employees. I am going to buy my first wood stove this year and have learned a lot from this site. I can say though, that no one should base there opion on what others have to say, DO THE RESEARCH! (Craig)Thanks for starting this great web site and trying to keep it honest.

 

[jtb51b]

I think its great that the stove manufacturers get on here and offer advice! I understand the difference in offering advice and "pimping" their brand tho. If someone says for instance they want a PE stove and whats the best for his environment then I see no better person to respond than the person who services that brand! Be it an employee, a dealer, or the man who designs/owns the company! I think this site has the best of that, combined with the hours and hours of customers usage to back up any claims, or to deny them!

Jason

 

[Redox]

Ah, Bruce - stepping close (or over) the line to commercialism.....it's other people that are supposed to "pimp" you stoves, not the manufacturer himself......sort of the general forum rules.

Reason is that once it starts, every maker is gonna be on here doing it over and over, and that will ruin the basic idea (some independence) of the forums.

Thank you, Craig! This is one of the reasons i'm here!

That being said, I also had a Fisher insert that worked great, but was getting a little ugly. Rugged, for sure; I probably could have dropped it off the roof and not hurt it. It did smoke like a pig, though. MMMmmm smoked pig... But I digress.

I was also talked out of a cast stove and into a Quadrafire. A little more expensive than an Englander (little?), but aesthetics mattered to the wife; I just wanted a good burn! All 1/4 inch steel, beautiful welds and warranted forever (?). Haven't looked back since. The glass is great; it won't break unless you close it on a log and provides literally HOURS of entertainment. I have been assured by my dealer that they keep the ceramic glass in stock and replace it in house if I ever have a problem. It is really pretty when it is clean, but does get a little dirty after a few weeks of 24/7 combustion. Just let the fire die out and cool off and Windex seems to take care of everything without any scrubbing.

Check out your dealers and talk to people here if you have any questions; this place is a wealth of knowledge (and opinion). Oh, and do let us know what you buy; secretly, we're all a bunch of stove "junkies" that like hearing that we "hooked" another one!

Chris

PS: nice house!

 

[fossil]

Both my stoves have clear glass in the doors, as have the other two woodstoves I've owned. I wouldn't have one without glass, unless it was in a basement or someplace where I couldn't see it. Watching the fire through the glass, and monitoring the stovepipe temperature, are the only clues I have as to how the burn is going, unless I wanted to open the door. Way beyond that "ex-chief engineer" stuff is the pleasure and warmth it brings to the room. I just love watching that secondary burn rolling in, it's beautiful. Yes, the glass gets a bit dirty from time to time, but as has been said, a little windex and a paper towel takes it all away. I usually look for an opportunity (cool stove) to empty ash and clean the glass at the same time. I'm completely sold on the ambience of a glass door. Rick