Stove shop or hardware store buy?

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elfgirl

New Member
Oct 23, 2015
1
nek vt
Hello everyone!

Yep, another newbie to contend with. :p First off - thank you all for the great advice you have posted thus far to help us non-professionals figure things out. I have been here many times the last 2 years researching stoves (as well as to manufacturer sites) to narrow down the field for when I finally needed to get one. My head usually ends up hurting - but this forum has helped me get closer to making that final decision (as well as having GREAT advice on all things related to heating!).

So that my question can be answered as best as possible, let's start with my particulars and go from there. I built a small (not tiny) 1.5 story, 16 x 20 camp/cottage on posts with a 12-pitch roof, that is used about every other month or so for about a month at a time. It is still being worked on, but is livable (glorified camping you could say). Not yet plumbed, has a compost toilet, but wired to grid (eventually to switch to solar at some point). Electric heat has been fine up to now, but definitely need to get a woodstove installed now for my first real winter since power outages may happen when I'm there (not a problem when not since there is no piping to worry about yet). I'm guessing the place is somewhere between 450-600 sq ft, so I need a small stove. I insulated it well with Roxul, and plan to use haybales below this year to insulate more to help prevent frost heaves (which already required re-leveling once because I didn't do that last year).

Until this week, I thought I'd decided on the VC Aspen - but your reviews and the advice from the stove shop guy said NO WAY. Now, I'm looking at a Jotul or Morso, with Jotul edging forward. My question then is whether I really need the higher end stove or simply should buy one of the cheaper TSC or ACE models to suit my needs. I've looked at Vogelzangs and others at those stores and wasn't overly impressed. I like soapstones, but need a cast iron stove so I get quick heat and have a cooking surface to use when the power goes (currently no gas stove, just a hotplate and crockpot). If there are any other small woodburning stoves I haven't thought of, please let me know ASAP, since I will be ordering/purchasing one by early next week.

I guess you could say I pretty much want a reliable and well-built stove that won't cause many headaches (doesn't everyone?), since I have no skills to fix them with. I'm thinking the adage 'you get what you pay for' probably applies here? (Oh, and access to free wood is not a problem for me.)

Thanks again for all your help!
 
Hardware or stove shop. Neither. Take a short drive to West Lebanon NH, heck make it a day trip and stop off at the Montshire Museum right across the river on the way and then visit Woodstock stoves. Couldn't hurt. Fast heat? Soapstone? Cooking? The IS just might be the ticket. And they are coming out with something even more efficient! Sent you a more detailed message. Love VT!
 
If you are looking for a small box stove I like the Morso 2B and the Jotul F602CB.
 
Take a look at the Englander 17vl. Tight clearances and really throws some heat. Great view of the fire. 1.1 CuFt firebox. I wouldn't recomend it for cooking on if that's a consideration, but really a great stove for small spaces.
 
Got a couple buddies heating small spaces like yours with The Drolet Eldorado. It's a big box store brand, sold at Menards, among others. They're all very pleased. I run a Baltic, myself, and am most impressed with it. The Eldorado's a small, flat topped unit, and could certainly be used as an emergency cooking appliance, in a pinch. Might be worth a look, as you can sometimes fing them on sale for under a grand.
 
There are some good stoves sold in hardware stores. I always suggest that the first part of buying a stove consists of looking at your budget. That will help dictate what you end up buying. For example, SBI makes - Drolet - Flame - Century Heating - Osburn - PSG - Enerzone - Valcourt. In their wood stove lines, the fireboxes are all the same between companies but dressed up differently with some fancier and more simple finishing options. Most stoves made in Europe and NA are quality stoves. SBI are all made in Canada with some thick steel...in Canada we know what cold is all about ;)


All that to say that it's not necessarily "you get what you pay for". In the world of non cat EPA steel stoves, you pay for the bells and whistles more than anything.

Make sure you start cutting, splitting and stacking wood! EPA stoves like wood below 22% moisture content...

Happy shopping! Let us know how you make out.

Andrew
 
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