Stove upgrade, advice ....

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sourbeer

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Jan 27, 2009
9
MD
I'm currently burning a Jotul CB118. I have a 2100 square foot home that i'm heating. I would like to get a bigger stove and am in the research stage now. I am hoping to get a stove that will put out a little more heat and have longer burn times. I do not like getting up in the night to stoke the stove. I also run my stove around the clock and have a difficult time cleaning ashes from the Jotul with it's deep fire box and keeping enough coals to keep the fire burning.

I was looking at the Jotul Oslo, the Lopi Liberty, a Country Canyon or the Vermont Castings Defiant.

I have a 6" flue.

Your thoughts.
 
Lots and lots of stoves fit your desires. You have named cast iron and plate steel stoves. So what do you prefer? DO you have a preference for a certain length of firewood, like you have 30 cords of 20" wood out back? Do you mind catalytic stoves? What's your budget? The stoves you listed are not the cheap ones.

Everybody likes long burn times. If I was in your shoes, I would specify no less than a 3 CF firebox for a non-cat. Consider the PE alderlea T6 as well. How about the Blaze king princess for long burn times and a 6" flue. Woodstock stoves are nice but they are all too small for 2100 SF. There are a couple of "off" brand cat stoves too but since you seem to be willing to consider a VC product then how about the dutchwest series cat stoves. The medium one will fit your flue.
 
I do like the cast stoves. would prefer non-catalyst models. Tell me more about the PE stoves, the T6 looks nice.

Price: I want to but a good stove that fits my needs, and lasts as long as I desire to cut wood. Give me a price range for the specific models suggested if possible.

Log size doesnt' matter to me, I'm able to use longer sticks in my current stove but am not sitting on a large stockpile of wood. I'm just now cutting wood for next year.
 
Prices are hard to come by but here's that info for the pacific energy line along with hearthstones which I own. Prices aren't too high for the PE line.

(broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/fswood.htm)

That site has WA sales info but gives you a data point and good info.

My house is smaller at 1700 SF but old and I live in WA so less extreme and I have a heritage. I wouldn't go any smaller. You should be looking at 3CF firebox stoves.
 
sourbeer- keep your eyes on Craigslist MD/DC. Some nice stoves are often available for next to nothing. I picked up an Avalon Olympic (nearly identical to the Liberty) for $500 and it was close to brand new. It's a wonderful stove and puts out a ridiculous amount of heat. I will say though that it uses a LOT of wood. If I couldn't get free wood I would probably have kept looking for a catalytic until.
 
I will second Highbeam that if you are getting a non-cat stove, go with 3 cu. ft. or larger. Quadrafire is another brand to throw in your list. Englander also makes a stove (the 30 model) that would fit your needs, but it is a plain clothes type of heater.
 
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