To cat or not to cat?

[lighterknot]

I haven't had to deal with a wood burner since the late 70's in my auto repair shop...Long story short, I was able to access cut-outs from an old buck stove and welded it together. .. 7 inch sched 40 water pipe exhaust...If it would burn,,,,I burned it....But ,that was the "good ol' days".. My wife and I been researching different brands and types of free standing heaters now and down to deciding one with a cat or just a secondary burn....And between a cook stove or one just for heat. Not a lot of cooking room on most of the heat only stoves... For a 1700 sq ft ranch style... Average coldest temps in the upper 20's. In foothills of NC. ..Any suggestions would be appreciated and thought out .

 

[begreen]

If cooking is the goal then the non-cats offer a wider range of options. What is the budget for the stove and flue system? That may make the question moot. Cat stoves are more expensive.

Many stoves require at least a 16' flue system. Sometimes this can be a challenge in a ranch home. If this is the case, focus on stoves that will work on a shorter 12-14' flue system. Many Canadian brands work well with shorter systems.
This question has been asked a lot of times in the past season. Have you been able to review previous posts on this topic for more detail?

 

[bholler]

I haven't had to deal with a wood burner since the late 70's in my auto repair shop...Long story short, I was able to access cut-outs from an old buck stove and welded it together. .. 7 inch sched 40 water pipe exhaust...If it would burn,,,,I burned it....But ,that was the "good ol' days".. My wife and I been researching different brands and types of free standing heaters now and down to deciding one with a cat or just a secondary burn....And between a cook stove or one just for heat. Not a lot of cooking room on most of the heat only stoves... For a 1700 sq ft ranch style... Average coldest temps in the upper 20's. In foothills of NC. ..Any suggestions would be appreciated and thought out .

With your relatively moderate climate a good cat stove will probably make more sense. Because you can turn them down lower and burn longer. That being said a noncat will absolutely work just fine.

As far as cook stove vs regular stove if your primary goal is heating get a stove designed to heat. If it's cooking get one designed for that. Yes there are some that can do both but not as well as those designed specifically for the purpose

 

[lighterknot]

If cooking is the goal then the non-cats offer a wider range of options. What is the budget for the stove and flue system? That may make the question moot. Cat stoves are more expensive.

Many stoves require at least a 16' flue system. Sometimes this can be a challenge in a ranch home. If this is the case, focus on stoves that will work on a shorter 12-14' flue system. Many Canadian brands work well with shorter systems.
This question has been asked a lot of times in the past season. Have you been able to review previous posts on this topic for more detail?

Yeah, I was thinking too about more control of the heat factor without a cat .. but that's only a thought without experience.. I definitely plan on double wall top to bottom for better clearance..and safety. 8 ft ceiling with high pitch roof. Still probably have to have braced stack to achieve 16 ft... . We'll probably be "government spending",......."More than we budget for". I figured at least in the 45-55 grand total....but I'm sure they'll be other surprises if I go for options on stove. Another concern too is if I'm willing to compromise price for quality.... Hopefully we can come up with an even balance..
We do need to research more on this topic and maybe something will show up to help scratch our itch... Thanks for the feedback

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Today’s stoves are going to be much pickier about wood than the old ones were. Some species of wood will need 2+ years cut/split/stacked before they are ready to burn. While you decide on the stove, put your wood up!

 

[lighterknot]

With your relatively moderate climate a good cat stove will probably make more sense. Because you can turn them down lower and burn longer. That being said a noncat will absolutely work just fine.

As far as cook stove vs regular stove if your primary goal is heating get a stove designed to heat. If it's cooking get one designed for that. Yes there are some that can do both but not as well as those designed specifically for the purpose

I guess my thoughts of a non cat was the time/$$ of not having to worry about pre mature cat failure or damage. I think if my wife has to cook on a wood stove in 90 degree summer heat ,,. that might be a game changer there too...I see me cooking on the outside charcoal grill if everything goes down... As I was telling begreen,,,. I need to read up on more intell on this site and maybe I and my best half will come up with a decision. Thanks for the reply!!

 

[bholler]

I guess my thoughts of a non cat was the time/$$ of not having to worry about pre mature cat failure or damage. I think if my wife has to cook on a wood stove in 90 degree summer heat ,,. that might be a game changer there too...I see me cooking on the outside charcoal grill if everything goes down... As I was telling begreen,,,. I need to read up on more intell on this site and maybe I and my best half will come up with a decision. Thanks for the reply!!

Cooking with a wood cook stove isn't going to be all that pleasant either. Better with a summer grate but still hot. There is a reason old houses had summer kitchens

 

[begreen]

In non-cats you will be looking at 2 to 2.4 cu ft stoves. There are several choices that will be happy with a 12-14' straight-up flue system as measured from the stovetop to the chimney cap. In value stoves the Drolet 1800 Escape is a popular option. The Osburn 2000 has the same firebox with a c-cast baffle and better trim. Another popular value stove is the True North TN20. The Regency F2450 would work and the Lopi Evergreen too as well as the Pacific Energy Super. The PE Alderlea T5 is great for cooking on, but I think it would be a budget buster.

In cat stoves, look at the Blaze King Sirocco, Kuma Tamarack, & Woodstock Absolute Steel.

The budget will be tight. Stove and chimney prices have gone up a lot this season. Will this be self-install or dealer installed? If dealer installed you may need to stick with stoves that qualify for the 30% tax credit (up to $2000).

 

[lighterknot]

Today’s stoves are going to be much pickier about wood than the old ones were. Some species of wood will need 2+ years cut/split/stacked before they are ready to burn. While you decide on the stove, put your wood up!

You're absolutely right about that.....The oooold buck stove I had would burn just about anything.... Actually would put a piece of flat stainless on my coals and had a copper line at top of firebox dripping used motor oil on the ss. The spatter would ignite and kept a 40x40 uninsulated concrete building shirtsleeve temp inside at 25-28 degrees outside... The New design stoves....no way ... Would be like running a new car with leaded gas......Not good....

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Yeah, you can’t turn these stoves off once the meal has cooked. You might be getting heat for quite a few more hours afterwords. You definitely want to figure out how to cook outside for even moderate weather.

 

[lighterknot]

In non-cats you will be looking at 2 to 2.4 cu ft stoves. There are several choices that will be happy with a 12-14' straight-up flue system as measured from the stovetop to the chimney cap. In value stoves the Drolet 1800 Escape is a popular option. The Osburn 2000 has the same firebox with a c-cast baffle and better trim. Another popular value stove is the True North TN20. The Regency F2450 would work and the Lopi Evergreen too as well as the Pacific Energy Super. The PE Alderlea T5 is great for cooking on, but I think it would be a budget buster.

In cat stoves, look at the Blaze King Sirocco, Kuma Tamarack, & Woodstock Absolute Steel.

The budget will be tight. Stove and chimney prices have gone up a lot this season. Will this be self-install or dealer installed? If dealer installed you may need to stick with stoves that qualify for the 30% tax credit (up to $2000).

Thanks for the info... We'll be doing our homework on these......I plan on doing the install myself.. I know some of the installers around here are trustworthy and reliable,,, but,,, if you know what you're looking for,,,you better double check,. Plus my wife says I over do things on projects sometimes but I agree with her when it comes to safety related.

 

[lighterknot]

Cooking with a wood cook stove isn't going to be all that pleasant either. Better with a summer grate but still hot. There is a reason old houses had summer kitchens

Yep..... She'll know that too when she sees the wax candles bending over and the artificial flowers drooping .... I'd rather be outside cooking anyway.....

 

[lighterknot]

Yeah, you can’t turn these stoves off once the meal has cooked. You might be getting heat for quite a few more hours afterwords. You definitely want to figure out how to cook outside for even moderate weather.

True ...Not pleasant eating a meal at kitchen table with sweat dripping off your nose onto a chicken leg ....