Used VC Encore

[AU Fan]

I am looking at purchasing a used Encore from a private party with following add-ons: side racks, factory blower kit, and cast iron stove top humidifier. It is a 2010 model appears to be in great shape. What is a reasonable offer for this stove?

 

[begreen]

Do you know if this is the 2550 or the 2040 model? Both have refractory packages that can get fragile at this age, but the cat model 2550 seemed to stand up better.

 

[AU Fan]

Do you know if this is the 2550 or the 2040 model? Both have refractory packages that can get fragile at this age, but the cat model 2550 seemed to stand up better.

It is the 2040 model.

 

[begreen]

It is the 2040 model.

My guess is the market value is around $1000 before the options. It's one of the best looking classic stoves on the market, but I would not offer anything for it. The repair record is too high and costly and they can be fussy to operate. There are better options.

 

[mellow]

Reasonable offer knowing how finicky that stove is: $200.00.

 

[Dobish]

i purchased my 2040 in 2015 on sale (20% off) with warming shelves & no blower for $2500.

are they including the pipe?

 

[AU Fan]

i purchased my 2040 in 2015 on sale (20% off) with warming shelves & no blower for $2500.

are they including the pipe?

Pipe to the wall is included.

 

[Dobish]

i would offer them 1200$ and see what they say?

 

[defiant3]

I don't think they were making the 2040 in 2010, were they? Wasn't it still the 1450 non-cat at that point? 2040 is the better stove, the 1450 maybe you could live without...

 

[Diabel]

If it is the 1450........run and run fast away from that stove!!

 

[HomeinPA]

i would offer them 1200$ and see what they say?

I don't know how skilled ya'all are at the art of negotiation (I'm Italian so I'm usually torn between paying wholesale or just stealing it) but you never, NEVER start high. You can always come up in price but you can't come down. I've never had anyone say "oh no, please take it for 500 less".

I am not a big VC fan myself. They are very pretty stoves to look at but I never had any luck with burn times and such. I'd offer about half of what you think you might actually want to pay and after he gets up off the floor tell him to give you a number to work from. The person who throws out the initial price is usually the loser.

 

[Dobish]

I don't know how skilled ya'all are at the art of negotiation (I'm Italian so I'm usually torn between paying wholesale or just stealing it) but you never, NEVER start high. You can always come up in price but you can't come down. I've never had anyone say "oh no, please take it for 500 less".

I am not a big VC fan myself. They are very pretty stoves to look at but I never had any luck with burn times and such. I'd offer about half of what you think you might actually want to pay and after he gets up off the floor tell him to give you a number to work from. The person who throws out the initial price is usually the loser.

if it is the 2040, with the pipe and everything else, it might be worth it, but starting low is always a better idea. if its the 1450, i wouldn't touch it either!

 

[SuperJ]

Sure is pretty...

 

[redhat]

It is the 2040 model.

The 2040 is the latest Encore model with the updated refractory. The refractory in the 2040 It is not fragile at all, but a hardened rock like material. Begreen has his models crossed, the 2550 is the older Encore model with the softer refractory material that was prone to failure.

I'm on my 3rd year with my 2040 and have had no issues whatsoever, this stove replaced a 2550 that I ran for 7 years.

I paid $2600 for mine so I would think a used model would be worth somewhere in the range of $1200-1500.

 

[Dobish]

The 2040 is the latest Encore model with the updated refractory. The refractory in the 2040 It is not fragile at all, but a hardened rock like material. Begreen has his models crossed, the 2550 that is the older Encore model with the softer refractory material that was prone to failure.

I'm on my 3rd year with my 2040 and have had no issues whatsoever, this stove replaced a 2550 that I ran for 7 years.

I paid $2600 for mine so I would think a used model would be worth somewhere in the range of $1200-1500.

i'm on year 2.3 of mine as well, with no issues. burns 24/7 from november to may (except for now when it is 60º outside)

 

[bholler]

The 2040 is the latest Encore model with the updated refractory. The refractory in the 2040 It is not fragile at all, but a hardened rock like material. Begreen has his models crossed, the 2550 is the older Encore model with the softer refractory material that was prone to failure.

I'm on my 3rd year with my 2040 and have had no issues whatsoever, this stove replaced a 2550 that I ran for 7 years.

I paid $2600 for mine so I would think a used model would be worth somewhere in the range of $1200-1500.

But it is still much more complicated with many more parts to break. Yes they are allot better now but honestly allot better than complete crap isnt nessecarily that great compared to most other stoves on the market. There are other stoves on the market that look every bit as good and are much less complicated.

 

[bholler]

To me it will take 10 years before we know if they have actually addresses their maintenance issues. And i would not recomend one to anyone till we know that.

 

[Diabel]

German cars are complicated, but are the best in my opinion....

 

[bholler]

German cars are complicated, but are the best in my opinion....

Untill you have to work on them. And regardless comparing german engeneering to that on vermont castings stoves is not exactly apples to apples

 

[Calentarse]

I am looking at purchasing a used Encore from a private party with following add-ons: side racks, factory blower kit, and cast iron stove top humidifier. It is a 2010 model appears to be in great shape. What is a reasonable offer for this stove?
View attachment 220415

I had a 2010 2N1 Encore (2040). My brother currently has a 2011 model. The gaskets that hold these stoves together eventually fail, and consequently, the stove needs a full rebuild, which would cost you more than its worth. The decorative panel across the back is easy to break with the top load feature if one is not careful putting wood in the stove. They're very difficult to control with the tstat- one must use the amount of wood to control it (or insert in a greener piece with dry wood) to even get 6-8 hour burns. They're also cast iron (not jacketed) so the room they are in tends to be 80 degrees or more. The wall around them gets very hot with min clearances. My brother is very envious of my BK (except the smoke smell woes). I will never own another Encore.

 

[Dobish]

I had a 2010 2N1 Encore (2040). My brother currently has a 2011 model. The gaskets that hold these stoves together eventually fail, and consequently, the stove needs a full rebuild, which would cost you more than its worth. The decorative panel across the back is easy to break with the top load feature if one is not careful putting wood in the stove. They're very difficult to control with the tstat- one must use the amount of wood to control it (or insert in a greener piece with dry wood) to even get 6-8 hour burns. They're also cast iron (not jacketed) so the room they are in tends to be 80 degrees or more. The wall around them gets very hot with min clearances. My brother is very envious of my BK (except the smoke smell woes). I will never own another Encore.

I have not had any of these issues with mine, but I'm only on my third season. When did yours start failing?

 

[Diabel]

Untill you have to work on them. And regardless comparing german engeneering to that on vermont castings stoves is not exactly apples to apples

New England is full of Germans. I would not be surprised if some of the engineers at VC were not descendants...

 

[bholler]

New England is full of Germans. I would not be surprised if some of the engineers at VC were not descendants...

Ok well they obviously didnt inherit the engeneering gene from their ancestors. Lol

 

[bholler]

I work on lots of stoves from lots of manufacturers and vc and harman (who are both owned by the same company now) are the 2 worst to work on and the most expensive to maintain

 

[Diabel]

Ok well they obviously didnt inherit the engeneering gene from their ancestors. Lol

Haha! Good one and quick!

I don't want to jinx it. My encore runs like a bimmer after the complete rebuild, plus the reckless mode.

I feel if I keep praising it, it will start backpuffing, fireback glowing, refractory failing.....etc

I know the VC stoves are the most disliked ones on the forum. I will say it again, 95% of them failing is caused by the user!