VC Defiant vs. Quadra Fire IR vs. Buck 2800...

[twistedcreekfarm09]

Hi all! My husband and I are looking to buy our first wood stove. We just purchased a home on 20 (mostly wooded) acres in mid-MI and want to supplement the electric baseboard heat with wood as much as possible. Home is a open-ish layout 2150sq ft ranch with a full open basement (also 2150 sq ft). Our idea is to put the stove in the basement, use it to heat the basement, then use ceiling fans and vents to let the heat upstairs.

Went to the local buy-it-all-new store and they wanted to sell us a Quadra Fire Adventure III for $3800. Add in the price of install and piping and we were looking at around $6000. Ouch. But that's option #1.

Option #2 would be a local installer who would sell us a Napoleon for $2000 (not including pipe, install, etc.).

Option #3 is craigslist. Still going to pay for install since we're first-timers and have to put in a chimney. Here's some local available options. Are these comparable? Will they give us the performance that we're hoping to get? Any advice would be much appreciated!!

- $500 for a VC Dutchwest #2462
- A 2007 Quadra Fire Isle Royale for $1000 with the blower and warming shelves. Listing says that it was cleaned, repainted and regasketed this fall.
- Buck 2800 with new door seals and variable speed fan for $1100
- VC Defiant for $450 - looks to be in good shape

 

[Jags]

If your intent is to try and heat 4000+ sqft from the basement...go big. That is the adventure III. Buyer beware - that is a mostly unproven stove at this point. Not much for reviews yet.
The VC stoves are getting long in the tooth. The Isle Royal is probably the next size to consider (at 3.0 cuft). If styling is not a big issue in the basement, throw the Englander NC30 in for consideration. Its a big plate steel heat belching work horse that I would consider utilitarian, but its a proven heater (and cost consious).

Note: heating from the basement has mixed results. Most success stories start out with insulated basement walls.

 

[twistedcreekfarm09]

If your intent is to try and heat 4000+ sqft from the basement...go big. That is the adventure III. Buyer beware - that is a mostly unproven stove at this point. Not much for reviews yet.
The VC stoves are getting long in the tooth. The Isle Royal is probably the next size to consider (at 3.0 cuft). If styling is not a big issue in the basement, throw the Englander NC30 in for consideration. Its a big plate steel heat belching work horse that I would consider utilitarian, but its a proven heater (and cost consious).

Note: heating from the basement has mixed results. Most success stories start out with insulated basement walls.

We have looked at the Englander but thought it was a lower quality than the others would be? How would the NC30 compare to the IR?
Would the extra + we get from the Adventure III be worth the higher price tag?

 

[defiant3]

DW is out, probably the Defiant too. Could be stuff wrong you don't see, and though I love them, unless there's someone who can service it locally I wouldn't bother. NC-30 can be a great workhorse for short money!

 

[Jags]

Without knowing some gritty details of your home like level of insulation, required btu's, etc. I can only speak in generalities. Key words like "basement", 4000 sqft, electric heat conjur up my brain to think big. The adventure III is a big stove at 4+ cuft. The others of that size range are the Blaze King King, and the Big Buck. The NC30 is actually larger than the Isle royal (3.5ft vs. 3.0). Yes the NC30 is a simple design and a welded plate steel stove - utilitarian, but proven. The Isle Royale also has a long history of performance. I have had mine since 2002 and it has been faultless. Some have had issues with the fire brick (soft materials), but for the most part a very solid stove. Lots of them out there quietly making heat for its owners. I am a fan of all stoves mentioned so far (outside of the VC stuff, but that is another thread, do a search.). You will benefit from any of them, trying to nail the perfect fit is just about as much art as it is science. And of course, all of this is just my opinion.

I wont be directing you to buy XX stove, not my style, but hopefully I (and others) can give you enough info to help you with making the final decision including the details that are important to you with a stove that can provide the performance you want.

 

[woodfreak666]

Let me suggest a large drolet woodstove like the legend ll or myriad for example.


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[scottyh]

quadra fire is out, mine is a pain in the ass, electronic controls have been worked on three times this year and still don't work

 

[begreen]

Thread is over a year old. Hopefully they got something by now.