VC Dutchwest 2461 cracked

[JK85]

Hello all, this is my first post on here. I'll try to keep it concise.

I have a VC Dutchwest 2461. Not sure of how old it is. I bought my house in 2020 and the stove came with it. I've used it on and off for the last couple years. I noticed a crack on the right side of the stove a couple days ago. I've checked periodically for imperfections before, but this is the first time I've seen anything like this. Haven't done anything outside of having the chimney swept, cleaning the cat, and replacing worn out andirons. Pics aren't great, but I highlighted the crack. I was able to see through it when I had a fire going. I've read things where it was mentioned to try drilling a 1/8" hole centered at the end of the crack, but I wouldn't expect that to work here. Is this worth trying to repair or is it time to move on and get a new stove? Any thoughts, etc are appreciated. Thanks.

 

[barnyardengineering]

Drilling the hole at the ends of the crack is a common practice in cast iron repair to stop the crack from getting larger. It's not the actual fix.

You can get any piece of the stove as replacement parts online so if you had your heart set on it you could disassemble the stove and replace the cracked piece. If you do I recommend having at least 2 tubes of furnace cement on hand so you have enough to put a generous bead in every seam. It's like putting together a gingerbread house.

I have the same stove but I'm not at all happy with it. My dad struggled with it for a long time before he died, and I've struggled with it for the last two years. If I were to find a crack like that it would be the last straw. I'd probably drill the ends of the crack, spread some furnace cement on the crack and run it until spring, then out the door it would go.

 

[Woody Stover]

Yeah, did you price that side panel? These are decent stoves, and if you can keep it going for relatively cheap, I'd do it. I have a 2460 for backup, if needed.
User above has had trouble because his chimney is too short to provide sufficient draft. 13' and two 90* turns with a long horizontal section between, for an effective height of under 10'. No way that's gonna work reliably.