I am thinking about purchasing this wood burning stove on craigslist (broken link removed to http://columbus.craigslist.org/hsh/1343893528.html) but I cannot find any information on it such as the rated BTU's and how much square feet it can heat. I want to know know more about one of these. Thanks.
What do you know about these stoves?
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They upgraded to a newer stove for a reason, burn less wood and less creosote in the pipes. I wouldn't bother with this stove if I were you, save your $$ and buy a newer epa efficient stove with a glass door that you can watch the fire.
Keep an eye out for a newer used stove on CL, they pop up from time to time when people are moving.
Edit: Check out this thread, very simular stove https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/10837/
Keep an eye out for a newer used stove on CL, they pop up from time to time when people are moving.
Edit: Check out this thread, very simular stove https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/10837/
I won't be relying on it to heat the 1850sq ft. home. I have gas heat right now which heats the house fine, but i'm looking into a secondary heat source to help out reduce energy bill. So I won't be using it all the time.
I was just looking for decent deal. I'm not too interested in buying a new one unless this stove: http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp...0551_10001_173626_-1______?rFlag=true&cFlag=1 would do just fine. I try to check Craigslist often for something used.
I think you'll find that with stoves, you often get what you pay for. Having seen the difference between an older, non-EPA certified stove and a new, quality EPA certified stove, I'd be inclined to make the investment again in the newer stove.
With that said, I do not recall reading any information about that particular brand of stove. For 1,850 sq. ft., I'd want something with at least a 2.0 cubic ft. fire box or more.
With that said, I do not recall reading any information about that particular brand of stove. For 1,850 sq. ft., I'd want something with at least a 2.0 cubic ft. fire box or more.
Chance of finding out anything about the stove are slim and none. In the seventies and early eighties anybody with a welder was whipping up steel wood stoves. With the advent of EPA emissions requirements all but 20 or so of the companies either quit making stoves or just went away.
that crack will only get worse. they don't even allow installation of an older stove here in Oregon, unless it meets EPA emissions. it's worth it, too.
What do you suppose caused that crack? Overheating? Age? If I were to get this stove, I was planning on welding the crack. So what is everyones overall opinion of this stove? Do you think burn time would be short or would I be able to load it up and let it go for 6-8 hours...
My opinion: Keep looking. For $300 you'll probably find a used Englander 13 or similar on CL eventually - something more efficient.
Oh you can probably choke it down so you get low smoldering heat for six or seven hours. But most of the heat value of the wood will be glued to the inside of your chimney waiting for you to try to scrub it out or to light off and at the very best scare the hell out of you. At worst set the adjoining framing on fire.
Burned one of the old air tights in this house for twenty one years. Wouldn't let one past the front door again after I found out there was a safer alternative.
Burned one of the old air tights in this house for twenty one years. Wouldn't let one past the front door again after I found out there was a safer alternative.
Scott, though it may seem like the majority of the posts here are trying to "rain on your parade," please understand everyone simply wants new members to have, above all, a SAFE installation. Whether you burn 24/7 or only occasionally for the ambiance, you're inviting FIRE into your home! There are many ways to invite fire into your home - and some are far safer than others, relatively speaking. Once upon a time, you didn't have today's safer, cleaner, more efficient options. But now that the technology exists, you're going to find that people naturally steer you towards it. Sure, it may cost a bit more than a used "smoke dragon" from a Craigslist ad. But the bottom lines here are safety and education. 
scott02 said:
There's a weld next to that crack, could be stress from that and some high temps over the years. A new weld would probably hold, but, again, the new stoves are worth the extra cost. You can probably find a good used EPA certified stove, and it will use less wood and produce less creosote.
madrone said:
I know that both Calif. and Washington also prohibit installation of pre-EPAII stoves (or non-EPAII stoves), w/ Calif. having a cooking stove loophole. Don't know about other states, but I s'pect there may be a few others w/ similar regs.
Nevertheless, C/L is Calif. is chock full of ads for old smoke dragons (in some areas, anyway ... the more rural, the more stoves for sale, but not many EPA II stoves). See, you can buy the stove, and you can sell the stove, but you can't (legally) INSTALL the stove. I've been keeping my eye out for a nice EPA II stove myself, but I'm not holding my breath. And I'd have to save significant $$ to take the risk of buying someone else's headache.
Peace,
- Sequoia
I had cracks like that form om my old earth stove many years of use, I just welded them up and went on using it. Having said that If my choices were the old stove or the Volzgang stove I would buy the old one.
As far as time I would get 2-4 hours out of my earth stove useable heat I would have coals for quite a while but when the stove top would hit 300 I would load her back up.
I was heating an old drafty farm house.
I retired my old Earth stove when I bought a new PE summit. That is $1600 I do not regret spending. If you buy the old gal, hook her up, and start using her keep a diligent eye on your flue and clean as needed.
As far as time I would get 2-4 hours out of my earth stove useable heat I would have coals for quite a while but when the stove top would hit 300 I would load her back up.
I was heating an old drafty farm house.
I retired my old Earth stove when I bought a new PE summit. That is $1600 I do not regret spending. If you buy the old gal, hook her up, and start using her keep a diligent eye on your flue and clean as needed.
In my opinion, a wood stove is not something you want to skimp on. Even if you don't plan on burning it for your primary source of heat, it's easy to see that a $399 NEW stove can in no way compare in safety, efficiency, ease of operation, and reliability to a $2000 NEW stove can. As someone said earlier, you get what you pay for. There is no way in the world I would by a $399 stove from Tractor Supply or anywhere else and think about burning it in my home. The nicer stoves probably have $399 worth of steel in them alone. I could be wrong, just my opinion. Hell, I've seen reconditioned 30 year old Buck Stoves sell for $900.
BrotherBart said:
So, in your 21 years of slammin', did you experience (m)any mishaps, chimney fires, house fires, sleepless nights, cancelled insurances, etc ? Hey, back to back Carolina posters, rare...
burr said:
Several chimney fires. Insurance didn't enter into it because liners weren't available back then. Though I tried several ideas to try to line the flue over the years. Within weeks of finding the forum and discovering that liners are commonly available these days there was one in that chimney. And two months later the old stove was sitting on the Back 40 and a new one installed.
More two AM wake-ups back then and trips downstairs than I could count and a fortune spent on spray bottles of Anti-Creo-Sote. Not buying that stuff anymore is a $25 a season savings right there.
What I have now is wood consumption of three cords and change a year instead of five to seven like before, a chimney that hasn't had anything in it but some soot when I clean it for the last three seasons, stove glass that stays clean, less hauling of wood in to feed the stove and more heat from a smaller firebox.
Folks can do what they wanna do. This is the way I like to do it and wish I had been for a long time.
Pagey said:Scott, though it may seem like the majority of the posts here are trying to "rain on your parade," please understand everyone simply wants new members to have, above all, a SAFE installation. Whether you burn 24/7 or only occasionally for the ambiance, you're inviting FIRE into your home! There are many ways to invite fire into your home - and some are far safer than others, relatively speaking. Once upon a time, you didn't have today's safer, cleaner, more efficient options. But now that the technology exists, you're going to find that people naturally steer you towards it. Sure, it may cost a bit more than a used "smoke dragon" from a Craigslist ad. But the bottom lines here are safety and education.
Nicely put, Pagey.
The Englanders are quite affordable and seem to get rave reviews here, plus the investment will pay off. Scott mentions that the stove will not be used as the primary heat source, and I believe him. However, getting an EPA stove for not much more $$, he might find that he'll use the stove more often than he thinks ;-)
Hmmm . . . I think I would pass on the CL stove. If you're truly just looking for a stove for secondary heat I would exercise some patience and keep looking. For a little more money you could go with a brand-new Englander which many folks here love . . . or keep perusing the ads and sooner or later you may find someone who bought a stove last year or a few years back who has decided that burning wood isn't for them . . . but I would most definitely pass on this stove. To me, the crack in the steel could indicate some abuse and when it comes to deliberately setting a fire inside my home that will routinely reach 550-600 degrees I would rather pay a little more and err on the side of safety . . . not to mention paying a little more and gaining a whole lot in terms of efficiency and clean burning.
Also, as bbc mentioned . . . many folks (myself included) started burning wood thinking it would be nice to have some occasional fires as a way of off-setting the high costs of heating with oil and gas . . . but before long you become addicted to the heat, the sounds and smells and before you know it the plan to heat only on weekends and evenings is thrown out the proverbial window and you're heating 24/7 when you see how great and easy it is to heat your home.
Also, as bbc mentioned . . . many folks (myself included) started burning wood thinking it would be nice to have some occasional fires as a way of off-setting the high costs of heating with oil and gas . . . but before long you become addicted to the heat, the sounds and smells and before you know it the plan to heat only on weekends and evenings is thrown out the proverbial window and you're heating 24/7 when you see how great and easy it is to heat your home.
The first stove posted looks like a kissing cousin to the old earth stoves. Ain't nuthin' but a big steel firebox with a few fire bricks in it. I couldn't tell if it had the thermostatic air adjustment on the back or not. Doesn't matter. They are HUNGRY beasts to feed. And I doubt that you would see your 7 hr of usable heat burn time that you asked about.
For many reasons, I would pass. There are much better stoves available, even in the used market or on a budget. Just one dudes opinion.
For many reasons, I would pass. There are much better stoves available, even in the used market or on a budget. Just one dudes opinion.
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