Which Stove Should I Buy...?

[mark axen]

My 800 sf ,1995 southern Adirondack, NY house is fairly well insulated, the two small upstairs rooms being kept closed off during winter. Currently using Rinnai EX22 LP heater. But,...Holy toothpicks, Batman!,...I'm on 45 acres of woodland, a bountiful fuel resource. I enjoy the cutting & stacking of hardwood and want to use the Rinnai as supplement to a woodstove. Is it better to have a small stove, burning 'stronger', or a bigger mid-size stove burning a bit 'lower' ? These are the non-cat stoves I am considering: DUTCHWEST #2477 (the small one); HEARTHSTONE Craftsbury; QUADRAFIRE Yosemite; HARMAN Oakleaf; and the LOPI Leyland. Should I also look at catalytic stoves? Thank you for your advice & opinion ! - Mark Axen.

 

[charly]

My 800 sf ,1995 southern Adirondack, NY house is fairly well insulated, the two small upstairs rooms being kept closed off during winter. Currently using Rinnai EX22 LP heater. But,...Holy toothpicks, Batman!,...I'm on 45 acres of woodland, a bountiful fuel resource. I enjoy the cutting & stacking of hardwood and want to use the Rinnai as supplement to a woodstove. Is it better to have a small stove, burning 'stronger', or a bigger mid-size stove burning a bit 'lower' ? These are the non-cat stoves I am considering: DUTCHWEST #2477 (the small one); HEARTHSTONE Craftsbury; QUADRAFIRE Yosemite; HARMAN Oakleaf; and the LOPI Leyland. Should I also look at catalytic stoves? Thank you for your advice & opinion ! - Mark Axen.

After burning my Fireview you might want to look at that... Cat stove, but..... you can do some long slow burns and have the cat keep things clean,,,, then let it die down and enjoy the long lasting gentle heat from the stones. Put in less wood and still retain all the initial heat within the stone to be radiated out later. Hey if you don't like the stove after 6 months,, Woodstock returns all your money along with prepaid shipping. If you can, drive over and look at their stoves,,,, I think you'll buy one. You need no tools but a soft paint brush to clean the cat,,, top of the stove lifts up,,, you lift the cat out to clean it, and the reverse to put it back in.. To me a nice old school simple stove. I think you would be pleased with the gentle heat and the clean low burn capability of the stove . Give Woodstock a call, tell them what your heating,,, you'll like them,,, great people!.........Charlie

 

[Todd]

Woodstock Keystone, BK Sirocco/Chinook would be on my list for a small home because they can be turned down way further for a longer lower heat output than any non cat and not blast you out of the house. A smaller catalytic will produce the longer burn times of a medium non cat with less wood in the box.

 

[rijim]

Woodstock Keystone, BK Sirocco/Chinook would be on my list for a small home because they can be turned down way further for a longer lower heat output than any non cat and not blast you out of the house. A smaller catalytic will produce the longer burn times of a medium non cat with less wood in the box.

+1

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum Mark.

You have all that woods, you need to be out cutting now! Get the wood cut because you will learn these newer stoves really want dry wood. A year after being split for most wood but 3 years for oak. Split it, stack it out in the wind and then just wait.

You have the ideal situation having your own wood and wanting to start burning. If you get some cut now you can possibly burn it by next fall. And don't be tempted to buy some because although they will say it is ready to burn, it won't be.

 

[dougand3]

You have the ideal situation having your own wood and wanting to start burning. If you get some cut now you can possibly burn it by next fall. And don't be tempted to buy some because although they will say it is ready to burn, it won't be.

Maybe if you cut and split some hardwood now, you could trade with a nearby woodburner and get dry wood. If you want to burn this winter - up the ante - offer 1 cord of wet for 1/2 cord of dry.

 

[argus66]

the Yosemite is my choice great stove easy to maintain burns long.

 

[begreen]

If you are typically just there for the weekend then I would put in a 2 cu ft unclad steel or cast iron stove. I think bringing up cabin temps from cold will work better with an oversized radiant stove, preferably with a blower. You will be pushing the stove for several hours at 700F to get the mass of the interior up to temp. For that reason I don't think you will see a lot of the cat's advantage here. That is unless you go up to the cabin for weeks at a time. If that is the case then a Keystone or Fireview could work out well. From the stoves listed I would say none of the above. A Jotul Oslo, F118CB or Hearthstone Shelburne might work out or a maybe a PE True North TN19?

 

[tobaccogrower]

stay away from the dutchwest stoves! very hard to operate and poor to no costomer service! mine crapped out after 2 seasons and VC left me with the bill.

 

[mark axen]

stay away from the dutchwest stoves! very hard to operate and poor to no costomer service! mine crapped out after 2 seasons and VC left me with the bill.

Thanks to all for the input. I'm now looking at the WOODSTOCK Keystone and BLAZE KING Sirocco 20. I like the BK (catalytic) steel and it's auto, non-electric, temp control. Will likely buy from a local dealer to get service & repair benefits, instead of buying one online. Also, is a welded steel stove better in that it does not need to be rebuilt like the seams in a cast iron one?

 

[Ashful]

Also, is a welded steel stove better in that it does not need to be rebuilt like the seams in a cast iron one?

To a large degree, yes. If you don't mind the plain looks, you cannot beat a welded steel stove for durability and responsiveness. The responsiveness can be tempered with firebrick, which most steel stoves employ.

 

[Fort Wisers]

Welcome to the forum Mark.

You have all that woods, you need to be out cutting now! Get the wood cut because you will learn these newer stoves really want dry wood. A year after being split for most wood but 3 years for oak. Split it, stack it out in the wind and then just wait.

You have the ideal situation having your own wood and wanting to start burning. If you get some cut now you can possibly burn it by next fall. And don't be tempted to buy some because although they will say it is ready to burn, it won't be.

+1

 

[Wood Duck]

If you are there a lot, then I'd look at a cat stove because you can get longer, more even burns with a cat stove than with a non-cat stove. On the other hand, if this is a weekend or occasionaly used cabin then I'd go for the less expensive non cat stove. If you're frequently in the position of warming up a cold cabin get an oversized stove. it takes a lot of heat to warm up a cold house, but much less heat to keep a warm house warm.

Go out immediately and cut, split, and stack about 8 cords of firewood! That should be a two-year supply of maybe a little more than two years. For next year I'd look for ash, soft maple, pine, spruce, and a few other lighter woods that will season well in one year. Stack any oak separately. Oak is great firewood but takes a long time to season properly.

 

[Woody Stover]

I don't have experience with the small BKs but the Keystone is gonna be hard to beat. It does have seams but it's also got stone, and you can see the combustor from the couch. Super ash pan system too. Top or rear vent...
BK thermostat is a powerful draw though...

 

[rideau]

Thanks to all for the input. I'm now looking at the WOODSTOCK Keystone and BLAZE KING Sirocco 20. I like the BK (catalytic) steel and it's auto, non-electric, temp control. Will likely buy from a local dealer to get service & repair benefits, instead of buying one online. Also, is a welded steel stove better in that it does not need to be rebuilt like the seams in a cast iron one?

Wouldn't let online purchase stop me from buying a Woodstock...and didn't. Their service is legenday, and takes about the time it takes to dial a phone to get it. The stoves DON'T need rebuilding or repairs for a REALLY long time.....and if they ever need any maintenance Woodstock is there helping you and shooting parts to you promptly. Stoves are simple and easy to service, such as is needed, by the homeowner. Great stoves. If you are in the Southern Adirondacks in NY, you might shoot over to their store on a nice day. Worth the trip to see the stoves, the build, the quality, the people you deal with. If you have any interest in the stoves, give them a call and ask them what time frame you can expect, with good burning technique, before the stove would be likely to require rebuilding, or any significant service other than routine gasket replacement after 5 or more years. Personally, I ran my Fireview pretty hard for 6 + years before switching to the Progress Hybrid, and never had to service it or replace a gasket. Replaced the cat after 5 years, but I had gotten flame impingement on the cat that 5th year, when the cat was pretty old, and replacement was about $175.00. Since the cat cuts fuel consumption significantly, and hence saves me a lot of time wood processing, $175 every 5 years is no big deal.
With the Fireview, I only needed to brush the cat at the end of the burning season; cleaning the chimney once a year yielded about a cup of brushings.

Fireview is easy to use, and easy to regulate for a long, low burn, or a long hotter burn, or a shorter 6-8 hour really hot burn, by adjusting air or load size at the outset. Don't need to adjust the stove after the initial adjustments. For your size home, the Fireview puts out enough heat so there would be no reason to close off those upstairs bedrooms, unless you want to. Your place would be toasty.

Enjoy wood burning, whatever stove you choose. If you take the time to consider what is out there, and what meets your needs, as you surely seem to be doing, you'll end up with a stove you love and you'll enjoy it for a long time. A good wood stove well suited to ones needs is just about the best purchase one can make in a lifetime....it gives such obvious and significant reward.

 

[mark axen]

I agree...Woodstock is a good operation. A few years ago I drove up there and picked up a Cottage Franklin LP stove, and took the factory tour .They even sent me a free upgrade kit later on! The Franklin works fine, even during a power outtage. Drawbacks are it takes awhile to warm & radiate, and propane costs. So, with all the free wood available, will switch to a woodburner next summer. I like BLAZEKING's Scirocco 20 catalytic woodstove, at Saratoga Fireplace & Stove. The DR Rapidfire log splitter looks good, and I bought an excellent book, "Homeowner's Complete Guide To The Chainsaw", by Brian & Jen Ruth. ...Happy New Year to all !