Wondering if this VC woodstove on FB marketplace is worth the deal? I really want it but I'm a newbie..

[wyomingtobey]

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to get some advice from experts because I'm a newbie to wood stoves. My husband and I recently bought a home that used to have a wood stove in the sun room, but the previous owner took it out & replaced it with a gas Rinnai because she was sick of chopping wood. We'd like to put the wood stove back in because we like the look / coziness of having a fire, and we plan to move the Rinnai to our bedroom.

I found this Vermont Castings Resolute Acclaim wood burning stove for sale on Facebook marketplace for $250 (photos attached below) and wondering if anyone could tell me if it's worth it and how much repairs might cost, since the listings says, "needs parts for fire back." I asked the seller which parts he thinks it needs, and he sent me that last photo that I attached of the arch insert kit and the lower fireback. I also just asked him if he knows what model # it is, so if he does I'll update this postings with it, but for now it's unknown. He said he moved into the house with the stove so he doesn't really know the history of it/how old it is. The photos seem to show a lot, but I'm so unfamiliar with wood stoves that it doesn't tell me much.

KEEP IN MIND... I really, really love the red stove and would love to make this one work, but we can't really afford to put thousands into repairs right now if that's what it would take. If it was $500ish in repairs, that would be a different story.

Thank you for your help!!

 

[bholler]

Nope just parts alone you will probably be well over 500. Then the whole stove will probably need torn down and resealed. So probably $1500 or so with labor. After that you will have a stove that honestly was never all that good

 

[NickW]

Start gathering and seasoning wood now, learn everything you can about wood & EPA stove operation, and save up for a new system (stove, pipe, etc.). In a year or three when you have the new system installed you will be ready to safely burn.

I know that's not what you want to hear, but when many of us started we were excited about a new stove and became VERY frustrated by our wood supply... I saw one review on my stove model about what a smoky piece of junk it was, assumably written by someone trying to burn unseasoned wood who was accustomed to the old smoke dragon stoves.

 

[wyomingtobey]

Start gathering and seasoning wood now, learn everything you can about wood & EPA stove operation, and save up for a new system (stove, pipe, etc.). In a year or three when you have the new system installed you will be ready to safely burn.

I know that's not what you want to hear, but when many of us started we were excited about a new stove and became VERY frustrated by our wood supply... I saw one review on my stove model about what a smoky piece of junk it was, assumably written by someone trying to burn unseasoned wood who was accustomed to the old smoke dragon stoves.

Thanks, so you wouldn't recommend getting this particular one? You recommend saving up for a new one instead?

 

[wyomingtobey]

Nope just parts alone you will probably be well over 500. Then the whole stove will probably need torn down and resealed. So probably $1500 or so with labor. After that you will have a stove that honestly was never all that good

Ok thanks. How can you tell it would need to be torn down and resealed? Thanks!

 

[bholler]

Ok thanks. How can you tell it would need to be torn down and resealed? Thanks!

Because it's an older vc with the internals destroyed. The joints will be leaky.

 

[NickW]

Thanks, so you wouldn't recommend getting this particular one? You recommend saving up for a new one instead?

It's for sale for a reason...

A brand new stove you will know has not been abused by someone who now is trying to salvage some of his/her investment. The internals in this one are destroyed and as bholler says it is older and will have other issues. It will be a rabbit hole you don't want to go down. Luckily the issues on this one were easy to see. The next one may not be so obvious... or it theoretically could be OK. But they are metal boxes that contain fire inside your house and do experience wear & tear.

 

[begreen]

The Acclaim was not a high point in the VC line, more like a low point. I'd pass. Get a better stove and paint it red if that's your favorite color.

 

[Eman85]

I'd say pass on that stove. Step 1 have the chimney inspected and be sure it will work properly and is up to code for a wood stove. Step 2 start storing wood, the wood you get now cut split and stacked might be ready for 2026.

 

[NickW]

I'd say pass on that stove. Step 1 have the chimney inspected and be sure it will work properly and is up to code for a wood stove. Step 2 start storing wood, the wood you get now cut split and stacked might be ready for 2026.

Species & climate dependent. Aspen, pine and other low quality woods usually are usable after 1 summer of seasoning in a good spot. Some hardwoods (ash, cherry...) can be ready after a summer but are usually better after 2. Find BTU charts that have seasoning times.