You never get a second chance to make a good first impression... (with poll!)

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Your first impression of BeachComer...

  • An idiot for even asking

    Votes: 3 16.7%

  • Very sensible guy to look for an expert response to a potentially good deal

    Votes: 4 22.2%

  • Fergit the stove, what kinda dumb name is BeachComer?

    Votes: 11 61.1%
  • Total voters
    18
  • Poll closed .
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BeechComer

BeechComer

New Member
Jan 29, 2014
4
NE Texas
Howdy, everyone!

I'm trying to decide between several stoves to heat my 2150 sq. ft doublewide, and I have found this site to be an incredible resource, thanks to all y'all, as we say in Texas. I see all you Ministers of Fire and cringe to think that my first newbie post is not going to be diagrams, choices, and sensible questions, but rather this. You may never get over the first impression this is surely bound to give, just because I didn't have enough sense to know better than to even ask about it. But like Davie in the Ann of Green Gables series, "I want to KNOW!"

New stove prices being what they are, I have somewhat sheepishly been searching Craigslist. The Palladian being one of the stoves I'm interested in, this sad specimen got a look-see from me:

(broken image removed)

Only $275! :eek: I could drive from Texas to Plattsburgh in (presumably) upper NY state, and still save a bundle. But.

Is this a stove that anybody (with more than 2 neurons in their skull to rub together) could possibly want? I mean, based on the info in the ad, is there any remotest possibility that this stove could turn out to be worthwhile? Oh, here's the ad: (broken link removed to http://plattsburgh.craigslist.org/app/4283910306.html)

There is no slightest risk that I would actually go for this item, even if everyone said "go for it!" In the first place, my guesstimate of the demographic in here means perhaps 1/3 of you are living within a couple hours drive and able to capture it, bring it home, AND fix it up and get it running before I could even get across Arkansas (and every one of ya more qualified than I'll ever be to rehabilitate it). And in the second place, I need a stove (NOW), not a project, in the first place! :rolleyes:

Hoping this question doesn't ruin my rep for all time...
 
No vote, stay home.
 
Ummmmm, at nearly 3,500 miles round trip I'd go after a used Blaze King instead. Assuming you have an SUV or pickup to haul it back in, and that it gets 20mpg......you are looking at $600+ in fuel. Add a hotel room or two, snacks, dinners, etc and this stove is going to cost you over $1,000.

Unless you were heading there anyways, I'd say forget it. For $1,000 you can buy a better used stove nearby. Or 1 and a half brand new Englander 30's.
 
sorry
 
Sorry, but I wouldn't drive across town for that. And my town's not big. Welcome to the forums!
 
It's ugly but ugly can be fixed. My Lopi Freedom was free and looked at lot like that when I got it. A lot of elbow grease and now it looks like this and heats wonderfully. The distance is the real deal breaker.

[Hearth.com] You never get a second chance to make a good first impression... (with poll!)
 
I would only drive to the neighbors to get that and only to use it in a garage or workshop (if given for free). Keep lookng on CL my friend and welcome. And we don't think bad things about people who ask honest questions!
 
Looks a little rusty, must have been sitting outside somewhere. A little research finds that it's a CAT stove with a new price tag of around $2,000+. http://store.woodstove.com/home.php?cat=305
Besides the work to fix up the outside you should consider that probably the CAT is shot in it, and possibly the fire bricks as well. It might be a worthwhile project to fix it up if you could get it for free across the street, but obviously that's not the case.
 
You could save more money and just get an Englander's NC-30.
If you lived within 50 miles of it, I would say check it out in person and give it a complete check.
Myself I wouldn't drive that distance for this stove, there may be other damage to the stove making the stove cost more to restore than it would be new.
 
Welcome to the forum BeechComer.

Well, you have some good answers above. I am a big fan of Woodstock stoves but even if that were 5 miles from me I would not buy it. Just based on the condition it is in now, it also makes one wonder how it was treated when it was used. My bet is someone dug this out of some old barn or whatnot and then set it in a house to take a picture. They say they are selling and going to gas. Well, they weren't using that stove; that is just a story they cooked up is my bet. They certainly did not burn wood in it where it is sitting.

If anyone bought it, there would be a lot of work involved plus costs of repairing or replacing parts. I'd bet there are cracks in the soapstone, probably some warped parts and for sure the cat would have to be replaced. Nope. That is not a deal for anyone.
 
If it was across the street and free.. maybe. But drive from TX to... anywheres.. No.

I did drive 6 hours each way to pick up our manny, but got a great price on a like new stove, and hung out with my brother for the weekend since it was right down the road from his place..
 
Welcome to the forum! I think there has to be a stove closer to you than that!
 
Closer . . . worth a trip and a look.

That far . . . stay home and keep looking.
 
Wow, even before I posted I felt this was an awesome group, but NOW I know it in my bones! Thanks for a great welcome-in!

Lumber-Jack said:
BTW, what kinda dumb name is Beechcomer? ;)
Click to expand...
woodsman416 said:
Wait...is your name bEEchcomer or bEAchcomer?:)
Click to expand...

Heh, I'm a fan of Beechcraft airplanes. All of 'em, but especially King Airs.

(broken image removed)

BKVP said:
Do you own a large boat?
Click to expand...
Meaning that's a large anchor, too funny!! ;lol No, but I do have a son who's crazy about fish...can you guess?

MishMouse said:
You could save more money and just get an Englander's NC-30.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion! Howsomever...living in a mobile home means that a steady source of heat will work better than the NC30, about which I have read many favorable things (and the price is GREAT) but I fear would alternately roast and freeze us in a mobile home (of only 2000 sf) in Texas' mild climate. Nights like Jan 6, 7, and 28 were in the teens and keeping the house at 64F w/ electric heat cost about $80 a night -- thus my interest in stoves. But the median daily winter temp is low 40s, thus my interest in smaller stoves -- but not too small to give an all-night burn.

I've been working on this decision for weeks, and have come to the conclusion that what I need is best expressed in a formula (being a computer guy): (Soapstone OR Cast Iron) AND IF(Wife can be trained to run a Cat THEN Cat ELSE More Wood) :)

Y'all are great. Thanks for not (yet) voting me an Idiot For Even Asking. Plans, choices, & sensible questions to follow...

--BC
 
We bought two on CL - the second one was a keeper. Traded the first one away. Wife picked both. Keep looking
 
Closer, better....(broken link removed to http://waco.craigslist.org/for/4281374053.html)
 
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aansorge said:
Closer, better....(broken link removed to http://waco.craigslist.org/for/4281374053.html)
Click to expand...
NOW I'm excited -- and maybe where I should not be. Excitement leads to bad decisions and I want this to be a good one. THANKS, aansorge, for finding that! I hadn't seen Waco yet, guess it's further down the list than Plattsburgh -- but a LOT closer, just over a couple hours.

Anybody have any idea which model that is? I'm not a Woodstock expert (despite the excellent store of info here), but I don't recognize it.

Looking at the pictures, I will reveal my ignorance (further) and say I see nothing that alarms me except the 6th (from the L) which seems to show a stain in the top stone. Do I need to be concerned about that, or do I attribute it to the rusty pot on top? And in the 4th pic, I see the top (reburn?) area with a cat and what must be the cat engagment lever. Can't tell if it's melted or just coated w/ ash. Does that look abnormal to anyone?

Does anyone see any other reason from the ad why I shouldn't pursue that stove?

Thanks for all the input so far...
 
I'm a Beech fan too. More of a Bonanza guy myself preferably V tails. Anyhow the englander is the prime choice it won't roast you out I'm sure you're home is equipped with windows. You'll get all night burns and it behaves as well as any stove. Smaller stoves equal smaller fireboxes and shorter burn times. My best bud has a nc 30 in his 1500 sq ft home in north ga winters are pretty benign here most years but this one has been the exception to the rule it was zero at the house this morning and that's nearly unheard of. He opens a window most mild nights 20 to 40 colder than that and he just keeps it closed that simple. Buy one good stove feed it well and it will please you for years to come.
 
The one in Waco looks like a Woodstock Fireview. (broken link removed to http://www.woodstove.com/fireview)

Looks like a nice stove and is approved for mobile homes.

Don't worry too much about the stains on the soapstone. Those can be sanded out of the soapstone if you desire. Soapstone is soft but scratches and stains can be sanded out. Nothing penetrated very deep unless there are cracks and it does not appear to be cracked.

I am a big soapstone fan. Both of my inserts are lined with soapstone and my basement hearth top is soapstone. Soapstone is a heat sink and takes some time to warm-up but then it gives back the stored heat by continuing to radiate heat after the fire is no longer producing heat. Because of this property, the soapstone stoves and inserts have a tendency to be a little gentler heaters than some. Some stoves can be genuinely harsh heating appliances. Soapstone stoves not so much. This does not mean that they don't heat well. My basement is 78 degrees right now. The Clydesdale is just cruising. It is about 10 degrees outside.
 
FYI, the Fireview cat is $125 plus shipping. So even if it needs to be replaced you are still way ahead. You still need to check several things, but others on the site can tell you what you need to review on a used stove of this type.
 
Unfortunately, it's already gone. Been gone several days, seller said, as she apologized (I wasn't mean to her, I wasn't!). She's taken it down now.

Just as well, I should probably post about the house, etc. and get input before continuing the search.

Thanks, everyone. :cool:
 
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