Who makes quality stoves? Getting ready to buy

[PHARO]

I have decided to get some type of free standing stove but don’t know who which brands to look for. Any info would be great. In case you wondering my home is a ranch and the upstairs is 1300 square ft. Price info would be great also

 

[dougand3]

A great value now is the Englander NC13 - at Lowes or Home Depot for ~ $400 on clearance.

 

[edthedawg]

Both Hearthstones and Woodstocks are on 10% sales. Both are excellent stove mfr's if your price point is a lot higher than the Englander. I am envious of the rave reviews the Woodstocks get...

 

[Todd]

See what brands are available in your area then come back here and check out the ratings section.
https://www.hearth.com/ratings.html

 

[savageactor7]

All the newer stoves pretty much burn OK...it all depends how how much disposable income you have. Now is a good time to buy though. Got any friends/neighbors or co-workers that burn wood? Their advice/regrets/experience is really what you want.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum!

Much depends upon what you want and do you want to compare quality or just price.

What you describe, for sure a Woodstock stove would be a great choice. They are not cheap for sure but should last your lifetime. They are a beautiful stove (almost like adding a beautiful piece of furniture to the home), they are built extremely well and they take much less fuel to keep you warm. Plus they are extremely clean burning (as long as you have good fuel) which means less cost or time cleaning chimneys. The company is top-notch and they sell only direct, which we found out was not a concern. They are not high-pressure sales people and they have absolutely the very best warranty/guarantee in the business. You can probably guess we like our Fireview stove. lol Hey, it cut our fuel useage to almost 50% and we stay warmer.


Edit: That sale at Woodstock is only through January. But they might have another methinks.

 

[Jags]

Woodstock, Morso, Quadrafire, Lopi, Englander, PE, Harmon, Jotul, Napolean, Buck, Drolet...Just to name a few.

 

[begreen]

Pharo, it would be good to narrow down the options to what is available to you in your area. There are many good stoves out there that would cover your needs, but you will have to tell us what features and style is the best for you. Are you going to have a dealer install the stove? If yes, check out the local dealers and get several references on their installations. For good, safe and reliable performance, the flue system is as important as the stove.

Also, for more background info, here are some informative articles:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/choosing_a_wood_stove
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/wood_stove_intro
(broken link removed to http://www.woodheat.org/technology/woodstoves.htm)

and a helpful caveat:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewannounce/13750_2/

 

[firefighterjake]

I have decided to get some type of free standing stove but don’t know who which brands to look for. Any info would be great. In case you wondering my home is a ranch and the upstairs is 1300 square ft. Price info would be great also

Hmmm . . . There's quite a few choices out there and quite a few good brands ranging from good quality, no-frills models to the wicked purty and more expensive models.

The question you ask is akin to asking, "I would like to buy a car and I have three people in the family. What car would be best for me?"

You see I would like to know how do you plan on using this car/stove . . . is this car just to get back and forth to work cheaply, are you planning on shuttling a bunch of kids around to soccer practice, do you need it to haul lumber, etc. . . . is this stove going to be used 24/7 to heat the entire home, is the stove going to be used to heat up one area/room, is the stove going to only be used for weekends/evenings, etc.

In the same vein of thought I would want to know what features you would find desirable in a car/stove . . . do you want a car/stove with some flash (i.e. a hot coupe . . . or a very sharp looking soapstone stove) . . . do you want a car/stove that will have a DVD player/ash tray . . . do you want a car/stove with heated seats/griddle for cooking . . . etc.

The first thing I would do is read the links provided to you by an earlier poster . . . it will help give you an idea of what questions you need to be asking yourself.

Second, take a look at the local dealerships and see what brands they sell . . . ask questions . . . and even more importantly, see what types of questions they ask you. In my own opinion, what sets apart a good dealer from an excellent dealer is the store that takes the time to find out what you need and want (i.e. how are you planning on using the stove . . . 24/7, weekends, special occasions, what is more important to you . . . the look, ease of cleaning, etc.)

Third, start narrowing down your choices based on what features you want and what stoves are available to you . . . and what size you need . . . and then check out hearth.com's Stove Review section to see what folks actually using these stoves have to say about them. Folks tend to be pretty honest about the pros- and cons- of the stoves they have or have had in the past.

Finally, ask questions. Ask lots of them. Ask the dealer. Ask the members here. It is far better to ask a question then to find out later that a particular make or make/model has a problem . . . even the good dealers occasionally end up with a model that just isn't quite as good as the rest of its line up . . . or a stove has a quirk that may be a deal breaker . . . or at the very least you'll know about potential issues. For example, after narrowing down the choice of my stove to a Jotul Oslo and a couple of other brands I learned by reading the views and threads here that the Oslo is rated well . . . but has a few issues . . . namely that the front door tends to have ash build up there which spills out on to the hearth when the door is opened and that the air control lever often sticks/may need a replacement. It was good to know these potential issues going into the buying experience.

Good luck . . . and stop by here to ask questions as you look . . . the folks here are really good at answering questions and offering advice . . . and I should add it's good advice.

 

[begreen]

How about piping some of the heat coming off of the big new Kozy? At 130,000btus, that should have enough reserves for both floors.

 

[PHARO]

I would like it to heat the whole house but I don’t mind using the furnace when Im not home but right now I am home a lot so I would keep it going 24/7. I got laid off and have gone back to working with a landscaping company that I worked for in college so I have access to free would and saw’s and even a splitter. I like the soapstone stoves but I don’t really care they just sound and look cool, but It really doesn’t matter. I will most likely not be buying new but instead try to find used

I have decided to get some type of free standing stove but don’t know who which brands to look for. Any info would be great. In case you wondering my home is a ranch and the upstairs is 1300 square ft. Price info would be great also

Hmmm . . . There's quite a few choices out there and quite a few good brands ranging from good quality, no-frills models to the wicked purty and more expensive models.

The question you ask is akin to asking, "I would like to buy a car and I have three people in the family. What car would be best for me?"

You see I would like to know how do you plan on using this car/stove . . . is this car just to get back and forth to work cheaply, are you planning on shuttling a bunch of kids around to soccer practice, do you need it to haul lumber, etc. . . . is this stove going to be used 24/7 to heat the entire home, is the stove going to be used to heat up one area/room, is the stove going to only be used for weekends/evenings, etc.

In the same vein of thought I would want to know what features you would find desirable in a car/stove . . . do you want a car/stove with some flash (i.e. a hot coupe . . . or a very sharp looking soapstone stove) . . . do you want a car/stove that will have a DVD player/ash tray . . . do you want a car/stove with heated seats/griddle for cooking . . . etc.

The first thing I would do is read the links provided to you by an earlier poster . . . it will help give you an idea of what questions you need to be asking yourself.

Second, take a look at the local dealerships and see what brands they sell . . . ask questions . . . and even more importantly, see what types of questions they ask you. In my own opinion, what sets apart a good dealer from an excellent dealer is the store that takes the time to find out what you need and want (i.e. how are you planning on using the stove . . . 24/7, weekends, special occasions, what is more important to you . . . the look, ease of cleaning, etc.)

Third, start narrowing down your choices based on what features you want and what stoves are available to you . . . and what size you need . . . and then check out hearth.com's Stove Review section to see what folks actually using these stoves have to say about them. Folks tend to be pretty honest about the pros- and cons- of the stoves they have or have had in the past.

Finally, ask questions. Ask lots of them. Ask the dealer. Ask the members here. It is far better to ask a question then to find out later that a particular make or make/model has a problem . . . even the good dealers occasionally end up with a model that just isn't quite as good as the rest of its line up . . . or a stove has a quirk that may be a deal breaker . . . or at the very least you'll know about potential issues. For example, after narrowing down the choice of my stove to a Jotul Oslo and a couple of other brands I learned by reading the views and threads here that the Oslo is rated well . . . but has a few issues . . . namely that the front door tends to have ash build up there which spills out on to the hearth when the door is opened and that the air control lever often sticks/may need a replacement. It was good to know these potential issues going into the buying experience.

Good luck . . . and stop by here to ask questions as you look . . . the folks here are really good at answering questions and offering advice . . . and I should add it's good advice.

 

[kwikrp]

Any more info on that"Big Kozy" model number or web link please

 

[MovingOffGrid]

PHARO ... unfortunately, a good *modern used stove is hard to come by, at least in my area (BC). Most of the used ones are the old non-epa variety that burn hot and fast, but pollute much more when you slow the burn down.

Others have mentioned that this is a good time to get some discounts on new stoves. If money is tight, you may have to compromise, but depending on your area, if you *happen to see a used Regency F2400 or Pacific Energy Super 27 (don't hold your breath) and you can scrape up the cash - grab it! They are nice stoves that I have some experience with. Also some of the Drolet and Osburn stoves look decent, but I've never seen them burning.

You're on the right track researching, so you will know a gem in the rough when you see one.

Best of luck

 

[WILDSOURDOUGH]

PHARO- Welcome to the woodnuts!

Have to agree with what "Moving off the Grid" said-
Tough to find a really good used stove, cuz those that got em, tend to want to keep them.
If possable to save up- and I were you, I would buy one of those Englanders at Lowes new- It is a really good stove and will last many, many years. It is an investment- sure, but one that will really payback... not like some other 'investments' (ie...toys)
Woodstock makes the finest Soapstone stoves in the World... in my opinion, but they really are an investment.
Choices-
A. Steel (least expensive)
B. Cast Iron (moderate to expensive)
C. Soapstone (Expensive- but beautiful)
Each has a use.
Best to you.

 

[lexybird]

keep in mind theres a huge benefit to using the new technology stoves wit h secondary burn chambers and ceramic boards /baffle plates
it translates into much longer burns less cutting easier starts with higher temperatures .knowing what i know now ,i would not purchase an old used stove without these features, even to heat a small shop or garage .I dont cut buck split stack season and burn wood only to let my good heat go up and out the chimney. theres just too many good deals out there especially this time of year as spring is approaching, considering your situation and needs I would get an NC-13 if i was you