I am looking at three possibilities and I have an internal chimney in the living room with 2500sqft to heat. I will be burning pinion since I have an endless supply. The chimney is in the center of my ranch home but I am worried about heat getting to the furthest bedroom. I was told to open the window in this room from the guy at woodland direct and the heat would be pushed down there if the other windows were sealed. I can get a new osburn for 1400 and the others are 1000 more for the kuma and 1500 more for the quad. The home is brick and has pretty good insulation. The average lows for my city is 20 in Jan. It rarely gets below 0 here.
Choosing stove for 2500 sqft, osburn 2400i, quadrafire 5100i, or Kuma Sequoia
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Welcome to the forum. Those sound like low prices on all of those units. Are you sure that includes the price of the door, surround and unit? Either way, any of those units will do great for you. The Kuma is the largest firebox and has a cat. but requires an 8" liner. I went with the Osburn because it was the largest and most affordable insert I could get into my fireplace. It is a beast of a heater. I heat 1700 sf on Long Island. It heats my house in below zero temps.
As for moving heat: I would keep all windows closed and place a small fan on the floor in the farthest part of the house aimed at the room with the insert. Good luck!
As for moving heat: I would keep all windows closed and place a small fan on the floor in the farthest part of the house aimed at the room with the insert. Good luck!
Those are prices for just the stove. The rest of the add ons will be extra and will be about 700 to 1000 in extra costs. I appreciate the feedback. Is it worth it to pay the extra for the CAT and do you think I really need it. I like the Kuma stove but is it worth the cost? Do they require extra maintenance? The 8''liner will fit and will not be an issue.
prezes13
Minister of Fire
8" liner will be more expensive. Kuma has a bigger fire box there for more fire power and longer burns. On paper looks like a monster of a heater. If I was you I would go with a biggest stove(fire box) I could afford.
prezes13
Minister of Fire
It's hard to say that you need it. I am heating 1200 sf with an insert which is rated 1200 to 2200 sf and I think I could go with something bigger. 2500 sf is a lot to heat. If you can afford the sequoia I would go with it. You can always burn smaller fires if the weather is warmer but it's nice knowing that you have the fire power when it's get colder. That's just my opinion.
Depends on a lot of factors including on how much you want to rely on woodheat for 100% of your heating. If you don't mind using the furnace a little bit the few times it gets below 20 then it is possible you would be ok with less of a stove. What other fuel source did you use the previous winters? How much fuel did you consume? Those numbers can help in determining the amount of wood you will need to burn and therefore the size stove you will need.
The Kuma specs read 3.6 cf firebox (If anyone could measure the usable space that would be great). The Osburn is 3.2 cf all very usable firebox space. Quad 5100i specs out 3 cf firebox. The lower cost of the Osburn was why I went for it. At the time when I was looking it was the least expensive and largest firebox I could fit in my fireplace. I'm not saying it's the best one by any means- I'm just saying it worked out for me.
The .4 cf in real world means about an extra inch or two on each side of the firebox. The cat may give you extended burn times and the ability to burn slow and low, which you cannot do in the Osburn. During mild weather I just build smaller quick hot fires. Kuma seems like a great mom and pop type of company, but there are not a lot of reviews on the forum. Personally, I'd love to see you get the Kuma and give us some detailed feedback. That being said, the Oz is a proven heat machine. The Quad 5100i also has favorable reviews by members on this site and is in my opinion the most attractive of the bunch. I hope that's helpful.
I went with the Osburn and I will reinvest in 5 years if I have to. The price with everything was 1400 cheaper. I could have afforded the Kuma but when I called them they were not very helpful and directed me to the local dealer. I have already been to the local dealer and they were ok. The guy at ace was more knowledgable and tol me he wold help me if I need it. I will let you know how it works after I get it installed.
Unless you're using an OAK (Outside Air Kit) all you'll accomplish if you follow that advice is to suck a ton of cold air from the outside into that room. The air the stove uses for combustion has to come from somewhere, and the least sealed part of your house is going to be the main contributor. An open window is about as low on the sealing front as you'll get. An OAK would reduce that effect quite a bit as it brings outside air directly to the stove. But even with an OAK any heat you manage to draw into that bedroom you're just going to lose out that open window, and then some.
I'm sure you'll do fine with the Osburn. With good, dry fuel it puts out a ton of heat. How's your wood supply? These units require dry wood. If you're burning 24/7, plan to consume 3-4 cords per year. The first year is usually challenging, as most wood dealers do not have truly seasoned wood.
How do you like the Osburn? I’m in the same boat...deciding between the Osburn 2400 and the Kuma Sequoia. Only difference being mine will have to heat 3,000 sq/ft. Both seem like beasts but one has got to be better than the other, can only be 1 winner! I’ve heard on full blast, a cat stove and one with the secondary burn system are pretty much even but a cat stove will edge out when it’s on slow an low burn.
There may not be a winner. It is not necessarily which stove is better, but which stove is better for you at this time.
All I can speak for is my own experience. I went with the Osburn 2400i because it was the largest insert I could fit into my fireplace for the lowest price. At the time, budget was a major factor, and it has suited me very well. I burn a lot of construction debris so cat stoves are not the best option for me. Kuma are an awesome family owned company. That matters a lot and should be factored into a decision as well. Good luck. Either way, I do not think you will be disappointed. Both units will serve you well.
All I can speak for is my own experience. I went with the Osburn 2400i because it was the largest insert I could fit into my fireplace for the lowest price. At the time, budget was a major factor, and it has suited me very well. I burn a lot of construction debris so cat stoves are not the best option for me. Kuma are an awesome family owned company. That matters a lot and should be factored into a decision as well. Good luck. Either way, I do not think you will be disappointed. Both units will serve you well.
I have the Kuma. It is a great stove and super duper simple to operate and maintain. I think their customer service is great as well, remind me alot of woodstock actually in that regard. I have a big house and it heats it really well. I prefer cat stoves over tube stoves so the Kuma was a no brainer for me.
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