Jotul 121 Elg + Heat Exchanger - refurbish or replace?

[WarmerWithWood]

Hello Wood Folk - Been burning wood for 40+ yrs in open concept home, 2.5 stories (no basement), approx 2800 sq ft. Masonry chimney in middle of the house buily 1981. First stove was a Cawley Lemay and then we found the Jotul Elg - it came with the heat exchanger. We cut our own wood - oak, maple, locust and some sassy mixed in - cold winters by the Great Lakes. We replaced the side plates and upper baffles 15 yrs ago for $410. It's time to replace them again and the cost will be about $1300 now (and many fewer options), so we are wondering if its time to consider replacing this old beauty of a stove. It does get rather hot, so thinking about soapstone if we replace it. Looking for input from all the experience here.

if we replace, does soapstone operate really differently? What are considerations? It seems a newer stove will be more energy and environmentally efficient, which could be worth it, but the old jotul is a rare classic that is hard to 'replace'. Thanks in advance for your feedback.

 

[begreen]

Any modern stove is going to outperform this nice stove and they will operate differently. It's a different burn cycle . Your stove is worth about $400 if needing the burn plates and/or baffle replaced. Also consider cast iron clad steel stoves.

 

[WarmerWithWood]

Thanks for response - yea, it's probably time. And while it would be simple to just replace the parts and keep going along as we have been for all those years, I do like the opportunity to get more efficient and rebate opportunities! We would like to find a replacement stove that that will not require much more than 'hooking the pipe up to the chimney'.

Replacement Choices = I like several the tax rebate list and do not want the same 'big heat' we got from the cast iron Jotul as one corner is about 24 " from a post - thinking that a soapstone or hybrid might heat a little gentler, but have only had cast iron stoves, so unsure what the learning curve will be with a new stove. Recommendations?

 

[begreen]

I wouldn't worry about the 24" to the post too much. Most modern stoves will have closer clearances too. A bigger stove will have more fuel capacity for a longer burn. Cast iron jacketed steel stoves have the gentler heat like a soapstone, but without the downsides.
If the tax credit is important than look at the Blaze King Princess or Regency 2500 or 3500.