North/South Stoves?

[REF1]

Okay, the Fusion came today. Big 10" scratch in the steel on the side. This was shipped out from PE that way, or the dealer I purchased from. The black wrapping had no cuts or tears of any kind, so I don't see how it could have been the trucking company. I refused the shipment. Anyway, this may be a blessing in disguise. I've had it with buying large ticket items off the web. We keep getting burnt. In this case, we just want a refund. We are burnt out with it all.

As those who've read my posts know I have become mortal enemies with this Homestead. My throat has begin to burn from the smoke and or fumes which leak or pour out when I open the door to reload. Even starting a new fire after running a hot one, if I do not get all my logs in on time the coals will ignite the first split and smoke always leaks out the right side. Hot flue, 550-600 previous fire. Insane. ... Enough. End of discussion on this appliance.

I was nervous, somewhat, that this Fusion, also having a firebox exit at the front of the stove, would also give me smoke problems. People assured me no way, because of the PE air intake system, but ... who knows? My wood is dry. My new steel flue is 17-18', almost all of it straight up. So ... why the Homestead breathes its smoke at me I know not, and I do not want a stove that exits in the front.

North/South loading a must. Rear exit firebox important. Unique looks important, too. Cats always welcome.

Suggestions?

BTW, stove shape. It occurs to me that so many stoves are wider than deeper. That means most stoves are throwing off radiant heat off the broad side back against the hearth wall or whatever is directly behind it, and that radiant heat is not as appreciable to a room as the front side would be. Such is definitely the case with our Homestead. A stove with a deeper than wider footprint would send out radiant waves more east and west, which in most cases, and definitely in our case, would put out more efficient radiant heating in the house. One of the reasons I chose the more convection Fusion.

Anyway, I digress. I saw a company, I thought from Canada, that made some very unique looking cast iron stoves. Cannot find the web site again. Perhaps it was a Euro company. Can't remember. Seemed like it was a French name. Not Drolet, though. Any of you Canadians have any idea what company I am talking about? Of course, finding a local dealer would probably be impossible.

 

[rdust]

How big of a stove are you looking for? My Endeavor will load n/s or e/w with 18" logs although I only load n/s. Air exists in the front but it has a bypass you can pull out when starting and reloading, this sends the smoke straight up the chimney. I've only had a wisp of smoke every now and then escape the stove on me.

 

[KB007]

Canadian companies that come to mind immediately - Napoleon, Regency, PE, Drolet, can't think of any more right now. It seems that pretty much all of the current crop of EPA stoves have some kind of system that has the re-burn tubes on the roof of the firebox and something (eg baffles/bricks) to get the smoke to run around the front end of the baffle.

 

[Todd]

I agree with rdust, Lopi Endeavor is a nice stove and the same size as the Fusion but has that nice bypass feature. Check out Lopi's web site video's for the Endeavor. Avalon also has the smokeless reloading bypass in a non cat stove. Otherwise all your cat stoves have a bypass, you may want to look into Blaze King and Woodstock.

 

[BrotherBart]

I want the phone number of the freight company. I want to pick up that Fusion cheap.

 

[REF1]

I told my wife they will probably offer to take the price down to compensate for the scratch. No way. The scratch is way too visible.

Now, BrotherBart this is the second stove you want to take off my hands. Doesn't that mailbox work well enough for you?

There's a Jotul dealer not too far from here. Maybe I'll check into their offerings. Lopi and Avalon are made by the same outfit. I forget the name. Very similar stoves. I've not been impressed by most modern stoves, cosmetically. They look like modern cars - all the same. I remember the time both stoves and cars had real personality from each manufacturer. You knew the maker just by looking at the unit.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I told my wife they will probably offer to take the price down to compensate for the scratch. No way. The scratch is way too visible.

Now, BrotherBart this is the second stove you want to take off my hands. Doesn't that mailbox work well enough for you?

There's a Jotul dealer not too far from here. Maybe I'll check into their offerings. Lopi and Avalon are made by the same outfit. I forget the name. Very similar stoves. I've not been impressed by most modern stoves, cosmetically. They look like modern cars - all the same. I remember the time both stoves and cars had real personality from each manufacturer. You knew the maker just by looking at the unit.

How much for the belching Homestead?

 

[rdust]

Lopi and Avalon are made by the same outfit. I forget the name. Very similar stoves.

Travis Industries makes both brands. Biggest things that sold me were the brick baffle, bypass, 4 1/4" rear clearance to combustibles, construction and nice style for a steel stove with the step top.

 

[begreen]

REF1, sounds like it would be easier for you to tell us what the local dealers carry. I'm assuming there are no PE dealers within a reasonable distance. If not, then what can you get locally? Are there any Buck, Lopi or Avalon dealers there?

 

[begreen]

I want the phone number of the freight company. I want to pick up that Fusion cheap.

It's in your neck of the woods. Go for it. I sure would.

 

[madrone]

Not sure on the french-canadian cast-iron stove, but how about the PE Alderlea? Nice looking stove, with square box and convection.

 

[REF1]

I've gotten some offers on the Homestead. Asking 1700. Didn't use it until more than half way into December. I cleaned it out yesterday and prepared it to be removed from the Hearth. I hate the thought of starting it up again. It's pretty chilly in here this morning.

I don't know what's local, aside from Jotul and Hearthstone. I spent hours looking at almost every company on the EPA list. Nothing really stood out to me, cosmetically. I wish more companies had details of their air intake and draft systems at their web sites. They really concern themselves more with exterior specs than interior performance.

Not sure what we'll do. At present, in this renovation, there is one electric baseboard functioning in the house. Not much heat at night from that. Well, this is our life. We get the lemons. Just not used to making lemonade yet, I guess.

 

[REF1]

As I recall the nearest PE dealer is in Kentucky, which is why we went web for the purchase. There may be other stores within a couple hours. Roanoke, probably. That's a couple hours away. Winston Salem 2 hours the other direction.

 

[REF1]

I emailed and spoke to the dealer last night. Not too happy about giving me a refund and wants to wait until they get the stove back to inspect it, and address me in a day or two. The owner was adamant he checked the stove when it came from PE and when it left the shop, and it had no scratches. If the stove was wrapped in the black plastic I don't know how he checked it. If he rewrapped it, and it had no tears or punctures of any kind on this end, how did the stove get a ten inch scratch sitting within a large crate? It was sitting next to a few tires on the loading dock. Hardly sharp objects.

I don't know. I am in no mood for hassles. I'll let Wells Fargo and the dealer hack it out. I just want a refund.

 

[begreen]

The Fusion panels are cosmetic and could have been replaced by the dealer so I can understand why he's not too happy. Seems like a bad case of buyer's remorse, again. My advice is to stick with a local dealer and a stove that can be seen and touched in the store.