Quadrafire 2100 Impressions

[precaud]

You do your diligence. Read the brochure carefully. Download the owners manual, check and doublecheck clearances, internal and external dimensions (if given), everything. You get the stove, install it, burn it, only to find that you're been taken on a ride by the marketing department.

Case in point: The Quad 2100 brochure. It states: Maximum Wood Length... 18". The dimensional drawings in the manual shows a measurement 'Back of the stove to glass' of 22". So I figure, great, they've thought this out and spec'ed it conservatively, and I'm ok with my wood supply cut to 18". Last night I load in an 18" split and damn if it doesn't touch the glass. Wha? I take it out, measure it, it's exactly 18".

It turns out the measurement shown in the manual is outside dimensions, from the outside rear of the back of the stove to the outside of the glass. What a useless measurement to give. Who the he)) needs to know that dimension? It's misleading.

Internally, from the firebrick to the glass, it is 18" . My wood supply, most of which is 17.5-18.5" (cut for the Morso 2110) will all have to be cut down.

If they had told the truth, this stove should have 15"-16" wood (maybe even 14") so that the primary air can wash over the glass and feed into the firebox properly. Nowhere in the owners manual does it say a word about the size of the wood.

I'm pissed.

There are a couple other issues with this stove, but I'm hoping they can be solved.

 

[suematteva]

That is a useless piece of info...Wonder what they were thinking??? Does their marketing staff live 2 towns over from Elk??

 

[precaud]

That is a useless piece of info...Wonder what they were thinking???

I think it's very clear what they were thinking. They were trying to avoid the perception of it using small, non-standard wood. If I buy from the local wood suppliers, they sell in two lengths - 18" and 24". I suspect it's the same or similar in most places. Most users will not buy a stove if they know they have to cut down their wood. I wouldn't have, and I cut my own wood.

 

[BrotherBart]

The wood length thing was something I noticed with every stove I looked at. It appears that you can pretty much knock two inches off of every "log size" spec out there. Just like knocking a third off of max heating capacity.

I am in the same boat with having to shorten the whole woodpile. The main difference is I knew that it was coming since most of my wood for this year was cut to fit the old stove that could handle 22" to 24" inch wood. The new one is in fact twenty inches square inside the firebox but that is exactly 20" so getting a load of 20" wood in there east/west, which is how it burns best, is an impossible dream. I am whacking the stuff down to 18" and burning the end chunks in the F3.

That's a bummer on that Quad precaud.

 

[precaud]

The wood length thing was something I noticed with every stove I looked at. It appears that you can pretty much knock two inches off of every "log size" spec out there. Just like knocking a third off of max heating capacity.

Hmmm... I guess I haven't been snagged by this before. The Jotul F602 says 16" max and measures 17 to the door. The Morso specs the maximum length (18.5) but gives very exact suggestions for wood size, even giving a suggestion for optimum weight! Maybe this is a US manufacturer's game? The European's are realistic, certainly no 'gotchas'.

Speaking of manuals, I'd say the Quad operating instructions are very vague. It's as if they don't know the best way to operate their own product. If I was a newbie, their instructions wouldn't give me a clue. Are other US manufacturer's manuals like this?

I am in the same boat with having to shorten the whole woodpile.

PITA!

The main difference is I knew that it was coming since most of my wood for this year was cut to fit the old stove that could handle 22" to 24" inch wood. The new one is in fact twenty inches square inside the firebox but that is exactly 20" so getting a load of 20" wood in there east/west, which is how it burns best,

Hmmm. It actually burns better east/west?

I am whacking the stuff down to 18" and burning the end chunks in the F3.

Feels like a huge waste of time to me.

That's a bummer on that Quad precaud.

Yeah, and there are a couple other issues with it too. I'm leaning toward pulling it this afternoon and putting the Morso back up until the issues are resolved. Sigh.

 

[precaud]

I guess what is so frustrating about this is... the main reason I decided to go with the Quad because of it's north/south burning and size, because every stove I've liked is N/S configuration. The Morso is designed for east/west, but burns N/S up to 10" wood, and I loved it in every other respect. I could have cut my wood pile down and used it, but was trying to avoing doing that. And here I am facing it anyway. Life is cruel.

 

[Shane]

Alot of stoves are like that. You can technically get an 18" piece of wood in it. I try to make a habit of pointing this out to people looking at wood stoves. It is kind of irritating. Cutting wood to 18"&24" lengths I am sure will be phased out as time goes on. 3 rows of 16" lengths is how they should be cut to accomodate alot of the modern stoves in my opinion. I mean they can't make the fireboxes as large anymore due to EPA restrictions and the fact that we're extracting considerably more heat from the logs were burning. If the fireboxes were larger we'd end up with small smoldering creosote building fires or running ourselves out of the areas we're trying to heat because it's too hot. Sorry your not happy with your purchase precaud. That's why it's my dream to floor every stove that I sell. It would be so awesome if a prospective customer was able to touch & compare every stove for himself. Man I need a bigger store!

 

[elkimmeg]

Lucky for you you have the most powerfull electric saw to make the shortening task easier

 

[BrotherBart]

"Hmmm. It actually burns better east/west? "

Yeah. The way they have the primary coming in, a stream comes out of a little hole at the bottom front centeer a tand shoots straight back. The rest of primary is the airwash. N/S gets ya great burning valley right up the middle but smoldering with the side pieces because all of the action is taking place in the center where the little hole is aimed. E/W with the suggested "one inch" valley through the coals on the bottom gives a hot burn front to back and the airwash gives one across the width of the splits. That and secondary firing gives a pretty complete burn. Still experimenting here to get the best layout.

My old stove just lived to burn N/S.

As far as the manuals go, I have only seen one that did a good job of telling people how to run their stove and that was the Blaze King manual.

 

[precaud]

BB, if I recall correctly, you're buring softwood right now, yes? The Quad and Morso also have the bottom-center airfeeds you describe. Those holes are WAY too big for softwood (maybe correct for hardwood.). Try blocking off half of it, then turning up your primary airfeed a bit to compensate. That should burn the load more evenly across. I've done it to both my stoves and it helped alot.

On the Morso it was like a blowtorch - it would literally burn the front log in half - quickly.

 

[precaud]

Lucky for you you have the most powerfull electric saw to make the shortening task easier

Groan... true...
But it's even luckier that the Quad and Morso are exactly the same height, so swapping them out involves no pipe mods and will take a half hour at most...

Cutting wood to 18"&24" lengths I am sure will be phased out as time goes on. 3 rows of 16” lengths is how they should be cut to accomodate alot of the modern stoves in my opinion.

Shane, I totally agree, 16" should be the standard size, it can be used in just about anything.

 

[precaud]

Lucky for you you have the most powerfull electric saw to make the shortening task easier

Well, you're right, the Makita is certainly the right tool for the job. Spent all day yesterday sorting through the pile and cutting down the long pieces. Got through not quite half of it, and hope to finish today. This is a thankless task and I wish it on noone. The only good side-benefits to come out of it are; the little 1-2" rounds are great to have around for kindling and livening up a fire, and the wood pile looks bigger when it's restacked!

 

[laynes69]

That sucks. But look at it this way you will get some heat from those pieces. And with you having a modern stove, better you than me, because I have a wood furnace which would eat those small pieces within minutes. Im sure it happens to alot of people who change stoves and run into this.

 

[DriftWood]

Some marketing MBA BS if you ask me. He never fired one of his stoves up. This new Hearthstone heritage will take the 22" wood in to eather door. My piles lengthy is right but the fire box slopes down to the back for the secondary air. The wood split small enough to get it in the door size is too tall the fit in the back. I will be re splitting all winter. Guess the old sayings are true " buyer beware", and "MEASURE TWICE CUT ONCE"

 

[precaud]

Some marketing MBA BS if you ask me. He never fired one of his stoves up.

Agreed there.

This new Hearthstone heritage will take the 22" wood in to Esther door. My piles lengthy is right but the fire box slopes down to the back for the secondary air. The wood split small enough to get it in the door size is too tall the fit in the back. I will be re splitting all winter. Guess the old sayings are true " buyer beware", and "MEASURE TWICE CUT ONCE"

More like: measure once, cut twice!

 

[elkimmeg]

MEASURE TWICE CUT ONCE”

I once had a guy cutting hip rafters for me the first time he cut it short and the next 4 more times there after. He lasted till the end of the week

 

[precaud]

What are "hip rafters" ?

 

[nshif]

Rafters in the house that are "cooler " then the others!

Seriously Rafters where the roof line changes 90 degrees

 

[precaud]

Rafters in the house that are "cooler " then the others!

That would be.. kewl!

Seriously Rafters where the roof line changes 90 degrees

Ah larn sumpin ebry dai...

 

[begreen]

Alot of stoves are like that. You can technically get an 18" piece of wood in it. I try to make a habit of pointing this out to people looking at wood stoves. It is kind of irritating. Cutting wood to 18"&24" lengths I am sure will be phased out as time goes on. 3 rows of 16" lengths is how they should be cut to accomodate alot of the modern stoves in my opinion.

16" is the standard locally. It makes for more accurate stacking of a cord and fits most stoves. When I bought the 3CB, I took a split with me and checked fit of a 17" split to be sure I'd be ok.

To be fair to Quad, I am looking at the manual and it shows with dimensional arrows that the 22" -exterior - dimension is from the back of the stove to the front of the glass. I don't think Quad was fudging dimensions here, based on the diagram. Rather, they are providing the exterior dimensions of the box and the ashlip extension. This is so that one can calculate the hearth extension accurately. What is the interior firebox dimension from side to side? Not having the stove in front of me, it appears an 18" log will go in the stove when loaded parallel with the glass, that is side to side. Is that correct?

 

[precaud]

16" is the standard locally. It makes for more accurate stacking of a cord and fits most stoves. When I bought the 3CB, I took a split with me and checked fit of a 17" split to be sure I'd be ok.

Well that makes alot more sense to me.

To be fair to Quad, I am looking at the manual and it shows with dimensional arrows that the 22" -exterior - dimension is from the back of the stove to the front of the glass.

And what use is that?

I don't think Quad was fudging dimensions here, based on the diagram. Rather, they are providing the exterior dimensions of the box and the ashlip extension. This is so that one can calculate the hearth extension accurately.

But they give those dimensions also. Methinks you're being generous. Which is ok, I guess
Maybe the problem is - they give no internal dimensions at all. The drawing should be labelled "external dimensions" then.

What is the interior firebox dimension from side to side? Not having the stove in front of me, it appears an 18" log will go in the stove when loaded parallel with the glass, that is side to side. Is that correct?

Nope - it's 13-5/8", the same as the width of the glass...

 

[begreen]

Well, I'll agree that they don't give interior dimensions and that would be super helpful. Unfortunately very few manufacturers do this. Wish they would.

The exterior dimensions are necessary for code verification of stove placement, hearth dimensions, and stove to combustible clearances. Quad's drawing dimensions seem pretty standard to me.

But, I think you have ground to stand on with your dealer if you want to swap out for the next larger stove. The reason is not the manual dimension, but the sales brochure which lists this as capable of burning an 18" log. From what you've indicated, that is not possible or accurate and a reasonable reason for stove return.

 

[precaud]

Well, I'll agree that they don't give interior dimensions and that would be super helpful. Unfortunately very few manufacturers do this. Wish they would.

In the sales lit, it says "max wood length of 18" but that puts you right up against the glass. Now, if they don't know that's a BAD idea, then they aren't nearly as smart as we give them credit for. Surely they know how to use their stoves better than anyone else? So why not tell us? In my recent experiences with Jotul and Morso, they spec'ed it conservatively so it wasn't a problem. And in Morso's case, they gave explicit instruction for cutting the wood - length, size, even weight. And, voila, the stove does work best when used as per their recommendation. Now that inspires confidence. And... whether they know it or not, that's a big part of the game.

The exterior dimensions are necessary for code verification of stove placement, hearth dimensions, and stove to combustible clearances. Quad's drawing dimensions seem pretty standard to me.

Yup. Standard stuff.

But, I think you have ground to stand on with your dealer if you want to swap out for the next larger stove.

No, that's not my intent at all. It's just another chapter in the ongoing saga of the battle for truth, justice, and a world that makes sense and works as decribed!! Ha! Dream on!

 

[begreen]

No, that’s not my intent at all. It’s just another chapter in the ongoing saga of the battle for truth, justice, and a world that makes sense and works as decribed!! Ha! Dream on! grin

I think that train left the station for another planet. ;-) Marketing truth is an oxymoron.


Other than the wood length, how is the stove doing?

 

[precaud]

Other than the wood length, how is the stove doing?

Can't say yet, though first impressions were mostly positive. Unfortunately it had a couple technical issues so I took it down and am waiting for a replacement part. Heat transfer efficiency is VERY high on it, I can say that. Will post a full report asap.