quadrafire castile or st. croix hastings

[freeburn]

Stevekng - Did you try to loosen the bolt on the sliding metal piece to free it up? I have the same unit and it stuck for me the first time, but after that, nothing. One other person noted that if you remove it and scrape it really well with a putty knife, it helps it move more freely.

To the original poster - take a look at what the fire looks like. Quads are farther down in the pot, and you can't really see much of the fire especially on Med and Lo. St Croix I can't really speak to. I know that Quads are pretty solid and burn pot is cast iron vs stainless steel.

 

[kbjelka]

I have a Quad Castile and a St. Croix Afton Bay. I like them both but the Quad pot lever froze on me this year because the mechanism rusted solid over the summer. I used pam on the inside like I always do on my other stoves but I will be sure to cover the pot lever mechanism from now on. It is accessible from the ash pan compartment.
By the way, the Quad is a no frills unit. The St. Croix has a lot of bells and whistles but the electronics, if not working, will shut you down until you have replaced one of the many interdependent sensors or control board. The Quad Castile is a more do-it- yourself friendly stove when it comes to repairs

I found that the burn-pot door collects an almost epoxy like deposit that tends to occasionally jam up the door mechanism. I purchased a couple of different gasket scrapers and when it gets sticky I just scrape the hell out of it. Peirhead suggested a Dremel for those really tough scrapings which sounds like a pretty good idea. Mine has only gotten sticky a few times in the last year. Each time a 30 second scraping freed it right up. Resist the urge to loosen bolts. The the clearances on the burn-pot door are tight for a reason. A quick scrape will do the trick. Seems like a common issue, but it's really not a big deal once you realize that a little extra attention to the burn-pot scrapping clears it right up. My Castile has been otherwise trouble free.

 

[woodsman23]

I have a Quad Castile and a St. Croix Afton Bay. I like them both but the Quad pot lever froze on me this year because the mechanism rusted solid over the summer. I used pam on the inside like I always do on my other stoves but I will be sure to cover the pot lever mechanism from now on. It is accessible from the ash pan compartment.
By the way, the Quad is a no frills unit. The St. Croix has a lot of bells and whistles but the electronics, if not working, will shut you down until you have replaced one of the many interdependent sensors or control board. The Quad Castile is a more do-it- yourself friendly stove when it comes to repairs

I found that the burn-pot door collects an almost epoxy like deposit that tends to occasionally jam up the door mechanism. I purchased a couple of different gasket scrapers and when it gets sticky I just scrape the hell out of it. Peirhead suggested a Dremel for those really tough scrapings which sounds like a pretty good idea. Mine has only gotten sticky a few times in the last year. Each time a 30 second scraping freed it right up. Resist the urge to loosen bolts. The the clearances on the burn-pot door are tight for a reason. A quick scrape will do the trick. Seems like a common issue, but it's really not a big deal once you realize that a little extra attention to the burn-pot scrapping clears it right up. My Castile has been otherwise trouble free.

All the more reason to go with the ST. Croix, mine is trouble free, auto ignite, thermostat controlled with "smartstat" for for beggining the cooler season and end of season. Works wonderful, puits out plenty of heat and it is start and play. I clean it once a week and dump ash pan. I use 7-9 bags a week in coldest months. And it looks great.

 

[kbjelka]

You can't go wrong with the Castile either, it's a reliable stove and it's solid cast iron exterior is pretty sweet looking to boot. I have a wired programmable thermostat on mine and I simply adjust the low, medium, and hi output as average temps change. Low on the shoulder seasons, medium most of the winter, and high when it gets below zero.

 

[Stevekng]

My Castille was rusted. I"m a machinst and I have a pretty fair understanding of how mechanical components function. There was no epoxy-like coating on this critter when I put it to bed for the summer. I had a machinists mirror with a light on it, so I was able to inspect the lever mechanism before I made a plan to repair it. A few taps with a brass drift after a good soaking with WD-40 freed it up. No bolts were involved in the process.
One other note. I also have an Enviro Meridian(VF-100). The control pad is almost identical with my St. Croix. With both of these units I had to replace the control board within 1 week of installation. The St. Croix also had to have every sensor replaced when the bord was swapped out. The Quad has had no issues. I know theres a bunch of you fols out there, ready to pounce on reasons other than the stoves quality for the failures but I still say simpler is better when it comes to durability.

 

[mghocko]

thanks everyone for the input... I decided to purchase the castile... its beautiful and works great.

thanks again

 

[Former Farmer]

Good luck with your Castile. I'm sure that you will be happy with it. Keep us posted with your installation, first burning, etc. We always like to hear how things are going for each other.

 

[jtakeman]

thanks everyone for the input... I decided to purchase the castile... its beautiful and works great.

thanks again

A photo when you get it installed and running is a must.

Hope everything go well. Also your up and running quickly. And it keeps you nice and warm.

jay

 

[krooser]

My old St Croix is quiet and trouble free... going on the 4th heating season for me and I haven't spent one dime on parts or service. I bought it used in 2006 and I think it ws three or four years old at that time.