Trying to decide on what new stove to get

Woodstock often throw sales I got mine for 2,250 new with every option but I picked it up in West Lebanon NH

 

Wish I was closer so I could pick it up. They want $202 to ship it here but there's no sales tax so that helps some.

Just looked at the Summers Heat. Doesn't look bad but wondering about performance? Any experience out there?

The wife just looked at the Lowe's ad and saw the price. She dropped her card on the desk and said go. Think she might be getting tired of window shopping. Also mumbled something about Hilton Head in the spring. Crap, I wanted a Cummins and might end up with a Briggs. Gonna have to let it get cold in here a few times soon I guess to help sell it.

 

Napolean s9 or 1900 looks interesting for non cat.

 

yes they are the same different name

 

My wife was a lot more comfortable with a gauge (cat probe) telling her when it was time to close the bypass, and numbers on the dial telling her where to put the thermostat. She's not confident looking at how a fire is burning and judging where to set the air control. And she likes being able to turn the dial and watch a raging inferno go dark in seconds. Never any chance for overfire.

Blaze King is a very wife-friendly stove.

 

Cat stoves really shine on low output burns. There are plenty of non-cat stoves that can do long burns on moderate-to-high output. I don't know all of them. Of the non-cat options, the Pacific Energy Summit or T6 Alderlea are considered the best/most efficient. If you want the best efficiency in a non-cat stove at the best price/value, you should take a very hard look at the Summit. The Alderlea T6 is the same fire box, wrapped in a cast iron convective shell for more $$$ . Both will do an excellent job without a catalyst. Full disclosure, I bought a PE Alderlea T5 this year and I'm learning how to burn fast and hot fires in shoulder season. Sometimes it works great. Sometimes, I throttle it down too much and get a smoky/inefficient burn. Ultimately, I'm keeping an eye on the chimney for smoke vs. clean burn. Each fire is a learning experience.

 

If your lookin at tube stoves , take a look at Lopi stoves ,well built and have earned their good reputation .
For 2000 sqft a Liberty would probably do the job ,Emissions 2.6 Grams Per Hour,
Firebox Size 3.1 Cubic Feet
I believe thewoodlands and Stinny have one .
I can get 9hrs out of my Lopi 1750 , (2.2 F box ,1.9 Grams Per Hour) at 10 degrees outside .
Brochure
http://lopistoves.com/TravisDocs/98800729.pdf

 

Just look up reviews/threads for the much fabled Englander NC30, same stove. 4.6 out of 5 stars with 149 reviews on HD site, hard to beat that score when it comes to wood stoves. Bar none, the most bang for the buck wood stove out there if your looking for real heat. Some have snagged 'em on sale for $650!

 

When you decide that is the stove for you, here is how I got it for just over $700 delivered to my house, shipping, tax, all-included. Several other members have done the same over the years. I have not installed mine yet, am planning to do that in the spring, as part of a bigger project.

Englander NC-30 $649 | Firewood Hoarders Club

Greg

 

FYI, I just looked, the Durango Colo HD store is still showing the NC30 for $649, unbelievable!!! Englander 2,400 sq. ft. Wood-Burning Stove-30-NCH - The Home Depot

 

FWIW, here's my Alderlease T5 at about maximum heat output.

 

I would NOT worry about that one bit! I personally think there is waaaaaaaaaaaaayy to much emphasis on "how difficult or pesky" it is to run a cat stove. With the PH, it is a breeze. It takes 10 minutes from a COLD start, and 2 to 5 minutes for a hot re-load. For a cold start, you need the SAME 10 minutes to air down a non-cat stove, the only difference on the CAT stove is you turn the bypass handle before you lower the air a few times. Big deal!! Seriously, it's super easy to operate, and me thinks way to many people are scared off that should not be.

As for the cost of some of the more expensive units, I would also take that with a grain of salt if your lucky enough to be able to afford any of them without a problem. If money is tight, of course that is a concern, but if not, I would not worry about an extra grand. Think about it, you will have the stove for what, 10, 20 maybe even 30 years? Divide the 1k into 10 or 20 years, your talking penny's per year difference in price per year. Just something to think about.

The point is get what will work for you and what you want for the long haul, not just today, next week or even this winter.

 

I agree with Machria completely! had my IS installed for about 2 months. My wife is technology adverse! Seriously only had email for 8 months and that's because of work and school! I told her if you want a cat probe I will put 1 in. she said no she can run IS.

She say it's easy lift handle.. open door.. put in wood.. close door.. wait til thermostat says 300 (actually 250 but her words) close handle.. turn air lever to half.. 15 minutes while making dinner or checking homework.

On a side note, you are wise to check with owners that already have and use stoves.. One of my largest complaints with Englander was the this stove 2 cubic foot stove heats 1600 square feet And of course people at box store don't know. Where do they grt those ratings Alabama

 

If costs is playing a key decision factor, I would totally agree with brenndatumo above regarding the NC30, and especially with the HomeDepot deal can't be beat. Even at the standard MSRP of $900 and change it's a great product.

 

I've been looking at the specs for the Buck 85, need to find a dealer close to take a look at one.

 

Buckstove.com....has a dealer locator, looks like there are a few around Kentucky.

Dogwood on here bought the 81 last year, pretty similar it looks. He may be able to tell you a thing or two about his. Pretty sure he likes it well.

 

We've got a lopi endeavor at the cottage. Its been great for over 10 years.

 

Decision made.

Going with the NC30.

First questions...

I've got an 8" class A chimney starting at the ceiling about 4' above the stove. Would it be better to jump right up to 8" at the top of the stove or should I go 6" up to the chimney and then expand???

Is a damper needed in the stove pipe above the stove? I've seen it in at least one pic in the last few days.

Any other accessories that would be good to have?