It's U-G-L-Y

Is the Progress a no-go for you? That looks more like the Fireview. For your needs, it should work. The low burn of the Steel is great, but the Progress isn't bad by any means for burn times. Just not what I'm in the need for due to my own issues.

 

Get a PH, fire power and beauty.

 

Well the bottom line is always the bottom line. I have one in college, another starting college next fall and heck I still haven't paid off all my own med school debt. A Progress just is not in the budget.

 

B-BAR types faster

 

Ultimately that's where I'd like to end up. I just like the look and feel of a soapstone clad stove better.

Though the firebox size, ease of front loading and NS burning on this IS stove are huge advantages.

 

I can relate to the budget issues.

If it were me, I'd stay with the Steel (I'd go with a different color, though) and tell the dissenting voices to ignore the looks and enjoy the heat.

 

Reality does have a way of dictating things, eh?

 

A big square-ish firebox is nice to have. Doesn't matter how you load it, it just works.

 

Personally, in the end the stove has to do the job it was bought for effectively. If it can do that and look good affordably.....bonus.

 

Have we derailed devilsbrew's thread? If so, sorry.

 

A derailed thread on the FHC forum?!? No, never! It's not possible.

 

Back to the point, I realize that when I was listing the stoves that I felt offered good designs, I left off Jotul stoves for the list of good cast iron designs. Kind of just realized I'm not a fan of the Jotul cast iron stoves.

I'd buy one if it met my needs, and previously I almost bought a couple of Oslos and Firelights, but the designs seem off. The Oslo kind of seems squished and the Firelight/F600 seem odd, also.

 

Jutul seems so foreign to me. I have a good local dealer and they are a premium brand. Maybe it's the brand name, I can't figure it out.

 

I am enjoying this. No worries.

 

Probably because it is foreign.

 

I like VC's door dressing a lot better than Jøtul's.

 

I'll never own one but that's one sweet looking stove.

 

True, but I buy other foriegn products without worry.

 

The pretty enamel ones are huge money! ...but I really liked them, when I was doing research. ..but for that money you can buy a PH and get the best of all worlds.

 

They are, and when they are working right they have great features. Top loading is a great feature, and the down draft system really does work well. I'm convinced that the downfall of VC as a business was NOT inter-related to the the poor quality/high maintenance issues of the stoves. But together they were a lethal combination.

When my VC Resolute is working, as it is now.. it's a great stove for the right size place. Even makes it through the night when I go to bed late and get up early.