Longetivity?... Wood Stove that is

[CO_Woodman]

Hi All,

My 80's Vermont Castings Vigilant (cast iron) is warping recently, and this fact has me thinking about stove longetivity.

How about some helpful/insightful, and maybe some lude comments in regards to Wood Stove longetivity.

Are there any new stoves that are made to last ?

The old Fisher stoves may weigh alot, but they will outlive most of us

 

[ASETECH]

Oldies

Yes they well! I got a fisher that heated a house for 22 years. Sat in a garage for several and has kept me cozy for several. I was looking at EPA stoves the other day, I don't know. I sure like my old Fisher!

 

[nitro]

1977 vigilant

mine says 1977 on the inside and its between 300 and 450 every day in the cold .
if you have an air leak somewhere on the stove you'll over heat the stove

black refractory cement in a caulk tube at the seams and new gaskets

check it with cigar smoke or similar while burning a hotter fire in the stove...

 

[Woodsrover]

I've got a '77 Vigilant as well. It burns all day, every day, all winter. 6 cord last year, probably not as much this year. I bought it used and it was overfired somewhere along the way. There's a small crack in the rear wall and a small one in the floor. Besides that it works perfectly every day.

These early ones were cast in Vermont but some time in the 80's they started getting cast off-shore. I've always heard the old ones are much better than the newer ones. If that 80's stove is starting to buckle, you're either overheating it or it's just a bad casting. Go out and find yourself an old one.

Jim