Woodstove Recommendations?

[Hugenpoet]

Yep, they are great stoves! We have the F118CB, the old original style they brought back and updated. Have to run it kind of low, or it'll run us out of the house Very easy on wood also...

The F118 is a great stove. Very similar in style to my first true wood burner, a Lange 6302, except of course that the F118 is super efficient. I would have bought a couple of F118 except my wife wanted to be able to look at the burning fire.

 

[roundhouse]

Oh yeah, didnt think about that, the ash drawer saves a lot of work.
And you can empty the ashes without waiting for the fire to burn out and the stove to cool down and get dust everywhere in your house when you scoop the ashes out..

 

[sunfish]

The F118 is a great stove. Very similar in style to my first true wood burner, a Lange 6302, except of course that the F118 is super efficient. I would have bought a couple of F118 except my wife wanted to be able to look at the burning fire.

Our F118 has the glass in the door but it's small. Still can see the fire good and stays very clean all the time. I almost bought a different (sidewise) model with big glass front, but the F118 takes 24" wood, and I love the old world look. This is the 5th stove we've had in 30 years and by far the most efficient. Will keep this one a looooong time

The Oslo is a great stove also!

 

[Rudedog]

We have two Jotul Oslo stoves in a large (6000 sq. ft) ....The stoves are very attactive IMHO and easily hold a fire overnight. .....Jotuls are somewhat expensive, but well worth the money.

I love mine in a 2,500 sq. ft Victorian in Maryland. My wife likes the front glass.

 

[rider93hawg]

Had the PE Summit pedestal in our old house and stinking loved it. Big one rated for 3000 sq. ft. New place is much smaller so it would of been over kill to move it out here. Now we have a Quadra-Fire pedestal rated for 1900 sq. ft. I have to say what they claim about the Quadra-Fire is pretty much true as it is a light it and forget about it easy start. The only reason we didn't get a smaller PE is because I am all about finding a deal. Very lightly used Q-F set us back $600 and came with an iron floor.

 

[Steve K]

12 years now on my Lopi Answer with no problems at all. Heats my 1350 sqft home really nice. Last winter we had -22 F and it kept us toasty. Before I moved here I had a Lopi Endeavour that was equally as nice, just a bit bigger. Good solid stoves IMHO.

 

[aspen jack]

we are in our 3rd year with a harmon oakwood stove. we love our stove.
Last year we lost power for 8days and survived very nicely. We used our stove for heat&cooking,and had a great time.

 

[WetBehindtheEar]

Where in South Central WI are you? I'm in Madison and purchased my Hearthstone insert (LOVE IT!) from Top Hat in Madison. They've got a second showroom in Baraboo, which is where their main warehouse is located.

Decent guys to work with - they were happy to let me buy and do the install on my own but I had a lot of things worked out before I talked to them so they knew I wasn't going to burn my house down.

Top Hat may be a bit on the pricey side so look around.

I don't know what you are looking for as far as aesthetics - maybe you want to hook a wood burning furnace into the ductwork. In that case, there are several Daka (sp?) units for sale on the Madison Craigslist on occasion. I don't know if they are worth the sweat to move and install them but if you can get them at a discount, what the hey, ya know der Eh!? (sorry, cheesehead accent coming through)

Is your oil burner a forced air system? Gravity? Or is it steam/hot water heat? There are ways of augmenting all of it.

 

[logbutcher]

Buying a wood stove is like a marriage: due diligence.
If you've got some $$$ and/or can do DIY, look into wood/oil furnaces or wood boilers such as Tarm.

Wood stoves:

1. Be sure you have the wood supply set up. It's a wood stove.

2. With your partner ( mandatory ) visit as many dealers you can. Play with the stoves: loading, ash handling, maintenance, and open and close everything.

3. IF cast iron, spend extra to get the porcelain; easy to keep clean and looking nice. That stove will be a center piece for years. Remember, the stove will be where you spend the most time.

4. When you've decided on the wood beast, ASK about problems and for references of those who have used the stove for > a year.

5. REAL warranty: manufacturer, dealer, who and how IF serious problems come up.

6. Installation and flue (if needed) WILL be at least the cost of the stove. References and cost.

And read up on hearthnet evaluations and owners' comments on the stove.

 

[Rickochet]

Much good advice has been given. One of the most important is to find a reputable, reliable dealer who will help you assess your needs. I purchased a Napoleon 1900 and have no regrets. I would buy another one today.

http://www.napoleonfireplaces.com/Stoves/stoves_wood/stoves_wood.html

 

[Somewood_guy]

I have a soapstone stove, and it's amazing. It really flattens out the hold/cold cycles. It never gets too hot that you can't touch it (doesn't get hotter than 200 degrees), will still be holding heat after 24 hrs, and really cranks.

http://www.soapstone-woodstove.com/palisadium_wood_stove.html

I couldn't be happier with it.

 

[fishercat]

Pacific Energy here too.

For an EPA STOVE,its awesome.

I'd still rather have a old Fisher or Allnighter though.

 

[USMC0802]

I have a soapstone stove, and it's amazing. It really flattens out the hold/cold cycles. It never gets too hot that you can't touch it (doesn't get hotter than 200 degrees), will still be holding heat after 24 hrs, and really cranks.

http://www.soapstone-woodstove.com/palisadium_wood_stove.html

I couldn't be happier with it.

Are you burning your stove hot enough to really get the heat out of it if it only ever reaches 200 degrees? Everything I'm reading about soapstone is that the ideal temp range for heating the house is 350*-550*. I can't see how 200* is sufficient to heat anything other than the room the stove is in.

I'm not saying you're wrong, not at all, as this winter will be my first with a soapstone stove, I'm just saying your post is contradictory to everything I've been reading elsewhere.

 

[WidowMaker]

Burger King Princess....never look back....


of course thats suppose to be Blaze King not burger King...:blush:

 

[802climber]

Thanks everyone for all the good advice! Much appreciated.

Where in South Central WI are you? I'm in Madison and purchased my Hearthstone insert (LOVE IT!) from Top Hat in Madison. They've got a second showroom in Baraboo, which is where their main warehouse is located.

Decent guys to work with - they were happy to let me buy and do the install on my own but I had a lot of things worked out before I talked to them so they knew I wasn't going to burn my house down.

Top Hat may be a bit on the pricey side so look around.

I don't know what you are looking for as far as aesthetics - maybe you want to hook a wood burning furnace into the ductwork. In that case, there are several Daka (sp?) units for sale on the Madison Craigslist on occasion. I don't know if they are worth the sweat to move and install them but if you can get them at a discount, what the hey, ya know der Eh!? (sorry, cheesehead accent coming through)

Is your oil burner a forced air system? Gravity? Or is it steam/hot water heat? There are ways of augmenting all of it.

Thanks. Going to be located 30 min west of madison. So yes looking for good dealer in that area. Would look into indoor or outdoor wood burning furnace but we really want to go the wood stove in the living room heats the whole house route, with oil heat as backup only. Could see tying in a small stove in our upstairs bedroom if necessary but probably won't be. Looking for traditional cast iron look, not too glitzy looking though, with modern air tight efficiency/function. Haven't done much research yet.

 

[slofr8]

I'm heating 1550 sq." in northern Maine with a Hearthstone Heritage that I really like. This will be my 3rd year. I'll let the stove temp get up to 400 to 500 when it's cold out. Not saying that any other stove could not do it but I burn a lot of Aspen. It burns hot and fast but the mass of this stove slowly absorbs and releases the heat. There is a learning curve tho. In the fall/spring fires are made ahead of time to allow the stove to get to temp.
There are a couple of things that I don't care for however.
1- I don't use the ash box to clean the stove. I find it easier to shovel it out. I'll have to experiment more.
2- I can't use the front door. I only open it to clean the glass as ash seems to accumulate on the edge and falls out every time the door is open. Thankfully it has a side door that I use.
Over all I love it.
Good luck.
Dan.

 

[802climber]

uh oh...

Can someone explain to me the term "EPA Stove" and how this affects me trying to buy a new stove? Just from working on saws and trucks seeing "EPA" gives me an instant headache. What do I need to know about this?

Thanks.

 

[USMC0802]

Can someone explain to me the term "EPA Stove" and how this affects me trying to buy a new stove? Just from working on saws and trucks seeing "EPA" gives me an instant headache. What do I need to know about this?

Thanks.

It's basically a restriction on stoves forcing them to be efficient based on the amount of particulate coming out of the chimney on an hourly basis. There's more to it, but any new stove must meet the regulations. I don't think there's anything extra on your part to do. We just bought one in July and basically paid for it and had it installed and that's it.

 

[802climber]

Yeah.. It will be a new installation. Start to finish.
Looking at United Brick & Fireplace and Top Hat both out of Madison area.

United has Vermont Castings, Regency and Hampton.

Top Hat has Hearthstone, Lopi, Jotul, etc.

I guess we will visit both and check out the stoves...

So the only option for buying new from dealers nowadays is EPA stoves? But it doesn't really matter though, huh?

 

[USMC0802]

So the only option for buying new from dealers nowadays is EPA stoves? But it doesn't really matter though, huh?

That's what the dealers around here told us.

Some things to consider in your decision making process:
material - cast, steel, or stone
loading - side, front, top or combination of them
catalytic vs non-catalytic

Depending on where you want to put the stove and how your hearth is constructed, that will help you figure out your tolerances for needing a heat shield, single/double wall pipe, etc...