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grover
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# Posted: 19 Oct 2012 06:24pm
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Just doing some planning and research for my future cabin. I know one of the things I will need is a wood stove. I have been checking craigslist every day or so but how do I know if I am looking at a quality stove? Do I look for brand name, weight, etc? Is there a web site that concentrates specifically on wood stoves.
Never had one before and don't know much about them.
Thanks
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 19 Oct 2012 06:34pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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My personal preference is for a long time established brand name. They will usually be well made and have parts available if needed.
Second, how large a stove is needed? A stove that is too big will be as unsatisfactory as one that is too small. Good manufacturers will not simply list the sq ft they think it will heat but will list the maximum BTU output.
Does the location where the stove will be installed require the stove to be an EPA approved unit? Some states have very stringent rules.
Use Google to research wood stoves. hearth.com does have some useful information.
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Martian
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# Posted: 19 Oct 2012 07:45pm - Edited by: Martian
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Quoting: MtnDon Use Google to research wood stoves.
That's what I did because it soon became clear that, when one ask about wood stoves, everybody has a favorite brand.
Tom
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 19 Oct 2012 09:21pm
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Quoting: Martian everybody has a favorite brand.
Note that I did not recommend a brand!  I do have a favorite brand of which we've three different models in three different homes over 35 years. I can't get some parts for the first one anymore but I think that after that length of time that's okay. (I was just curious about that and looked into it a few years ago.)
Cast iron stoves can look nicer than some plate steel stoves, but some cast iron stoves are Chinese junk.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 19 Oct 2012 09:41pm - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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My favorite is Quadrafire. Have a 3100 Millenuim in my home.
Just a 30 yr old Fjord trash burner in the cabin. My state now wants EPA certified ones. So I can not buy all the ones Northern Hydraulic offers (lots of low priced chinese stuff/junk)
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brokeneck
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# Posted: 20 Oct 2012 06:39pm
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Remember the stove pipe and chimney pipe are as expensive or even more expensive as the stove itself. Decide where your stove will sit -- decide how will you provide clearances -- will you use single or double wall stove pipe -- you'll need an adapter or box to connect the stove pipe to the chimney pipe --then will you use double or triple wall for the chimney pipe. I have a Vermont Castings cast iron stove and love it. I bought my stove off of craigslist for $400 but the box and chimney pipe were included. All I needed to add was the stove pipe which in single wall is relatively cheap. I bought the pipe on line from ventingpipe .com after calling their great customer service dept.
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rayyy
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# Posted: 21 Oct 2012 08:42am
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How big a space do you plan on heating with this stove?I know last winter my wood stove was way to much for a 12x20 room.Roasted me out,had to open door a little.This year Iv'e got the rest of the place done now,an additional 18x20 room.Stove should work out much better.It hasn't been cold enough to fire it up yet.
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groingo
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# Posted: 21 Oct 2012 11:31am - Edited by: groingo
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In my 10 by 20 cabin I have an (abused) older Waterford cast iron stove that I rebuilt, with a secondary burn chamber which heats quicker and makes the wood last a lot longer, this is a must have feature which they call new now days (but has actually been around since the mid 1800's).
Last season I cooked myself out with it so this year I made some changes to the fire box heat shielding and especially the wood size which is down from 14 inches to ten and six with no chunks over 1/8 split (no halves or 1/4's), it makes heating much more controllable and will reduce wood use by an easy 25 to 50% and I won't be heating the outdoors as often.
It all depends in the end what size space you have to heat, vaulted or cathedral ceiling etc and your experience with wood heat.
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aktundra
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# Posted: 21 Oct 2012 02:44pm
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I think there are a lot of good stoves out there.
When it comes down to what make and model I would take a couple things into consideration. First, what size cabin are you heating? What climate do you live in? How efficient of a stove do you want / can you afford? Is this a weekend getaway cabin or are you burning all winter with that stove? What type of temperature regulation do you want with your stove?
At home, I use Blaze King stoves because they meet my needs - the size I'm heating, ability to regulate temperature, and efficiency. They are however expensive. Other good stoves are Jotul and Vermont Castings. For a cabin I would find a good deal on one of the major brands. A Blaze King is expensive to buy, but having a good stove really helps at -40F!
At the cabin, which isn't a full time residence, we have a 55 Gallon barrel stove. The stove is difficult to regulate. It burns best roaring so the temperatures quickly rise in the cabin. On a cold night (-20F and colder) it won't burn through the entire night. For the cost, it works. It can quickly raise the cabin temperature from by 80 degrees in a couple of hours. However, we burn more wood with it. Once we are at the cabin a couple days, it's hard to regulate the heat. When the fire is going, the cabin starts cooking. The barrel stove will be replaced with Blaze King Princess, to burn less wood and regulate temperatures better. The barrel stove will problem be the stove we use to heat up the shed / workspace.
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exsailor
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# Posted: 22 Oct 2012 01:47pm
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aktundra,
Have you considered adding some rock or some other thermal bank to keep the heat over those times the fire burns low or out on those really cold nights. Seems also it would be a way to regulate the temerature as well.
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grover
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# Posted: 22 Oct 2012 06:26pm
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Sorry, I've been away for a while.
Cabin plans are for 600 sq ft with 1 br. It will just be a weekend place for now, maybe full time some day. The winter weather here gets down to the single digits, sometimes below zero but that is the exception. Normal winter lows are high teens/low 20's. From what I have been seeing a 30,000 to 40,000 btu stove should be about right.
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jrbarnard
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# Posted: 23 Oct 2012 06:34am
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A friend is refurbishing an 1800's pot-bellied stove off a caboose and giving it to us.. cannot wait to install it!
He had to fabricate door hinges and the rods that go the length of the stove and hold it together. He made them as original as possible and now is working on an ash drawer.
R
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2012 08:46pm
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I have a Morso 1410 squirrel which seems to be a very well designed unit. Have not used it yet. Morso is Danish and claims to be one of the oldest makers of stoves.
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