looking to replace my wood stove

[TLR15]

I've not been 100% satisfied with the Vermont Casting Vigilant I've been running at my camp the last few years. I'm not a fan of the topload and I can't get a full night's burn out of it. The front doors are all but useless to use while a fire is going.
I will say that the output is fine for my camp, a 20'x30' story and a half with 10' walls.

So I've been researching a replacement. Here's my criteria in the order of importance.

-It has to have a flat top for cooking/warming food. We frequently use it for that.
-It needs to heat our 1200 sf camp without breathing hard and it should keep producing heat for 8 hrs minimum. I'm thinking in the 70K BTU/hr range.
-The Vigilant uses an 8" stove pipe. I won't replace the existing stovepipe and I have no experience with using a reducer. I'm assuming that they're OK. If not I need to find a stove with an 8" flue.

I'm looking at used stoves only. I have no problem with running a classic if it meets my needs.

Any opinions on stove models is welcome. Also I found a Fisher Little Bear for sale cheap locally. I've read good things about them. Anyone have one?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[mbohuntr]

We had a fisher Mama Bear and LOVED it. Heated the bulk of an old farm house w/ it. I would own another in a heartbeat.

 

[areid]

As a Wett certified wood stove installer in Canada I have installed hundreds of stoves and the best stove bar none is the Blaze King King or princess models. They are catalytic stoves meaning they burn efficiently at 450 degrees while other stoves must be at 650 degrees to achieve the same efficiency. The burn time can be 24- 40 hours depending upon the wood. Look them up.
Aulden@borderhi.com

 

[TLR15]

Areid, thanks for that tip. I will check them out. Do you see a problem with running a 6" stove through an 8" pipe?

 

[areid]

The larger the pipe the lower the draft. Also the manufacturer of the stove will sometimes have specific rules that prohibits what you are suggesting. Of course you are suggesting a reducer at the flue pipe adapter and not physically running a smaller chimney inside a larger one I trust.

 

[TomSeller]

We had a fisher Mama Bear and LOVED it. Heated the bulk of an old farm house w/ it. I would own another in a heartbeat.

Ditto. Probably 30 years as the primary source of heat.

 

[oosik]

I used a Lopi for years here at the house. Flat top for cooking, and a load of pine would last all night.

 

[adirondackmtnman]

***duplicate post***

 

[adirondackmtnman]

Probably out of your price range for a camp, but our Hearthstone soapstone stove has been a great performer. Lasts all night and then some. We cook on it whenever the power is out, which is rather frequently for us. Ours has a 6" out, but I would have to consult the manual as to whether they would recommend a reducer to a larger pipe.

 

[TLR15]

The larger the pipe the lower the draft. Also the manufacturer of the stove will sometimes have specific rules that prohibits what you are suggesting. Of course you are suggesting a reducer at the flue pipe adapter and not physically running a smaller chimney inside a larger one I trust.

Yes, I was talking about running a reducer. Is it not ok to actually run 6" pipe up through it?