Recommended wood stove brands

[Egon]

We have a pellet stove but it's for supplemental heat, not our main heat source, which is wood. Our wood is "free" and pellets are not. Furthermore, our pellet stove (Harmon "Advance") needs frequent cleaning and it's a real bear to clean.

Free firewood is an illusion!

 

[Ken45101]

Free firewood is an illusion!

That is why I put it in quotes.

It is, however, somewhat free of cash flow. I do have firewood falling at my feet sometimes!

 

[Egon]

If you install a wood stove seriously, consider using insulated pipe for it. advantage over double/triple wall pipe is : it heats faster and stays hot. so no build up of creosote.

There will be codes regulating the type of chimney.

 

[sd455dan]

The problem I see with a pellet stove is if you lose electricity you'll have no heat. If you are in a rural area that could be a problem.

We used a 70000 BTU pellet stove at a place I worked. Early on we installed a fairly large UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply).
In 12 years Never lost heating ability

 

[Ken45101]

We used a 70000 BTU pellet stove at a place I worked. Early on we installed a fairly large UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply).
In 12 years Never lost heating ability

Where I used to live, we went 12 years without losing power. Where we live now.....sometimes it's not worth resetting the clocks on the appliances We have been lucky, 24 hours was our longest outage but at my wife's previous location power was out for a week.

One the 24 hour outage, we had longer term water supply problems. The rural water company brought in a generator during daylight hours for the nearby booster station, but took it away at night. That let the valves freeze in the local water tower and water supply was intermittent for a week!

 

[sandman2234]

I cut firewood for exercise, when I have time. Splitting it used to be by hand, but recently threw a parts splitter together. I stack and store it and then give it away to people in need. I have a source for oak logs and often get them delivered to my house. I would love to supplement the heat in my house with wood but my insurance company would have a coronary! They list it as something they don't insure and if I put one in on the sly, and something happened, I know they would not pay. I will be shopping "again!!" for another company soon.
An outside furnace might fly easier, but haven't investigated that yet.
So free firewood does happen for some people!!
David from jax

 

[deserteagle71]

The problem I see with a pellet stove is if you lose electricity you'll have no heat. If you are in a rural area that could be a problem.

Most of us have gensets for emergency/remote power.

My power goes out all the time. I have a small Honda genset I can sit out on the deck and I installed a "thruport" that I can plug the genset in to, and the pellet stove plugs into the same thruport inside the house. Keep fumes away from the house and allows me to bring power inside without having to run a power cord through a door or window.

For power outages of longer duration my Miller Bobcat welder/generator sits on a trailer. I can bring it over to where my power meter is, plug it in and run the whole place including the well with no problem.

 

[arto98607]

Yes we do have generator(s) for emergency backup, but as we all know they are good only as long as you have enough fuel to run one........

I refuse to own any type of wood stove that requires electricity to operate.

 

[deserteagle71]

Yes we do have generator(s) for emergency backup, but as we all know they are good only as long as you have enough fuel to run one........

I refuse to own any type of wood stove that requires electricity to operate.

I have two wood stoves...sitting out in the barn, doing nothing. You must have a ready supply of cheap firewood. Firewood where I live has to be imported these days. $360 - $400 a cord when you can find it. I used to drive 240 miles one way up into Oregon to get my firewood but now even that source has dried up.

 

[BoFuller]

We love our Blaze King Princess model, but it can cook us out even with 1700 sq ft. Usually we leave upstairs windows open a little, even when it’s freezing outside.