Looking for a North/South wood stove.

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simple_gifts

simple_gifts

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My friends 20 year old vogelzang looks like it needs replacing and I've been doing some frantic research on a replacement.

Oddly the entire selection of North South loaders (logs are inserted so the ends face you) seems to be limited to US Stove, Vogelzang and Jotul.
Everything else is East West loading which seems move like a major inconvenience and significantly reduces the log length that can be used. Serious usability problems if you want to load it up. Some of 'el cheapo' models don't even have a air intake control method. Is that even safe?

It is like the whole wood store market is now tilted towards appearance, rather than functionality.

I need an EPA certified one of "medium or small" size. Ideally US or .ca made; Can be cast Fe or plate steel. Any one have a recommendation of a sub $800 dollar one. Just point me to the mfg; I've searched for hours.

Thanks.

I might arm twist my friend and have her get a Century FW2700 which seems to be a quality EW model that is affordable.
 
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What is wrong with US Stove, Vogelzang and Jotul?

20 years seems like a good life for a wood stove.
 
Quote:

Response from USStoveExpertNovember 21, 2016
Due to EPA regulations, you will not be able to damper any EPA certified wood stove any longer. All wood stoves must follow these guidelines and standards. Any brand of wood stove will now not be able to be dampered down or have a damper in the flue. We do apologize for this issue you are having, but this will be standard on all wood stoves manufactured.


Because burning 5x as much wood has less pollution than.. damper.. yep.
How are those gas cans working out again EPA... no venting but I dump an ounce every time..
 
We bought our Fire Chief at a local farm store a few years ago for around $800. It had been $1,000 but was on sale.
 
Not many sm./med. NS loading stoves out there in the first place unless you are willing to cut your wood at 13 inches or less or buy something bigger. Jotul 602 or 118, Handmade Elm stoves Vermont Castings Aspen but that model has been mothballed.




Off the top of my head manufacturers of less expensive plate steel stoves not mentioned are Englander Drolet Pacific Energy also has a lower end line
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
Quote:

Response from USStoveExpertNovember 21, 2016
Due to EPA regulations, you will not be able to damper any EPA certified wood stove any longer. All wood stoves must follow these guidelines and standards. Any brand of wood stove will now not be able to be dampered down or have a damper in the flue. We do apologize for this issue you are having, but this will be standard on all wood stoves manufactured.


Because burning 5x as much wood has less pollution than.. damper.. yep.
How are those gas cans working out again EPA... no venting but I dump an ounce every time..

All the air control is in the stove now. Our Regency F2400 certainly doesn't need a damper in the chimney. Now you can't seal it right up but on full closed it will restricts the air enough to make the stove run too cool, but that's a dumb way to run the stove anyways...

OP, alot of the midsize stoves have square fire boxes, we run our Regency F2400 N-S most of the time with 16" wood, as its easier to load that way. I'd get our stove again, its been good with little creosote buildup, and has handled a few glowing top incidents without damage. Sometime I'd like to try a computer controlled damper system but that won't come on a $800 stove.
 
150 year old cast iron technology is 800 bucks? I can get a OIL fired boiler for that!

I have some old Asian built cast iron windowed stove with sheet metal burn guard all around where the grate is toastd through but I keep the old gal going laying a bar b q grill coal grate in there.

Why not re gasket and refurb the old stove if it isn't WAY beyond repair.. we are talking simple stone axe stuff here!
 
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I put the US from TSC in at my camp. It is brick lined but does load sideways - so I'm cutting logs a bit short. The butterfly valve was already in my stack (replaced old pot belly) - so between that and the inlet throttle I can float a slow steady and clean flame - or make it roar ...
 
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
150 year old cast iron technology is 800 bucks? I can get a OIL fired boiler for that!

I have some old Asian built cast iron windowed stove with sheet metal burn guard all around where the grate is toastd through but I keep the old gal going laying a bar b q grill coal grate in there.

Why not re gasket and refurb the old stove if it isn't WAY beyond repair.. we are talking simple stone axe stuff here!


Are you taking into account the catalytic convertor and other regulations that the stove has to meet? Pretty sure they have had cats in stoves for a while now... I'm kinda appreciative of them, as, while I do like the smell of wood smoke, it can be a bit too overpowering at times. Also annoying if there is some sort of inversion layer and the neighbors smoke decides to "live" at my house.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
150 year old cast iron technology is 800 bucks? I can get a OIL fired boiler for that!

I have some old Asian built cast iron windowed stove with sheet metal burn guard all around where the grate is toastd through but I keep the old gal going laying a bar b q grill coal grate in there.

Why not re gasket and refurb the old stove if it isn't WAY beyond repair.. we are talking simple stone axe stuff here!


Are you taking into account the catalytic convertor and other regulations that the stove has to meet? Pretty sure they have had cats in stoves for a while now... I'm kinda appreciative of them, as, while I do like the smell of wood smoke, it can be a bit too overpowering at times. Also annoying if there is some sort of inversion layer and the neighbors smoke decides to "live" at my house.

Many(most?) stoves don't bother with a CC anymore, a well designed one passes the emissions testing without it. People just like to damp the stoves down too much and then they smoke alot. Run properly an EPA stove will have hardly any smell outside, but people like to extend their burn times and run the stoves too cold. We have alot of thermal mass in our house so we can run the stove quite hard then bank the coal for 5-6-8 hrs and then add wood and go again. I haven't used a match in a couple weeks now.
 
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
150 year old cast iron technology is 800 bucks? I can get a OIL fired boiler for that!

I have some old Asian built cast iron windowed stove with sheet metal burn guard all around where the grate is toastd through but I keep the old gal going laying a bar b q grill coal grate in there.

Why not re gasket and refurb the old stove if it isn't WAY beyond repair.. we are talking simple stone axe stuff here!


Are you taking into account the catalytic convertor and other regulations that the stove has to meet? Pretty sure they have had cats in stoves for a while now... I'm kinda appreciative of them, as, while I do like the smell of wood smoke, it can be a bit too overpowering at times. Also annoying if there is some sort of inversion layer and the neighbors smoke decides to "live" at my house.

Many(most?) stoves don't bother with a CC anymore, a well designed one passes the emissions testing without it. People just like to damp the stoves down too much and then they smoke alot. Run properly an EPA stove will have hardly any smell outside, but people like to extend their burn times and run the stoves too cold. We have alot of thermal mass in our house so we can run the stove quite hard then bank the coal for 5-6-8 hrs and then add wood and go again. I haven't used a match in a couple weeks now.


I am following this thread with interest. Wood is our main source of heat in the winter, and our old stove is getting quite old.

We are also getting increasing pressure from the municipality to "Up grade" to a new "High Efficiency" EPA approved stove. However, from friends who have done this, they have found difficulty in sutting the stove down to last through the night. So the stove is either 'out' in the morning, or too hot after being banked with wood at night, or BOTH!

The thing is also noisy as the stove expands an contracts with the heat.

This is a $2k can stove (Vermont Castings)
 
Originally Posted By: expat
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
150 year old cast iron technology is 800 bucks? I can get a OIL fired boiler for that!

I have some old Asian built cast iron windowed stove with sheet metal burn guard all around where the grate is toastd through but I keep the old gal going laying a bar b q grill coal grate in there.

Why not re gasket and refurb the old stove if it isn't WAY beyond repair.. we are talking simple stone axe stuff here!


Are you taking into account the catalytic convertor and other regulations that the stove has to meet? Pretty sure they have had cats in stoves for a while now... I'm kinda appreciative of them, as, while I do like the smell of wood smoke, it can be a bit too overpowering at times. Also annoying if there is some sort of inversion layer and the neighbors smoke decides to "live" at my house.

Many(most?) stoves don't bother with a CC anymore, a well designed one passes the emissions testing without it. People just like to damp the stoves down too much and then they smoke alot. Run properly an EPA stove will have hardly any smell outside, but people like to extend their burn times and run the stoves too cold. We have alot of thermal mass in our house so we can run the stove quite hard then bank the coal for 5-6-8 hrs and then add wood and go again. I haven't used a match in a couple weeks now.


I am following this thread with interest. Wood is our main source of heat in the winter, and our old stove is getting quite old.

We are also getting increasing pressure from the municipality to "Up grade" to a new "High Efficiency" EPA approved stove. However, from friends who have done this, they have found difficulty in sutting the stove down to last through the night. So the stove is either 'out' in the morning, or too hot after being banked with wood at night, or BOTH!

The thing is also noisy as the stove expands an contracts with the heat.

This is a $2k can stove (Vermont Castings)

Ours has a welded fire box (I assume a cast one is bolted together) but there's still a bit of noise as it changes temperature as ours has low clearance shielding on the outside and a. The glass in the door is the most noticeable when the door is opened or closed or I toss some private papers in and it flares up.
With our medium size stove its tough to get more than maybe a 4-5 hour burn unless you really cram the wood in. But unless we leave the throttle open more than half, there's usually coals in the back to rake forward and start a new fire. Really I think the EPA stove are designed to turn the wood into heat and not smoke, and extended low level burn times aren't compatible with that. Once we've burned down to coals we can close it down as much as it goes and keep coals for a day or two, but there isn't one setting that allows you to start a fire, have it burn at the right temperature, and then keep coals the next morning.
Ours is in a 900sqft room with a multi-ton concrete floor, so running it at full capacity of 75kbtu for a couple hours before bed and then closing it up to keep the coals going results in reasonable temperatures all the time. If we didn't have the thermal mass, probably a smaller stove would be better not to overheat the place, and just load it more often, and accept that its not going to heat much overnight.
 
Update on this.

http://www.usstove.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1950

My friend decided to buy this at tractor supply; they had a 20% off sale and the temps were getting down. As for getting an oil furnace, she is currently getting wood for free (I cut it @ a coworkers house) so moving to a volatile priced fuel isn't something she wants to do.

Apparently there must be some legacy relationship between US Stove and Vogelzang as the stove she bought looks like an "EPA'ed" up version of her current vogelzang; Inside air tubes, sealed front, no removable burner plates, KAO insulation etc. No problem getting a door with adjustable air control, we just removed the door from the old stove and moved it to the new one....

This accommodate 27" logs; I don't see any low cost US made stoves that do this. That is a shame since I worked a few hours researching models and was going to recommend an Englander 13NC which takes 22" or century fw2700

In the end, I was not involved in the decision, so please do not comment as such.

Thanks for all your input.

-T
 
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