wood stove recommendations?

[BK911]

Looking to get a wood stove for the basement.
Not sure which one to get.
Roughly 1500 sf basement, but I would want to add some vents to heat the upper floors too.
Catalyst vrs non?
Want minimal maintenance.
Want a good one, but don't need a great one.
Live on a wooded lot so plenty of free heat.
Anybody already do the leg work on this that can recommend a decent one?
Budget around $1k but can spend more if worth it.
Thanks!!

[VincentVega]

A good one is more than 1k. I heat my house with a Pacific Energy Summit insert, really nice stove. I would avoid catalyst as you can get a great secondary burn w/o one.

Pacific Energy :: Wood

This place has lots of good info, https://chimneysweeponline.com/fswood.htm

[tevake]

My sister has the nicest wood stove Ive ever used. It has thick stone sides and the top is stone also, so the heat is very even thru the burn time.
It's made by hearth stone. It cost a bit over 3 K. Installed. So not right in your desired range. But it is so far better than all metal ones, it may be worth looking into.

Keeping wood stocked and feeding the stove, then cleaning it is a chore compared to flipping a switch. But it's a good chore.

Hope you find what you are looking for.
http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/store/wood-products/wood-stoves

Cheers Richard

[winders]

In your price range:

Amazon.com: US Stove 2000 EPA Certified Wood Stove, Medium: Home & Kitchen

[ckelly78z]

Regency non-catyletic free standing wood stove. This is the stove with the most 3/8" thick steel, has a nice front load wide front door, with a big area of fireproof glass. I have had one for 15 years now, burn it everyday for 6 months a year, and heat our entire house with it. It was about $1500 back then, but it hasn't warped like other cheap junk (department store) brands do. It burns so clean, I only have to clean the chimney 2-3 times a year, and only get a few handfulls of creasote each time I clean it.

[JavaBrewer]

Our pellet stove was ~$4K new. Awesome. I know about zero with these things but looking at what we have (inherited with home purchase) compared to the market I think there is a break off point on value vs. cost. Spend wisely rather than cheaply.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by BK911

Looking to get a wood stove for the basement.
Not sure which one to get.
Roughly 1500 sf basement, but I would want to add some vents to heat the upper floors too.
Catalyst vrs non?
Want minimal maintenance.
Want a good one, but don't need a great one.
Live on a wooded lot so plenty of free heat.
Anybody already do the leg work on this that can recommend a decent one?
Budget around $1k but can spend more if worth it.
Thanks!!

There is no such thing a FREE heat...if one is using wood . My dad has heated his house with a combination of solar and wood (stove in basement similar to yours with ducts going upstairs, and fireplace insert (Anderson I believe) upstairs). Don't know which brand he's got in his basement but it's been a workhorse for many decades....I'll find out later and update. Did I mention that heating by wood isn't FREE

Serious question...do you have much experience with chainsaws, log splitters, etc. and what type of trees do you have on your property...I'm no pro, but have been doing it for 40 years...ever since I was a young teen. It can be VERY dangerous...

Time is money...my dad loves working with wood, I do it because I have too, but do appreciate the workout...still clearing FREE wood from storm damage two years ago on my acreage.

Me...I heat with natural gas despite having thousands of dollars worth of chainsaws, splitters, and the means to get the task done. It's cheaper than "FREE" IMO

[jwasbury]

I have a pair of Jotul stoves installed in my country home. Not cheap, but should last a lifetime and then some. Been feeding these "free" wood from trees that have come down in storms. A lot of work, but I enjoy the warmth of wood heat.

[Henry hill]

Vermont Castings! One of the best! Make sure you get a blower with your stove if it's an option. May not use it much but they really help out when it gets into the single digits. We have been heating the house here in Michigan for about 5-6 years now. Very nice heat.

[afterburn 549]

Originally Posted by Henry hill

Vermont Castings! One of the best! Make sure you get a blower with your stove if it's an option. May not use it much but they really help out when it gets into the single digits. We have been heating the house here in Michigan for about 5-6 years now. Very nice heat.

Ditto !
We put one in this fall (Defiant )
I had no idea how great they are, and they are !
It heats the whole house much more EZ than the last one, burns more of it (less ash )
More efficient .

Just set the temp and walk away.
No electrics required.

They come in different colors also, ours is a dark red, glass windows.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by jwasbury

I have a pair of Jotul stoves installed in my country home. Not cheap, but should last a lifetime and then some. Been feeding these "free" wood from trees that have come down in storms. A lot of work, but I enjoy the warmth of wood heat.

We have that exact same stove in red

It will heat the whole first floor.

I have a wood stove up at the barn that is new you can have - let me take some pictures. I'll ever use it.

[flatbutt]

Vermont Castings with the catalytic secondary burn. I used one for many years before going to pellets. VC is as good as it gets.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I have a wood stove up at the barn that appears not to have been used much you can have - let me take some pictures. I'll ever use it.

It is called a "Comfort Stove". I found picc on the interwebs but not much else. If you aren't interested, no worries. There is a yearly Amish Auction in November and that is next!

[KFC911]

I'm at my dad's now, and the freestanding stove he has in the basement is a Huntsman. I don't know how it ranks, but it makes some look like toys for burning kindling . Still good as it was 30 years ago, and has a much larger capacity for bigger pieces and three draft controls...quick google search shows that may be in the OP's desired price range. It's a time proven workhorse....

[BK911]

Thanks for all the help so far.
The $1k budget is a soft number, I can spend more for the right stove.
Seems most lean toward the non catylst? Less maintenance?
I will research more during lunch tomorrow.

Cool looking stove Paul.
But I'm kinda looking for something with a glass door so the family can enjoy the view.

And yea, no free lunch. Point taken.
I have a chain saw and plan on getting a splitter.
Too lazy for manual labor.

Not sure what kinda trees on site.
Loggers have left notes in my mailbox so maybe something good?
Thinking of clearing another 25' or so in the back yard so should have plenty of 'free' heat for a bit.

[afterburn 549]

The V.Casting can be run either way with a flip of the handle .

[KFC911]

The fireplace insert I purchased for my dad some years age is an Ashley (purchased from Northern Tool)...another option that is in the 1K+ ballpark. Maybe not the best but a great insert....

[ckelly78z]

I had a Vermont Castings mid-sized catyletic stove for my first one, and attempted to heat the whole house with it. I ended up overburning it in really cold/windy weather, and it warped inside, and ruined the catyletic burner (all the efficiency went away) I bought the regency stove because it was the heaviest stove I could find (650#) with the most 3/8" thick steel on the market, there will be no warping this stove.

We put a much cheaper Tractor Supply free standing woodstove in my daughters 16x80 house trailer, because she couldn't afford a really good one. As long as you don't try to heat too much area, or try to get it too hot, it will last her for 5-10 years, but the quality is definately not there, and only weighs about 250#. She is rather limited on the size of the wood chunks she can place in there, while my stove can handle two 22" long logs up to 12" around at the same time, and will burn efficiently for 8 hours and still have a decent bed of coals to start more logs.

[porsche4life]

Not sure about where you are, but pellet stoves are on year end clearance in OK. Dad just picked up a brand new for for like 40% off.

He does that every few years. Buys a brand new one on clearance, sells the old one for what he paid for it the next time it gets cold!

[patz]

Wood stoves heat you twice. Once while splitting, stacking and lugging into the house, the other while burning with a cocktail in yer hand.