Good price on woodstove?

[daffodil]

I'm looking to buy a used woodstove. Someone offered one for $50 with no piping, just the stove. They said it could heat 1000 sq. ft. I'm only looking to heat around 450 sq. ft. (I think I asked something about this in a past post.) Is it a good deal?

[DM]

The deal could be good or bad, all depending on exactly what stove it is, and what condition it's in... BUT, have you priced the pipeing???? To do it "right" will cost you several hundred dollars to buy and get the pipeing in... I'm NOT saying it isn't worth it, as i have a wood stove and i love the heat they give off. I'm just saying that you need to be prepared for "sticker shock" when you buy what you need to get it in...

DM

[kawalekm]

DM certainly has the piping statement correct. I'm in the process of buying all the pipe myself for a stove and and am being very careful that everything I put in is up to code. The cost of both the stove pipe and chimney pipe (important difference you need to know) is about 750$ (self installed).

Stick that on your 50$ stove!

What I can tell you about stoves is pay attention to the weight. If you can pick it up single handed, then it's a cheapo Chinese import you should just walk past! A good woodstove should be HEAVY! When you look at the stove, pay the most attention to the back of the stove where the flue comes out. Are there any burnt out spots or cracks? If the answer is yes, your answer should be no. A good stove should have air-tight controls on the front of the stove. That helps you regulate a slow fire that can burn for many hours. Finally, look inside the firebox to check for cracks or burnt out spots.
Good luck with your purchase.
Michael

[CastIronCook2]

Channeling the hubbest here:

The first consideration when buying a wood stove is to make sure that it is sized properly to the space you want to heat. If a stove puts out too much heat for your space, you will tend to not burn it hot enough, which will cause rapid build-up of creosote in your flue, which can result in a flue inferno.

Since you have only 450 square feet, even in Ohio you would need only a very small wood stove, is his opinion.

Have you considered your source of wood? Where we live, seasoned oak goes for about $450 a cord. Fortunately, our ranch provides wood that's growing faster than we can use it. But if you have to pay someone else to fell, buck, cut, split, haul, and stack, the cost can sure mount up.

[daffodil]

The deal could be good or bad, all depending on exactly what stove it is, and what condition it's in... BUT, have you priced the pipeing???? To do it "right" will cost you several hundred dollars to buy and get the pipeing in... I'm NOT saying it isn't worth it, as i have a wood stove and i love the heat they give off. I'm just saying that you need to be prepared for "sticker shock" when you buy what you need to get it in...

DM

How much piping do you need? How would I figure it out? My electric bill is about $55 in the summer and about $300 in the winter. I'm thinking I would be better off with a wood stove. I could get the wood free at my aunt's house.

[daffodil]

Channeling the hubbest here:

The first consideration when buying a wood stove is to make sure that it is sized properly to the space you want to heat. If a stove puts out too much heat for your space, you will tend to not burn it hot enough, which will cause rapid build-up of creosote in your flue, which can result in a flue inferno.

Since you have only 450 square feet, even in Ohio you would need only a very small wood stove, is his opinion.

Have you considered your source of wood? Where we live, seasoned oak goes for about $450 a cord. Fortunately, our ranch provides wood that's growing faster than we can use it. But if you have to pay someone else to fell, buck, cut, split, haul, and stack, the cost can sure mount up.

Would a potbellied stove work for the size?

[CastIronCook2]

Do you have a model in mind? Can you cook on it? One of the beauties of a wood stove, if you have the right surface, is that you can set a pot of soup and it'll be ready when you need it. Saves on cooking fuel. Also comforts the soul.

[Anon001]

Daff,

A potbellied stove is not efficient enough. You need an airtight that will be more efficient and use less wood.

In my area a cord of hardwood goes for about $150. My little house uses less than 33 cords from October into late April.

For the pipe, you can use cheap black pipe going up until you get to the ceiling. From the ceiling on up you need triple wall stainless with a ceiling kit and a roof kit.

A potbelly will heat, but uses smaller wood and burns faster. You could possible cut down on your winter heating bill with it, but look for a good used airtight such as an Ashley. ( my favorite)

[DM]

How much piping do you need? How would I figure it out? My electric bill is about $55 in the summer and about $300 in the winter. I'm thinking I would be better off with a wood stove. I could get the wood free at my aunt's house.

What Paul said, and i'll add that you need enough pipe above the roof to be higher than any point within 5 feet of the pipe, plus a china hat cap or some other cap...

The "good" stainless pipe sold here (made in Canada) is a lifetime purchase, so at least you will only have to buy it one time... If you use your wood stove long enough, it will pay you back big time, BUT you have to do everything right the first time around, and clean the pipe inside a couple times a year...

You could always come by and sit by my pond dam in the summer and then there's the wood stove to sit by in the winter... lol lol

DM

[kawalekm]

Hi Daffodil

Here are three companies that sell you all the chimney pipe/accessories you need. You can download installation instructions from them. They all offer some kind of kit (custumizable) to your individual cabin.
Good luck,
Michael

http://www.hartshearth.com/

http://www.nextag.com/Home-Garden--zzwood+burning+stove+chimney+kitz2700400zB6z5---html

http://woodheatstoves.com/chimney-pipe-c-71.html

[onesojourner]

I would strongly recommend getting an epa certified stove. It will be safer and use much less wood than an older non epa stove. You will also have less build up to clean out of the chimney. Also about weight, take that in context. I just bought a jotul f100 and it only weighs 215 pounds but it is a tiny tiny stove. It is rated to heat 1000 sq. You will be hard pressed to find many people that are not happy with the jotul stoves, not to mention the are over 75% efficient so they all qualify for the 30% tax credit.

[Anon001]

onesojourner,

From past interraction with Daff, I think the problem with your suggestion is that she needs to find one that is inexpensive and I seriously doubt she would pay for a jotul.

[flatwater]

Paul didn't mean you were cheap Daff just to the right of being real frugal, You go girl. You didn't mean she was cheap did ya Paul ? ( crying after laughing so hard)

[Anon001]

Flat..... Daff sounds cheap! LOL ...whether by choice or necessity, cheap is as cheap does. :lol:

[daffodil]

Flat..... Daff sounds cheap! LOL ...whether by choice or necessity, cheap is as cheap does. :lol:

Not so much cheap as broke! Been unemployed since Nov. 2008! NO INCOME! Just borrowing! And when I do work it seems I never get over the poverty income. So I have no choice but to be cheap LOL! And I just can't stand to hand money over to electric companies and such. Seems like such a waste. If I had the money I'd definitely get a nice woodstove. But we have to take into consideration the condition of this house too. The roof is now caving in from the termites! It may not be here much longer.

[Kilroy]

Daffodil, you're in Ohio right? Give a check to Lehman's down in Kidron. They used to take in used stoves on trade and some in the Amish community around there will still trade and barter a used stove for something you might not need. I had an uncle in Apple Creek that did that several years ago.

[kawalekm]

Daffadil
You may want to shift your focus of attention. I just finished ordering my pipe (the triple wall stainless that Paul recommends) and it is EXPENSIVE! A complete kit of chimney and stove pipe for my roof works out to be about 850$ (ordered from companies listed above). It's a little more expensive than for others because I had to increase the length of the chimney pipe for my 9 over 12 roof, but I can't see you spending less than 600$ for the pipe for your 50$ stove.

It might be better for you to focus attention on getting a really good deal on the pipe rather than the stove. What I'd do is jump on any stove ad that says "chimney pipe included". You're likely to spend far less money via that route.
Michael

[foxfire]

Doesn't sound bad. Do you have any experience with wood burners? Do you know what brand a/o model it is? Check it for air-leaks/tightness/soundness. If you put a damper in the pipe, you can keep the burn slowed to a point where it won't run you out of your smaller place.

Good luck!

TSanders
SW IN
author of "The Self-Reliant Homestead"

[momma_to_seven_chi]

In my area a cord of hardwood goes for about $150.

A potbelly will heat, but uses smaller wood and burns faster. You could possible cut down on your winter heating bill with it, but look for a good used airtight such as an Ashley. ( my favorite)



WOW! A cord of wood here goes for about sixty dollars delivered and stacked.

My only comment on the stove is to make sure there are no cracks in it. It won't be a good stove for a main heating source, but it would help. And Paul is right, Ashley stoves are the very best in my opinion. Everyone in the family loves them.

[Anon001]

WOW! $60 for a complete cord? Is it hardwoods?

[DaNgEr_KiTtY]

Paul you said you go through 33 cords in a season for a tiny house? LoL know that must be wrong.

[Anon001]

Paul you said you go through 33 cords in a season for a tiny house? LoL know that must be wrong.

Thanks for noticing that. I meant to say that I go through less than 3 cords per winter. Last winter was around 2-1/2 cords.

I guess my "3" key stuck.

[DaNgEr_KiTtY]

hehe Paul. I have to get a stove soon so this thread has helped quite a bit.

[nhlivefreeordie]

onesojourner,

From past interraction with Daff, I think the problem with your suggestion is that she needs to find one that is inexpensive and I seriously doubt she would pay for a jotul.

Jotuls are very expensive, but in my opinion they are the best available, anywhere. We just bought the F500 Oslo, in Brown Porcelin, with Metalbestos stainless pipe, and tile hearth pad, installed for $5,200. It seems like a lot, but we laid out $3,000 for oil last year, so it really was a no brainer for us, as the stove will last decades, and the pipe is lifetime. You get nothing back once the oil is burned, so with less than a two year return, and with the satisfaction of being warm, and not supporting the oil companies, it was a good deal for us. But if you had asked me last week when it was near 100 and humid as can be, while I was splitting and stacking wood...the answer might not have been as cut and dried...:D

[nhlivefreeordie]

Thanks for noticing that. I meant to say that I go through less than 3 cords per winter. Last winter was around 2-1/2 cords.

I guess my "3" key stuck.

First day back, I wasn't going to question you, I just thought....Dang, he must be REALLY cold blooded.....:lol:

[DM]

I just bought a new air tight Ashley wood/coal stove that i can put in my basement. It's an add on, and will use the furnace duct to heat the whole house. With the life time stainless pipe, i'll have about $2,000.00 in the whole system installed...

I think what ever stove a person buys, it's "most important" that it's air tight, or it's going to use a LOT of wood, and use it fast...

DM

[nhlivefreeordie]

I just bought a new air tight Ashley wood/coal stove that i can put in my basement. It's an add on, and will use the furnace duct to heat the whole house. With the life time stainless pipe, i'll have about $2,000.00 in the whole system installed...

I think what ever stove a person buys, it's "most important" that it's air tight, or it's going to use a LOT of wood, and use it fast...

DM

Yep, and have you either waking up in a cold house, or getting up in the middle of the night to fill the stove.

[MooseToo]

been years since i've looked into woodstoves - nowadays is there a broader availability of units that include provision for hooking into outside combustion air ? i don't think i'd consider one that did not -

[nhlivefreeordie]

You would be surprised at the changes in the industry. I used wood as a primary source for 25 years back in the 70s and 80s into the mid 90s, at the time I thought the stove I had was fantastic, an All-Nighter Big Moe, it was a great stove and kept us plenty warm. But when we decided to buy this year, I was blown away at the technological advances in stoves, and the amount of effort that has gone into making them almost like another piece of furniture in your home.
Another consideration is the $1,500 tax credit for installing a stove that meets efficiency and clean burn standards. Aside from the ice pack on my right elbow :o I am really excited to be using wood again this year.

[daffodil]

How about the siberian wood stove. Anyone have one of those?

[canuck]

I'm in Canada so prices might differ a bit but I got a Napoleon with the legs for about 900 included delivery...to install I shopped around and got an inspector to do it for under $2,000...he put in a liner to the existing chimney. Up here you need a certificate on the functioning of it that you have to have for insurance companies. Most of the other companies I called wanted outrageous amounts up to 6,000 which included the stove...did not include making some vents...they said I had to hire a carpenter for that...but the inspector above put them in for me no extra charge. Obviously I lucked out I think. :D

[mcgyver]

I just finished putting up a cord today. driving, cutting, loading, returning, spliting and stacking. Theres no such thing as free wood:)