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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Wood stove for heat in a 500 sq ft cabin
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SCbob
Member
# Posted: 28 May 2015 19:19
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I've been looking around online for a small wood stove for heating proposes. The smaller stoves haven't gotten the best reviews so I'm wondering if there is a more quality option out there ?

Bob

rockies
Member
# Posted: 28 May 2015 19:25
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https://www.unforgettablefirellc.com/kimberly-wood-stove/

This one seems to be an excellent choice

Steve961
Member
# Posted: 28 May 2015 20:14
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I have a Jotul 602 in my 480 sq ft cabin and it works perfectly. They run about $800-900 new, but can easily be found for a fraction of that on the used market. While the Kimberly is a nice stove, it's not $4,000 nice, and anyway it's designed to heat 1,500 square feet.

Another good small stove is the Morso 1410 "Squirrel" stove, but it's not as common and harder to find used.

itsals1
Member
# Posted: 29 May 2015 00:18 - Edited by: itsals1
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We have a 480 sq ft cabin and we have a Jotul 3 CB we love it. We are in WI so we use it quit a bit. In fact used it last weekend because of the rain Sunday-Monday. The main reason we went with the Jotul 3 CB is it has a ash removal tray,which my wife requested. We have a Jotul Oslo 500 at home, the full size version of the 3 CB. The Jotul 3 CB specs out for 1,300 sq ft, BUT overnight burns in the dead of a WI winter with seasoned oak is rare, unless we add a piece or two early morning. Morso would be a great stove also. Remember that cast iron stove are not ment to be moved once they are heat seasoned, used is a no no unless you remove the old cement and recement. Most people don't realize this, but it's true!!

beachman
Member
# Posted: 29 May 2015 06:02
Reply 


We have a 500+- sfr cottage with a Pacific Energy Vista stove. Works great and very little clearance required. It is on legs with an ash drawer and has glass to view the fire. No catalytic converter but rather a second heat chamber above to burn the gases.

SCbob
Member
# Posted: 29 May 2015 08:13
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Thank you all for the responses !

bldginsp
Member
# Posted: 29 May 2015 13:16
Reply 


The main problems with heating small cabins is not roasting yourself out with too much heat, and being able to have a fire last all night so you don't have to get up at 3 to add wood. The smaller the stove the less likely it will roast you out but the less wood you can put in it to last overnight. The higher quality small stoves like the Jotul and Morso are so well designed that they can damper way down to accomplish both goals.

I think the best solution is a small woodstove and a propane wall heater on a thermostat. It will provide just a little heat in the spring and fall when the woodstove is too much, and in the dead of winter it will come on by thermostat at 4 AM when you don't want to get out of bed.

rockies
Member
# Posted: 29 May 2015 19:46
Reply 


OH, you didn't say you didn't want to spend $4000. OK, how about these small wood burning marine stoves?

http://www.marinestove.com/sardineinfo.htm

Steve961
Member
# Posted: 29 May 2015 21:17
Reply 


While the Sardine is a high quality stove, I think it's a bit too small for a 500 sq ft cabin. The Sardine maxes out at 18,000 BTU/hr, while the Jotul and Morso max out at 28,000 and 30,000 respectively. There are times that my Jotul has too many BTU's, but it's not when I arrive at my cabin in the middle of winter and have to warm everything up from freezing. Sometimes a few extra BTU's are useful.

jaransont3
Member
# Posted: 29 May 2015 22:09
Reply 


We have a Drolet Eldorado in our 420 sq ft cabin.



It does a really nice job. It can be throttled way back if it is not too cold, but puts out plenty of heat when we need it to keep the cabin toasty even when it is -30F outside. It also holds enough wood to burn for 6-7 hours...most of the night.

I think we paid about $600 on sale at Menards.

Rockfish Dave
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2015 16:34
Reply 


This is rated for 8,000 BTU at peak.

http://www.graystove.com/

Very efficient and have a relatively large flat cooking surface. They come with a built in heat shield that will reduce your stand off from the wall.

I am quite enamored by it and personally want to support a small business, so this is on my short list.

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2015 18:05 - Edited by: MtnDon
Reply 


Vermont Castings Aspen works well for us in our 16x30 single floor, no loft. Plus we have a wall mount direct vent propane heater as sometimes the wood burner is just too much and the propane stops making heat when the thermostat says no more. The two work together well too for a more rapid warm up when arriving in the dead of winter.

Nirky
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2015 19:51
Reply 


There are a lot of variables.
Sounds like you will visit the cabin in the dead of winter? If so, where is the cabin? A cabin in Canada will have different stove requirements than a cabin in Tennessee.
Is the cabin well insulated? 2x4, 2x6, or solid log walls? Ceiling R-value?
Do you mind waking to 50 degrees F or does it have to be 64 deg F or above?

Nobody can really say "this stove would work well for you" until they know this.

MaxWebster
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2015 22:52
Reply 


Our place is approx 700 sq ft, 3 bedrooms. Partially insulated. Limited use in the winter.On a tight budget we bought a Drolet Pyropak.
Firebox is a little small but it heats the place just fine. Was planning on adding a blower but it doesn't seem necessary unless we spent more time there in the winter.
North American built I believe.
Price is right and a good value.

Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 31 May 2015 05:05
Reply 


I'm getting this one:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Pleasant-Hearth-1-200-sq-ft-EPA-Certified-Wood-Burning-Sto ve-with-small-Blower-HWS-224172MH/203883464

EPA-certified, if you need that, American-made, has a blower, gets good reviews. Price is right, too!

mick968
Member
# Posted: 2 Aug 2015 07:23
Reply 


We have pellet stove.Easy and works great.Have it hooked to thermostat for even easier.
DSCN30945.JPG
DSCN30945.JPG


Martian
Member
# Posted: 2 Aug 2015 08:06
Reply 


I have the Morso Squirrel in a 550sqft cabin in Kansas. I love it! Not only does it provide plenty of heat, but the clearance requirements make it ideal for a small space. Yes, it was pricey at $1200, but, IMO, well worth it.

Nate R
Member
# Posted: 7 Jan 2016 13:16
Reply 


Martian, how well does the Morso do for long/overnight burns? Can you throttle it down enough to last a while, or do the newer EPA regs prevent throttling enough?

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