Coalpail.com Forum

I owned a Chubby in the 70's and have had the 1st gen VC VIgilant (wood/coal) since 1985. Both of these stoves are cast I beleive and look way better than anything currently being made. If the Vigilant burned coal well I would'nt even consider a new stove. But lets face it, the Hitzer's etc are ugly as hell.

Many of the stoves on the market are spartan in appearance but perform as designed. The most recent model of the Vermont Casting Vigilant, the model 2310 Vigilant II is designed inside as a coal only stove. Not at all like the hopper version, the 2310 is a batch burner. It's the one of few that have long flame paths that produce excellent radiant only heat exchange. Like the base burners of old, the 2310 puts heat out on a serious level. I've been putting 3-5 ton a season through mine for the past 11 years. It's not the best on the shaker side and you'll never dump a fire unless you try really hard for many minutes. Like any stove, once you learn how to operate it, it works extremely well.

There's many good stoves on the market. It's the buyer's choice

I'll vote for the vigilant 2310 I havent had mine long but, Iv had two small fires in it and its easy to light way better than my old wondercoal.

tmegg wrote:.... But lets face it, the Hitzer's etc are ugly as hell.

I happen to think my Hitzer is beautiful...and warm

CW

Come on my friend, we all know that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

tmegg wrote:I owned a Chubby in the 70's and have had the 1st gen VC VIgilant (wood/coal) since 1985. Both of these stoves are cast I beleive and look way better than anything currently being made. If the Vigilant burned coal well I would'nt even consider a new stove. But lets face it, the Hitzer's etc are ugly as hell.

Hey Fred, where's that pretty glow from inside

It's there Dennis, just idleing along until around 10 PM. Useing around 15-20 lbs a day. I get more grumpy then normal if I get that damp cold from this 200 yr old stone foundation.

I don't mean to offend anyone but many of these newer stoves would be fine in a basement, but not in my living room. If it was just about heat, I'd buy a stoker. Why don't more companies make cast stoves which radiate heat and don't need a blower like Hitzers do.

The dampness is the only reason mines still going.I had to turn the tstats down low so the baseboards don't turn on with the windows open at night and still 73 inside.Will see what happens the next 2 days,going to be 80* outside.Might have to turn on the draft inducer

I personally don't think the HITZER's are ungly as hell. As a matter of fact, I think they're a nice looking stove. That said, I do agree that they are not as nice looking as the Vigilant, with it's porcelin covered cast iron. If my Vigilant was a 2310, I'd most likely still have it. But it wasn't a 2310. And I can say that both my HITZER's way out performed the Vigilant I had. One thing I will say about the Vigilant stove I had was; It would throw a beem of heat clear across the room. That I thought, was quite impressive for a stove without a fan. I assume the 2310 does the same. Oliver

tmegg wrote:I don't mean to offend anyone but many of these newer stoves would be fine in a basement, but not in my living room. If it was just about heat, I'd buy a stoker. Why don't more companies make cast stoves which radiate heat and don't need a blower like Hitzers do.

It's all about competitive pricing and cheap production costs. If they were built to the old time standards they would still sell,but not enough to make the almighty bucks for the extra time and materials needed.

Pretty or production...
either way you pay...

If you want a good looking stove that is also a good performer, start shopping for a Glenwood. The high-end antique stoves had it all; luxury, performance, and class.

Am I missing something??? I don't seem to see a pix of this stove you keep saying is sooo good looking???? PS--in 3 seasons, I've used my blower around 2 times. My ceiling fan distributes heat in this 1800 sq 200 yr old farm house. I go through 3 TON of nut in the worst if winters.

tmegg wrote:I don't mean to offend anyone but many of these newer stoves would be fine in a basement, but not in my living room. If it was just about heat, I'd buy a stoker. Why don't more companies make cast stoves which radiate heat and don't need a blower like Hitzers do.

Some people want nickel and brass, others are happy with a black box that keeps them warm. I owned a Hitzer stove and give them high marks, but I can see how someone might think it was a little plain. It is impossible to please everyone, so they have to build a stove for the masses. If affordable, durable, and efficient isn't enough...go shop for a restored antique.