VC Vigilant

 
charlesosborne2002
Member
Posts: 400
Joined: Sat. Jan. 24, 2015 11:22 pm
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant II 2310
Other Heating: natural gas central forced air

Post by charlesosborne2002 » Sun. Nov. 14, 2021 10:24 pm

DanInMAE wrote:
Thu. Aug. 26, 2021 10:13 am
Hi all,
New to the forums and new to coal burning. I purchased a house with about 1.5tons of coal in the garage and a way outdated coal circulator. I’ve been looking for awhile and doing research and though I had settled into buying a new Hitzer 30-95, but I’ve come across a 2015-ish Vermont Castings Vigilant that’s in mint condition while also being used. It looks great, is about half the price of a new 30-95. I only need to heat about 1500 or so sq feet here in our house. Is the Vigilant a good buy or would I be better served to spend the extra 1k on a new Hitzer? Thanks in advance
I bought the Vigilant to replace a wood stove, heating a cottage of 1000 sq ft, in Agricultural Zone 6 (SW KY). It is meant to cover up to 2000 sq feet, but it depends on the house of course. I am still delighted with it after 3 winters. I like the top load (just pour it in from the bucket) and I love the cook top. People around here don't remember coal, and when they come in the house they are amazed at how cozy the whole house is. You have a bigger space and a colder climate, but mine is more heat than I need except for Dec. 15--March 15, and then it runs with the thermostat turned down most of the time. It is one of the prettiest of the modern stoves and if you ever sell your house that is a plus, just as a fireplace is.
The doors lift off if you want an open fireplace (use a fireplace screen for sparks), and I sometimes make a wood fire in the fall or spring (or for the heck of it on holidays, and it puts out a lot of heat with wood, but you have to poke around with wood (unlike coal) and it will hold a wood fire only a few hours.
Many people here on this site have the Vigilant 2 like mine; there were several earlier models that were designed for efficient wood fires or coal (the coal model can burn wood; most people make a wood fire to get coal started), and most owners are happy with them. No doubt different people like other models, of course. I got mine because I got a good price on it. I too was about to buy another coal stove (Comfort Max 75) but it cost much more.
I also have central gas heat which I use until it gets really cold day and night. If we stayed below zero degrees for weeks, with high winds, I would probably use both for heat at times. Eight or ten years ago we had a winter like that but I had the wood stove then.


 
Ultralume
Member
Posts: 76
Joined: Sun. Dec. 08, 2019 10:05 pm
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Castings Vigilant II, Godin 3720, Godin 3731
Coal Size/Type: Pea, Nut and Stove Coal

Post by Ultralume » Sun. Nov. 21, 2021 9:00 pm

I never owned a Hitzer stove and can’t comment on them, but have owned and used a Vigilant II for over 20 years. In my opinion it looks nice with the big windows. The grates are easy to access and robust. Easy to replace if need be. I don’t use the shaker handle because flossing and poking ashes out is easy enough. I don’t spend more than 5-10 minutes serving the stove twice a day. It doesn’t seem particularly finicky about coal size. I successfully burn pea, nut and stove coal in mine. When you engage the recirculation mode, flue gases are routed down the sides of the stove and up the back… not all that different from a base burner. Being all cast iron you can apply stove Polish once in a while and it will look like new. The thermostatically controller air intake “flapper” seems to work well in conjunction with a barometric damper. If I set my stove to 400F it maintains that temperature for at least 15 hours with pea or nut coal. As far as heat output is concerned, I don’t have much to compare it to. It’s about the same output as a Godin large Oval stove and Drolet Yukon oil stove burning #2 oil…. 38-40K BTUs. From what I’ve been reading the Hitzer puts out more heat.
On the negative side, the Vigilant II is a terrible wood stove. The windows have no air wash and get dirty immediately rendering them useless, but it will generate a lot of heat burning wood. On very cold nights I will add a log or a biomass compressed sawdust brick on top of the coal for more heat.

 
DanInMAE
New Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu. Aug. 26, 2021 10:08 am
Location: Central Maine
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant II
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite, Pea/Nut coal

Post by DanInMAE » Mon. Dec. 13, 2021 1:45 pm

Sorry to update late, been insanely busy. I ended up buying the Vigilant stove and ran it for the first time this weekend when it was cold before I let the fire go out. It got pretty warm Sat night into all day Sunday. Into the upper 50s and I started have some draft issues, so I let the coals burn out and then cleaned the stove. My one question is this: Once I get the coal going, how much coal should I fill in? Up to the top of the grates? I see people mentioning a nice, deep bed of coal so I’m thinking I should pour in quite a bit once I get her going.

 
franco b
Site Moderator
Posts: 11416
Joined: Wed. Nov. 05, 2008 5:11 pm
Location: Kent CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: V ermont Castings 2310, Franco Belge 262
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Modern Oak 114
Coal Size/Type: nut and pea

Post by franco b » Mon. Dec. 13, 2021 2:30 pm

Forty pounds is the stated capacity. Fill to almost top of front grill and slope toward the back. I prefer nut coal. Six inch depth is minimum.

 
DanInMAE
New Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu. Aug. 26, 2021 10:08 am
Location: Central Maine
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant II
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite, Pea/Nut coal

Post by DanInMAE » Mon. Dec. 13, 2021 5:05 pm

Perfect, thanks for that info.

 
Bubbalowe
Member
Posts: 205
Joined: Fri. Sep. 08, 2017 12:54 pm
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant II 2310
Baseburners & Antiques: Grodin Petite
Other Heating: electric radiators until used boiler hook up

Post by Bubbalowe » Thu. Dec. 16, 2021 5:27 pm

The Hitzer is more popular with function over form crowd but the Vigilant II is definitely a prettier stove and when they discontinued were the best buy around. I do not fill to top to keep coal from falling over and getting between door, usually 2 inches below. The temp controlled air intake eliminates need for a baro, you can hear it tink shut off when winds pick up outside, lets you know all is good. Hear a lot of discussion about shoulder months but reality is the Vigilant II will burn when it's 60 degrees out like today, no problem. Knifing grates is unique but grate design holds coal until it's mostly powder. Not sure about other stoves but the Vigilant II does let dust out whenever doors are open to knife grates. Any coal stove is good if it has a fire and is making heat

 
Ultralume
Member
Posts: 76
Joined: Sun. Dec. 08, 2019 10:05 pm
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Castings Vigilant II, Godin 3720, Godin 3731
Coal Size/Type: Pea, Nut and Stove Coal

Post by Ultralume » Thu. Dec. 16, 2021 6:42 pm

Bubbalowe, I noticed the same. I can burn coal in the Vigilant on a warmer day as well. 60 degrees may be too warm to use a stove, but the Vigilant will keep a fire going. Pea coal burns slowly and doesn’t put much heat out. It’s easy to keep the stove at 300F without having it drive you out of the house gasping for cool air.


 
Bubbalowe
Member
Posts: 205
Joined: Fri. Sep. 08, 2017 12:54 pm
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant II 2310
Baseburners & Antiques: Grodin Petite
Other Heating: electric radiators until used boiler hook up

Post by Bubbalowe » Fri. Dec. 17, 2021 10:06 am

Ultralume wrote:
Thu. Dec. 16, 2021 6:42 pm
Bubbalowe, I noticed the same. I can burn coal in the Vigilant on a warmer day as well. 60 degrees may be too warm to use a stove, but the Vigilant will keep a fire going. Pea coal burns slowly and doesn’t put much heat out. It’s easy to keep the stove at 300F without having it drive you out of the house gasping for cool air.
Not familiar with pea coal, only nut/ chestnut and stove top generally stays 400 deg. Have thrown windows open on a couple days rather than put stove out, kind of lazy like that.

 
DanInMAE
New Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu. Aug. 26, 2021 10:08 am
Location: Central Maine
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant II
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite, Pea/Nut coal

Post by DanInMAE » Tue. Dec. 21, 2021 2:09 pm

The coal that came with the house is pea coal, it's been working well so far. I've kept the stove hovering around 450-500. Our house isn't well insulated, it used to be a camp before it was turned into a year-rounder. So far, the stove has outperformed in relation to keeping us warm. Maybe bordering on uncomfortable during the day when it gets into the high 20s-low 30s lol. At night, it's been in the single digits outside and we've stayed very warm inside the house. Are there any tips or tricks with this stove? I've found on an occasion or two that I've been too aggressive in shaking down and have almost taken the fire out. I had to toss in some charcoal to get the fire and heat back enough to where I could layer some coal back in to get the temp back to where I wanted it. Seems that's mostly a rookie/learning mistake, but I'd be happy to read of anyone's experiences/tips with this stove.

 
Hounds51
Member
Posts: 556
Joined: Sat. Feb. 22, 2020 9:46 pm
Location: Bethel, Pa
Hand Fed Coal Stove: 2 Legacy TLC 2000 one in the upper and 1 in the lower part of the house
Coal Size/Type: Wood and pea, nut ,stove and egg coal

Post by Hounds51 » Wed. Dec. 22, 2021 6:32 am

DanInMAE wrote:
Tue. Dec. 21, 2021 2:09 pm
The coal that came with the house is pea coal, it's been working well so far. I've kept the stove hovering around 450-500. Our house isn't well insulated, it used to be a camp before it was turned into a year-rounder. So far, the stove has outperformed in relation to keeping us warm. Maybe bordering on uncomfortable during the day when it gets into the high 20s-low 30s lol. At night, it's been in the single digits outside and we've stayed very warm inside the house. Are there any tips or tricks with this stove? I've found on an occasion or two that I've been too aggressive in shaking down and have almost taken the fire out. I had to toss in some charcoal to get the fire and heat back enough to where I could layer some coal back in to get the temp back to where I wanted it. Seems that's mostly a rookie/learning mistake, but I'd be happy to read of anyone's experiences/tips with this stove.
Larger size coal burns hotter. I usually burn pea size when the temps are above 30 degrees. Below 30 degrees to about lower 20's, I use nut coal. Below 20 degrees I use stove coal. I use the projected night time lows and load the appropriate size coal in late afternoon/early evening.
I know I am fortunate that I live in coal country, so my availability is much easier than others. I figure that the ton of stove coal that I have will last me for about 10 years judging from the last few years. Don't know if this makes sense to you but you can research what I am trying to say by looking up Pea Coal Vs. Chestnut Coal Vs. Stove Coal

 
Holdencoal
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Post by Holdencoal » Wed. Dec. 22, 2021 6:39 am

Hope this helps you understand the difference.

Attachments

73.pdf
.PDF | 831.8KB | 73.pdf

 
User avatar
Rich W.
Member
Posts: 335
Joined: Tue. Nov. 26, 2013 10:29 pm
Location: Newport County, Rhode Island
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Castings Vigilant Multi-Fuel (coal for me); Vermont Castings Vigilant 2310 in the shop
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: System 2000 Oil Burner; VC Resolute Woodstove (sold) Jotul 8 Woodstove (sold)

Post by Rich W. » Wed. Dec. 22, 2021 6:41 am

You should be able to get the stove to cruise at 250* to 300* when you don’t need it’s full potential if you have a good draft and a very tight (no leaks) stove, especially with pea coal. Of course watch your CO monitor at those slow burns. As far as shaking is concerned, most users knife from under and between the grates, just enough to see burning pieces drop down. Then load it to the top as described earlier, crack open the ash door to speed recovery, and close it back up and engage the damper when the blue ladies start dancing.

Also, open the damper when shaking so the fly ash goes up and out rather than into the side chambers. Another tip (mandatory for me!) is to use a countdown timer (I use my phone) set to 10 or 15 minutes to check the stove’s progress as it gets back up to temperature. You do not want to get distracted and let the stove run away! Let us know if you have any specific questions…

 
DanInMAE
New Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu. Aug. 26, 2021 10:08 am
Location: Central Maine
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant II
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite, Pea/Nut coal

Post by DanInMAE » Wed. Dec. 22, 2021 3:56 pm

Holdencoal wrote:
Wed. Dec. 22, 2021 6:39 am
Hope this helps you understand the difference.
Thanks for the diagram, that’s going to come in handy.
Rich W. wrote:
Wed. Dec. 22, 2021 6:41 am
You should be able to get the stove to cruise at 250* to 300* when you don’t need it’s full potential if you have a good draft and a very tight (no leaks) stove, especially with pea coal. Of course watch your CO monitor at those slow burns. As far as shaking is concerned, most users knife from under and between the grates, just enough to see burning pieces drop down. Then load it to the top as described earlier, crack open the ash door to speed recovery, and close it back up and engage the damper when the blue ladies start dancing.

Also, open the damper when shaking so the fly ash goes up and out rather than into the side chambers. Another tip (mandatory for me!) is to use a countdown timer (I use my phone) set to 10 or 15 minutes to check the stove’s progress as it gets back up to temperature. You do not want to get distracted and let the stove run away! Let us know if you have any specific questions…
So I have a hard time getting underneath to knife between the grates. I have a gate setup around the stove to keep my two young kids from accidentally falling onto the stove. Because of this, I can’t exactly shoulder myself close enough or low enough to get a good look at the grates from the bottom, so I’ve been using the built in shaker handle. I’ve found that towards early evening I’ve got a nice build up of ash around the perimeter of the fire inside. Do I need to worry about this ash? I’ve been cleaning it aggressively and I think that leads me to bringing the fire too low. I’m then back to loading a few pieces of charcoal to get a fire going and loading coal back in to get the temp up. Is this too much ash cleaning? I’ve used the ash door trick, it works well lol

 
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Rich W.
Member
Posts: 335
Joined: Tue. Nov. 26, 2013 10:29 pm
Location: Newport County, Rhode Island
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Castings Vigilant Multi-Fuel (coal for me); Vermont Castings Vigilant 2310 in the shop
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: System 2000 Oil Burner; VC Resolute Woodstove (sold) Jotul 8 Woodstove (sold)

Post by Rich W. » Wed. Dec. 22, 2021 5:40 pm

Just shaking isn’t going to get it done. It’s about the only weakness of the stove, IMO. Maybe you can modify your gate so that you can move it out and back easily. Otherwise you’re missing out on the strength of this stove.

 
User avatar
Rich W.
Member
Posts: 335
Joined: Tue. Nov. 26, 2013 10:29 pm
Location: Newport County, Rhode Island
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Castings Vigilant Multi-Fuel (coal for me); Vermont Castings Vigilant 2310 in the shop
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: System 2000 Oil Burner; VC Resolute Woodstove (sold) Jotul 8 Woodstove (sold)

Post by Rich W. » Wed. Dec. 22, 2021 5:44 pm

Also, it sounds like you might be tending from above the coal. It does not like to be disturbed. Clearing ash underneath and leaving the top intact will produce a much better result when you add coal.


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