We have one at camp, and I have one in my house......They are both used as mainly supplemental heat, but they would have no problem heating 900 sq feet......it really doesn't take them too long to start making heat, as long as you build a good fire........one with a blower will cook you out of a 900 sq foot camp if you run the blower constantly......

 

I have a couple.
Strongly encourage blower with some duct work if the area is not one continuos area.
Our Brunco insert is 20 plus years old. Only have replaced the bricks and the gasket.
Purchased a Buck insert 5 years ago for the basement. It also works wonders.
Unless you have a very good supply of well seasoned wood I would shy away from the catalytic models. Only have to run both if temps are single digits.
If the store offers set up take it. It is worth every penny!
Use the correct walled flue pipe.
Temperature controlled blower is a perk.

 

My sister has one at home and use it for their main heat on their first floor and it will cook them out if the blower is ran all the time. I think you would have no problem heating the cabin with one.

 

Have one in house,1500 sq ft.ranch. Nothing better than wood heat ,so much more comfortable and warmer than gas. 68°with wood is warmer than 74° with gas Runs from October to May basically ,gas furnace will run when it gets really cold or fire goes out.Just replaced blower motor 2 years ago,I think it was original, mfg date was in '86 .(Don't know how much previous owners used it,I got 8 good years out of it running 24/7, October- May.) Was looking to replace my old Forester from the 80's with a newer more efficient model but ,MAN ARE THEY PRICEY, about $3k. Definitely don't want one with a cat ,most newer ones have tubes to reburn gas's.

 

If you started your insert at first arrival to camp it most likely would be producing heat by the time you finished unloading truck etc.

 

There is one in our cabin. It was the worst thing we ever put in. We have a nice fireplace and now we don't use it. There is an oil furnace there as well. Without the insert when we would use the fireplace you could see the fire and still needed to open a window. With the insert you don't see the fire and need to open a couple of windows. When I get time I will be removing it.

 

I installed a used one two years ago, I could not be happier. I do have a endless supply of firewood, so thats a big deal. If you have to buy firewood, at todays prices, it makes no sense. When I built my home I went with Oil fired water boiler, because oil was .95 cents a gallon. Two years ago when it peaked at $4.00 a gal., I installed the insert. It saved me 3000 dollars the first year. It is critical they are installed correctly, and just get one with glass in the doors, then you see the fire, but no mess or chance of sparks from an open one. It will save you money, thats for sure.

 

One friend tried heating his small ranch home w/ the fireplace. He managed to burn 4 - 5 cords and complained he was feeding it every couple minutes and was cold.

Now his insert keeps the place real nice on 1 - 2 cords a season and he is enjoying the fire instead of being it's slave.

 

Had one put in. Miss the open fireplace. Smokes a lot more then my open fireplace did. You open the doors and you always get smoke coming out. Wont get another one.

 

Two things I learned with mine.
1. Your fire must be hot. no semi dry wood or junk, or all you get is smoke.

2. When tending the fire, always remember to open the draft all the way, then wait a few seconds before you open the door, then you get little to no smoke.

 

When I bought my cabin there was an insert in the fireplace. We get alot of snow and cold up here. Even with the blower running it was a job keeping the place warm and constantly feeding it wood. Most of your heat is enclosed in the fireplace and goes up the chimmey. To me they're worthless! Last spring we yanked the thing out, did alittle modifiying, put it on cinder blocks and now sits in the open. Now I get some much heat I have to keep it cranked down and am using alot less wood. Free standing is the way to go, I'll never put in another insert.

 

I have a pellet stove insert at home. Lots of heat without the mess and work of cutting wood. We use it for supplemental heat. Our model has automatic ignition, so turn a knob and have a fire going in a few mins. I'd think it would be fine for your cabin, just have to haul 40 lb bags of pellets to camp. There are also shell corn fed models.

 

My sisters has no problem with smoking and has a glass door so you get the ambiance of the fire as well as the heat. Mr bro n law gets 90% of the wood for free so financially it makes sense for them and they like it a lot also.

 

Had one for about 12 years in my home and it works fine. It was made in Canada by Jacuzzi. Got it from Tionesta builders near my camp and brought it home. Hundreds less than a comparable Buck stove and very high quality. The house is about 1400 sf and the only problem is that the heat is nt even throughout the house. If you have a fairly open floor plan or can duct the warm air to the far ends of the cabin you should be fine

 

Thanks guys for your replies. I'm leaning toward getting a direct vent propane stove, the kind with the glass front that you can see the fire. I was at my Sportsman club on New Years day and they recently got an isert and I was checking it out and thought maybe I should look into one of them for the cabin. I don't burn my fireplace a whole lot but was curious what others had to say about the inserts.

 

My sister and BIL just bought a house with radient electric heat in the ceiling. They had a fireplace that former owners hardly ever used that burned wood. They bought a propane insert and I installed a thermostatically controlled remote. They are more than happy especially after their old home had an oil burner. They were worried about the electric heat cost but the house is well insulated (snow doesn't melt from roof like other neighbor's roofs in the area) and are saving money compared to what they had to pay for oil. They don't have to worry about wood, the smell and the cleaning required of a wood burner.

 

As long as your fireplace and chimney are sound,you won't regret getting an insert. Make sure it's an air tight stove. Get the biggest one your current fireplace will support. I have a Napolean with blower. I only need to use the blower when it's down in the teens for an extended period of time.
You have to learn how to regulate the stove, so you don't let smoke into the house when you open the door to put a log on. If you are burning dry wood and open the vents to let it heat up before opening the door you shouldn't have smoke coming in the house.

 

I have a Harmon Magnafire elite, its an insert and I heat 2900 sf. with coal, I can burn wood, or coal i choose coal its hotter and I load it up once ever 24 hours...If you got the place for it in your camp I'd do it. Tractor supply sells an outfit called wonder coal that burns either wood or coal my neighbor has one and it works really well, and is about 2 grand cheaper than a Harmon..

 

yhDucker,
This all depends on the insert, the natureal Gas once are great and will heat your place without any trouble,
the electric once are just back up heating as far as I am concerned. The wood ones are good, and will heat your place, however I like the Natural Gas inserts best, with thermostat and blower they heat my log home.
Pine Creek/Dave

 

I have a Baker insert, it heats my 1700 sf cape cod all winter with no problem.