I have two Quadra-Fire 3100's, One at home and one at camp. They are older models, pre-Automatic Combustion Control (ACC). They are good, efficient stoves and, at one time, were rated the cleanest burning non-catalytic stove.

The first one was given to me by a customer I was doing a remodel for. He said, "If you can get it out of here you can have it."

The second one I found on Craigslist after searching for over a year. The are tough to find, most folks don't want to give them up.



The only thing harder to find is a used Jotul.

I vote for Blaze King, find an older one if you can, with 8" flue,

Been heating my house with a Timberline or over 40 yrs.

I've been using a Baker double eagle since 1983, and still going strong!

It would probably be hard in Texas to get your hands on an antique coal stove but you never know. This is a Glenwood Oak cast in 1899. I refurbished it and used it to burn coal before the wife got a parrot and banned its use. The 'Oak' stove was designed as a multi-fuel burner. It can burn hard or soft coal as well as wood. The aesthetics are second to none and they are as an efficient a heater as you will find. These stoves have to be tight to burn coal. If they can burn coal, they can burn wood.

I have two more in my garage awaiting restoration. Get to them before the hoarders do.

I also have the Quadrafire 4300 steptop in my house....and a Drolet Austral in my shop. Both great stoves with large fire boxes.

I'll second the Woodstock stoves or any modern woodstove that uses secondary or catalyst combustion. Went through my first winter with an Ideal steel stove. More heat and burns half the wood as my old vintage Fisher woodstove. check out Hearth.com for tons of info.

I bought my 4300 back in 2007ish. At the time the government had a tax rebate or something going on for EPA approved stoves. IIRC, the 4300 listed for $2400 and I got it for around $1800. Quadrafire even had a still rebate of $150 bucks for buying it. I'm happy with it. To clean my flue, I just remove the burner tubes with fire boards in the inside top, go on the roof, drop a rope with egg sinker on it down to the fire box( I have two 45s in flue), attach a 6 inch brush and pull out. The hardest part is climbing the 8x12 roof!!! I do it in January the at the end of burning season. But I'll tell you, I believe Dad's Blaze King holds a fire better. You shut that thing down and it's very air tight. But, can't complain with the Quad!