Wood stove vs Pellet

[Taz]

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

We have a beautiful, Woodstock Soapstone wood stove (built right here in Lebanon NH) and as we age are using wood less and less (expense,
work to move, stack etc.)
That said, is it worth selling the soapstone stove and installing a pellet stove?
I know you still have to buy and carry/move bags of pellets, which I have no problem with as I am capable of heavy work.
Surely, someone has weighed both and made decisions on this...

Is it worth it? to change to pellet stove. Yes, in my opinion it is. Used wood stove for years at ski house, loved it once it was up and running but getting up on Friday night and sometimes it would not light and get going and if it did it could be 2 hours before getting any heat out of it, most times it would not stay going during the night, stacking wood sucks, hard to find a good place to store wood, I could go on.

Pellet stove, lights every time in 5 minutes or less, start feeling heat immediately, takes half hour to 40 minutes for the ski house to be up to or close to temp, can control heat sooo much better than a wood stove, much more steady temp than wood stove, goes all night long without getting up, 40 lbs bags easy to stack, store, can store inside, less mess. I could go on, pellet stove sooo much better in my opinion. I agree, the wood gets old.

The 2 drawbacks I will point out, if its in the TV area, its louder than wood stove so if that's an issue look for ones that are quieter than others, they are out there, second, cleaning it is more involved. However, creosote does not build up in the chimney like a wood stove so cleaning chimney needed much less.

Having said all that the pellet stove is much better and easier in my opinion and the drawbacks do not change my opinion and do not regret the change.