The Vermont Defiant is a top and front loading enamelled stove, available in a full range of colours. There is the option of a sparkscreen for open door viewing. An oval to round flue adaptor is required for installation.
Brilliant stove, not sure honestly how good the Cat converter is in operation, but it's a wonderful stove, brilliantly over engineered, weighs a ton with lovely touches that make operation easy
(ash lid etc.) Very easy to use, retains heat for ages and is easy to light and maintain, does get through a lot of wood but that's because its huge, I can now cut my logs twice the size, so save time sawing and splitting as well. This is one of those occasions where you do get what you pay for. Highly recommend if you have a big room to heat.
I bought this stove a couple of years ago to heat a very large open area, and it is absolutely superb. The heat output is so great that it usually heats the upper floor of the building as well
meaning that we don't bother with any other heat source.
It's easy to light, run and maintain and very solidly built.
I have burnt most types of wood, even scrap timber and relatively unseasoned logs with no problems at all.
The only word of warning is that it's a BIG stove and does get through a lot of wood if used frequently. This means that you need to either use well seasoned logs or hard wood to ensure that it keeps in overnight, but having said that it puts out an enormous amount of heat.
Strongly recommended and I would certainly buy another if I had similar heating requirements elsewhere.
Had our stove for around 8 years. It looks beautiful and throws out the heat and the top loading is brilliant.... However it just kept going wrong and was massively over engineered. The catalyst
kept going wrong and needed cleaning, it was a regular dismantle job to get to it, usually resulting in at least one broken firebrick. We went through three catalysts at £100 a time and several months wait for it to sail across from America on the infrequent shipping and in the end the chamber warped and the rear upper assembly housing cracked. The manufacturer said it was our fault but we never over fired the stove. We paid a significant amount to get it replaced and then soon after the same happened again. We have had the catalyst chamber removed and now run the stove below its capacity. If it goes again we will replace it by a less attractive but more reliable model
Stove expert replied:
This is very unusual to have so many catalyst failures, these stoves are normally very reliable. It can take some time for the parts to be shipped to the UK but being infrequently required may be the reason that stock is not kept for replacements and hence the wait. Warping of a stove is normally due to overfiring or using the incorrect fuel in it.
Beautiful looking stove. Fantastic build quality and attention to detail. A monster of a stove that generates so much heat, but can be controlled in an instant. Heats a room 40 ft high, 30ft
wide and 50ft long, as well as all connecting rooms. Had for 1 year now and always looking forward to winter now that the Defiant is in place. Burns through the night with no problems. Added the air kit to maximise efficiency. A great investment that everyone comments about.
Admittedly our stove was bought over 10yrs ago but, assuming the technology hasn't changed, we have very mixed views. I think it is the best looking stove on the market and I like the ability
to load from the top with a large metal plate you can heat water on an cook if there were a major power cut.
However, I am afraid the stove is just too complicated and "fragile". The catalyst is easily damaged and needs replacing after a while. We had to do this a couple of years ago and including the buckled internal lining plates the parts alone came to over £600. We do not use the stove in the summer (Inverness) yet within a short time the "guts" of the stove have buckled again and bits fallen off. Too many moving internal parts because of the catalyst. We have never burnt anything other than wood on it. The airwash, if we ever had it, has never worked and the glass is usually opaque and difficult to clean. If you break anything (I managed to break a door glass) it takes an interminable time for parts to arrive from America.
Sorry, but despite its attractive appearance and excellent heat output, we regret buying one.
Having owned several well known make this is by far the best. We have had it for 4 years now and is still good as new. It is an excellant stove and has an good wood to heat output racio and
although it has the capability of giving an enourmous amount of heat it is easy to adjust by putting in less wood.
Stays in over night with out a problem if you do not pile the wood up and of course you must close the fire down.
We highly reccomend it and the added bonus of being able to cook/boil a kettle makes it even more of a pleasure to own!
