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Osburn 1700: is it worth buying?

Wood stove by Stove Builder International. Also sold as Blackcomb II, Escape 1500, Deco II, Columbia II, Savannah II, FW2800 and more.

A good pick if you want lots of heat.

The catch: more smoke than most new stoves and more wood used for the same heat.

How it compares

Against all 156 new wood stoves, from the EPA's lab tests. Longer bar = better.

HeatBetter than 89%
up to 52,200 BTU an hour
Clean burningBetter than 0%
2.4 grams of smoke an hour (legal limit 2.5)
Heat from each logBetter than 15%
68% efficient
Burn time (firebox size)Better than 44%
1.86 cubic feet

Source: EPA certification record 5113, checked Nov 1, 2026. Smoke compared as a share of each stove's legal limit, since stoves tested on real cordwood get a higher limit.

Better-matched picks with similar heat

If one of these matters more to you, start here.

Want less smoke? Woodstock Soapstone Absolute Steel Hybrid 211 Cleaner than 97% of new wood stoves, with similar heat.
Want to burn less wood? Travis 44 Elite NexGen-Hybrid Gets more heat from each log than 96% of new wood stoves.

Other questions

What size chimney liner does it need?

Match the liner to the flue collar size in the Osburn 1700 owner's manual, and have a certified installer confirm it fits your chimney.

It's non-catalytic. What does that mean?

There's no catalytic combustor, so no combustor part to replace down the road.

What do these numbers mean?

The EPA tests every new stove before it can be sold. "Heat" is the most heat it put out in the test. "Clean burning" is smoke per hour. "Heat from each log" is the share of the wood's energy that reaches your room. Firebox size tells you how much wood it holds, which drives how long it burns.

Check today's price: Osburn 1700