A furnace needs to be able to heat a large area. The Englander was able to heat the most at 3,000 square feet. The Thermo-Control was the next best at 2,500 square feet. The Timber Ridge came in last place at 1,000 square feet.
It should be noted that the Timber Ridge furnace is more of a stove than a furnace. I included it because of its similarities and just in case someone is looking for something a little smaller.
Still, both seem to be excellent choices. It is also important to http://www.homeadvisor.com/task.Central-A-C-Service-or-Repair.40074.html note that it might be easier to find an Englander wood burning furnace than a Thermo-Control. The Englander brand seems to be a little more pronounced than the Thermo-Control brand. So that might be reason enough for you to go with the Englander.
The Englander puts out the most heat, but at just 500 more square feet than the Thermo-Control it is not enough for a clear victory.
Which wood burning furnace is the best on the market? I have compared three of the top brands to figure out which one is the best.
On the other hand the Thermo-Control has a much better BTU rating, and can fit bigger logs than the Englander. For my dime I'd probably go with the Thermo-Control over the Englander.
In any case, it's nice to know that you can still find a good wood burning furnace. No matter if you want a large one or a small one.
The next most important thing about a wood burning furnace is how much wood it uses. The Englander has an impressive 80,000 BTU rating. The Thermo-Control has an amazing BTU rating of 125,000. Clearly, the Thermo-Control wins the category.
If you have cut wood before you know you want your furnace to be able to accept bigger pieces rather than smaller. The Englander can fit up to 25'' long pieces of wood. This is impressive, but the Thermo-Control wins again with enough room for 27'' long logs. The Timber Ridge is in last place with a 18'' long log limit.
The stoves up for comparison are the Englander 28-3500, the Thermo-Control 500, and the Timber Ridge 50-TFP12.
http://www.infobarrel.com/The_Best_Wood_Burning_Furnace:_Englander_vs_Thermo-Control_vs_Timber_Ridge
Clearly the Timber Ridge is in a league of its own when it comes to price. It does not heat nearly as much room as the other two furnaces, but with its small price tag it does not need to. If you want a furnace that will not break the bank then the Timber Ridge model is your best choice out of the three.
When it comes to choosing between the Englander and the Thermo-Control things get a little more difficult. The Englander is a bit cheaper than the Thermo-Control. The Englander can also heat up more space than the Thermo-Control.