Buck Stove Comparison Guide: Model 21, Model 91, & Homesteader

Buck Stove is the trade name for the residential wood-burning appliances manufactured by New Buck Corporation (NBC), located at 200 Ethan Allen Drive in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. The company has produced wood stoves since 1975 and operates from a manufacturing facility in western North Carolina. Every Buck Stove product is tested and listed by PFS/TECO of Cottage Grove, Wisconsin and complies with the applicable ANSI, UL, and ULC standards for its category.

Brand position: Buck Stove builds residential wood-burning appliances in three primary product families covered in this guide — wood cook stoves, catalytic wood stoves, and non-catalytic wood stoves. The product lineup also includes pellet stoves and gas stoves that are not covered in this comparison. Every Buck Stove unit carries the Limited Warranty administered by NBC's customer service department, with the Owner Registration Card required within 30 days of purchase for warranty coverage to begin.

The three Buck Stove wood-burning products we carry are the Homesteader Cook Stove, the Model 91 Catalytic (Bay Series), and the Model 21 Non-Catalytic. Browse the full Buck Stove wood stove collection for current pricing and availability.

The first thing to understand about the Buck Stove lineup we carry is that the three models are three completely different product types, not three sizes of the same stove. They share manufacturer (New Buck Corporation), brand (Buck Stove), and a common warranty structure — but the cooking function, combustion technology, electrical dependency, mobile home approval, and installation flexibility differ on every axis.

The Homesteader is Buck Stove's wood-burning cook stove. The firebox sits at the bottom of the unit; the oven sits above the firebox. A middle damper on the side of the stove diverts flue gases around the oven for cooking and baking, or routes them straight up for room heating. The cooktop has two direct-heat plates for pots and pans. Both the firebox and the oven have glass viewing windows. Heating coverage is up to 1,800 square feet. The Homesteader is 100 percent off-grid — no electrical input is required for any function. It vents through a 6 inch black or blued steel chimney connector into a UL 103 HT factory-built chimney or code-approved masonry chimney with a flue liner. Outer dimensions are 29.13 inches wide at the front, 24.89 inches deep, and 42.13 inches tall. Floor protector R-value 3 minimum is required, extending 16 inches in front (USA) or 18 inches in front (Canada). Not mobile home approved per the owner's manual. Best fit: homes that want a single appliance to cook, bake, and heat — homesteads, off-grid cabins, hunting camps, and tiny houses with a kitchen function.

The Model 91 is Buck Stove's largest wood-burning unit and most popular wood stove. Catalytic combustion routes smoke through a three-cell ceramic catalyst that ignites particulates at 700 to 900 degrees Fahrenheit, dropping emissions to 1.2 g/hr at high efficiency. Tested heat output ranges from 10,400 to 62,745 BTU per hour, covering homes from 1,800 to 3,200 square feet. The 4.4 cubic foot firebox accepts logs up to 22 inches long (front-to-back or side-to-side orientation), with an integrated ash pan for easy ash removal. A factory-installed variable-speed blower with auto/off/manual switch and internal thermostat distributes heat into the room — the blower is included standard, not optional. Vents through an 8 inch flue (larger than the Model 21's 6 inch flue). Installs as either a masonry fireplace insert (minimum fireplace dimensions 31-3/4 W × 23-1/2 H × 15-1/2 D inches) or as a freestanding stove with optional leg kit or pedestal kit. Not mobile home approved per the owner's manual. Best fit: large homes and great rooms above 1,800 square feet that need primary heat, and installations that prioritize the longest burn times and lowest emissions per ton of wood burned.

The Model 21 is Buck Stove's compact non-catalytic wood stove. Non-catalytic combustion is delivered by three stainless steel secondary air tubes installed above the firebox that inject preheated air to ignite remaining combustion gases — no catalyst to replace over time. EPA certified at 76.89 percent efficiency (CSA B415-1.10 stack loss method, HHV weighted average). Tested heat output ranges from 11,079 to 28,901 BTU per hour, covering homes from 800 to 1,800 square feet. The 1.6 cubic foot firebox accepts logs up to 11 inches front-to-back or 18 inches side-to-side. A factory-installed variable-speed blower with automatic thermostat is included standard. Vents through a 6 inch flue. Installs as a masonry fireplace insert, freestanding stove, alcove installation, or pre-fab fireplace insert — the most flexible installation envelope in the Buck Stove lineup. The Model 21 is the only Buck Stove wood stove approved for mobile home installation when equipped with the required outside air kit. Best fit: zone heating, small homes, cabins, additions, and mobile homes; also the right choice for fireplace insert conversions in mid-sized fireplaces.

The Model 91 and the Model 21 are both wood-burning room heaters, but they reach EPA-certified clean combustion through fundamentally different technologies. Understanding the difference shapes long-term ownership cost, daily operation, and which model fits which household.

The Model 91 firebox routes hot smoke and combustion gases through a three-cell ceramic catalyst combustor mounted in a cast iron housing. When the catalyst reaches 700 to 900 degrees Fahrenheit (achieved within 15 to 20 minutes of startup on a medium-to-high firing rate), it begins to chemically ignite particulates that would otherwise pass through the chimney as smoke and creosote. Once active, the catalyst typically operates at temperatures above 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit and can be monitored by the integrated catalyst probe. The bypass damper directs gases around the catalyst during startup and reloading, then closes once light-off is achieved.

Benefits: lower emissions (1.2 g/hr), higher efficiency at the low burn rate (catalysts excel at extracting heat from slow, smoldering fires), longer burn times per load, and less creosote accumulation in the chimney. Trade-offs: catalysts have a finite life (typically 10,000 to 12,000 hours of operation), require periodic inspection three times per heating season per the manual, and eventually require replacement. The Model 91 catalyst is supplied by Applied Ceramics of Atlanta, Georgia; replacements are ordered directly from Applied Ceramics. The manual prohibits operating the stove without a functioning catalyst and without following the operating instructions consistent with EPA regulations.

The Model 21 firebox does not use a catalyst. Instead, three stainless steel secondary air tubes are installed above the firebox: two front/rear tubes with 24 holes each and one middle tube with 12 holes. Preheated combustion air is drawn from outside the firebox, heated by the firebox walls, and injected through these tubes into the upper firebox where it mixes with rising combustion gases at high temperature. The mix ignites and burns the remaining particulates and gases, achieving EPA-certified clean combustion without a catalyst.

Benefits: no catalyst to inspect, monitor, or replace; faster light-off from cold start; simpler operation with fewer moving parts; lower long-term maintenance cost. Trade-offs: slightly higher emissions (4.4 g/hr versus 1.2 g/hr on the Model 91), and slightly shorter burn times at the lowest sustained settings. Non-catalytic stoves perform best at moderate-to-high burn rates where secondary combustion stays active; at very low burn rates, secondary combustion can drop off, increasing visible smoke.

• Pick the Model 91 catalytic if you are heating a large home (1,800 to 3,200 sq ft), want the longest possible burn times for overnight heating, want the lowest emissions per ton of wood burned, and are comfortable with the periodic catalyst inspection and eventual replacement (every 10,000+ hours of operation).
• Pick the Model 21 non-catalytic if you are heating a smaller space (800 to 1,800 sq ft), prefer simpler operation with no catalyst to monitor, value lower long-term maintenance cost, or need mobile home approval (only the Model 21 is mobile home approved).
• Both stoves include the factory blower as standard equipment, both vent into a UL 103 HT 2,100 degree Fahrenheit factory-built chimney or a code-approved masonry chimney with a flue liner, and both install as either a fireplace insert or as a freestanding stove with the appropriate accessory kit.

The Homesteader is the only Buck Stove product we carry that is engineered for cooking. It is not a heater with a warming surface, it is a true wood cook stove with a functional cooktop and a built-in baking oven that can be used independently of the room heating function.

• Firebox at bottom, oven above the firebox. The cooking architecture stacks vertically: fire on the bottom, oven in the middle, cooktop on top.
• Middle damper directs heat around the oven. A control rod on the side of the stove operates the middle damper. With the damper pushed in (open), flue gases route straight up to the chimney and the stove operates primarily as a heater. With the damper pulled out (closed), flue gases route down the sides and back up around the oven before exiting to the chimney, heating the oven cavity for baking and roasting.
• Two cooktop plates for pots and pans. The cooktop has two direct-heat areas for cookware. Cast iron pans, Dutch ovens, and stockpots can be placed directly on the cooktop with the firebox burning briskly.
• Two glass viewing windows. Both the firebox door and the oven door have heat-resistant glass viewing windows so the operator can monitor both the fire and the food.
• Air control under the firebox. The front air damper on the left-hand side below the feed door controls combustion air flow. Open the air control wide to build temperature for cooking; close down for longer, lower burns when heating only.
• Oven temperature gauge. A temperature gauge on the oven door provides a rough reading; the manual recommends using a meat thermometer for precise cooking temperatures.

• For cooking (oven hot, cooktop hot): Maintain a brisk fire using small pieces of firewood that provide plenty of flames. Damper closed (pulled out) to route gases around the oven. Cooking temperature reaches working oven temperatures and the cooktop becomes hot enough for sautéing, frying, and boiling.
• For longer-burn heating: Use larger pieces of wood and close the air control. The damper remains pulled out for normal heating operation. Oven temperature will drop as the fire burns slower; cooktop remains warm enough to keep food at serving temperature.
• For room heating only: Damper open (pushed in), air control set to maintain desired burn rate. Flue gases bypass the oven and exit straight up the chimney.

• Homes and cabins where wood cooking is a deliberate lifestyle choice — homesteading, off-grid living, intentional reduction in electricity and gas dependency.
• Power-outage backup cooking and heating. The Homesteader requires no electricity to operate any function, including the oven and cooktop.
• Hunting camps, deer camps, and seasonal cabins that need both a heat source and a way to prepare meals without propane.
• Tiny houses and small homes that want a single appliance to replace both a heater and a kitchen stove.
• Not suitable for: mobile homes (explicitly prohibited per the manual), homes that only need room heat (a dedicated heater like the Model 91 or Model 21 is the right pick), and installations that require a fireplace insert configuration.

Two of the three Buck Stove products we carry support both installation configurations:

• The Model 91 catalytic installs as a masonry fireplace insert (with insert kit FP91 or oversized fireplace kit for larger fireplaces) or as a freestanding stove with leg kit FA FS9151 or pedestal kit FA P4150B.
• The Model 21 non-catalytic installs as a masonry fireplace insert, a pre-fab fireplace insert, a freestanding stove with optional Queen Anne legs or pedestal kit, or in an alcove with optional close clearance shields.
• The Homesteader cook stove is freestanding only. It cannot be installed as a fireplace insert because the cooking architecture (oven above firebox, cooktop on top, side dampers) requires the stove to stand alone in the room.

• You already have a masonry fireplace and want to convert it to a clean-burning EPA wood stove without major construction.
• The existing fireplace meets the minimum interior dimensions for the model: 31-3/4 W × 23-1/2 H × 15-1/2 D inches for the Model 91, or 23-1/8 W × 21 H × 15 D inches for the Model 21.
• You want to keep the visual character of the fireplace opening while gaining a sealed, EPA-certified wood stove inside.
• You have access to the chimney for installing a stainless steel flue liner per the insert kit instructions.

• You do not have an existing fireplace, or the existing fireplace does not meet the minimum interior dimensions.
• You want the stove to project into the room for maximum radiant heat output (a freestanding stove radiates from all sides; an insert radiates primarily from the front).
• You want flexibility in placement, including corner installations or alcove installations (Model 21 only).
• You are running a new chimney through the ceiling or wall rather than into an existing masonry flue.

• You want to cook with wood. The Homesteader is the only Buck Stove option with a functional cooktop and oven.
• You want off-grid operation. The Homesteader requires no electricity for any function.
• You're heating up to 1,800 square feet while also gaining a wood cooking station.
• You have a homesteading, off-grid, or rural lifestyle where wood is the primary fuel for both heat and cooking.
• You want power-outage backup cooking and heating for grid-tied homes that need a wood-fire fallback.

• You're heating a large home or great room (1,800 to 3,200 sq ft). The Model 91 is the largest Buck Stove and the only model rated above 1,800 sq ft.
• You want the longest burn times and lowest emissions. Catalytic combustion excels at extended low-rate burns ideal for overnight heating.
• You have a large masonry fireplace (minimum 31-3/4 W × 23-1/2 H × 15-1/2 D inches) and want to convert it to a sealed wood stove insert.
• You want a factory-installed blower with thermostat control for forced-air heat distribution to adjacent rooms.
• You want the largest firebox for handling 21 to 22 inch logs and longest reloading intervals.

• You're heating 800 to 1,800 square feet as primary or zone heat.
• You need mobile home approval. The Model 21 is the only Buck Stove wood stove approved for mobile home installation when equipped with the outside air kit.
• You want simpler operation without a catalyst to inspect or replace.
• You're installing in a mid-sized masonry fireplace (minimum 23-1/8 W × 21 H × 15 D inches) as an insert conversion.
• You want alcove or close-clearance installation flexibility with the optional close clearance shield kit, which significantly reduces required wall clearances.
• You're heating a cabin, addition, or smaller home where 1,800 sq ft is the upper bound of needed coverage.

Model 91 insert installation: minimum 24 inch hearth extension in front of firebox opening; 8 inches each side; wood trim minimum 20 inches above the top of the unit; mantel or supports minimum 30 inches above the top of the stove.

Model 21 insert installation: minimum 25 inch side wall combustible clearance; 16 inch front floor protector; 17 inch side wood trim clearance; 25 inch mantel or bracket clearance. Model 21 alcove installation (with shields): 19 inch side, 7 inch back, 84 inch ceiling height, 48 inch alcove depth maximum.

Every Buck Stove product is covered by the New Buck Corporation Limited Warranty. The warranty has two coverage periods and applies to the original retail purchaser only. The Owner Registration Card must be mailed to NBC within 30 days of purchase including the Authorized Dealer Code Number and Certified Installer's number for warranty coverage to begin. Sourced from Buck Stove manufacturer documentation.

Browse the live Buck Stove wood stove collection and the per-model size guides for clearances, room-size matching, and install-specific details.