Century FW2900 vs Drolet Escape 1800: Same Stove, Different Warranty (2026)
No Sales Tax in any state. We sell both of these stoves, so this comparison has no reason to steer you to one. The Century FW2900 and the Drolet Escape 1800 come from the same company, Stove Builder International (SBI) in Quebec, and on the certified numbers they are the same appliance.
Side by side
| Spec | Century FW2900 | Drolet Escape 1800 |
|---|---|---|
| Firebox | 2.4 ft³ | 2.4 ft³ |
| Max heat output | 75,000 BTU/h | 75,000 BTU/h |
| Heating area | 500–2,100 ft² | 500–2,100 ft² |
| Max log length | 20" | 20" |
| Max burn time | 8 h | 8 h |
| Emissions | 2.3 g/h | 2.3 g/h |
| Efficiency (HHV / LHV) | 72% / 77% | 72% / 77% |
| Flue | 6" | 6" |
| Side panels | No (top heat shield) | Yes |
| Warranty | 5 years on firebox welds and cast iron door frame, 1–2 years on most other parts | Drolet limited lifetime |
| Availability | Ships in 1–2 days | Ships in 8–12 weeks |
What actually differs
Two things. The warranty is the big one: Drolet's limited lifetime coverage against Century's 5 years on the firebox welds and door frame. On a stove you expect to run for twenty winters, that is the difference worth paying for. The side panels are the other: the Escape 1800 has them and the FW2900 uses a top heat shield, so the two stoves have different clearance tables. Check the manual for the stove you buy before reusing an existing hearth layout.
Everything you can measure in the firebox — output, burn time, emissions, efficiency — is identical, because it is the same SBI platform.
Which one to buy
Buy the Escape 1800 if it ships in time for you. Same heat, longer warranty. Current lead time: Ships in 8–12 weeks.
Buy the FW2900 if you need heat this season. It gives you the Escape 1800's firebox, output and burn time, and its current lead time is Ships in 1–2 days. If the alternative is waiting into winter, the shorter warranty is usually the better trade.
Shop the Century FW2900 → Shop the Drolet Escape 1800 →
Completing the install
Both stoves take a 6" flue, so an existing 6" chimney carries over. Both take the AC01315 firescreen and the AC02055 thermodisc. We also stock 6" single-wall stove pipe and hearth pads.
More Century and Drolet comparisons
- Century Heating vs Drolet: the full range compared
- Every Century model and its Drolet equivalent
- Who makes Drolet, Osburn, Englander and Century
Specifications from each model's current SBI installation manual. Century Heating and Drolet are trademarks of Stove Builder International Inc. StoveSource is an authorized online dealer for both.