Would you buy a second hand Aga from the Internet?

[Pufflemum]

I am considering an aga for the kitchen. This is mainly for the heat source, our kitchen is freezing and apart from ripping up the floor and installing under floor heating there is nothing else we can do. Several friends have suggested an aga. New they are horrendously expensive but from googling you seem able to buy them secondhand for a reasonable cost. Has anyone ever gone this route? What do I need to look for if I buy secondhand? Would an old one be less energy efficient than new! We would go for a gas one.

All help great fully received.

[Fresh01]

I have heard of people buying second hand AGA's as they last for years and some people inherit them with a new house but don't want one. I would ask how old it is and when it was last in use? Some of the older AGA's were not as well insulated.

We have a gas one and they are meant to be serviced annually so you could ask when it was last serviced.

How would you get it to you if buying on the internet? Can you pick up, they are big and heavy as the overall shell is one piece. Parts of ours had to be assembled once the shell was installed but it was new so not sure if you would need bits removed to physically shift it.

[PigletJohn]

I hear there are people who buy old ones, tart them up I mean give them a polish recondition them and sell on at higher prices.

Moving one, and re-assembling in its new home, is probably easy when you know how, but not when you don't.

I wouldn't know how to recognise one that needed a lot of expensive work, or one that was in lovely condition.

Bit like buying a used car when you don't know about cars.

Maybe there is a local Aga Repair business who could advise?

[swanthingafteranother]

someone installer once said you have to be careful of oil or coalfired agas which have been converted for gas, but maybe that was just sales pitch to get me to buy one new. I have a friend who has a reconditioned one that works perfectly (gas) but it was originally gas before reconditioning etc.

"Aga" quoted me £1000 rebate to swop an old one for a new one, so they must be doing something with them or sending them to some reconditioning place surely not just melting them down

They also quoted me £1000 to move my existing aga to a different part of the house, so it is not as cheap to move around as you might think.

Names I've heard a while ago for secondhand were Twyford Cookers and Pegrum Contracts, not sure if still operational. Any Interior/Period Interiors Mag will have loads of adverts

[Pufflemum]

Thanks for your comments. We have decided to go for a new one but now find out we need to have our chimney lined in preparation. Can I ask, as Aga owners do you have additional an additional hob and oven for use in the summer?

[Fresh01]

Hi, no we chose not to have an additional hob/oven as it was my first AGA and I knew I wouldn't learn to use it if I had a fall back that I could use! We did put in a single gas wok ring as the Aga can struggle to do quick stir fries. We have a 3 oven gas Aga and can do Xmas dinner for 20 in it.

From people I know with aga's if you have a north facing kitchen with lots of windows you will be likely to turn it off for a couple of months over summer. Our kitchen is north facing and we use it all year round.

[Fresh01]

Sorry, south facing kitchens need agas turned off.

[thebestisyettocome]

I think Twyford are the best for reconditioned agas but 'Mr Cooker' is ok too.
I think it's definitely worth having another cooker you can use in Summer too.

[swanthingafteranother]

main thing to remember is that the Aga is not a worktop for putting down hot saucepans/baking dishes, so you need a bit of extra heat proof worktop nearby, unlike with a normal hob, which of course you turn off when the food is done. The hotplates when down are a bit curvy to balance thing on in quantity. 4 door mega aga has of course it's own built in worktop area.

[ethicalmum]

Hi I have just purchased an oil fuel Aga, any tips or advice on installation, oil suppliers ect...
would be most welcome.