My BIL is renovating their house and has a burning stove he'll give me. I'm considering putting it in my hunting camp cabin. Are these things safe? Anything I should know when installing it?

They can be fine, or...

https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/heating-and-cooling/wood-stoves4.htm#:~:text=Dangers%20of%20Using%20Wood%20Stoves%20The%20dangers%20of,can%20lead%20to%20respiratory%20problems%20for%20the%20occupants.

You might consider getting a pro to install it properly.

Like anything else in life. Very safe, when installed correctly, use non-flamable hearth and backing around it, maintain it properly, and keep the creosote build up to a minimum to prevent chimney fires. Don't burn a lot of paper and trash in it to start your fires, as the ashes will fly out the chimney without a good screen or spark arrestor. Nice find!!

Agreed

I have ran them in my shops for 17 years with no trouble.

In a house the only real tricky part is the ceiling penetration then the roof penetration. You don't want water leaking in the roof. Or you can go out the wall, but you lose some radiant heat that would have come off the stack. My current shop stove goes out th wall, because I didn't want to cause a roof leak. Installing the stack on new construction is far easier and more reliable to not leak. That insulated stack is absolutely the way to go.

Look how to install appropriately. Most don't agree with the setbacks and neighboring floor and wall materials where of course, the trouble begins.

The cabin floor is treated plywood with vinyl sheet flooring on it. I was thinking I would cut out a section of the vinyl and put down a piece of CC backer board and lay some tile for it to sit on. The walls are pine shiplap with foam insulation. I thought I'd do the same for the wall behind the stove. Is this necessary or can I just set it on the floor?

Also the cabin is 12'X32' with a loft in the front and one in the rear. The stove is 27"W x 28"D x 30"H. Do you think it will make too much heat?

There are codes that should be met. These include side, bottom, and back clearances to combustible's as well as front to floor. The only time you want to set one directly on a floor is if it's concrete. I studied the codes when I installed 2 wood burning stoves in my home at the ranch because 1.) I didn't want to burn the house down and 2.) insurance requirements. I also got the requirements of the stove manufacturer for the model I was using. Sounds to me like you have never used a wood stove because you don't know what to expect from it. Now I realize it's just a hunting cabin but still you don't want to burn it down or the other alternative is wake up dead!! Please follow those installing requirements whatever you do. As for as heat output, it will cook your a$$ out of that size cabin if you are not careful. During the February storm we were in single digits and I used just one of my stoves to heat a 3250 square foot single story home for several days. I have never used the central heat since I installed those stoves and we were very comfortable at 73 degrees. With no electricity I was glad to have them during that time.
They can be nice but just be careful whatever you do.

Frio

Things to consider: That's an awful big stove for only a 400 sq ft cabin, and the loft will certainly be unbearable if you have a good size fire going. You will need to have a fan or two to circulate the heat around the room. If you run it low, and don't have good clean combustion, you build up creosote faster and run the risk of chimney fire. The lower you run it, the more the gases can condense on the piping walls, producing more lye and increasing the rate of corrosion. Most installation manuals will give you exact dimensions and clearances for install - it looks like you have the manufacturer info plate on the front, so look on-line for that manual. Most codes require a minimum of 2" thickness of masonry, brick, or stone on the base and sides to be considered non-combustible and approved for fireproofing. NFPA codes trump all requirements!! And last, if its not EPA approved, you need to make sure it fits under the size exempted for household heating. Never use a non-EPA approved one in a home, as you can't sell it. In the cabin I wouldn't worry about it. Ask some pros for help. Good luck

Thanks for all the feedback folks. I'm thinking this may be a bigger job than I want to undertake.

We had one like that until it burned down our cabin.

No they are way to dangerous. You need to bring it down to Bandera and I will dispose of it for you for free.

The last 2 homes we had built we had one put in by our builder

During that winter storm Im sure glad too, ours will heat up most of the house in a pinch if I really wanted it to get hot

We always had brick or stone backing and I don’t burn mesquite

100% oak

I’d say they are safe

Ok, I saw your next post

1. That is a big heavy stove, make sure the cabin floor can hold it. I’d be suspicious, that’s a monster sized stove. Mine is near that size and it took 4 grown men to move it

2. A stove that size can literally heat up 7-8x’s that cabin

Tractor supply usually carries those much smaller pot belly stoves for a few hundred bucks in the winter. I’d bet that would be a better option for your set up

I burn both mesquite as well as oak. I have enough on the ground to last a lifetime from dozer work. We just cut it into 16" lengths and split it. Let it set in stacks for a couple of years then it's ready to burn. If I were to fire up both of my stoves it would drive you out of our house or at least make it uncomfortable. I think Don K is right, haul it down to Bandera and let him dispose of it for you. Haha

Ours has been fine since 1994 when it was put in. I sits in a 5ftx3ft pan framed in 2x4s and covered in metal flashing.

The heat from that will run you out of the cabin.

We have been using ours 37 years. No problem. Burn both oak and mesquite. Just make sure wood it is dry and seasoned. If you have a screen on your chimney cap you might need to knock the creosote build up off so it will draw better. We clean ours about once a year.

Our house is about 1300sqft, we use a wood stove like this one.
It heats it good. Have 1 corner fan in a place to push warm air into the living room.
https://m.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200832983_200832983?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Heaters%20%26%20Stoves%20%2B%20Fireplaces%20%3E%20Wood%20Stoves&utm_campaign=US%20Stove%20Company&utm_content=97824&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1dGJBhD4ARIsANb6OdnBCcQYVSfrWgdHvkHhJ2piLA0jaNbrAU-LDyWiwzBTdwqWOIapwmIaArRJEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Wood stoves are awesome if installed correctly. Unfortunately, we have seen numerous applications in hunting cabins and weekenders where people have installed them and allow for dangerous conditions. They need a proper floor material and a non-combustible board on the wall. From there, minimum clearance is usually slated to be 18 inches from the non-combustible wall surface. Then add in the depth of the stove and consider how that will affect the space you are utilizing. Don't forget the non-combustible floor surface should extend 6 inches past the front of the stove.

or just say, "What could happen.".

You can build a small fire in the stove so it doesn't run you out with too much heat.

I love mine. Puts out more than enough heat.
My cabin is 1,234sf heated. 3 bedrooms.

Frisco is much closer to Melissa than Bandera. I will offer the same disposal services!

Mine doesn’t smoke inside the house at all.
I got it from TSC.

My dad put a Franklin stove in our place in E TX 40 years ago. I won't light it unless it's about 40 or colder in the am. You don't have to keep it raging so it shouldn't be too hot. Jason's spot on, the leak is the biggest concern. I built a metal roof over the place about 5 years ago. I replaced the chimney with a taller one so it would draw good. I was really concerned with it leaking but I guess I did it right. It sits on those 8 x 4 x 16in cinder blocks and has cinder block walls behind it in the corner. Growing up, me and my brothers never burned the place down so I guess it's safe. My mom had it up to 80 in the house when it was 20 outside so, it will definitely put out the heat if you feed it. We were there for the big freeze in Feb. for a week, sure glad we had the stove.

We went with a nice stove in our home when we built 7 years ago and couldn't be more happy.
Ours sits in the corner of the family room which is a fairly large space. I think it is 28 x 24 or maybe a touch bigger with a cathedral ceiling that starts at 9' and goes up to 15'.
We don't even think about lighting ours unless it is well below freezing outside or you'll be opening windows on both sides of the house to draw air in....it truly gets that hot with just a couple small pieces of mesquite in it.
During the big freeze this year we lit it and kept it going with a couple small pieces every 1-2 hours and our central heat never was needed. I turned the fan on the central heat and the bedrooms stayed between 70-74 with the family room and kitchen staying between 72-78. It actually got so warm that several times we opened windows to cool it down. Our home is only 1800sf but that small wood stove is more than enough even when it gets down into the single digits for lows and low 20s for highs.