Hearthstone "Issues"

[bren582]

tickbitty, I had the same issue as you.. 32 inch high opening... I preferred the cast standard surround versus the boring over sized one so I ordered up a set of the surround end caps and raised the surround to just cover my arched opening. Personally I think the surround caps should come with the insert but that's another story.. The whole rig looks much better with them..

Here's a few pics..

 

[lazeedan]

This is our 3 rd winter with the Homestead and we have had NO issues. I would buy it again.

 

[tickbitty]

Bren, I see what you mean - good job, that looks really nice! Thanks for the answer!

So should I ask why you sold your 08 stove for the 09 version of the same model? Lol!

 

[new burner]

have a heritage, for just under a week now.

broken dooe handles

smoke comes seepping out of everywhere

would not recommend this stove to my worst enemy

 

[branchburner]

have a heritage, for just under a week now.

broken dooe handles

smoke comes seepping out of everywhere

would not recommend this stove to my worst enemy

As suggested in a reply to your other post, start a fresh thread and take it one step at a time. Alex got it all figured out in a few days. You will be amazed at what you can learn here!

 

[afguy]

This is our third year with our Mansfield, and it's still going strong. My favorite thing about it is when I walk into the room it's in, I can still feel a gentle heat coming off of it even though there is only a small amout of embers still glowing in it. Since this is the only wood stove we have had, I can't compare it to others. Would we buy a Hearthstone again? Definitely!

Nina

 

[thinkxingu]

Hello There,
Have had the Homestead for two weeks now, and I've got say I'm very impressed. In fact, now that I really think about it, it's perfect for us: it does not blast us out of the room it's in (gentle heat) but still heats the entire top floor of our split, about 1,100 square feet (the stove is on one end). And, what's best is we don't get the swings in temp like we do/did from the other two steel stoves.
As for construction, I can totally see how this could be a 'hit' or 'miss' stove. Specifically, because of the mix of iron and stone, and the way the stones must connect, etc. I can see how once in a while a bad one could be made. That being said, I think that potential exists for any high-end product.

S

 

[REF1]

I've been away for a few weeks since posting the thread. We decided to get the Homestead rather than Woodstock. Not happy.

The entire issue of quality control I have seen on discussion boards almost scared us away. Probably should have. We wanted soapstone. That leaves two companies. We chose the looks of the Homestead.

In the order I noticed things:

1. Flimsy crate
2. Stove not bolted down to skid.
3. Heat shield scuffed up in huge sections
4. Side trim not plumb
5. Top stones not level
6. Legs bolted on crooked, out of square.
7. Two cracked stones, obviously filled and a white residue left behind.
8. Splatters of stove cement on inside glass of the door.
9. Wood shim left inside, logically used to press against stones while cement cured.
10. Completely uncured cement inside, soft as caulking.
11. Oval to round adapter fits INSIDE cast iron fitting.


1. I have no idea what kind of crates are used for wood stoves. I do know I just got an order of granite tiles in, and that crate puts the stove crate to shame. Admittedly the granite order weighed 150 pounds more than the stove, but this crate would not have protected the stove from much of any kind of strike from another heavy object in transit.

2. When we maneuvered the stove out of the van, down the ramp I built, just as we got past the halfway point, the stove tipped toward me in the crate. Now, I weigh around 235 at present, so 400 pounds coming at me was not like a Green Bay Packer linebacker coming at me at full speed, but the shock of that stove hitting me sent cold chills up and down my spine. The stove was not bolted to the skid in the back, just the front.

3. When we got the stove uncrated and took the bag off, we could not believe how much paint was scuffed off the bottom heat shield. I had seen some of it but not all of it. That is unacceptable.

4. So, the stove is sitting on the dollie and we stand back to admire it. Hmm. Being a carpenter I tend to notice angles. The left side corner trim looked off. Got a tape measure. It's an 1/8 of an inch out of plumb. That isn't much on an 8' stud, but on 20" of trim?

5. Took my hand and swiped it across the top stones. Hmm. Not level. One side higher than the other on two of three stones.

6. Looked down at the legs. Bolted on out of square. Well, I can loosen the bolts and square them up, but ... someone at the end of the assembly line was asleep when this stove came up to him for inspection.

7. My wife noticed the two cracked stones. At first it looked like it might be just the patterns in the stone, but no, you can feel the crack, and whatever was used to fill them, whoever filled them, left behind residue which looks like it is in the stone. Perhaps all it will take is some steel wool to remedie how it looks, but, no, a new stove with obvious cracked stones? How did it get out the door?

8. Well, let's take the door off to see inside. Hmm, what's this? Looks like stove cement on the glass. Well, razor blade will take it off, I guess.

9. A wood shim left inside. Why? To make sure the cemented stone stayed in place while the cement was curing in transit? First big fire just burns it out?

10. Let's see what else we can take out to lighten it so we can get it up on the hearth a little more easily. Ah, stones and firebrick. Let's see. If I take the stones out the brick will then come out. Hmm. Looks like they cemented them in place. No, this one just slid around. Uh, they are all sliding around. Uh, this glop of cement behind this stone is as soft as caulking. Huh? They sent this out before the cement cured?

11. Now, why does the adapter fit on the inside of the cast iron fitting? Just like water, smoke should travel from one pipe to another with seams enclosed inside, not open. It is no wonder people complain about smoke leaking out of the system.

Now, the stove is very beautiful. The gray stone and brown enamel look good together. It looks smaller than I thought and it looks like it will not heat our home, but that remains to be seen.

To his credit, the merchant has promised to address things to Hearthstone and do right by me. Some of these issues are small ones, including #12, the failure of the dollar bill test. And like someone before this post, I also question the integrity of the gasket on the ash pan. It's not a very tight fit sliding it back in. And I will probably end up doing something like a previous poster and just block over the ash pan and shovel out ashes. The system to dump ashes isn't very convincing just looking at it. But, I'll see what the manual states about it.

So, did we get the Monday morning lemon? If I was standing at the end of the line the stove would not have left the factory. It is one thing to attempt to keep up with demand. It is another to let quality control sleep at the wheel. Guess we'll wait on the merchant and see what he has to say. According to him, the uncured cement will solidify upon the first couple of starter fires. But cracks in the front stones? No way.

I'm looking at the stove as I type. Great looking unit. But I was afraid this would happen. It did.

 

[Fsappo]

have a heritage, for just under a week now.

broken dooe handles

smoke comes seepping out of everywhere

would not recommend this stove to my worst enemy

sounds like it would be PERFECT for your worst enemy..I dont get it

 

[Highbeam]

I've been away for a few weeks since posting the thread. We decided to get the Homestead rather than Woodstock. Not happy.

The entire issue of quality control I have seen on discussion boards almost scared us away. Probably should have. We wanted soapstone. That leaves two companies. We chose the looks of the Homestead.

In the order I noticed things:

1. Flimsy crate
2. Stove not bolted down to skid.
3. Heat shield scuffed up in huge sections
4. Side trim not plumb
5. Top stones not level
6. Legs bolted on crooked, out of square.
7. Two cracked stones, obviously filled and a white residue left behind.
8. Splatters of stove cement on inside glass of the door.
9. Wood shim left inside, logically used to press against stones while cement cured.
10. Completely uncured cement inside, soft as caulking.
11. Oval to round adapter fits INSIDE cast iron fitting.


1. I have no idea what kind of crates are used for wood stoves. I do know I just got an order of granite tiles in, and that crate puts the stove crate to shame. Admittedly the granite order weighed 150 pounds more than the stove, but this crate would not have protected the stove from much of any kind of strike from another heavy object in transit.

2. When we maneuvered the stove out of the van, down the ramp I built, just as we got past the halfway point, the stove tipped toward me in the crate. Now, I weigh around 235 at present, so 400 pounds coming at me was not like a Green Bay Packer linebacker coming at me at full speed, but the shock of that stove hitting me sent cold chills up and down my spine. The stove was not bolted to the skid in the back, just the front.

3. When we got the stove uncrated and took the bag off, we could not believe how much paint was scuffed off the bottom heat shield. I had seen some of it but not all of it. That is unacceptable.

4. So, the stove is sitting on the dollie and we stand back to admire it. Hmm. Being a carpenter I tend to notice angles. The left side corner trim looked off. Got a tape measure. It's an 1/8 of an inch out of plumb. That isn't much on an 8' stud, but on 20" of trim?

5. Took my hand and swiped it across the top stones. Hmm. Not level. One side higher than the other on two of three stones.

6. Looked down at the legs. Bolted on out of square. Well, I can loosen the bolts and square them up, but ... someone at the end of the assembly line was asleep when this stove came up to him for inspection.

7. My wife noticed the two cracked stones. At first it looked like it might be just the patterns in the stone, but no, you can feel the crack, and whatever was used to fill them, whoever filled them, left behind residue which looks like it is in the stone. Perhaps all it will take is some steel wool to remedie how it looks, but, no, a new stove with obvious cracked stones? How did it get out the door?

8. Well, let's take the door off to see inside. Hmm, what's this? Looks like stove cement on the glass. Well, razor blade will take it off, I guess.

9. A wood shim left inside. Why? To make sure the cemented stone stayed in place while the cement was curing in transit? First big fire just burns it out?

10. Let's see what else we can take out to lighten it so we can get it up on the hearth a little more easily. Ah, stones and firebrick. Let's see. If I take the stones out the brick will then come out. Hmm. Looks like they cemented them in place. No, this one just slid around. Uh, they are all sliding around. Uh, this glop of cement behind this stone is as soft as caulking. Huh? They sent this out before the cement cured?

11. Now, why does the adapter fit on the inside of the cast iron fitting? Just like water, smoke should travel from one pipe to another with seams enclosed inside, not open. It is no wonder people complain about smoke leaking out of the system.

Now, the stove is very beautiful. The gray stone and brown enamel look good together. It looks smaller than I thought and it looks like it will not heat our home, but that remains to be seen.

To his credit, the merchant has promised to address things to Hearthstone and do right by me. Some of these issues are small ones, including #12, the failure of the dollar bill test. And like someone before this post, I also question the integrity of the gasket on the ash pan. It's not a very tight fit sliding it back in. And I will probably end up doing something like a previous poster and just block over the ash pan and shovel out ashes. The system to dump ashes isn't very convincing just looking at it. But, I'll see what the manual states about it.

So, did we get the Monday morning lemon? If I was standing at the end of the line the stove would not have left the factory. It is one thing to attempt to keep up with demand. It is another to let quality control sleep at the wheel. Guess we'll wait on the merchant and see what he has to say. According to him, the uncured cement will solidify upon the first couple of starter fires. But cracks in the front stones? No way.

I'm looking at the stove as I type. Great looking unit. But I was afraid this would happen. It did.

Return it. You aren't happy with your purchase and you never will be. Don't live with the regret. The broken stones and trim won't get fixed by your dealer so you may as well cut your losses now.

We all love pictures. If I keep seeing pictures of "new" stoves from Hearthstone that are misassembled, broken, or just plain poor then I will not be recommending them to anyone even though my heritage has been a great stove. I might recommend them to my worst enemy though.

I thought the pallet I bought my stove on was great and it was bolted on all four corners. Wrapped tight in cellophane.

 

[jlow]

Got our EQ last January. We love it and have had no issues at all, and it heats our 2900 sq ft quite well. This being my first full year with seasoned wood, it has made a tremendous difference. Wife keeps it 3 splits gong during the day and it is 76 at the house. I will load it up when I get home. It was 72 when I came down this morning. Just enough coals to get the morning blaze going.

 

[Russ in Chicagoland]

Just picked up my new Mansfield today and noticed none of REF1's issues. Bolts secured, crate solid, no cracked stones, trim plumb, glass clean. Looking forward to heating my home with this beautiful stove!

 

[edthedawg]

I don't recall any such issues when our Heritage arrived last year either. I wonder if REF1's dealer took it off the skid, possibly Did Things With It, and then haphazardly re-skidded it.

That sumb*tch wasn't gonna move an inch off that pallet w/out a half hour of work when we got it. and it was tipped up at a 45 degree angle on the powered stair-climber, coming in the house...

 

[Fsappo]

I've been away for a few weeks since posting the thread. We decided to get the Homestead rather than Woodstock. Not happy.

The entire issue of quality control I have seen on discussion boards almost scared us away. Probably should have. We wanted soapstone. That leaves two companies. We chose the looks of the Homestead.

In the order I noticed things:

1. Flimsy crate
2. Stove not bolted down to skid.
3. Heat shield scuffed up in huge sections
4. Side trim not plumb
5. Top stones not level
6. Legs bolted on crooked, out of square.
7. Two cracked stones, obviously filled and a white residue left behind.
8. Splatters of stove cement on inside glass of the door.
9. Wood shim left inside, logically used to press against stones while cement cured.
10. Completely uncured cement inside, soft as caulking.
11. Oval to round adapter fits INSIDE cast iron fitting.


1. I have no idea what kind of crates are used for wood stoves. I do know I just got an order of granite tiles in, and that crate puts the stove crate to shame. Admittedly the granite order weighed 150 pounds more than the stove, but this crate would not have protected the stove from much of any kind of strike from another heavy object in transit.

2. When we maneuvered the stove out of the van, down the ramp I built, just as we got past the halfway point, the stove tipped toward me in the crate. Now, I weigh around 235 at present, so 400 pounds coming at me was not like a Green Bay Packer linebacker coming at me at full speed, but the shock of that stove hitting me sent cold chills up and down my spine. The stove was not bolted to the skid in the back, just the front.

3. When we got the stove uncrated and took the bag off, we could not believe how much paint was scuffed off the bottom heat shield. I had seen some of it but not all of it. That is unacceptable.

4. So, the stove is sitting on the dollie and we stand back to admire it. Hmm. Being a carpenter I tend to notice angles. The left side corner trim looked off. Got a tape measure. It's an 1/8 of an inch out of plumb. That isn't much on an 8' stud, but on 20" of trim?

5. Took my hand and swiped it across the top stones. Hmm. Not level. One side higher than the other on two of three stones.

6. Looked down at the legs. Bolted on out of square. Well, I can loosen the bolts and square them up, but ... someone at the end of the assembly line was asleep when this stove came up to him for inspection.

7. My wife noticed the two cracked stones. At first it looked like it might be just the patterns in the stone, but no, you can feel the crack, and whatever was used to fill them, whoever filled them, left behind residue which looks like it is in the stone. Perhaps all it will take is some steel wool to remedie how it looks, but, no, a new stove with obvious cracked stones? How did it get out the door?

8. Well, let's take the door off to see inside. Hmm, what's this? Looks like stove cement on the glass. Well, razor blade will take it off, I guess.

9. A wood shim left inside. Why? To make sure the cemented stone stayed in place while the cement was curing in transit? First big fire just burns it out?

10. Let's see what else we can take out to lighten it so we can get it up on the hearth a little more easily. Ah, stones and firebrick. Let's see. If I take the stones out the brick will then come out. Hmm. Looks like they cemented them in place. No, this one just slid around. Uh, they are all sliding around. Uh, this glop of cement behind this stone is as soft as caulking. Huh? They sent this out before the cement cured?

11. Now, why does the adapter fit on the inside of the cast iron fitting? Just like water, smoke should travel from one pipe to another with seams enclosed inside, not open. It is no wonder people complain about smoke leaking out of the system.

Now, the stove is very beautiful. The gray stone and brown enamel look good together. It looks smaller than I thought and it looks like it will not heat our home, but that remains to be seen.

To his credit, the merchant has promised to address things to Hearthstone and do right by me. Some of these issues are small ones, including #12, the failure of the dollar bill test. And like someone before this post, I also question the integrity of the gasket on the ash pan. It's not a very tight fit sliding it back in. And I will probably end up doing something like a previous poster and just block over the ash pan and shovel out ashes. The system to dump ashes isn't very convincing just looking at it. But, I'll see what the manual states about it.

So, did we get the Monday morning lemon? If I was standing at the end of the line the stove would not have left the factory. It is one thing to attempt to keep up with demand. It is another to let quality control sleep at the wheel. Guess we'll wait on the merchant and see what he has to say. According to him, the uncured cement will solidify upon the first couple of starter fires. But cracks in the front stones? No way.

I'm looking at the stove as I type. Great looking unit. But I was afraid this would happen. It did.

Return it. You aren't happy with your purchase and you never will be. Don't live with the regret. The broken stones and trim won't get fixed by your dealer so you may as well cut your losses now.

We all love pictures. If I keep seeing pictures of "new" stoves from Hearthstone that are misassembled, broken, or just plain poor then I will not be recommending them to anyone even though my heritage has been a great stove. I might recommend them to my worst enemy though.

I thought the pallet I bought my stove on was great and it was bolted on all four corners. Wrapped tight in cellophane.

I'd be willing to bet that you got a factory second stove. I never see Hearthstone stoves arriving in that condition.

 

[bren582]

Just received my Clydesdale several weeks back and it was lag bolted to the pallet and wrapped up nice and tight like it came from the factory that way. Sounds like yours took a detour?? Took the delivery guys 30 minutes or so to remove the packing and lag bolts and move it in the house. If a dealer tried to deliver a stove that looked like that I would not accept it..

 

[BroadCove]

With regard to #11, the liner fitting inside the cast iron sleeve: I understand that it seems intuitive that the liner would fit on the outside so, as you say, the smoke flows like water would, but I've learned here that the purpose of having the liner fit inside the sleeve (and each section of liner, if there are multiple sections, fit inside the section below it) is to ensure that the creosote flows down the chimney rather than out the seams in the liner. Can anyone else confirm this?

 

[branchburner]

With regard to #11, the liner fitting inside the cast iron sleeve: I understand that it seems intuitive that the liner would fit on the outside so, as you say, the smoke flows like water would, but I've learned here that the purpose of having the liner fit inside the sleeve (and each section of liner, if there are multiple sections, fit inside the section below it) is to ensure that the creosote flows down the chimney rather than out the seams in the liner. Can anyone else confirm this?

Correct.

 

[ansehnlich1]

oslo here, cast iron, no broken stones, door handles work great, no leaks, nice ash pan, heats whole house,

c'mon guys/gals, i'm just ribbin' a bit, look, i LOVE hearthstone stoves, i'd take a mansfield in a NY MINUTE, no doubt!

 

[lazeedan]

Yesterday I left this thread up on accident. My wife came across it by accident and couldn't believe all the issues you have had with your Hearthstone. She was amazed how different your experience has been than ours.

 

[thinkxingu]

lazeedan,
Your wife had the same exact reaction as my wife: our Homestead is sa-weeet, was bolted down and covered, has no flaws whatsoever. And it burns like all get out!

S

 

[REF1]

The dealer told me Hearthstone just bolts opposite corners of a stove to the skid. Not four bolts. But that seems out of harmony with testimony here. Also, our stove was not wrapped at all, just had a flimsy clear plastic bag over it.

The dealer was away for a funeral. Just sent me a quick email to let me know. So, at this point, the stove remains on the hearth, yet to be used. It isn't going to be. They need to come get it. Refund, big-time.

I knew I should have gotten the Woodstock. The wife wanted enamel, and I wasn't crazy of the location of and process to clean or change the cat on the small models.

 

[REF1]

Spoke to the dealer last night. He had nothing to say about any of the problems I raised with the stove. He was very quiet. Offered a refund. Because my wife likes the Homestead better than other choices out there, the dealer agreed to order another one and he will swap it out when it arrives.

We'll see what happens with the next stove.

 

[thinkxingu]

REF1,
I'm telling you, our Homestead (as is my in-laws' Heritage and their friend's Mansfield) is super sweet and, if you read the reviews posted here, besides a couple lemons, most love it. SO, good luck with the new one!

S

 

[REF1]

Thanks. After reading another thread by newburner, I am beginning to wonder about some things. But, rather than speculate I will wait and see what the next stove is like.

I opened the stove and looked around inside. Just looks nasty inside. At the top of the stove stalactites of cement hang down a couple inches all the way across. Cement is in places in curious ways. Just looks like it was globbed in there and left run, ooze, or semi-coat various sections.

I opened the envelope and read the same checklist mentioned on another thread. The way the author scribbled you would never know which items are "checked." None of them are. He just swirled his pen around. One of the items on the list is Front Door- Closes and seals properly. My dollar bill slid out easily. No friction or resistance at all. There's also a box to check for Stove Bolted to Pallet. I know that one is bogus. I found a third bolt on the ground outside. The pallet has a third hole, it was obviously stripped out and the bolt fell out when the stove tipped at me.

The date is strange. I ordered the stove on 10/30/09. The signed date is either 10/30/07 or 09 I cannot tell. If 07, it would be impossible for stove cement to be wet inside. If 09, the stove was assembled and sent out the day I ordered it. Obviously no time for cement to set up correctly before the stove got moved around. The shim on the inside speaks to that issue.

Anyway, my wife says I am beating a dead horse. So be it. New stove is coming to replace this one. Just chalk it up to ...

 

[tutu_sue]

Seems possible the stove was rushed to make it onto the truck on that Friday, shifted in the trailer and took a tremendous hit.