New Stove After Only One Year? Need reality check

[leeave96]

If you want a nice fire view, steer clear of Cat stoves as well, some are better than others. But, for the most part the fire isn't as pretty as secondary tube stoves.

I know the view from my cat stove - a Woodstock Keystone is terrible...

 

[webby3650]

Cat stoves are ok with the air cranked up. I just think its fair to inform people that if they are after a great fire view, cats don't usually give the best show or have the cleanest glass around when the are ran slow, like most people would want to.
They are great and all, but the hybrids have a great view, clean glass, even on low, and respectable burn times. Kinda the best of both worlds. IMHO

 

[webby3650]

Flare up is a better word for it. I say "puff!" cause it makes that sound from inside the stove sometimes, but I'm not referring to actual smoke being blown out, just the sound. The pic you posted is not what I'm referring to, that is way to far along in a burn for this to occur. What I'm referring to is at the very beginning of a reload, you have very little hot coals in the bottom and you reload a full load. So you have nop flames, just a very light smoldering burn at the bottom where the new wood is laying on the hot coals. Enough gas builds up from the outgassing new wood, and "puuuuuffff", the entire stove lights up/fills with flames for about 5 seconds until all that gas is burned off...and then it goes black again.

Mine never does that. It fills with gas and ignites later in the burn, like in my picture, but I can't hear it at all. If this happening early in the burn then it means they are restricting the air way too soon. The primary air should be wide open on a reload, if its puffing right from the start, they need to open the air up.

 

[lumbering on]

Lots of good ideas, thanks.

I only have one guideline for the new stove: No down drafters!
Otherwise I am wide open to any and all suggestions.

My wife has a few requirements, however:

1. No ugly stoves allowed in the living room (doesn't like the look of steel stoves)
2. Not allowed to extend the hearth or stick out any further into the living room (its a narrow room)
3. Rated for open door viewing with screen for ambience in fall & spring
4. Easy to use
5. View of the flames, lively flames etc, very important
6. Rather not use a blower (too noisy)

So a few compromises for aesthetics over raw heating power.

Personally, after scrounging and splitting all this wood, I'd like to see the wood last as long as possible, but I'm ok with the compromises.

Also, we both like soapstone, but wonder if our schedules are suited for it. In other words, with us gone for 12 hours + a day, even if we load in the AM, we will most likely return to a cold start, and a cast iron is more likely to deliver us quick heat in the evening, which is the most important thing for us.

 

[jeff_t]

IF you do have to relight a Woodstock after only twelve hours, I'm pretty sure the rocks are still gonna be warm.

 

[webby3650]

IF you do have to relight a Woodstock after only twelve hours, I'm pretty sure the rocks are still gonna be warm.

Or a hearthstone! They have lots of options that are often overlooked.

 

[Waulie]

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about a cold soapstone stove after 12 hours (any soapstone stove). Depending, you might have to start a new fire, but your stove will still be warm. Mine was still decently warm after 24 hours on less then a half load. That's why the "slow to heat up" thing with soapstone is over done. If, you're heating 24X7, your stove will always be warm. Good luck!

 

[begreen]

I suggest you get the right stove for the job and then afterward explain to the wife that there had to be a few compromises. Otherwise you will be back here next spring with the same tale. Don't ask how I know.

 

[lumbering on]

Or a hearthstone! They have lots of options that are often overlooked.

What are some of the overlooked options on the hearthstone?

The Hearthstone Mansfield, Heritage and Castleton all made our short list,

along with:

Lopi Cape Cod
Lopi smaller version of cape cod if it's available soon
Woodstock Progress Hybrid
Jotul Castine, Oslo & Firelight

 

[begreen]

There's a big difference in size and behavior between these models. While looking at Hearthstone maybe check out the Manchester too.

 

[Pallet Pete]

Ok, so who has gotten rid of their stove after only one year?

As you may know, I have not been happy with my Lopi Leyden. Even when it was running perfectly, it was a disappointment to me and my wife. Sure, it gave off a ton of heat, BUT...

The visuals were disappointing. It was a box of smoke, with the flame going into the rear combuster low and behind the wood, where you couldn't see it, even when the glass was clean, which it rarely was. It burned hot so it ate a ton of wood, and had to be baby sat so it didn't smolder out, or become a raging inferno, so we were afraid to walk away from it, so no 24 hour burning. The lid warped, which is apparently common, and I'm sure the combuster will go in a couple of years.

So a negative rating on ambience which is a very big deal for us, as well as 24 hour heating.

I had no idea what downdrafting meant when I bought it, and knowing what I know now...

It was not exactly cheap, but life is short, and maybe another year of this frustration is not worth it.

Economics: $3200 dollars in oil to heat this old monster house for this winter, which is with a conservative thermostat setting.

I can get 3 to 4 cords for $175 and some hard work, and even more for free with harder work.

If I sell the Leyden, and if I switch to 24 hour burning, with a nice soapstone or hybrid, could I save enough in oil over the next 5 years to make the economics make sense?

So I need a reality check, how crazy is it to switch stoves after only one year?

And I need to convince my wife the economics make sense, she is disappointed in the stove, but nervous about another large purchase unless the math makes sense.

Thanks in advance.

We had a USStove wonder wood for 2 years ( peice of junk ) we sold it and purchased a Vogelzang Durango ( Again junk ) ! We then discovered Hearth.com and ended up buying a Harman TL300 and didn't even get a winter out of it before we where sick of fixing it and dealing with bad service so we sold it. We now are at the end of the second season with our Jotul F50 and love it.

Our Harman was a rear lower cumbuster and a royal pita to operate with the obstructions around our home. They require very near perfect barometric pressure conditions to even light one or they just stall out. I have seen a few that work very well ( impressively well ) however those do not have obstructions like trees or buildings to interfere with them. For us it just was not worth the hassle to try another season. The gentleman who bought ours was very happy with it but he lived in a much colder area of Michigan and had a fantastic dealer to support him. In other words no your not crazy at all lol.

Pete

 

[webby3650]

What are some of the overlooked options on the hearthstone?

The Hearthstone Mansfield, Heritage and Castleton all made our short list,

along with:

Lopi Cape Cod
Lopi smaller version of cape cod if it's available soon
Woodstock Progress Hybrid
Jotul Castine, Oslo & Firelight

I just meant that Hearthstone as a company is often overlooked.

You mentioned above that open door viewing is a must, the Progress doesn't have a front door. The Cape Cod's door doesn't open far enough to be out of the way and a screen isn't an option. To be honest the cod has such a HUGE glass that there would be no need to have it open. I see lots of people through out the year that want the screen for their stove, so they think. They usually end up never using it.
Of the stoves you mentioned, the Jotul Firelight would be the nicest stove to use with open doors, any stove with a single door looks pretty silly with the screen in and the door hanging way out to the side. Double doors look pretty classy wide open, like a fireplace.

 

[webby3650]

While looking at Hearthstone maybe check out the Manchester too

The Manchester is a nice looking stove! I saw one burning at the HPBA show, it was cranking out some heat! We just put a Majolica Brown one on display. It's pricey though.

 

[lumbering on]

I just meant that Hearthstone as a company is often overlooked.

You mentioned above that open door viewing is a must, the Progress doesn't have a front door. The Cape Cod's door doesn't open far enough to be out of the way and a screen isn't an option. To be honest the cod has such a HUGE glass that there would be no need to have it open. I see lots of people through out the year that want the screen for their stove, so they think. They usually end up never using it.
Of the stoves you mentioned, the Jotul Firelight would be the nicest stove to use with open doors, any stove with a single door looks pretty silly with the screen in and the door hanging way out to the side. Double doors look pretty classy wide open, like a fireplace.

Open door viewing is a potential compromise, which is why the Woodstock is on the short list.

The Hearthstone website only lists the Castleton as having a spark screen option, does anyone know if the Mansfield and Heritage can be burned with the door open and have a spark screen available?

 

[lumbering on]

The Manchester is a nice looking stove! I saw one burning at the HPBA show, it was cranking out some heat! We just put a Majolica Brown one on display. It's pricey though.

Cape Cod is pricey too, though?

 

[lumbering on]

There's a big difference in size and behavior between these models. While looking at Hearthstone maybe check out the Manchester too.

I get the size difference. Would have to go with what fits on the hearth.

But you mentioned difference in behavior. Anything special I should know about besides heating capacity, burn times?

 

[webby3650]

Cape Cod is pricey too, though?

Yes, it's $500 or so higher than the Manchester.

 

[lumbering on]

Just got back from a hearthstone dealer, my wife loved them.

But the dealer told her "I've never heard of anyone having a problem with the Leyden, You should have beautiful flames with it."

Then he said "What's a downdraft stove? I don't know what you're talking about."

I can get beautiful flames too, but the bypass damper has to be open and the air open. Otherwise box of smoke and hidden flame in the low rear combuster and inevitable stalling. But I go through a load of wood in a few hours this way.

So my case for a new stove just got harder to make.

 

[webby3650]

"I've never heard of anyone having a problem with the Leyden

I have heard other dealers say that. I think that most of them went to people that don't use them properly, or don't know that anything is wrong with it. Lots of people out there don't shut the by-pass or leave the air off so they get a long burn, therefore never getting the secondary burn engaged.

I don't think all Leydens are turds, but you and I ended up with a few of them. They definitely aren't 24/7 burners.

 

[begreen]

Open door viewing is a potential compromise, which is why the Woodstock is on the short list.

The Hearthstone website only lists the Castleton as having a spark screen option, does anyone know if the Mansfield and Heritage can be burned with the door open and have a spark screen available?

A screen is a seriously overrated option. Many if not most here have opted for this accessory and ended up using it only once or twice. I definitely would not place it as a priority.

 

[Papa-Yankee-Romeo-Oscar]

The manchester is a very well built large stove with close clearances and an available fire screen option. I was looking at it and the Lopi Cape Cod but when it came down to price the Manchester won out. For the Cape Cod I was quoted $3100 plus tax for just the stove and ended up getting my Manchester for $2800 including tax and a free blower thrown in.

For lots of pics check out my thread---> https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/hearthstone-manchester.108690/

 

[lumbering on]

Checked out the manchester in person yesterday. Definitely under consideration.

 

[begreen]

The Manchester looks like a very nice stove. I liked it the moment I saw it. If you have the clearances, add the Quad Isle Royale and the Jotul F600 to your viewing pleasure.

 

[lumbering on]

This is the current short list, based on what I have already investigated:

Hearthstone: Mansfield, Heritage, Castleton, Manchester

Jotul: Castine, Oslo, Firelight

Woodstock: Progress Hybrid, Union Hybrid

Lopi: Cape Cod & smaller version of cape cod if it's available soon

 

[lumbering on]

The Manchester looks like a very nice stove. I liked it the moment I saw it. If you have the clearances, add the Quad Isle Royale and the Jotul F600 to your viewing pleasure.

I don't know anything about the Quadra-Fire.
We love the Jotuls. Is there a good argument to be made to consider a Quadra-Fire over, say, the Jotul Oslo or Firelight?