Of course, any stove will burn 24/7.
I do not believe that the quoted efficiency is derived from continuous burning. I also believe that they qualify that by noting that the quoted efficiency is per the EPA efficiency test. I understand that the EPA efficiency test is based on burning a piece of wood (with known BTU's) and measuring how many of the BTU's went up the stack and therefore the number that did not can be determined. IMO that is thermal accounting gimmickry... accurate but misleading. Most people will not get into the details of this but I understand it.
So, I believe that the BTU accounting that they advertise is not based on essentially continous burn cycles which is what most here care about.
Furhermore, my question is, why coat an advanced "hybrid" stove design with a known insulating material (when compared to iron) when you could coat it with plate steel and put out even more BTU's?
Sadly, I think it is part of the gimmick. Factory direct only? A 60 day money back guarantee? If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck... you know the rest.
You seem heavily invested in the Woodstock Progress Hybrid - more than a typical user.
I am a dyed-in-the-wool skeptic so don't mind me.
MnDave
Seemimgly, this could go on forever.
The EPA test of every stove is the same. Load it (not one piece of wood) with Douglas fir, dimensional lumber, run the full burn cycle. Therefore, stoves can be compared somewhat, based on EPA testing. That is not commenting on whether or not EPA testing is the most advantageous testing that can be done for the woodburner or the environment. Just stating there is a level playing ground in EPA testing/
There is no reason to assume that the efficiency (tested the same way) will not be similar with every burn as with the EPA burn, assuming the wood burned has the same moisture content. Actually hardwood cordwood will put out more BTUs with a similar full load burn, while softwoods with less weight than Doug Fir will put out fewer BTUs.
Both BK and Woodstock for sure are talking about continouous burn cycles when they discuss their BTU output. They tell you that, and tell you the stove is well suited to continuous burn cycles. And Woodstock is notably conservative in the estimates they give for burn time, BTU output and heating capability. This is likely true of other stove manufacturers as well. I have only read the BK and Woodstock manuals, so can't say.
I don't really know why you are so skeptical about all stoves. I understand Quadra Fire apparently advertises burn times that are not easily reproducable in the real world. Not so BK or Woodstock, and I am sure not so lots of other manufacturers.
Why coat a hybrid with an insulating material when you could coat it with steel and put out more BTUs? Well, soapstone is not an insulator, anymore than steel or cast iron. It simply holds more heat and transfers it more slowly. It gets very hot...as hot as other materials. Just doesn't transfer the heat fast, so (a) doesn't present as great a burn risk (b) radiates more heat at the end of and after the burn cycles. If anything it may put out more BTUs because it can store more of the heat. It changes when you get some of the heat, but none is lost because of that, nor is it locked where you can't use it.
The reasons for a soapstone stove are myriad. The heat is a very comfortable heat...feels like the sun. The heat is quite evenly produced at a high level over a long cycle. The stoves last for a lifetime. The stoves weigh a lot and store a lot of energy. The stoves are beautiful. The stoves make great cookstoves as well. The stoves stand up well to rigorous use. I cannot imagine considering plate steel an improvement on soapstone...a different duck, but certainly not an improvement. It can be incorporated in a soapstone stove, for the advantages it provides for certain purposes, and Woodstock has done this with the Progress Hybrid. But it is not a substitute for the soapstone...it has different qualities that are good, as does the soapstone.
Factory direct only is great. You are cutting out the middleman and his mark up, so you get a very expensively, well built stove for the same price as a much less expensively built stove. You get fabulous customer service, no matter where you are or who you are, from day one and for as long as you own your stove, whether it is a new stove purchased from them, or a used stove purchased in the aftermarket. . Woodstock service is as close as your phone, and you are taken care of immediately. They will help you with all aspects of your wood burning. Parts are very reasonably priced, shipping is prompt. There is not a 60 day warranty. There is a six month burn time warranty. If at any time in the six months you are unhappy for any reason, even if it is because you lost your job and need your money back, Woodstock takes the stove back and refunds your full purchase price. They couldn't do that if they didn't sell great stoves.
I think almost all Progress Hybrid owners feel like I do about the stoves. Sometimes I take more time to address questions or statements, although there are others who do so more spiritedly. I am only vested in the product to the extent that it is what heats my home, and does so in a thoroughly satisfactory fashion. As with any wood burner, a lot of my "spare" time is spent processing my firewood, so I have a vested interest.
It is OK to be a bit skeptical, but your statements go beyond that and aren't correct. I find it hard to let them stand without response. However, for further info, if you have questions about the burning qualities and care to be more knowledgeable about the woodstock stoves, it might be a good idea to ge the info from Woodstock. As I stated before, I will ask them for some specific info that was queried earlier re BTU output at different temps and with different sized loads.