Ideal Steel update

[ambull01]

@JA600L just read an older thread you made. Sorry if I missed it somewhere but why did you end up choosing the IS over the Progress Hybrid? Just discovered Woodstock sells two hybrid stoves so now I'm trying to compare the two. Picking a stove is hard work.

 

[JA600L]

Price was the biggest issue. I personally believe the Ideal is a lot more bang for the buck. The progress looks better and has a higher btu output, but the Ideal is more controllable, has a bigger box, front loading, and I believe it will burn longer. They took the technology they learned from the Progress and improved it in the Ideal.

I honestly think they are similar enough that you should pick what you can afford and looks good to you.

 

[JA600L]

http://www.popularmechanics.com/_mo...the-wood-stove-decathlon-grand-prize-16180264

This is also a good reason to consider the Ideal Steel.

 

[Tenn Dave]

Price was the biggest issue. I personally believe the Ideal is a lot more bang for the buck. The progress looks better and has a higher btu output, but the Ideal is more controllable, has a bigger box, front loading, and I believe it will burn longer. They took the technology they learned from the Progress and improved it in the Ideal.

I honestly think they are similar enough that you should pick what you can afford and looks good to you.

I have the Progress Hybrid and absolutely love it. But I wish I had room for a second stove. If so I would get the IS in a heart beat. You simply can't go wrong with either one. And the IS is a super bargain to boot.

 

[JA600L]

I have the Progress Hybrid and absolutely love it. But I wish I had room for a second stove. If so I would get the IS in a heart beat. You simply can't go wrong with either one. And the IS is a super bargain to boot.

I wish I could run them both to compare. I'm just going by what I've seen and heard. There is one person I know of who has both. It's interesting to compare his notes.

 

[ambull01]

Price was the biggest issue. I personally believe the Ideal is a lot more bang for the buck. The progress looks better and has a higher btu output, but the Ideal is more controllable, has a bigger box, front loading, and I believe it will burn longer. They took the technology they learned from the Progress and improved it in the Ideal.

I honestly think they are similar enough that you should pick what you can afford and looks good to you.

I actually like both of the stoves. The more I look at pictures the more the IS looks are growing on me. The whole BTU output thing kind of confuses me since it's been stated on this site and others that it doesn't mean a whole lot.

I read that article before, must have been on Woodstocks IS homepage or something. Pretty impressive to win first place and be the cheapest.

I read about the guy in VT I believe that was a beta tester for the IS and owned a PH on the site you sent me. Is that the dude you're talking about?

 

[JA600L]

Probably. The Max btu output is what I was referring to. Basically, meaning if it is -10 degrees outside and you need maximum output the PH has more full throttle reserve. Believe me when you put the Ideal Steel on a maximum burn it will run you out of the room too.

 

[ambull01]

Probably. The Max btu output is what I was referring to. Basically, meaning if it is -10 degrees outside and you need maximum output the PH has more full throttle reserve. Believe me when you put the Ideal Steel on a maximum burn it will run you out of the room too.

Okay I've finally made up my mind. I'm going IS for my house and Englander for my future shed/workshop. Thanks for all the patience you've shown with my stupid questions.

 

[JA600L]

Good deal. Here's a little teaser. As you can see there is plenty of fuel left in there. This is what I come home to everyday 11 hours after I reloaded and set. The floor is about 4" below the opening so this guy would love to keep on going, but it will be under 10 degrees tonight so I need to burn her down and heat it up a bit.

 

[ambull01]

Good deal. Here's a little teaser. As you can see there is plenty of fuel left in there. This is what I come home to everyday 11 hours after I reloaded and set. The floor is about 4" below the opening so this guy would love to keep on going, but it will be under 10 degrees tonight so I need to burn her down and heat it up a bit.

Man that would make me a happy camper. After 11 hours I would only find ash and a cold stove with my current insert.

I read they placed a thermometer or at least made it an option to use one real close to the cat from the other site. Is that what I'm seeing in your pic (upper right corner)? How useful is the placement and the thermometer in general? Eventually I would like to get to the point a lot of these guys are that use fancy heat devices but right I'm now I'm totally ignorant. I need something that's really dumbed down. Spent most of my life in Hawaii so I wasn't raised around wood stoves/heating concerns.

 

[rideau]

If you were in Hawaii this winter, you would wish you had a wood stove!

Woodstock is very conservative in their statements about BTU. If they list BTU output for a stove, you can count on that output. The PH will definitely put out about 11% more heat than the IS when both are asked for high output. In MD that likely does not matter for you. In my climate, that makes a huge difference.

Woodstock is a great company that makes a fine product, and I am sure you will be happy for many years to come. Enjoy, and looking forward to subsequent photos of install and burns....

 

[ambull01]

If you were in Hawaii this winter, you would wish you had a wood stove!

Woodstock is very conservative in their statements about BTU. If they list BTU output for a stove, you can count on that output. The PH will definitely put out about 11% more heat than the IS when both are asked for high output. In MD that likely does not matter for you. In my climate, that makes a huge difference.

Woodstock is a great company that makes a fine product, and I am sure you will be happy for many years to come. Enjoy, and looking forward to subsequent photos of install and burns....

What happened this winter? Still have some family there, should ask them if they had to sit in their car and see if the heaters worked.

Yeah, doesn't get too cold here. I'm really liking Woodstock's prices. Even the replacement cats from what I've read.

 

[rideau]

A few blizzards, white out conditions, on the Big Island. Night time temps on Maui in the high 40's.low 50's. Several fairly severe storms. I have a lot of family there. With no heat, they are finding it cold. Even the dogs are sleeping under blankets. Of course, they have short haired dogs there. Was sent a picture of Laka, the Rhodesian Ridgeback,/Australian Shepard mix, asleep on his bed, covered by a nice red plaid blanket.

I am under the impression that this is the coldest winter HI has on record.

As you probably know, they always low-key weather issues because of the tourist trade. Like the VOG from the volcano. They report it as fog.

 

[begreen]

Wow, that's chilly for them. Seems like they have been sending their warmth up to us via the Pineapple Express.

 

[clark77]

last night i filled out the reservation info for the ideal steel. i figured i would have heard from Woodstock today but i didn't. anyway, just curious to know if most of you are burning north/south or east/west and why?

 

[rideau]

Head of customer service out today, so they were probably very busy. Likely hear tomorrow.

Wish I had a flue for a second stove. It would be fun to try the IS. Love my PH.

Wish you as many years of pleasure as I have had with my Woodstocks.

 

[clark77]

i guess you called and spoke with them today?

 

[rideau]

Yes.

 

[OhioBurner©]

Good deal. Here's a little teaser. As you can see there is plenty of fuel left in there. This is what I come home to everyday 11 hours after I reloaded and set. The floor is about 4" below the opening so this guy would love to keep on going, but it will be under 10 degrees tonight so I need to burn her down and heat it up a bit.

I'm considering re-doing my heating setup. Besides the original woodstove in the house I've bought 2 new wood stoves, and trying out a pellet stove this winter too. The wood stoves are both insufficient at heating my house for both the coldest days and also for the duration of my workday. This hasn't really been an issue since my wife kept the stoves going when I was at work. But we are ending our marriage and literally days from being on my own with the stove. I'm really getting nervous about the woodburning situation and thinking a need some bigger and longer burning stoves.

I'm thinking about either a BK or IS/PH. I don't really care for the looks of BK or the IS, but IS definitely has the bang for the buck. But I'm still concerned that only a BK will give me the run time I need. Your 11hr pics are probably a little better than what I have now with either my Rockland or Shelburne, but any chance I can get a 14-15 hr burn out of an IS? And reliably, like every day. I could go without much heat the last couple hours, but I want a good hot coal bed. When I'm on nights and get home at 7am I want to load and go to bed, not fiddle with starting a stove from paper and kindling. So curious if there is any chance the IS (or PH) could be considered, or should I just scratch it off the list?

 

[Tenn Dave]

I'm considering re-doing my heating setup. Besides the original woodstove in the house I've bought 2 new wood stoves, and trying out a pellet stove this winter too. The wood stoves are both insufficient at heating my house for both the coldest days and also for the duration of my workday. This hasn't really been an issue since my wife kept the stoves going when I was at work. But we are ending our marriage and literally days from being on my own with the stove. I'm really getting nervous about the woodburning situation and thinking a need some bigger and longer burning stoves.

I'm thinking about either a BK or IS/PH. I don't really care for the looks of BK or the IS, but IS definitely has the bang for the buck. But I'm still concerned that only a BK will give me the run time I need. Your 11hr pics are probably a little better than what I have now with either my Rockland or Shelburne, but any chance I can get a 14-15 hr burn out of an IS? And reliably, like every day. I could go without much heat the last couple hours, but I want a good hot coal bed. When I'm on nights and get home at 7am I want to load and go to bed, not fiddle with starting a stove from paper and kindling. So curious if there is any chance the IS (or PH) could be considered, or should I just scratch it off the list?

On a load of 4 or 5 splits of good dry oak and hickory my PH will always have a coal bed capable of reloading on after 14 - 15 hours. To date I have tested it out to 16 hours with no problem. The stove temp will be under 200* but there will be coals for reloading. The IS will probably be capable of going even longer. However, I usually reload after 11 - 12 hours because that fits into my schedule better.

 

[JA600L]

Tenn Dave said it well. It will go a long time before it burns the coals down. If you want 24 hours of usable heat that's a stretch but I believe it's possible. If I loaded this thing full to the gills with good dry hardwood and gently closed the air the whole way I'm not sure what it would do. I'll find out this spring. 14-16 hours is no problem with quality firewood.

One aspect that a lot of people forget is that this stove does have an automatic air feed to the cat. Meaning it can compensate for temperature swings. It is a bimettalic strip. They have been known to flutter on start up, but Woodstock quickly addressed it and sent out a new valve. Obviously this is not a temperature control thermostat like Blaze King, but it does aid in the stoves performance.

 

[JA600L]

Here is a picture of the new valve they sent me. I have not heard the flutter once since November so I hadn't bothered installing it yet. I'm positive any new stoves already have the upgrade. I was one of the early batches.

 

[Tenn Dave]

Tenn Dave said it well. It will go a long time before it burns the coals down. If you want 24 hours of usable heat that's a stretch but I believe it's possible. If I loaded this thing full to the gills with good dry hardwood and gently closed the air the whole way I'm not sure what it would do. I'll find out this spring. 14-16 hours is no problem with quality firewood.

One aspect that a lot of people forget is that this stove does have an automatic air feed to the cat. Meaning it can compensate for temperature swings. It is a bimettalic strip. They have been known to flutter on start up, but Woodstock quickly addressed it and sent out a new valve. Obviously this is not a temperature control thermostat like Blaze King, but it does aid in the stoves performance.

I believe I read on the other site about one of the IS beta testers doing a test burn of pallet oak with a full firebox and getting 24+ hours.

 

[JA600L]

I believe I read on the other site about one of the IS beta testers doing a test burn of pallet oak with a full firebox and getting 24+ hours.

Does the PH have tertiary air?

 

[Tenn Dave]

rquote="JA600L, post: 1884758, member: 30540"]Does the PH have tertiary air?[/quote]

Not sure how to answer that, but let me tell you my experience. Once I engage the cat (300*) and the wood has a good char on it, I am able to completely turn the air control lever to the off position. The firebox will slowly go dark with only the low glow of coals at the bottom and stove top temps will continue to rise. After a while, the stove fire will come back with a mostly blue flame and will burn like that for hours. Beautiful to watch and glass stays reasonably clean. As a matter of fact, today is the first time in 2 years that I have cleaned the glass..(should have done it sooner).