Thoughts on Jotul F600 or Woodstock Progress Hybrid?

They are both great stoves, so I think it boils down to which one do you like aesthetically the best. I have a Woodstock Classic in our lower level and it does a great job of heating the 1100 sq. ft. The catalytic cumbustor is very easy to use and makes for an extremely clean burn with very little attention. We just recently bought a Jotul 600 F in the Brown Majolica Porcelain Enamel finish and it truly a gorgeous looking stove.














The Jotul 600 F puts out a ton of heat and is also very easy to use. So, do you prefer the look of soapstone better or cast iron? I think you will be very happy with which ever one you decide to go with.

Both are great stoves. I would consider the flexibility the PH allows with the cat. Don't know your location, but you will probably benefit from it with a well insulated, tight new house, especially in the fall and spring.

So far the glass has stayed nice and clean. I've been burning close to 24/7 since my installation eight days ago. At first when I was doing the low temperature break-in fires I got some soot in the bottom corners of the glass, but as soon as I was able to start burning hotter fires all the soot burned off and the glass was clear again. A few times there has been a small amount of ash clinging to the lower edge of the glass, probably from a log shifting and splashing up some ash. In the morning when the stove is relatively cool I've just reached inside through the side door and wiped it off with a handkerchief and it was like new again. I haven't opened the front doors since I built my first fire and I'm doing all my loading through the side door.

We love our F600. Heats very well. I clean the glass every 10 days or so just to keep it free from fly ash. Never had any black on it. I have a pretty good wood supply and burn hot. I have been using it for since January 2012 and after about 10 hours have 200* + temps. I was looking at the wood stocks but found this one at a closed stove shop and got a deal that I couldn't pass on. Never had any regrets.

Nick Mystic said:

In the morning when the stove is relatively cool I've just reached inside through the side door and wiped it off with a handkerchief and it was like new again.

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So, that explains the black stuff you always have on your nose!

I cleaned my glass every week during my first year of burning, and it always looked less clean three days later. This year I got lazy, and have not cleaned it once since October. It still looks the same as it did back when I cleaned it, other than the pristine first few hours after a cleaning.

I think the Jotul is a much nicer looking stove, in most settings, but it's hard to argue with the performance of the PH. I think you will be very happy with either, as both are excellent companies with great product. Pick whichever turns you on, and don't worry about what the other one may have offered.

missin44 said:

We have it narrowed to one of these stoves for our new house. The area to be heated is about 2700 sq ft, maybe a little small but house will be very well insulated using Structurally Insulated Panel's (SIP's). Both seem to be high quality and priced the same. We like the looks of both. Really curious about the Jotul is a non-catalytic and the Woodstock being a hybrid +'s & -'s on each system? Thoughts on each stove?

Thanks

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Tough decision. Which do you like the best?

One thing to also keep in mind is the 6 month guarantee Woodstock will give you. That could give a big edge to Woodstock. In addition, their total customer service is second to none and they are only a phone call away.

Six considerations are :
The length of time after the burn that the soapstone radiates heat.
The gentle quality of the heat the soapstone radiates.
The cooktop the Progress Hybrid offers.
The efficiency of the Progress Hybrid. It puts out more heat and uses less wood.
The low emissions of the PH.
The difference in the view of the fire. The PH window is unobstructed and gives an absolutely gorgeous view of a remarkably mesmerizing fire.

An additional consideration may be the finish. I have no experience with an enamel stove, but have read a good number of owner comments that one must be careful of the finish as it is delicate. While I'm sure it can be touched up with touch-up paint, I also know the finish on the PH is not delicate. It's a soapstone and cast iron exterior. The soapstone can be buffed with steel wool if it becomes marked through spills when cooking (easy job-takes a minute because soapstone is really soft). If you ever mark your cast, you can just put masking tape on the stove around the spot, and spray with a bit of stove paint. I keep a can handy for when I disconnect by stovepipe to sweep. Any scratches on the pipe, I just spray them after the pipe is back together. So I always have paint handy. Have never had to use it on the cast on the PH, or for the 7 years before on the Fireview. But, if you did, really easy.

That is in addition to the earlier mentioned ability to burn this stove at a much lower, more efficient and comfortable rate on warmer days that require just a bit of heat to take the edge of the chill of the day.

And in addition to the earlier mentioned customer service. The folks at Woodstock quite cheerfully assist you with ANY issues you have about ANY aspect of your woodburning. You can call them for advice if you are having a problems, just like you'd write for advice here, and they'll cheerfully discuss the problem and possible solutions. Maintenance of these stoves is minimal, but if and when you need parts, they are sent out to you the same day, at very reasonable cost and minimal shipping expense.

And lastly, I don't agree that the Jotul is prettier. They are both well designed and proportioned stoves. Depends what you like. I like my PH's appearance much more than the Jotul's. I find it simple, beautiful, classic, well proportioned. Most of us will prefer the appearance of one over the other...so which you prefer is a factor.

All good points, rideau... with one exception. It used to be possible to order the Jotul Firelight with an unobstructed viewing glass. If that's important to you (I prefer the standard castings), it might be worth checking with your dealer to see if that is still an option.

Can you actually switch between the cat and tubes on the PH.
Say if you just wanted to do a long cat burn and keep the tubes unlit?

You don't switch.

To get a long cat burn, you simply start the fire, get the flue to 500 internal temp and engage the cat, then slowly close the air down until you have minimal or no flame. You should then have a low cat burn for the duration of the burn. Because the stove is designed to always burn in the most efficient mode, you may get moments during the burn when it will switch to secondary burn for a bit, or when both secondary and cat burn may be taking place concurrently. But you will have a long, catalytic burn.

It is easy to control the type of burn you get in the PH. You use split size, quantity of wood, and amount of air
to regulate your burn. It is easy to learn which combinations give you, in your climate and with your chimney, what burn in a given weather period. Once a fire is established and set to your liking, it will continue to burn very evenly for many hours.

A nice feature of this stove is its amazing responsiveness. If you have a low cat fire going, then decide you want to sit around the fire and enjoy a beautiful fire show, you can simply open the air a small amount. You'll immediately get an amazing secondary fire. When you want to go back to a cat fire, you just shut the air back down, and she settles in for the remainder of the long slow burn. Very nice stove.

There are no tubes in this stove. There is a stainless steel secondary burn plate.

rideau said:

You don't switch.

To get a long cat burn, you simply start the fire, get the flue to 500 internal temp and engage the cat, then slowly close the air down until you have minimal or no flame. You should then have a low cat burn for the duration of the burn. Because the stove is designed to always burn in the most efficient mode, you may get moments during the burn when it will switch to secondary burn for a bit, or when both secondary and cat burn may be taking place concurrently. But you will have a long, catalytic burn.

It is easy to control the type of burn you get in the PH. You use split size, quantity of wood, and amount of air
to regulate your burn. It is easy to learn which combinations give you, in your climate and with your chimney, what burn in a given weather period. Once a fire is established and set to your liking, it will continue to burn very evenly for many hours.

A nice feature of this stove is its amazing responsiveness. If you have a low cat fire going, then decide you want to sit around the fire and enjoy a beautiful fire show, you can simply open the air a small amount. You'll immediately get an amazing secondary fire. When you want to go back to a cat fire, you just shut the air back down, and she settles in for the remainder of the long slow burn. Very nice stove.

There are no tubes in this stove. There is a stainless steel secondary burn plate.

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Well that answers my question and then some.
You should be a salesman for them !

Just a very satisfied customer.

There are lots of good stoves out there. I just happen to know the PH and FIreview very well, so can relate their attributes, which can help people to make informed decisions. What is ideal for some is lacking for others. Depends on your needs, climate, house, and many other factors.

I feel very comfortable saying that when a PH or Fireview is an appropriate choice for someone, they will not regret deciding to go with Woodstock.

rideau said:

Just a very satisfied customer.

There are lots of good stoves out there. I just happen to know the PH and FIreview very well, so can relate their attributes, which can help people to make informed decisions. What is ideal for some is lacking for others. Depends on your needs, climate, house, and many other factors.

I feel very comfortable saying that when a PH or Fireview is an appropriate choice for someone, they will not regret deciding to go with Woodstock.

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Great company also it seems!
I'm sure they will fix the screen issue along with the cat getting plugged easy on some of them..and that smoke leakage deal. :cheers!

missin44 said:

We have it narrowed to one of these stoves for our new house. The area to be heated is about 2700 sq ft, maybe a little small but house will be very well insulated using Structurally Insulated Panel's (SIP's). Both seem to be high quality and priced the same. We like the looks of both. Really curious about the Jotul is a non-catalytic and the Woodstock being a hybrid +'s & -'s on each system? Thoughts on each stove?

Thanks

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Consider the Quadrafire Isle Royale...may fit well..http://www.quadrafire.com/Products/Isle-Royale-Wood-Stove.aspx

I know that you've narrowed down to two stoves. But how about Lopi Cape Cod? It has red enamel cast iron like Jotul, large window and hybrid like PH. Also it has the cleanest stove to date (0.45g/hr), and you can have greenstart option, which start the fire with push button.

http://lopistoves.com/product-detail.aspx?model=364

rideau said:

To get a long cat burn, you simply start the fire, get the flue to 500 internal temp and engage the cat, then slowly close the air down until you have minimal or no flame. You should then have a low cat burn for the duration of the burn. Because the stove is designed to always burn in the most efficient mode, you may get moments during the burn when it will switch to secondary burn for a bit, or when both secondary and cat burn may be taking place concurrently. But you will have a long, catalytic burn.

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Now if they could just put it in a classically beautiful cast-iron box, with front-load or top-load capability, it might be a half decent stove!

Seriously... I'm jealous.

flyingpig said:

I know that you've narrowed down to two stoves. But how about Lopi Cape Cod? It has red enamel cast iron like Jotul, large window and hybrid like PH. Also it has the cleanest stove to date (0.45g/hr), and you can have greenstart option, which start the fire with push button.

http://lopistoves.com/product-detail.aspx?model=364

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not a bad choice...may have chosen this if it had come earlier

I had high hopes for the Cape Cod, and was even contemplating buying one, if they hadn't delayed a few times on the release date. Howerver, I think that "greenstart" gimmick may be the best reason I've seen to NOT buy a Cape Cod! I was shopping for a wood stove, where I can light fires and satisfy my internal pyromaniac, not an automatic pellet stove. Also, I just can't imagine that electric igniter working without problems for the 20+ year lifespan of a woodstove.

The other major turn-off of the Cape Cod is that the firebox appears to be frighteningly shallow, in terms of height from the floor up to the front door sill. For full disclosure, that's something that was noticed in a photo, and was not actually measured by any Cape Cod owner.

I did not mention the cat clogging problem re the PH because the problem is with the chimney configuration in a few homes, not with the stove, by all indications.

I'm one of the owners who has had the problem. We're working on it. Seems that a severely compromised OR exceedingly excessive draft can get fly ash swirling in the firebox in certain situations. The ashpan (an optional item on this stove) may well eliminate or greatly reduce the problem, because it gets the fly ash out of the stove after each burn. Only know of one person with an ashpan who has any issue with cat even partially clogging. Those of us with an issue are getting really light, white fly ash on the outside of the intake side of the cat

I have a very tall internal chimney in a cold climate and exposed , windy location at the S end of a lake. When the temps fall below about 5 F my draft starts getting crazy. Woodstock suggested I get a stovepipe damper last year when I installed the stove. I chose not to. Had I listened to Woodstock, I probably never would have had a problem. I was fine last year, but last year was mild. The colder weather this year has shown I clearly need a damper, which is about to be installed. I anticipate that will end my cat clogging issue. If so, then others can also install a damper, and for almost all of us the issue is solved. I suspect for those with compromised drafts, the answer is an ashpan.

It is important to emphasize that only 6 or 7 of us have reported the cat clogging problem. Woodstock is working with us on resolving the issue.

Would also say that the cat clogging is more a nuisance than a problem. If it happens, I just wait until the end of a burn, til I have only coals so I don't have smoke in the firebox, then open the top, remove the cat, vacuum it, and replace it. It can also be vacuumed in place, but I choose not to. I know of one person who does vacuum in place. Entire procedure takes a few minutes. As I said, just a nuisance. I don't need to let the stove get cold, or the coals be consumed, before cleaning the cat. .After the cat is cleaned, I brush the screen, then reload and am off to the races.

Joful said:

I had high hopes for the Cape Cod, and was even contemplating buying one, if they hadn't delayed a few times on the release date. Howerver, I think that "greenstart" gimmick may be the best reason I've seen to NOT buy a Cape Cod! I was shopping for a wood stove, where I can light fires and satisfy my internal pyromaniac, not an automatic pellet stove. Also, I just can't imagine that electric igniter working without problems for the 20+ year lifespan of a woodstove.

The other major turn-off of the Cape Cod is that the firebox appears to be frighteningly shallow, in terms of height from the floor up to the front door sill. For full disclosure, that's something that was noticed in a photo, and was not actually measured by any Cape Cod owner.

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Just FYI, the "green start" is only an option on the cape cod.

As Rideau mentioned, one of the most amazing things about the PH is its controllability. Want fire and secondaries, turn the air up a pinch. Want either no flames or just a small lazy flame every now and then? Turn the air almost all the way down. Want even less, shut the air control completely. I've been getting really long burns with it, 22 hours couple days ago with cold weather, and 1/2 to 3/4 load of all very small splits and chunks. Amazing heat from it, and looks wise it is a work of art!

Not cat issues here..... Here is the cat today after 3 weeks of 24 x7 burning, clean as a whistle.

Machria said:

Just FYI, the "green start" is only an option on the cape cod.

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Good to know! A Lopi salesman had told me it would be standard equipment. Perhaps they changed that policy after releasing the stove, and getting less than glowing feedback on it.