Upgrading from Woodstock Keystone to Progress Hybrid- expectations,install tips, any input

What to expect is amazement and delight. I went from a FIreview to a PH. The PH is amazing. You'll use significantly less wood for more heat. The stove is easily controllable, and gets to an established burn very quickly. There are some good threads with details and suggestions. There are also quite a few threads with good instructions on how different people have gotten their stoves into different set ups. Perhaps do a search, then ask any specific questions. The stoves are heavy, but with a little care two people can quite comfortably install the stove. Any particular difficulties you have to overcome to get the stove into the stove room?

I have had my PH since late Jan, and so far am really loving it. I am still learning, but have been getting burn times of 8-14 hours depending on the fuel load etc. I would say my average is around 10-12 hours though. And it does an amazing job of heating my 2200sqft with high cathedral ceilings. The best advice I read and which helped me tremendously in positioning the stove into its final position was 4 heavy duty furniture sliders. Put one under each leg and I was able to move manouver and position the stove by myself once it was in the house and off the pallet. I have had enough coals for a restart after 20 hours during these milder days recently. I classify my burn time as the time the stove is above 300F stovetop temp.

I am definitely still learning the stove, and dealing with not the driest of wood. I have been mixing a few biobricks in with each load lately which has been helping significantly. Looking forward to next winter and a much better seasoned wood supply.

I think you will love the PH, its a beast of a heater. How big of a space are you heating?

Progress is amazing. I have an outside air kit with a not recommended 3 inch metalflex 8 feet long. No problem whatsoever. Cleaning the cat takes 5 minutes. Flip up soapstone for cooking is ingenious. Baked beans on this from scratch are the best baked beans I have ever had. The 3 temp surfaces really are different. Previous stove was a Jotul F500 which burned over 4 cords of wood every winter. Progress burned about 2 cords so far (IF this winter will ever succumb to spring.) A few minor issues with this design/issues but not enough to complain about.

kayakkeith said:

My Keystone does about 65% of my house on most nites 10 degrees and below and we have have to use some of our furnace to get the rest but most nights when it's above 20 degrees we are okay
Probably have about 2000 sq feet so the thing I will have to do is probably learn how to control it on nights like tonight at 32 degrees and not blast my self out of living room

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You'll probably do 90% if not 100% of your heating with the PH. What size did you cut your wood for the Keystone? All my wood was 16" so I never really filled the box up but still got good burn times and its a serious heater when you need heat.

I've got a Progress at one end of the house and Palladian at the other. House is 2300 sq ft with lots of windows.

I definitely need both stoves running when it's consistently below 20F day and night. Progress is a heating monster but sometimes still needs help from the little guy.

Kayakkeith, I kept my Fireview, a 2004. Like it too much to part with it. To me, it is still worth what I paid for it. I'm thinking I may build a sugar shack next year and use it as my evaporator. And someday it may find a use as a stove in a "to-be-built" garage with sleeping quarters.
I guess a well used Keystone in very good shape but not rebuilt at $1000 to $1200 would be a reasonable price. I'd be surprised if Woodstock charges much more than $1500 for a factory rebuilt one (that's a total guess).
If you don't need the money at the moment, and have a place to keep it AND a potential place to install a second stove, I guess it might make sense to wait until you have the PH up and running, to see if you want a second stove, as Tony did. But judging by how the Keystone has done for you, I don't think you'll need a second stove.
Whenever you put the Keystone up for sale, it will probably go very quickly.
You could also see what Woodstock would give you as a trade in, toward the price of your PH. Of course, then you have to get the stove to them. Which might work out fine, if you are picking up your PH, not so well if you are having your PH shipped to you.