SOAPSTONE OWNERS

Woodstock and hearthstone are the only players in the soapstone game. I burn a heritage but would gladly switch to a woodstock if I could make it fit. See, the woodstocks have huge clearance requirements unless you are stuffing the stove into a fireplace. That is a factor in many homes that are small enough to be heated by woodstock's largest stove which is rated for 1600 SF. Your 1100 SF home should be very easy to heat with any of the woodstock stoves and the absolute best feature is the long burn times. I do not consider a local dealer to be important so the mail order route is only difficult in that you need to deal with a truck dock or some other third party to get the stove to your home.

Sorry for the partial hijack of the thread.....but Could you hearthstone equinox owners comment on your average burn times (im burning pine....)
Also if anyone knows if the Equinox offers the side load feature optional for either end of the stove? (left or right)
Any Equinox owners out there burning pine like myself? Im really looking at replacing my brand new Blaze King due to the smoke comming out at reloads....really looking hard at the Equinox

Thanks all!

We never clean the glass on the Fireview. I don't think we've done it nearly 20 yrs.. Looks fine to me. And the husband.

Personally, I prefer the Classic from an aesthetic point of view. I don't care a fig about watching a fire in a stove (I know, I know!). I want the stove to provide heat and blend in nicely with the surrounding decor. Both of our stoves do this easily, but my preference is the simplicity and understated elegance of the Classic, I like looking at the character of the stone. What can I say?

hoverp said:

Sorry for the partial hijack of the thread.....but Could you hearthstone equinox owners comment on your average burn times (im burning pine....)
Also if anyone knows if the Equinox offers the side load feature optional for either end of the stove? (left or right)
Any Equinox owners out there burning pine like myself? Im really looking at replacing my brand new Blaze King due to the smoke comming out at reloads....really looking hard at the Equinox

Thanks all!

Click to expand...

Have you ever used a soapstone stove? You might be disappointed coming from a Blaze King.

BrowningBAR said:

hoverp said:

Sorry for the partial hijack of the thread.....but Could you hearthstone equinox owners comment on your average burn times (im burning pine....)
Also if anyone knows if the Equinox offers the side load feature optional for either end of the stove? (left or right)
Any Equinox owners out there burning pine like myself? Im really looking at replacing my brand new Blaze King due to the smoke comming out at reloads....really looking hard at the Equinox

Thanks all!

Click to expand...

Have you ever used a soapstone stove? You might be disappointed coming from a Blaze King.

Click to expand...

No Sir I have not but I have a cast Iron Isle Royale which I very much enjoy. I am thinking of the soapstone so I could burn a fire for 4 housrs or so in the basement and get some residual heat life out of the stove for overnight... Its that or slap an Auto draft on my Blaze king for loading to keep the smoke out of the room

What aspects do you think I would be dissapointed in?

hoverp said:

BrowningBAR said:

hoverp said:

Sorry for the partial hijack of the thread.....but Could you hearthstone equinox owners comment on your average burn times (im burning pine....)
Also if anyone knows if the Equinox offers the side load feature optional for either end of the stove? (left or right)
Any Equinox owners out there burning pine like myself? Im really looking at replacing my brand new Blaze King due to the smoke comming out at reloads....really looking hard at the Equinox

Thanks all!

Click to expand...

Have you ever used a soapstone stove? You might be disappointed coming from a Blaze King.

Click to expand...

No Sir I have not but I have a cast Iron Isle Royale which I very much enjoy. I am thinking of the soapstone so I could burn a fire for 4 housrs or so in the basement and get some residual heat life out of the stove for overnight... Its that or slap an Auto draft on my Blaze king for loading to keep the smoke out of the room

What aspects do you think I would be dissapointed in?

Click to expand...

The heat will feel different than that of an steel stove. Also, from the reports I have read on here, the Blaze King can not be beat for long burn times.

I am unfamiliar with your smoke issue, if you have a en existing thread on it I would like to look at it. Are you sure it is a stove issue? It would be a shame to go through all the trouble of buying, replacing, and installing a new stove only to have the issue remain.

BrowningBAR said:

hoverp said:

BrowningBAR said:

hoverp said:

Sorry for the partial hijack of the thread.....but Could you hearthstone equinox owners comment on your average burn times (im burning pine....)
Also if anyone knows if the Equinox offers the side load feature optional for either end of the stove? (left or right)
Any Equinox owners out there burning pine like myself? Im really looking at replacing my brand new Blaze King due to the smoke comming out at reloads....really looking hard at the Equinox

Thanks all!

Click to expand...

Have you ever used a soapstone stove? You might be disappointed coming from a Blaze King.

Click to expand...

No Sir I have not but I have a cast Iron Isle Royale which I very much enjoy. I am thinking of the soapstone so I could burn a fire for 4 housrs or so in the basement and get some residual heat life out of the stove for overnight... Its that or slap an Auto draft on my Blaze king for loading to keep the smoke out of the room

What aspects do you think I would be dissapointed in?

Click to expand...

The heat will feel different than that of an steel stove. Also, from the reports I have read on here, the Blaze King can not be beat for long burn times.

I am unfamiliar with your smoke issue, if you have a en existing thread on it I would like to look at it. Are you sure it is a stove issue? It would be a shame to go through all the trouble of buying, replacing, and installing a new stove only to have the issue remain.

Click to expand...

Yes Sir I do its called "Blaze King belching smoke" just type in "Blaze king" for the search. the only thing I havent done to help the smoke out the door issue is go to 2- 45 elbows and make it all double wall...I cant imagine trying to cut double wall to specific application length though.... I also thinking of mounting an Auto draft ...

Isn't it ironic that of the two players in the soapstone game, one requires you to deal only with the factory, and the other won't allow you to deal with the factory at all. I run a Mansfield that I bought from an online dealer, saving over $600 in the process. If you're the type of person that needs the hand holding of a local dealer, so be it. It is a little daunting making such a big purchase, then being in charge of installing a device that could easily destroy your home. I found it to be an enjoyable challenge and allowed me to make sure every clearance was correct and every locking band was tight. I would have gone with Woodstock had they made a stove large enough for my home (they claim to be working on it!), I prefer the fact that you can talk to the factory direct. Hearthstone's policy of only communicating thru dealers is lousy IMO. If a dealer is not competitive, or reliable, that customer is not benefitting. And surprise, surprise, all 3 Hearthstone dealers in my area were the same price. All that said, I installed the Mansfield in November and it has performed flawlessly. It's a pretty basic machine, I can't see too much that would require the hand holding, once it's correctly installed..

Yes our Homesteads glass stays clean.

Scan stoves also has a line of soapstone stoves.. a very modern look,, but seams nice.. I have a scan 61, not soapstone but the same big glass door as the scan soapstone my dealer had.. If you burn nice and hot the fire actually cleans the glass.. It took a little getting used to the stove for me. I grew up with a large old fisher all nighter and this has a small burn chamber and loaded up with the fire going almost looks like too much once the primary's kick in,, the secondary kick in and the heat pour off this thing! Even if your glass is darkened up from a smoldering overnight burn it burns clean.. Kinda crazy. First stove I ever had with a glass door. Nice to watch, but intoxicating..

dr.drew said:

lazeedan said:

Yes our Homesteads glass stays clean.

Click to expand...

Do you have a blower with that stove? should I wait to get to one, not sure if they are hard to install after the installation

Click to expand...

I would wait.

dr.drew said:

lazeedan said:

Yes our Homesteads glass stays clean.

Click to expand...

Do you have a blower with that stove? should I wait to get to one, not sure if they are hard to install after the installation

Click to expand...

On our stove, it was super easy, and in fact we didn't install the blower (or heat shield) until after the stove was in place, and our install is a partial alcove sort of deal.

We've owned many different stoves - cast-iron, steel, etc., prior to purchasing our
soapstone woodstove. We both agree that is by far our most favorite stove.
I has "the look", and nice functional features found in soapstone. Probably the
biggest plus we've noticed in soapstone is the heat retention assisting in drafting
long after the majority of the fire is gone - just throw-in a piece of wood, and off you go!!

Two (2) things to consider in your choice between Hearthstone & Woodstock.

1.) Both have specific hearth requirements. Woodstock requires increased clearances, while
Hearthstone requires a "beefy" floor. Either one may put a "wrench" in where you plan on
placing your stove.

2.) In what woodburning world do you live in?? It may sound a bit silly, but it is actually a bit
of a complicated question. Do plan to use your stove as a major heat source? What is your
daily schedule - ability to feed/maintain stove? What is your aptitude/temperment - do you
like to "tinker" w/ your stove, or do you want a "plug-and-play" type? How is your environ-
ment for your stove - room it will be placed in, overall house insulation (can the stove keep
up)?

All things equal, both stoves are beautiful. The Woodstock stove will give you long, even burns,
is limited on total heat output. Hearthstone will give you more potential BTU's, but the burns
may be a bit shorter.

Perhaps as a 3rd choice, you may want to consider a Scan or Morso soapstone stove. In the
end, they may give you the greatest flexibilty in stove placement & operation.

Rob From Wisconsin said:

All things equal, both stoves are beautiful. The Woodstock stove will give you long, even burns,
is limited on total heat output. Hearthstone will give you more potential BTU's, but the burns
may be a bit shorter.

Click to expand...

Don't mean to get in a pissing match but what do you mean by this statement? Woodstocks are more efficient than similar sized Hearthstones so you would get more potential BTU's and heat output from Woodstock not Hearthstone.

Todd said:

Rob From Wisconsin said:

All things equal, both stoves are beautiful. The Woodstock stove will give you long, even burns,
is limited on total heat output. Hearthstone will give you more potential BTU's, but the burns
may be a bit shorter.

Click to expand...

Don't mean to get in a pissing match but what do you mean by this statement? Woodstocks are more efficient than similar sized Hearthstones so you would get more potential BTU's and heat output from Woodstock not Hearthstone.

Click to expand...

I would take it to mean that the Hearthstone line has a larger stove - Woodstock doesn't have anything to match the Equinox. But to the point of the OP it really doesn't matter now does it? If I recall correctly we're talking about heating a home that is well within the stated specifications of the Fireview - and I think most everyone will agree that it meets specs. Only buying one stove, not the entire line here...

dr.drew said:

Is woodstock firm on there price or will they wheel and deal

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Firm.

Todd said:

Rob From Wisconsin said:

All things equal, both stoves are beautiful. The Woodstock stove will give you long, even burns,
is limited on total heat output. Hearthstone will give you more potential BTU's, but the burns
may be a bit shorter.

Click to expand...

Don't mean to get in a pissing match but what do you mean by this statement? Woodstocks are more efficient than similar sized Hearthstones so you would get more potential BTU's and heat output from Woodstock not Hearthstone.

Click to expand...

I'll restate it then......
I really meant to say is that the "peak" BTU is higher w/ the larger Hearthstone models.
I've known of Woodstock owners who had to part w/ their unit due to the fact that the max.
BTU output was too low for their house environment. But then again, every evironment is
different & unique........

Happy with the Hearthstone Phoenix. Nice hybrid soapstone and cast iron, w/ black enamel. Good size, heats the house, handles overnight burns.

dr.drew said:

I am looking at soapstone wood stoves. My two choices so far are hearthstone or woodstock, the problem with wood stock is you have to buy direct , are there any others you think I should look at, and are you happy with your choice?

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I love the look of some of the Hearthstone stoves, problem is you have to buy from the dealer unless you get a used one. The local dealer wanted over $600 for the install, that is only to deliver the stove and connect it to an outlet. If you need a liner or anything else, that is extra. They would not allow me to purchase the stove and install it myself. Woodstock does have a guarantee that if you don't like it, they will buy it back for 6 months. I don't know of any other company that does that. I found the service from Woodstock as everyone says. Awesome. They do have the best customer service of any company that I have ever done business with. They do have sales on their stoves every now and then. Spring time is when I got mine.

What is strange to me is that so many people complain about having to buy Hearthstone from a dealer. Why is that so weird? You buy milk right from Hood? Cars from Chevy? Computers from Sony? Of course not, so quit the whole "you need to go through a dealer for Hearthstone" argument. I understand there are bad dealers, but that's why you go elsewhere, online, or not at all--those all make a statement.

Also, from the sounds of it, Russ' conjecture that Hearthstone monopolizes pricing by having all its dealers at the same price is no different than Woodstock's unwillingness to "wheel and deal." A company wants to make money, nay--NEEDS to make money, so if they've got a great product why should they have to lower their prices?

Sorry if I'm off-topic ranting here, but I'd like to see more focus on the actual stoves. My Homestead smells like happy.

S

thinkxingu said:

What is strange to me is that so many people complain about having to buy Hearthstone from a dealer. Why is that so weird? You buy milk right from Hood? Cars from Chevy? Computers from Sony? Of course not, so quit the whole "you need to go through a dealer for Hearthstone" argument. I understand there are bad dealers, but that's why you go elsewhere, online, or not at all--those all make a statement.

Also, from the sounds of it, Russ' conjecture that Hearthstone monopolizes pricing by having all its dealers at the same price is no different than Woodstock's unwillingness to "wheel and deal." A company wants to make money, nay--NEEDS to make money, so if they've got a great product why should they have to lower their prices?

Sorry if I'm off-topic ranting here, but I'd like to see more focus on the actual stoves. My Homestead smells like happy.

S

Click to expand...

If there were more dealers, it wouldn't be such a PITA. If I want a Heathstone, the nearest dealer is 40 miles away, and the nearest one after that is 80.

But the problem with Hearthstone in particular is that because the company refuses to have any direct contact at all with customers, if you've got a bum dealer, you're really up a creek. I'm a fan of Hearthstone stoves, but it chills my bones to read the many stories here of how tough it is to get things resolved when something goes wrong, or is wrong to begin with, with a Hearthstone stove. Compare and contrast with the stories of Woodstock or Englander or PE owners with problems-- not that there are enough to make a good comparison.

Good dealers are a joy to do business with. There just aren't enough of them out there, unfortunately.

PS-- I buy my milk direct from the farm, so no Hood for me, either!

gyrfalcon,
Where I'm at, there are literally 5 Hearthstone dealers within a 1/2 hour, and you can tell they're all vying for the business. Also, I'm not so sure Hearthstone wants nothing to do with their customers--I've called and emailed a few times with questions and have gotten quick responses each time. I can't speak about service, though my dealer's been great so far.

S