SOAPSTONE OWNERS

thinkxingu said:

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

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I don't know about the pricing.. we discovered Hearthstone by accident, decided it was the stove for us, I was online doing some research, noted the dealer locator, found there was a dealer 15 miles from me I never heard of, decided to stop by, was very impressed, and the price they gave me on our Homestead was only $150 more then what the dealer in Louisville quoted us for a Tribute, and about $700 less then the price quoted for the Homestead.. we were torn about weather to spend the "difference" on enamel paint for the Tribute or go up to the Homestead, because we wanted black anyways, and the dealer convinced us that our emergency heat plan was ok, but since we have free wood and all, maybe actually heating with it might work out.. so far so good.

No I don't have a blower.

thinkxingu said:

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

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Lucky you! That certainly explains why you're puzzled by the unhappiness of some of the other folks here with having to go through a dealer. If you've got five of them in the area, they all have to be on their toes or die. Not so when there's only one and customers are utterly at their mercy.

I run both a fireview and a mansfield. both are great stoves and both have there own charactoristics. Longer burn times with the fireview, they both have clean glass. The fireview is upstairs, where the mansfield is downstairs in an unfinished basement, but both stoves put out amazing amounts of heat when running hot, that lasts a 3 to 4 hours before temps start to slowly drop, then you have to wait for 5 hours to reload and achieve high temps again, thats the nature of the beast. I have dealt with both companys, and they both have great customer service. It helps to have the email for hearthstone (If you do a search). Dont overlook cast or steel stoves. I had a steel wood furnace before my addiction to stoves and that thing really thru off some btu's, cast stoves also warm the air great. Soapstone stoves are what they are, you have to burn them constantly, they dont really heat the air as much as the objects in the room, but they are so pretty. Burning two stoves 24/7 aint all that bad when both of your stoves have long burn times. I love both of my stoves, but I was leaning twards a blaze king or a joutl for the basement because they would heat the air more in that type of enviorment, but I found the mansfield for pennies on the dollar.

gyrfalcon,
Point taken. I guess that since I live north of Boston and south of Manchester, we're in a pretty good area for dealers. I've heard the same for chainsaw dealers, etc. We have three Stihl dealers, two Husky dealers, and two Dolmar dealers within 1/2 hour.

Definitely keeps them on their toes!

Back on topic: As mentioned above, you can't really go wrong on either company if you've found a fine dealer or don't mind working direct and doing the install yourself/finding someone to do it. For me, I appreciate having people to go to down the road. I also have compulsivity issues--if I had to wait for shipping or for 'the right time to call' I'd go crazy.

Godspeed!

S

When I lived in Colorado, the nearest dealer for my wife's VW New Beetle was 4 hours away. They were a pain to deal with and wouldn't allow warranty repairs (even minor stuff) to be done anywhere else.

Problems with dealer scarcity and poor service are not restricted to a particular product or brand. I don't think Hearthstone or any manufacturer can be responsible for where their customers choose to live. Sparsely settled rural areas can't support a lot of dealers. Having a lot of dealers also means lower quality dealers. Imagine if every hardware store could sell a soapstone stove. Very few would have any idea of pros and cons, operating tips, repair methods, etc.

I suggest choosing a brand of stove which is supported by a well-recommended local dealer. Start with the dealer, then choose the stove. (Unless, of course, you don't need any support and can handle all the choice of model, installation, operating methods, and maintenance issues yourself.)

Just my opinion...no flames necessary.

dr.drew said:

sauer said:

I run both a fireview and a mansfield. both are great stoves and both have there own charactoristics. Longer burn times with the fireview, they both have clean glass. The fireview is upstairs, where the mansfield is downstairs in an unfinished basement, but both stoves put out amazing amounts of heat when running hot, that lasts a 3 to 4 hours before temps start to slowly drop, then you have to wait for 5 hours to reload and achieve high temps again, thats the nature of the beast. I have dealt with both companys, and they both have great customer service. It helps to have the email for hearthstone (If you do a search). Dont overlook cast or steel stoves. I had a steel wood furnace before my addiction to stoves and that thing really thru off some btu's, cast stoves also warm the air great. Soapstone stoves are what they are, you have to burn them constantly, they dont really heat the air as much as the objects in the room, but they are so pretty. Burning two stoves 24/7 aint all that bad when both of your stoves have long burn times. I love both of my stoves, but I was leaning twards a blaze king or a joutl for the basement because they would heat the air more in that type of enviorment, but I found the mansfield for pennies on the dollar.

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Is this true that you have to wait 5 hours to reload to achieve high temps again.

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I think he is referring to a complete burn cycle. He is saying that he can get the stoves to burn at a high temp for 3-4 hours before the temps start to fall which lasts for another 5 hours before he feels the need to reload.

dr.drew said:

sauer said:

I run both a fireview and a mansfield. both are great stoves and both have there own charactoristics. Longer burn times with the fireview, they both have clean glass. The fireview is upstairs, where the mansfield is downstairs in an unfinished basement, but both stoves put out amazing amounts of heat when running hot, that lasts a 3 to 4 hours before temps start to slowly drop, then you have to wait for 5 hours to reload and achieve high temps again, thats the nature of the beast. I have dealt with both companys, and they both have great customer service. It helps to have the email for hearthstone (If you do a search). Dont overlook cast or steel stoves. I had a steel wood furnace before my addiction to stoves and that thing really thru off some btu's, cast stoves also warm the air great. Soapstone stoves are what they are, you have to burn them constantly, they dont really heat the air as much as the objects in the room, but they are so pretty. Burning two stoves 24/7 aint all that bad when both of your stoves have long burn times. I love both of my stoves, but I was leaning twards a blaze king or a joutl for the basement because they would heat the air more in that type of enviorment, but I found the mansfield for pennies on the dollar.

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Is this true that you have to wait 5 hours to reload to achieve high temps again.

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I've worked my stove several ways over this first season. Doing full loads it seems that about the fastest I can complete a burn cycle is around 4 hours but doing so will keep the heat pumping so "achieve high temps again" doesn't seem to apply as the high temps will be there the bulk of those 4 hours - just that the last hour the bottom of the stove is hotter than the top (rapid coal burn-down). This isn't efficient burning but is a way to really push to get heat out - I don't do it much. More "normal" high burn cycle for me is on the order of 5-6 hours between loads. I'm told that once I get consistent REALLY dry wood going that I'll be able to go longer and get more heat - will see, but for the time being I'm not overly upset by this. I easily get good coals in the mornings with 300+ stovetop temps for a quick re-start, often times I crank the air for a short while and burn down some coals/heat up the firebox and flue before loading in the mornings after 8-9 hours.

I like the wood stock a lot but they are way to small for my home .
Ive worked with my dealer for years and install lots of stoves , fire places , The guys are great but they don't know every thing about every stove .
I call hearthstone direct and get help all the time. I install a few stoves a year plus fire places gas and wood burning .
I sell HS to my customers but i have used a few WS stoves i live about 11/2 hr from the factory so we can pick them up easy .
I have a Equinox and I'm burning a lot of wood heating 24/7 .
I used a H1 in the 80s and liked it . (5000sf house) My EQ burns as much wood as the H1 did the only difference is i have a extra boost of heat when the gas are burning .
If burning a 1/3 more wood a season is a problem I would go for a wood stock .
If you cant handle the stove install and need a dealer to help the HS mite be better for you .
both stoves are very nice . I would get a larger stove then they recommend .
John

I dont know if there is such a thing as "to much stove" Some people say there is but My house gets up to 80 sometimes, whereas some people are comfortable at 65. If it were up to me I would get the biggest stove that will fit.

DanCorcoran said:

When I lived in Colorado, the nearest dealer for my wife's VW New Beetle was 4 hours away. They were a pain to deal with and wouldn't allow warranty repairs (even minor stuff) to be done anywhere else.

Problems with dealer scarcity and poor service are not restricted to a particular product or brand. I don't think Hearthstone or any manufacturer can be responsible for where their customers choose to live. Sparsely settled rural areas can't support a lot of dealers. Having a lot of dealers also means lower quality dealers. Imagine if every hardware store could sell a soapstone stove. Very few would have any idea of pros and cons, operating tips, repair methods, etc.

I suggest choosing a brand of stove which is supported by a well-recommended local dealer. Start with the dealer, then choose the stove. (Unless, of course, you don't need any support and can handle all the choice of model, installation, operating methods, and maintenance issues yourself.)

Just my opinion...no flames necessary.

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Nail on the head. Start with the dealer, then choose the stove whenever possible. Exactly.

Just for the record, I don't think anybody was suggesting it was Hearthstone's fault they don't have a lot of dealers in some areas. It's just a fact of life.

I also disagree with this perceived notion that hearthstone won't talk to you. I have had absolutely no problem getting thoughtful and helpful assistance directly from Hearthstone with warranty work and with technical questions over the last three years. I have no dealer as I bought my stove at a "going out of business sale" and it has NEVER been a problem. This must not be considered a negative mark on Hearthstone's record. Rather, a positive that if you have a good dealer you will get good local support as well as manufacturer support. Seriously, anybody that can't get help with their hearthstone must be at least partially responsible for this problem themselves.

gyrfalcon said:

DanCorcoran said:

When I lived in Colorado, the nearest dealer for my wife's VW New Beetle was 4 hours away. They were a pain to deal with and wouldn't allow warranty repairs (even minor stuff) to be done anywhere else.

Problems with dealer scarcity and poor service are not restricted to a particular product or brand. I don't think Hearthstone or any manufacturer can be responsible for where their customers choose to live. Sparsely settled rural areas can't support a lot of dealers. Having a lot of dealers also means lower quality dealers. Imagine if every hardware store could sell a soapstone stove. Very few would have any idea of pros and cons, operating tips, repair methods, etc.

I suggest choosing a brand of stove which is supported by a well-recommended local dealer. Start with the dealer, then choose the stove. (Unless, of course, you don't need any support and can handle all the choice of model, installation, operating methods, and maintenance issues yourself.)

Just my opinion...no flames necessary.

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Nail on the head. Start with the dealer, then choose the stove whenever possible. Exactly.

Just for the record, I don't think anybody was suggesting it was Hearthstone's fault they don't have a lot of dealers in some areas. It's just a fact of life.

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Ok - for sake of discussion I'll go along with what appears to be the baseline assumption here that the individual is not a DIY type so...

Only problem with that is then you may be excluding options not offered by the dealer. You are buying a stove, not a relationship with a dealer. True that the dealer can be important, but any quality stove should, in the vast majority of cases, require little to no post-sales support. Granted there may be that rare dealer out there willing to hand-hold customers post-sales and help someone learn about the subtle nuances of operating their stoves but I have not heard of many. When problems crop up (and even the best products have their issues on occasion) and you have purchased from a dealer you want to be sure they will be there to resolve it because they have to be in many cases due to the sales model of the stove vendors; they have essentially contracted out this first line support to the dealers in exchange for the dealer markup. However consider this - where is the problem going to come from? For the most part the stove is a "box in box out" product then the installation service is what you are buying.

So my modified suggestion is to find an installer - sweep, independent professional installer (i.e. the team that some dealers subcontract to) then pick out your stove. You may even get good advice from this installer who isn't selling the stove on what is good for your home. Once you know what stove you are wanting to install and have the person to install it lined up you are free to shop around - online, direct, whatever to find the best possible value. You will then also likely have an established relationship with a sweep who will know your system when it comes time for your cleanings - you can bet he'll be sure and install in such a way to make cleaning as little of a headache as possible.

Highbeam said:

I also disagree with this perceived notion that hearthstone won't talk to you. I have had absolutely no problem getting thoughtful and helpful assistance directly from Hearthstone with warranty work and with technical questions over the last three years. I have no dealer as I bought my stove at a "going out of business sale" and it has NEVER been a problem. This must not be considered a negative mark on Hearthstone's record. Rather, a positive that if you have a good dealer you will get good local support as well as manufacturer support. Seriously, anybody that can't get help with their hearthstone must be at least partially responsible for this problem themselves.

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As the German saying goes, I take it all back and assert the opposite!

I've read a number of stories here about Hearthstone owners with problems being unable to make contact with the company directly that I made the mistaken assumption it was Hearthstone policy to deal with customers only through dealers.

My apologies.

Lest us not forget that a few of the people who have posted with Hearthstone dealer/company complaints were often found to be incredibly rude and, as Highbeam mentioned, were most likely responsible for the poor treatment they received.

S

thinkxingu said:

Lest us not forget that a few of the people who have posted with Hearthstone dealer/company complaints were often found to be incredibly rude and, as Highbeam mentioned, were most likely responsible for the poor treatment they received.

S

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I've spoken with two local Hearthstone dealers in the area. Both seem like they have good customer service. I called them up to see what they thought of installing a blower and a heat shield on the Heritage (don't really want one, I just wanted to see how long it takes to get in parts and whatnot) and both dealers recommended waiting to install the blower until after I start burning the stove to see if it is needed.

When a dealer recommends not spending money, they are okay in my book.

I've also spoken with Woodstock and, like everyone else has said, those people are great. They will answer any question and never try to rush you off the phone.

sauer said:

I run both a fireview and a mansfield. both are great stoves and both have there own charactoristics. Longer burn times with the fireview, they both have clean glass. The fireview is upstairs, where the mansfield is downstairs in an unfinished basement, but both stoves put out amazing amounts of heat when running hot, that lasts a 3 to 4 hours before temps start to slowly drop, then you have to wait for 5 hours to reload and achieve high temps again, thats the nature of the beast. I have dealt with both companys, and they both have great customer service. It helps to have the email for hearthstone (If you do a search). Dont overlook cast or steel stoves. I had a steel wood furnace before my addiction to stoves and that thing really thru off some btu's, cast stoves also warm the air great. Soapstone stoves are what they are, you have to burn them constantly, they dont really heat the air as much as the objects in the room, but they are so pretty. Burning two stoves 24/7 aint all that bad when both of your stoves have long burn times. I love both of my stoves, but I was leaning twards a blaze king or a joutl for the basement because they would heat the air more in that type of enviorment, but I found the mansfield for pennies on the dollar.

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I agree completely with everything you said about soapstone. You should join in on the thread I started titled "Opinion on Soapstone" You might be someone who would agree with me.

willmcb,

Is it important that you agree with people, or that they agree with you? Or can you just have your own opinion...?

dr.drew said:

DanCorcoran said:

willmcb,

Is it important that you agree with people, or that they agree with you? Or can you just have your own opinion...?

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What are you talking about

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He is referring to another thread.

wendell said:

lazeedan said:

The only down side is overnight burns are a bit challenging. After 7 to 8 hours are furnace (It is set at 68) will kick on on cold nights.

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A very good reason to go with a Woodstock. Overnight burns are a breeze!

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Wow! 68 while you're sleeping? We have our thermostats (also as back up) set to 58 for the overnight, and they rarely kick on. But that's us. And we're happy. I presume you want to be happy too. And if that means keeping your house at 68 without the furnace kicking in, size up so you can get a big woodbox of logs for the overnight. We have a Homestead. I love it, as does me wife. But as others with the same stove have noted, this is not an overnight burn machine. So not much to add here other than to concur with the advice to go bigger if you want 8+ hours of a burn.

Where you'll install is a factor too. As Highbeam points out, clearances may be an issue that determine which stove you is best for you. We opted for a hearth install and for a variety of factors, the Homestead was the ticket. Our house is 2200-ish sq ft. The Homestead is a great fit for us because we keep our oil thermostats low and don't mind having to work the coals in the a.m. But, when it's in the single digits and blowing hard, that stove gets worked hard and needs help, as we knew it would, from oil to keep the house at the desired temp.

Oh... and we love, did I say love? I meant LOVE our soapstone stove. Both my wife and I have heated previous homes with wood with steel and cast iron stove. Loved 'em all, but we're finding that the soapstone is all it's cracked up to be.

Regardless of which route you go, if you don't already have a programmable thermostat, I highly recommend getting one installed on your furnace so you can dial down the overnight back up temps (if you wish) and goose them back up before breakfast.

Either way you go, Woodstock or Hearthstone, enjoy.

I will echo what Sugarloaf says, but point out "my" understanding of overnight burn means that there are enough coals or embers left in the box to relight in the morning, not that the stove will still be at 400 degrees.. If I am wrong.. sorry

I load our stove around 11pm, and I do mean load it up, kind of go all 3-D puzzle action on it.. as soon as it's going good I throttle down to about 1/3 air, go to bed. Our house is run on Golden Retriever time, and the "alarms" usually get up around 7am. I have been coming down, stirring the coals, bringing plenty of glow to the top, throw a couple smallish splits on them, air full open, door closed, out for a walk. Usually have flames by the time dogs have been fed. If not then, by the time I am out of the shower. Then throw a good load on there, let it run wide open for 30 minutes or so, then down to 3/4 air or so until temps are back up to 68-70. Last night was 8 here for the low, the heat pump is set to come on at 64, so far it has only kicked on a couple times very early in the morning since we started burning 24/7 in January. (had not been on this morning) .

2100 or so sqft, recent ('97) construction, two story, fairly open floor plan.