Go with Hearthstone Equinox now or wait for the much-anticipated Woodstock big-boy?

heh - sounds like you summed it up quite well there. If you have your wood supply stacked and ready to go then perhaps the argument tilts in favor of going with the Equinox. If you are just now cutting then an argument can be made to cut now and build up your supply for another year.

However, even then you don't KNOW if the new Woodstock stove will be out - and if it does if it will meet your needs eh?

I really like Woodstock both the company and the stove I bought from them. However, there is something to be said for a known entity now vs an unknown thing sometime in the future.

Perhaps consider how much will you be saving in heating costs by getting the stove one season earlier as well?

If you can "afford" to wait and have the patience then stack a few more cords of wood and wait it out. Or install another stove (as inexpensive as you can but still rebate qualified) that will use the same chimney/liner and pad that either of the soapstones stoves will use and take the rebate on that, then whenever you can compare the two make your comparison and go forward at that time. Nobody here will be able to know what the 'best' decision is for you - too many subjective variables.

Wow!! This is a loaded question. You will have to answer all of the issues you mention. I was sort-of in the same situation as you last year. The only advantage to me was that Woodstock's new stove was still just a dream. I can tell you that my wife and I love our Eq! It did us very well last winter. I figured that I would use ~4 cords and ended up using 3.5. This was our first time with wood in a very long time so I was very pleased. It would be nice if Woodstock would let out some pics or drawings! Good luck with your decision.

Have you talked with Woodstock?

If I was about to buy I would get in on the 30% credit certainly.

The equinox fills your needs, what are you waiting for........ Its gonna be cold before you know it

I wouldn't wait, get the Equinox. Last I heard the new stove is still in the combustion system fine tune stage and they are still figuring out the looks and how to build it. I don't think it will be Equinox size either. I heard 2.5 cu ft fire box so if that's true it won't even be as big as the Mansfield, allthough the higher efficiency could make it heat like it.

It's tougher. The EQ uses an 8" flue and the WS will be much smaller and most likely use a 6" flue. So you kind of have to decide. If you need the horsepower of an EQ then WS likely won't get the job done.

One more vote for the Equinox. Just seems smartest in your situation.

Do you need that much heat or are you looking for a big firebox in anticipation of long burns?

When its cold/blowing, I get 12 hr burns with easy reloads heating a similar space, in a similar climate with a similar size stove to the Equinox. However, the Fireview has one of the most loyal followings around here.

sksmass said:

SolarAndWood said:

Do you need that much heat or are you looking for a big firebox in anticipation of long burns?

Click to expand...

Seeking the heat primarily. It is a ~3300sf house and I'd be trying to heat the first floor which is ~1680sf. So I'm looking for a woodstove that can pump out enough heat that I'd feel it throughout the first floor (with air movement help from some muffin fans in the doorways).

One solution: I could put a Woodstock Fireview in the living room now (even though it is undersized for my needs) and wait and see what the new WS stove looks like. IF they come out with a good box in a year or two I could get one and put it in the living room and move the Fireview to my basement fireplace. IF they don't then I could replace the Fireview with an Equinox at some later date.

But, I wouldn't want to have to replace the liner in the living room flue twice. So, the question is, "is it possible to exhaust a Woodstock Fireview into a 8" flue?

Click to expand...

Ok, this changes things. Yes, 8" will work according to the manual, but 6" is best. I believe the new Woodstock will be 6" as well, call and find out, 8" piping is about twice as much as 6". You may be surprised to find the Fireview will work out just fine upstairs. There are people heating much more than 1680sf with this stove. I think that's a good plan, one stove up and one down should take care of your heating needs. Nix the Equinox and go with two Wodstocks then you can be just like me. ;-)

Woodstocks cost ~ $1600 after rebate. Chimneysweep shows the EQ @ $4100. . . ~ $2900 after rebate. So yeah, you could just about buy 2 Woodstocks for the EQ $. They told me that they want the new stove to be "affordable," so I would think it may not cost much more than the Fireview, which isn't much more than the Keystone. I wouldn't worry too much about being an early adopter of a product from a co. with a track record like Woodstock's. Best chance of getting any info on the new stove is probably to wait a month and see what surfaces at their party. Maybe call them and ask if the sale prices are going to change before then. If so, you could reserve a Fireview @ the current price with a $250 deposit.

Todd said:

sksmass said:

SolarAndWood said:

Do you need that much heat or are you looking for a big firebox in anticipation of long burns?

Click to expand...

Seeking the heat primarily. It is a ~3300sf house and I'd be trying to heat the first floor which is ~1680sf. So I'm looking for a woodstove that can pump out enough heat that I'd feel it throughout the first floor (with air movement help from some muffin fans in the doorways).

One solution: I could put a Woodstock Fireview in the living room now (even though it is undersized for my needs) and wait and see what the new WS stove looks like. IF they come out with a good box in a year or two I could get one and put it in the living room and move the Fireview to my basement fireplace. IF they don't then I could replace the Fireview with an Equinox at some later date.

But, I wouldn't want to have to replace the liner in the living room flue twice. So, the question is, "is it possible to exhaust a Woodstock Fireview into a 8" flue?

Click to expand...

Ok, this changes things. Yes, 8" will work according to the manual, but 6" is best. I believe the new Woodstock will be 6" as well, call and find out, 8" piping is about twice as much as 6". You may be surprised to find the Fireview will work out just fine upstairs. There are people heating much more than 1680sf with this stove. I think that's a good plan, one stove up and one down should take care of your heating needs. Nix the Equinox and go with two Wodstocks then you can be just like me. ;-)

Click to expand...

He should do three stoves just in case... and be like me

sksmass, it appears you have got some good answers above plus your original post sums it up nicely. I wish we could say for certain what size the new Woodstock stove will be and also what cost, but we can't get those answers just yet. My best bet is that the stove won't be available until maybe next summer or perhaps for one of their spring specials. That is just a guess though. We might get some answers on Sept. 10-11 but we'll just have to wait and see.

Good luck.

Sounds like a good plan, I think you will pleasantly surprised with the Fireview unless you have poor insulation and live in a sieve. Good luck.

Although you have a large home, I tend to agree with Todd. Many folks are surprised how much space this little stove will heat. Of course occasionally there is one that it just does not work out the best for them, but that is one of the best things about Woodstock is that you still have that super guarantee.

A little hint here. We built our hearth up 16" and set the stove there and that has worked out even better than we had hoped. It saves much bending! When your bender is like my wife's and mine, you do whatever to save it. In our case, we have a chair beside the stove. Bring in the wood and set it on the hearth and then sit down. Open the firebox door and put the wood in while sitting. Some don't mind bending or getting down on their knees but as you age or your body gets a bit beaten up, you appreciate these little helpers.

Good luck to you and don't forget about Woodstock's big open house and bbq September 10-11. That might be a great time to pick up your stove too and who knows, you might even win one!

sksmass said:

So, I have narrowed down my woodstove choices based on a couple of factors:
1) I want a soapstone stove
2) I want a big stove

The combination of those conditions has steered me towards a Hearthstone Equinox.

Frankly, my heart is with Woodstock stoves. I would love to own a Woodstock stove but their currently-in-production models are just not as big as I would like to go. Apparently they are planning to release a bigger stove to compete in a larger class but no one knows when that might be.

So, the question is, should I just get the Equinox now or should I wait and see what Woodstock might come out with?

The advantage of an Equinox is that I could install one now, it is a known quantity, and I can definitely take advantage of the $1500 tax rebate.

If I roll the dice and wait for the new Woodstock I would be risking:
1) I will probably have to sit out another heating season
2) I might not like the look of the new Woodstock
3) the tax rebate might expire, effectively making the stove $1500 more expensive
4) I'd be one of the first real-world testers of a new stove, which might make me a bit nervous (when it comes to big burning boxes, I like to be a late-adopter)

Click to expand...

Why is your heart with Woodstock? Have you owned one of each (Hearthstone and Woodstock)?

Den said:

Woodstocks cost ~ $1600 after rebate. Chimneysweep shows the EQ @ $4100. . . ~ $2900 after rebate. So yeah, you could just about buy 2 Woodstocks for the EQ $. They told me that they want the new stove to be "affordable," so I would think it may not cost much more than the Fireview, which isn't much more than the Keystone. I wouldn't worry too much about being an early adopter of a product from a co. with a track record like Woodstock's. Best chance of getting any info on the new stove is probably to wait a month and see what surfaces at their party. Maybe call them and ask if the sale prices are going to change before then. If so, you could reserve a Fireview @ the current price with a $250 deposit.

Click to expand...

You are quoting two different animals on prices. The Woodstock Fireview is a fine stove BUT it is NO Equinox! The fireview could probably fit inside the Equinox. You would probably need 3 Fireview to heat like one Equinox. When you compare prices you should compare it to maybe the Homestead instead. 50,000 btu's compared to 120,000 btu's. There also has been no data on btu output of the new Woodstock or what the prices will be....That I know of.

Yeah, but do you think he really needs an Equinox for 1600 sq ft? Maybe if he put it downstairs to try and heat both floors but i think he may be better off with two better sized stoves for each floor.