Woodstock Fireview loading & burning

Fireview owners:
How packed of a firebox do you go with? Do you primarily stick with 18" splits or do you keep the splits shorter for whatever reason? If I recall correctly, Woodstock originally recommended 16" splits due to the framework around the side door or something (it stuck out in the firebox which required shorter length splits for the first few splits you put in... I think).

I ask as I am trying to figure out what the third stove will be. I'm pretty sure I am going with a recent model Defiant (pre-2-in-1 model due to purchasing costs) for the second stove (where the Heritage is currently sitting). This means I will have one stove that fits up to 22" splits and another stove that can fit up to 24" splits. I wonder how much of the firebox I will waste in either stove if I have all my wood cut to 18" or shorter?

I would like to do the Fireview for the third stove for the burn times and I am also hesitant to do three VC cat stoves due to the potentially high maintenance costs.

The positives of doing three VC cat stoves is that they all operate the same way which would make it easier for my wife to operate the stoves since she does not do so often. It's just a little risky from a maintenance standpoint.

KevinG said:

If it fits, I burn it. Anything between 12 and 20 usually fits, I think. Only a piece or two can be longer than 18 because the corners are beveled.

I just installed an Englader 13NC and had the first burn this morning. Being used to soapstone, I was impressed with how quickly the 13 was throwing heat. It's a totally different stove to operate from the Fireview. I don't know if the VC stoves you have radiate quickly or not but I know our Fireview takes 45 min from a cold start to make a difference in a 62 F room. If you're starting from a 200 F stove, it's not nearly as big a deal, of course.

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The Vigilant pretty much acts like a steel stove as it has single-walled castings. The Encore isn't far behind, but you do notice the difference between the two.

I have a Hearthstone Heritage which is soapstone, so I am familiar with the slower heat up process for this type of stove. If the Heritage had longer burn times or if it was a cat stove I would keep it.

So, you can fit 20" splits in the Fireview?

Hmm. Might have to go to the local VC dealer and do some measuring to see what type of space I'm working with on the Defiant. If I have enough depth I could stagger the 18" splits in the firebox.

leeave96 said:

If you went with 3 VC stoves, you'd have the Encore, a Defiant 2in1 and what would the third VC cat stove model be?

Just courious.

Thanks!
Bill

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Unfortunately it probably would not be a Defiant 2-in-1. Out of my price range right now. Cheapest I've seen a used one is $2k.

If I go with three VCs, I think the plan will be to buy a used cat Defiant, move it to the living room, and move the Heritage to where the Vigilant is. If the Defiant works out, and is completely controllable, I'd keep the stove there and buy another used Encore or Defiant to replace the Heritage. Which stove it would be will depend on heat distribution and how controllable the Defiant is.

If the Defiant like to burn hotter, or just throws too much heat, the Defiant would move to where the Vigilant/Heritage is located and a second Encore would be placed in the living room.

Ideally, if I went with three VCs, it would be an Encore and two Defiants. That would give me the longest burn times.

Todd said:

You may want to put off til next Spring when Blaze King comes out with their new 2cu ft stoves that are burning 20+ hours in with Larch recent tests . I hear a smaller Chinook is due out soon and a more traditional stove next Spring.

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Well, I will be purchasing two more stoves either way over the next two years. The next stove will be purchased between now and August depending upon what is available (most likely a 2012 purchased). The second stove would be purchased in the same fashion sometime in 2013. So, the new Blaze Kings should be out at some point during this.

Also, buying used allows me to buy new if the budget allows for it and not take a loss on unloading one of the stoves.

I would like a stove the size of the Princess with Blaze Kings cat and temp capabilities, but in a more traditional looking stove.

Backwoods Savage said:

I cut most of the wood right at 16" and it works just fine.

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I just think I'd end up with a lot of wasted firebox space if I cut down to 16" when the other two stoves would except 22" and 24",

Stump_Branch said:

Maybe find the size that would allow north south loading in all the stoves....

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I thought about that, but the VC stoves aren't built for north/south loading as they have shallow fireboxes. The Encore would only accommodate a 9" split if I went north/south. The Defiant is a little deeper, but I would only image it being an inch or so more.