Englander 30 vs. Heathstone Mansfield

[BrowningBAR]

Price being equal, which would you choose and why?

Englander is rated for up to 2200 square feet and the Mansfield is rated for up to 2500 square feet. What say you, my opinionated wood burners?

 

[thinkxingu]

Knowing how my NC-13 and Homestead work, there would be no contest: the Mansfield. IF, however, money was tight, I would not hesitate for a moment to pick up the 30. (oops, missed the money part--is this a serious question?).

S

 

[Todd]

Mansfield without a doubt. Much better looking stove imo and you will like the soapstone heat over the searing steel heat.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Knowing how my NC-13 and Homestead work, there would be no contest: the Mansfield. IF, however, money was tight, I would not hesitate for a moment to pick up the 30. (oops, missed the money part--is this a serious question?).

S

Yes, it is a serious question. I have the opportunity to pick up a slightly used Mansfield for about 60% off original MSRP (currently looking into making sure it is in as good a shape as it is claimed). A new 30 will run me about $1000-ish. I wanted to know how the two compared without the price being a factor. I wanted to focus only on how the two stoves actually worked and what the differences would be in terms of heating square footage, burn times, amount of wood used, etc. Without eliminating price the discussion would drift to much in that direction as the Englander is obviously the better value.

To be a little more specific:
Which stove is easier to maintain a burn? Will I need to 'fiddle' with one stove more often than the other?
(This question is more important than the others)

Since the Enlgander claims 75k+ BTUs and the Mainsfield claims 80k will both throw off about the same heat and give me the same amount of coverage or will one do a better job?

I have never used a steel stove, how different is the heat from a steal stove compared to a cast iron stove?

Are either of the stove decent at running at a lower temperature? If so, is one better at it than the other?

 

[BrowningBAR]

Mansfield without a doubt. Much better looking stove imo and you will like the soapstone heat over the searing steel heat.

I have never used a steel stove, only cast iron stoves. Is the heat that it throws different than it would be on a cast iron? (I've used a heritage before so I know the difference between cast iron and soapstone heat)

 

[thinkxingu]

Browning, I'm not sure you'll hear many people say to choose the 30 because the price is what makes the 30 an attractive option.

That being said, maybe the 30 is more consistent because of its mass, but my 13 gets hot then cools down, which means the temps in the rooms either rocket or dip. Our Homestead keeps the rooms much more steady while being able to sit closer.

Which stove is easier to maintain a burn? Will I need to ‘fiddle’ with one stove more often than the other? From what I've used, it seems most EPA stoves work similarly--load up, let fly, set air back in two steps.

Since the Enlgander claims 75k+ BTUs and the Mainsfield claims 80k will both throw off about the same heat and give me the same amount of coverage or will one do a better job? Soapstone radiates better, giving off 'smoother' heat. Our 13 is a red-hot meteor in the center of the room. Great for the vicinity, but not nearly as good at raising temps equally.

I have never used a steel stove, how different is the heat from a steal stove compared to a cast iron stove? Never used cast.

Are either of the stove decent at running at a lower temperature? If so, is one better at it than the other? Soapstone runs at a lower temp to begin with. This would be controlled more by the choice/amount of wood then by the stove (other than CAT stoves).

Good luck!

S

 

[heatwise]

i would choose the mansfield . if its anything like our phoenix it can be used in the shoulder season with a small amount of wood for a quick hot fire to warm things up and stay warm for a long time, and makes a great 24/7 burner when it gets cold. pete

 

[Jfk4th]

If you don't take that Mansfield I will drive down there and buy it myself . I would see this as a chance of a lifetime and grab that soapstone while you can. I have the Englander 30 which I picked up as my buy of a lifetime for 499.00 and I really like this stove. However I have always had steel stoves and I am happy with them, but when it is really cold I don't like the up and downs of the steel. All being said again I still like the quick heat up of the steel stoves for which my Englander is used for in my Dad's cabin.

My uncle has a Phoenix and their temps stays around 72 all day and all night. Even when the stove is out, and I mean out it finally goes down to 65F in their house after 3 or 4 hours. They are 24/7 burners and that's all they have to use...wood. I don't know about maintenance or cleaning if it is a lot more or the same as steel but they seem happy with it. I like a constant temperature or I get the chills when the temps go from 72 to 60F. Someday I will move and I will burn 24/7 the whole cold season (right now I burn about 20 hours a day and the furnace kicks on early in the morning) and the Mansfield will probably be my choice.

One more thing, hell you could be like me when I changed different stoves , and if you don't like the Mansfield you could sell it I am sure for your money back or more and then buy the Englander.

 

[BrowningBAR]

If you don't take that Mansfield I will drive down there and buy it myself . I would see this as a chance of a lifetime and grab that soapstone while you can. I have the Englander 30 which I picked up as my buy of a lifetime for 499.00 and I really like this stove. However I have always had steel stoves and I am happy with them, however when it is cold I don't like the up and downs of the steel. All being said again I still like the quick heat up of the steel stoves for which my Englander is used for in my Dad's cabin.

My uncle has a Phoenix and their temps stays around 72 all day and all night. Even when the stove is out, and I mean out it finally goes down to 65F in their house after 3 or 4 hours. They are 24/7 burners and that's all they have to use...wood. I don't know about maintenance or cleaning if it is a lot more or the same as stell but they seem happy with it. I like a constant temperature or I get the chills when the temps go from 72 to 60F. Someday I will move and I will burn 24/7 the whole cold season (right now I burn about 20 hours a day and the furnace kicks on early in the morning) and the Mansfield will probably be my choice.

One more thing, hell you could be like me when I changed different stoves , and if you don't like the Mansfield you could sell it I am sure for your money back or more and then buy the Englander.

I was hoping an Englander burner would chime in. Thanks!

 

[BrotherBart]

I like my Englander just fine. But I have always wanted to give a Mansfield a try. They are really nice stoves. For even money I think I would go with the Mansfield.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Since the price is equal the one to buy is the one your wife likes.

Matt

 

[BrowningBAR]

Since the price is equal the one to buy is the one your wife likes.

Matt

She doesn't get the final vote on this one. We went with the Intrepid because she didn't like the look of the Napoleon insert and liked the look of the classic Intrepid looks. The Intrepid is not working out (and that is being very, very kind).

I started off looking at the Heritage, but with the Heritage only being 5k more in BTUs than my Vigilant I wanted something bigger at the far end of the house that runs easily and I won't have to worry about it being overwhelmed.

I'm leaning towards the Mansfield, but if it doesn't work out I want something of equal size.

 

[swestall]

I think you would find using either of these stoves comperable operationally. Each has its own little ways you need to learn. So, having said that what would you like to be looking at when you are burning? Either the Mansfield or the Englander.
Makes it a pretty easy choice, doesn't it?

 

[BrowningBAR]

I think you would find using either of these stoves comperable operationally. Each has its own little ways you need to learn. So, having said that what would you like to be looking at when you are burning? Either the Mansfield or the Englander.
Makes it a pretty easy choice, doesn't it?

And that is why I made this thread. I want to make sure I am not going form over function.

 

[swestall]

I don't think you are. With the Englander you get a faster ramp up because it is steel,with the Mansfield it takes a bit longer to ramp up but then it lasts longer when it burns down. Front end vs back end benefit. I like the back end because it usually happens when I am sleeping and don't want to get up to load.
My brother has the Englander and I have the Mansfield. Both do the job and each has it's little idiosynchracies; all stoves do. In fact I think they all burn a little differently based on the overall installation. (stove/stack/wood/etc)
I think you can safely go with either, but you can sell the Mansield for a bunch more if you don't like it so there isn't much to lose there.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I don't think you are. With the Englander you get a faster ramp up because it is steel,with the Mansfield it takes a bit longer to ramp up but then it lasts longer when it burns down. Front end vs back end benefit. I like the back end because it usually happens when I am sleeping and don't want to get up to load.
My brother has the Englander and I have the Mansfield. Both do the job and each has it's little idiosynchracies; all stoves do. In fact I think they all burn a little differently based on the overall installation. (stove/stack/wood/etc)
I think you can safely go with either, but you can sell the Mansield for a bunch more if you don't like it so there isn't much to lose there.

Ok, now the hard part; Paying for it, picking it up, getting it into the house, cursing consistently the entire time, and attempting my first install (I will have help, but I won't be paying someone to install it this time around)

 

[swestall]

I use a refrigerator dolly and some wratcheting straps to move mine. Once I get it over, I can move it myself. With an extra hand, it can be not so bad work. If you have to go up stairs, you need extra help just to be there if something goes wrong. When you install the Mansfield, install a damper close down to the connector collar as it will give you a lot more control and a Condar probe thermometer will also show you the internal temp, you want to cruise between 450-850 flue gas temp. It takes a bit of getting use to but the damper has the effect of holding heat in the stove and slowing down wood use. If you can afford it, use double wall stainless connector pipe too.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I use a refrigerator dolly and some wratcheting straps to move mine. Once I get it over, I can move it myself. With an extra hand, it can be not so bad work. If you have to go up stairs, you need extra help just to be there if something goes wrong. When you install the Mansfield, install a damper close down to the connector collar as it will give you a lot more control and a Condar probe thermometer will also show you the internal temp, you want to cruise between 450-850 flue gas temp. It takes a bit of getting use to but the damper has the effect of holding heat in the stove and slowing down wood use. If you can afford it, use double wall stainless connector pipe too.

That's the setup my father in-law has on his Heritage. Works fantastic for him. Steady temps while going through less wood than I do on the Vigilant.

 

[jetmech]

Hey Browning BAR just curios what problems your having with the Intrepid, I am using a Intrepid ii 1303 and it does a great job, its a small stove that needs reloading often but its a good heater. Also like your user name, My son is aMarine infantryman and fires the Ma Duece as he calls it.....

 

[BrowningBAR]

Hey Browning BAR just curios what problems your having with the Intrepid, I am using a Intrepid ii 1303 and it does a great job, its a small stove that needs reloading often but its a good heater. Also like your user name, My son is aMarine infantryman and fires the Ma Duece as he calls it.....

Where to start with my Intrepid problems. I'll just list it all out.

It is a 1308. (No issue with that, just letting you know what model it is)

Having the damnedest time keeping it up to temp... even with store bought, kiln dried wood.

Takes forever to get the stove up to temp.

Every time I add wood (my stack or store bought) the temps crash.

Even when cranking at 600°-650° it gets completely overpowered once the temps stay under 30° (which it has been quite frequently, lately).

I have a fan behind it (and I have tried a fan blowing at it from the front, seemed to do less) and an Ecofan on top of the stove in the hopes to move some heat within the room with little success (though, I suspect my problem is heat loss due to too much heat movement).

There are probably a few other gripes that I could probably list out if I thought long enough. I think it is just the wrong stove in the wrong place. The entire room is stone and mortar. I think a lot of it gets absorbed by the stone and the room also contains 4 doorways for the heat to move to. I think I am getting too much heat loss to other parts of the house which prevents any one part of the house from warming up due to this. I have a very old home that is still drafty (work in progress, far better than it was when we moved here) and has a lot of stone that holds cold and absorbs heat. I have to chalk it up to a learning experience and stop b****ing about it. I new I wasn't going to get the same heat output that I get from the Vigilant, but I was still very disappointed.

I thought about buying a stove to replace the Intrepid instead, but due to size restrictions of the hearth I run the risk of running into the same issues unless I go with an insert. I rationalized that putting in a third stove in an area that I knew would be more beneficial (living room) since I can put in a much larger stove would be the best direction to take.

In regards to my screen name, I've used this screen name on various sites for about 10 years. I started using it when I was looking to buy a Browning. It was either going to be a semi-auto version of the WWII version of the BrowningBAR or a semi-auto version of the Browning 1919 belt-fed. I ended up going with the Browning 1919 but I kept the screen name.

 

[jetmech]

Sounds like you need a different stove, I bought mine on ebay and completly dissassembled it and replaced all gaskets. Still has original cat At least to me and it runs steady and heats good. the only problem is short burns and frequent reloading. I had a defiant encore years ago and it was a beast, this stove is almost like ababy encore. Just wondering if your problems devloped over time or has it always run like it is now.

 

[firefighterjake]

Chimning in late here . . . but if money is the same . . . the Mansfield. Just my opinion, but I like the look of the soapstone stoves better than steel . . . just a personal preference.

 

[karri0n]

Definitely the Mansfield.

No offense here to Englander or Chevy owners, but if given the choice, same price, for a new Chevy Cobalt and a new BMW M3, which would be your choice?

Both are going to be reliable, effective heaters, and serve the same purpose. I've examined both of these stoves in stores/shops multiple times, and while the 30 has great workmanship, it's very plain to tell that the parts and hardware are less expensive(even if equally reliable) than the parts on the Mansfield.


As far as performance, there just isn't that much deviation allowed within the EPA regs. Both stoves are required to perform darn close to equally well, or they couldn't be certified.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Definitely the Mansfield.

No offense here to Englander or Chevy owners, but if given the choice, same price, for a new Chevy Cobalt and a new BMW M3, which would be your choice?

Both are going to be reliable, effective heaters, and serve the same purpose. I've examined both of these stoves in stores/shops multiple times, and while the 30 has great workmanship, it's very plain to tell that the parts and hardware are less expensive(even if equally reliable) than the parts on the Mansfield.


As far as performance, there just isn't that much deviation allowed within the EPA regs. Both stoves are required to perform darn close to equally well, or they couldn't be certified.

Just a recap. I got screwed on the Mansfield deal and the store owner sold it out from underneath me after we had an agreement. It was a Mansfield for $1500 (slightly used). I offered to put money down on it and he said "no, don't worry about it, it's yours".

That was Friday. He sold it to someone else on Saturday. I called Tuesday (store is closed Sunday and Monday) to confirm that the deal was in place and I could make plans on picking it up and a store employee picked up and he said "Sorry, the owner sold it Saturday".

I found a great deal on a Fireview. I'll be picking it up in a week or two.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Price being equal, which would you choose and why?

Englander is rated for up to 2200 square feet and the Mansfield is rated for up to 2500 square feet. What say you, my opinionated wood burners?

Seems to me that there are some other stoves in that size/BTU/price range, like all of them, no?