Hearthstone Equinox Opinions

[Gridlock]

I am considering getting the Hearthstone Equinox stove and would like any opinions from owners of this stove. Strangely, I didn't see any reviews of this stove in the reviews area of Hearth.com. A view specific questions I have are:

1) How easy is it to start and control?
2) Does it really seem to put out a huge amount of heat? The BTU specs are much higher than any other stove I've seen.
3) Has it been reliable?
4) Any back-puffing issues?
5) Any smokey smell inside the house?
6) How long can it go on a full load?
7) How long does it take to come up to temperature on a cold start?

Any other information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks much.

 

[begreen]

I think if you use the Search function (above left) and type in Equinox you will find several threads on this stove. Firewalker, doug60, jlow and several others have posted about their stoves.

 

[Gridlock]

I think if you use the Search function (above left) and type in Equinox you will find several threads on this stove. Firewalker, doug60, jlow and several others have posted about their stoves.

Thanks, I've done some searching, but wanted some answers to some specific questions.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Gridlock, if you ask those specific questions about the Woodstock Fireview I can answer but not on the Hearthstone. It seems the answers on Hearthstone stoves are mixed but Woodstock has about 99% positive reviews.

 

[Gridlock]

Gridlock, if you ask those specific questions about the Woodstock Fireview I can answer but not on the Hearthstone. It seems the answers on Hearthstone stoves are mixed but Woodstock has about 99% positive reviews.

It's too bad that Woodstock won't have their larger stove ready for next winter; timing is just a bit off. I can deal with what I have for another season, but don't think the chimney sweep will buy back my Defiant if I wait. I could also go without wood heat for one season and wait until Woodstock has their larger stove, but that's not a desirable option either!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I agree and was hoping they would have that new stove ready before fall. However, I understand these things take time and I'm sure they want to be assured the final product is exactly what they planned. So, another year wait.

 

[runandjump]

Gridlock, I see it has been some time since the last reply but I will try to answer your Q's.
1. Starting and controling is real easy with dry wood. I did notice that I had to get the flue up to ~ 350deg before it started to pull hard. There is a lot of mas to heat so it does take a little longer than some.
2. you can control the out put fairly easy with your load and draft. This was our first winter with it and only had a few times when we got too hot. It is a learning curve!
3. Has it been reliable?....... Well, it has never let us down. But it is 1 year old.
4. The only time I had any backpuffing was during a very strong wind storm. Or I opened the door too fast.
5. Other than the above mentioned..... None!
6. My full load was about 3/4 full at most and would last about 8 hours. I heat 2000sqft and a full load was a little to hot.
7. A cold start on a cold day takes about an hour to get to full temp. It starts to put out some real heat in about half hour.
We are VERY happy with this unit! If you are going to heat with it 24/7 It is hard to beat. Mine has a flue straight up about 15 feet. I would sugest a stove top thermometer and a flue thermometer. I use the side door more than the front due to ash falling out of the front. may want to keep this in mind on placement.
Hope this helped!

 

[Fsappo]

I am considering getting the Hearthstone Equinox stove and would like any opinions from owners of this stove. Strangely, I didn't see any reviews of this stove in the reviews area of Hearth.com. A view specific questions I have are: I'll answer by way of the feedback I have gotten from customers. I have sold 6 or so Equinoxs since they were introduced.

1) How easy is it to start and control? When connected to an 8" chimney, very fast to "start" the fire. The stove does seem to take a couple of hours to warm up. From the customers I spoke to, the stove reacts very accurately to control inputs.
2) Does it really seem to put out a huge amount of heat? The BTU specs are much higher than any other stove I've seen. It does put out a ton of radiant heat. I have used in my own home an Enerzone 3.4 which is rated at 100K btus, and the stove was a beast for raw heat. I was in a home with the Equinox burning and the area it was heating was beyond what I could ever get my 3.4 to do and it was doing it effortlessly. It was a very large A frame camp style, lots of volume. About a 40x60 foot print with the loft and the whole get up. Even if the 3.4 put out the same BTUs as the Equinox, the comparison would be like going 100 MPH in a jacked up Ford Escort and 100 MPH in a Rolls Royce. The EQ is just very smooth even heat.
3) Has it been reliable? Still a very new stove, but out of the 6 I have sold, no reported problems.
4) Any back-puffing issues? None yet, and I do have a client that has his hooked up to a 6" class A chimney going thru his roof (I do not suggest this however and made him sign a disclaimer)
5) Any smokey smell inside the house? Non reported
6) How long can it go on a full load? Customers are telling me up to 15 hours or so they still have a hot stove and enough coals to re light splits.
7) How long does it take to come up to temperature on a cold start? From what I am gathering 1.5-2 hours

 

[Gridlock]

Hi Folks,

Thanks much for the replies. What I didn't originally realize about the Equinox is that you can't get a bottom heat shield for it, and therefore requires a higher hearth r-value that I currently have (changing it would be a major PITA). It is also a very deep stove which means I would either need to extend my hearth, or push it back into the fireplace which would then make the side loading door unusable, which I really wanted to use.