Jotul Oslo Vs. Hearthstone Heritage.

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Halligan

Feeling the Heat
Jan 19, 2012
352
Southeastern Massachusetts
As some of you know from my few previous post's I'm looking to install a woodstove in my home. I was pretty sure the F500 Oslo was going to be my stove until I brought the wife with me to look at them. Right away she gravitated toward the Hearthstone Heritage. When I started researching stoves I didn't bother with soapstone due to the cost. However, the wife liked the elegant look of soapstone enought to justify spending the additional money. All of my research was geared toward Jotul and I fully comprehend how nice the Oslo is but now I have to decide between the Oslo or the Heritage. The wife wants the Heritage I want whatever is the better stove. Any suggestions are welcome and FWIW I will using the search feature as well.
 
Measure the fire boxes, I'm pretty sure the Oslo is bigger and will put out more heat but it all depends on your needs and how much space your trying to heat.

If she really likes the soapstone look take a look Woodstock as well, can't beat the sale they have going on.
 
Halligan said:
As some of you know from my few previous post's I'm looking to install a woodstove in my home. I was pretty sure the F500 Oslo was going to be my stove until I brought the wife with me to look at them. Right away she gravitated toward the Hearthstone Heritage. When I started researching stoves I didn't bother with soapstone due to the cost. However, the wife liked the elegant look of soapstone enought to justify spending the additional money. All of my research was geared toward Jotul and I fully comprehend how nice the Oslo is but now I have to decide between the Oslo or the Heritage. The wife wants the Heritage I want whatever is the better stove. Any suggestions are welcome and FWIW I will using the search feature as well.

The Heritage is a smaller stove.

The Oslo will provide more heat and longer burn times. If you want to go with a Hearthstone, the Mansfield is a more comparable model to the Oslo.

Another soapstone model to look at is the Woodstock Fireview. It is larger than the Heritage, but just a little smaller than the Oslo. The Fireview will have longer burn times than the Heritage and equal to longer burn times when compared to the Oslo.

There is a poster here that is running an Oslo and a Fireview. He will be able to tell you how well they compare.
 
BrowningBAR said:
Halligan said:
As some of you know from my few previous post's I'm looking to install a woodstove in my home. I was pretty sure the F500 Oslo was going to be my stove until I brought the wife with me to look at them. Right away she gravitated toward the Hearthstone Heritage. When I started researching stoves I didn't bother with soapstone due to the cost. However, the wife liked the elegant look of soapstone enought to justify spending the additional money. All of my research was geared toward Jotul and I fully comprehend how nice the Oslo is but now I have to decide between the Oslo or the Heritage. The wife wants the Heritage I want whatever is the better stove. Any suggestions are welcome and FWIW I will using the search feature as well.

The Heritage is a smaller stove.

The Oslo will provide more heat and longer burn times. If you want to go with a Hearthstone, the Mansfield is a more comparable model to the Oslo.

Another soapstone model to look at is the Woodstock Fireview. It is larger than the Heritage, but just a little smaller than the Oslo. The Fireview will have longer burn times than the Heritage and equal to longer burn times when compared to the Oslo.

There is a poster here that is running an Oslo and a Fireview. He will be able to tell you how well they compare.

Great minds think a like!
 
Which is the better stove?

Jotul started making woodstoves in 1853...

Hearthstone started about 1979...

Case closed.
 
The heritage does look nice and presents a very nice view of the fire through its large window. Jotul makes nice stoves too. Isn't the F500 a big stove? The heritage is only 2.3 CF so you'll need to figure out what size of stove you need. The largest hearthstone, the equinox, looks just like the heritage only about 2x the size. Scaled up.

How big of a firebox do you need?

Either brand makes a fine stove. I don't automatically think the older company makes a better product. Just look at VC, an old company that turns out some of the crappiest products out there.
 
Highbeam said:
The heritage does look nice and presents a very nice view of the fire through its large window. Jotul makes nice stoves too. Isn't the F500 a big stove? The heritage is only 2.3 CF so you'll need to figure out what size of stove you need. The largest hearthstone, the equinox, looks just like the heritage only about 2x the size. Scaled up.

Keep in mind, not all fireboxes are created equally. The Heritage is listed as 2.3, but it's usable space is much smaller. I would say the Heritage is about the same size the Keystone in terms of how much wood you can load into the stove. The Heritage and Encore are listed as having the same size, but the Encore is clearly larger and can fit more wood. The Oslo is suppose to be 2.5 cu ft. If it has a more usable firebox it should be at least as large as the Encore firebox.


Just look at VC, an old company that turns out some of the crappiest products out there.

You've insulted one or more of the many stoves I have owned, I am now outraged. Outraged, I say! :)
 
Thanks for the replies. I think either stove will heat my home. My house is a modern 1600sf cape with an open floor plan on the first floor. According to the brochures the Jotul Oslo has a 2.54ft firebox while the Heritage is 2.3ft. The Oslo puts out 70,000BTU/hr while the Heritage is 55,000BTU/hr. Oslo has up to a 9hr burn time, Heritage is 8hr burn time with 12hr heat life. Jotul claims the Oslo can heat up to 2,000sq.ft while the Heritage is 1,900sq.ft. Clearences are all close and not an issue. Bottom line is I like the dealer and he sells both. The soapstone Heritage will be almost $1,000 more but the wife likes it which is fine. I just don't want to buy a stove, find out it's a P.O.S, and have buyers remorse.
 
Halligan said:
Thanks for the replies. I think either stove will heat my home. My house is a modern 1600sf cape with an open floor plan on the first floor. According to the brochures the Jotul Oslo has a 2.54ft firebox while the Heritage is 2.3ft. The Oslo puts out 70,000BTU/hr while the Heritage is 55,000BTU/hr. Oslo has up to a 9hr burn time, Heritage is 8hr burn time with 12hr heat life. Jotul claims the Oslo can heat up to 2,000sq.ft while the Heritage is 1,900sq.ft. Clearences are all close and not an issue. Bottom line is I like the dealer and he sells both. The soapstone Heritage will be almost $1,000 more but the wife likes it which is fine. I just don't want to buy a stove, find out it's a P.O.S, and have buyers remorse.


Ignore everything in the large bold type. It is mostly marketing fluff. Focus on firebox size and see the stoves in person.

If you have good insulation, good windows, and a tight house, the Heritage should work. If this were me, I would go with the Mansfield or the Oslo for the convenience.
 
BrowningBAR said:
Halligan said:
Thanks for the replies. I think either stove will heat my home. My house is a modern 1600sf cape with an open floor plan on the first floor. According to the brochures the Jotul Oslo has a 2.54ft firebox while the Heritage is 2.3ft. The Oslo puts out 70,000BTU/hr while the Heritage is 55,000BTU/hr. Oslo has up to a 9hr burn time, Heritage is 8hr burn time with 12hr heat life. Jotul claims the Oslo can heat up to 2,000sq.ft while the Heritage is 1,900sq.ft. Clearences are all close and not an issue. Bottom line is I like the dealer and he sells both. The soapstone Heritage will be almost $1,000 more but the wife likes it which is fine. I just don't want to buy a stove, find out it's a P.O.S, and have buyers remorse.


Ignore everything in the large bold type. It is mostly marketing fluff. Focus on firebox size and see the stoves in person.

If you have good insulation, good windows, and a tight house, the Heritage should work. If this were me, I would go with the Mansfield or the Oslo for the convenience.

Thanks for your reply. My house is insulated well with decent windows. I do believe either will provide sufficient heat for my needs. My hang up is the fact that all I've read has indicated the Oslo is a great stove with a strong, dedicated following. What I don't want to do is buy an expensive, fancy looking soapstone stove and have a bunch of issues. BTW, I will not soley be heating with wood unless needed due to natural disaster or loss of power. I'm more of the supplement my gas heat kind of guy.
 
Halligan said:
BrowningBAR said:
Halligan said:
Thanks for the replies. I think either stove will heat my home. My house is a modern 1600sf cape with an open floor plan on the first floor. According to the brochures the Jotul Oslo has a 2.54ft firebox while the Heritage is 2.3ft. The Oslo puts out 70,000BTU/hr while the Heritage is 55,000BTU/hr. Oslo has up to a 9hr burn time, Heritage is 8hr burn time with 12hr heat life. Jotul claims the Oslo can heat up to 2,000sq.ft while the Heritage is 1,900sq.ft. Clearences are all close and not an issue. Bottom line is I like the dealer and he sells both. The soapstone Heritage will be almost $1,000 more but the wife likes it which is fine. I just don't want to buy a stove, find out it's a P.O.S, and have buyers remorse.


Ignore everything in the large bold type. It is mostly marketing fluff. Focus on firebox size and see the stoves in person.

If you have good insulation, good windows, and a tight house, the Heritage should work. If this were me, I would go with the Mansfield or the Oslo for the convenience.

Thanks for your reply. My house is insulated well with decent windows. I do believe either will provide sufficient heat for my needs. My hang up is the fact that all I've read has indicated the Oslo is a great stove with a strong, dedicated following. What I don't want to do is buy an expensive, fancy looking soapstone stove and have a bunch of issues. BTW, I will not soley be heating with wood unless needed due to natural disaster or loss of power. I'm more of the supplement my gas heat kind of guy.


You should be just fine, then. The Heritage likes dry wood or you will have a very tough time getting the stove over 400 degrees. You should buy your wood now and, if possible, buy two years worth.
 
It sound like you want to spend your money wisely....These folks are wise! You will be happy with both no doubt as they are both beautiful and very capable heaters. If I was able to get the most for my money I would. Believe me, you will have the intentions of supplementing your NG but the caveman will come out and you want to keep you family warm! The bigger burner will help you do that better.

Bigger in this case is better and cheaper too....
 
me and my wife had a steel woodstove in our old house man that thing really cranked some heat but we would wake up seeing our breath which was well....uncomfortable to say the least. we bought a used hearthstone not the small one but not the mansfield and i telll you what we had overnight burns everytime but the stove didnt get nearly as hot as the steel one but last for 12 hrs of heat which is very nice and consumed 1/3 the wood. with a tight house i would look into soapstone but dont be expecting 600 degree stove top its a much more even long lasting heat which i feel is much more worth it.
 
BrowningBAR said:
Halligan said:
BrowningBAR said:
Halligan said:
Thanks for the replies. I think either stove will heat my home. My house is a modern 1600sf cape with an open floor plan on the first floor. According to the brochures the Jotul Oslo has a 2.54ft firebox while the Heritage is 2.3ft. The Oslo puts out 70,000BTU/hr while the Heritage is 55,000BTU/hr. Oslo has up to a 9hr burn time, Heritage is 8hr burn time with 12hr heat life. Jotul claims the Oslo can heat up to 2,000sq.ft while the Heritage is 1,900sq.ft. Clearences are all close and not an issue. Bottom line is I like the dealer and he sells both. The soapstone Heritage will be almost $1,000 more but the wife likes it which is fine. I just don't want to buy a stove, find out it's a P.O.S, and have buyers remorse.


Ignore everything in the large bold type. It is mostly marketing fluff. Focus on firebox size and see the stoves in person.

If you have good insulation, good windows, and a tight house, the Heritage should work. If this were me, I would go with the Mansfield or the Oslo for the convenience.

Thanks for your reply. My house is insulated well with decent windows. I do believe either will provide sufficient heat for my needs. My hang up is the fact that all I've read has indicated the Oslo is a great stove with a strong, dedicated following. What I don't want to do is buy an expensive, fancy looking soapstone stove and have a bunch of issues. BTW, I will not soley be heating with wood unless needed due to natural disaster or loss of power. I'm more of the supplement my gas heat kind of guy.


You should be just fine, then. The Heritage likes dry wood or you will have a very tough time getting the stove over 400 degrees. You should buy your wood now and, if possible, buy two years worth.

Not to get off topic but I've been scrounging my wood since last august. I have 2 cord of silver maple C/S/S and 1 cord red oak C/S/S already. Maple will be for the 12/13 season and I'll hold off on oak until 13/14 season. I am scrounging all the time and hope to build up 3-4 years worth. If needed i'll buy wood but prefer not to. At best I'll get a log load and buck and split myself.

Thanks again.
 
jrendfrey said:
me and my wife had a steel woodstove in our old house man that thing really cranked some heat but we would wake up seeing our breath which was well....uncomfortable to say the least. we bought a used hearthstone not the small one but not the mansfield and i telll you what we had overnight burns everytime but the stove didnt get nearly as hot as the steel one but last for 12 hrs of heat which is very nice and consumed 1/3 the wood. with a tight house i would look into soapstone but dont be expecting 600 degree stove top its a much more even long lasting heat which i feel is much more worth it.

I politely disagree:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/83823/
 
Halligan said:
BrowningBAR said:
Halligan said:
BrowningBAR said:
Halligan said:
Thanks for the replies. I think either stove will heat my home. My house is a modern 1600sf cape with an open floor plan on the first floor. According to the brochures the Jotul Oslo has a 2.54ft firebox while the Heritage is 2.3ft. The Oslo puts out 70,000BTU/hr while the Heritage is 55,000BTU/hr. Oslo has up to a 9hr burn time, Heritage is 8hr burn time with 12hr heat life. Jotul claims the Oslo can heat up to 2,000sq.ft while the Heritage is 1,900sq.ft. Clearences are all close and not an issue. Bottom line is I like the dealer and he sells both. The soapstone Heritage will be almost $1,000 more but the wife likes it which is fine. I just don't want to buy a stove, find out it's a P.O.S, and have buyers remorse.


Ignore everything in the large bold type. It is mostly marketing fluff. Focus on firebox size and see the stoves in person.

If you have good insulation, good windows, and a tight house, the Heritage should work. If this were me, I would go with the Mansfield or the Oslo for the convenience.

Thanks for your reply. My house is insulated well with decent windows. I do believe either will provide sufficient heat for my needs. My hang up is the fact that all I've read has indicated the Oslo is a great stove with a strong, dedicated following. What I don't want to do is buy an expensive, fancy looking soapstone stove and have a bunch of issues. BTW, I will not soley be heating with wood unless needed due to natural disaster or loss of power. I'm more of the supplement my gas heat kind of guy.


You should be just fine, then. The Heritage likes dry wood or you will have a very tough time getting the stove over 400 degrees. You should buy your wood now and, if possible, buy two years worth.

Not to get off topic but I've been scrounging my wood since last august. I have 2 cord of silver maple C/S/S and 1 cord red oak C/S/S already. Maple will be for the 12/13 season and I'll hold off on oak until 13/14 season. I am scrounging all the time and hope to build up 3-4 years worth. If needed i'll buy wood but prefer not to. At best I'll get a log load and buck and split myself.

Thanks again.


Estimate 3-4 cords for the first year. Could it be less? Sure. But 3-4 cords should be enough no matter the weather and how much you use the stove.
 
While I've been researching these stoves I've decided people should post what kind of house they're heating with they're stove. Think about it, we advertise our stove, splitter, truck and chainsaw in our sig's but not what kind of house is being heated. For me being a newbie it would be helpful to know whether a guy is trying to heat a 2,800sf McMansion or a 1,200sf ranch with a particular stove. I will start by changing my sig.
 
Hi There.

I went thru the same dilemma back in Nov.

I supplement my gas heat with our wood stove.

Previously had a VC Resolute...but 30 years took it's toll.

Like my old VC, I wanted something solid, traditional, and with as few moving parts (read easy for wife and teenager to operate).

I ended up with the Jotul f500.

I've put about a cord thru her so far, and it's great...especially the side load door.

My mrs liked the jotul better...and I was keeping my fingers crossed that she would....so that worked out good for me.

Let's us know what you decide.


BTW - im a fellow ram 2500 Hemi owner. Show us what ya got!
IMG-20110407-00038.jpg
 
Heres my truck. The picture on the right is factory suspension with 285 tires. Picture on the left is after I installed a Carli Suspension System. it's basically a 3" lift. Now I just need bigger tires.
 

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Nice! Laramie, right?

I don't have a pic, but I have since attached some mopar 3 pad oval step bars.

They are fun trucks...and when that Hemi hits 5500rpm.....it's music!
 
A Laramie she is.
 
Yeah, soapstone = babe magnet. :) . . . and anyone interested in a stone stove would be wise to give Woodstock due consideration. Mail order is a bit more complicated than handing a check to a dealer, but the ~ $1k you save should easily pay someone to do the install. . .probably cover a good portion of the chimney cost too. Tell us more about your idea of supplemental heating. If you just want to fire it up occasionally and get heat ASAP, you might like a metal stove better. Soapstone does hold heat longer/more than iron or steel (g00gle "specific heat" to get into the physics), but you have to pay the piper on a cold start and wait longer for the stone to throw heat, so stone stoves are at their best running 24/7, IMO. It sounds like you have the wood acquisition thing goin' on, so why not burn 24/7. . .most folks here find that the easiest way to do it, weather permitting. Regarding firebox capacity, the Oslo's spec may be larger, but you would need 22" logs to really take advantage of it.
 
BrowningBAR said:
Halligan said:
BrowningBAR said:
Halligan said:
BrowningBAR said:
Halligan" date="1330664995 said:
Thanks for the replies. I think either stove will heat my home. My house is a modern 1600sf cape with an open floor plan on the first floor. According to the brochures the Jotul Oslo has a 2.54ft firebox while the Heritage is 2.3ft. The Oslo puts out 70,000BTU/hr while the Heritage is 55,000BTU/hr. Oslo has up to a 9hr burn time, Heritage is 8hr burn time with 12hr heat life. Jotul claims the Oslo can heat up to 2,000sq.ft while the Heritage is 1,900sq.ft. Clearences are all close and not an issue. Bottom line is I like the dealer and he sells both. The soapstone Heritage will be almost $1,000 more but the wife likes it which is fine. I just don't want to buy a stove, find out it's a P.O.S, and have buyers remorse.


Ignore everything in the large bold type. It is mostly marketing fluff. Focus on firebox size and see the stoves in person.

If you have good insulation, good windows, and a tight house, the Heritage should work. If this were me, I would go with the Mansfield or the Oslo for the convenience.

Thanks for your reply. My house is insulated well with decent windows. I do believe either will provide sufficient heat for my needs. My hang up is the fact that all I've read has indicated the Oslo is a great stove with a strong, dedicated following. What I don't want to do is buy an expensive, fancy looking soapstone stove and have a bunch of issues. BTW, I will not soley be heating with wood unless needed due to natural disaster or loss of power. I'm more of the supplement my gas heat kind of guy.


You should be just fine, then. The Heritage likes dry wood or you will have a very tough time getting the stove over 400 degrees. You should buy your wood now and, if possible, buy two years worth.

Not to get off topic but I've been scrounging my wood since last august. I have 2 cord of silver maple C/S/S and 1 cord red oak C/S/S already. Maple will be for the 12/13 season and I'll hold off on oak until 13/14 season. I am scrounging all the time and hope to build up 3-4 years worth. If needed i'll buy wood but prefer not to. At best I'll get a log load and buck and split myself.

Thanks again.


Estimate 3-4 cords for the first year. Could it be less? Sure. But 3-4 cords should be enough no matter the weather and how much you use the stove.

Id estimate 5 cords to be safe, as last winter I burned through at least 4 1/2 cords with the weather we had. That was burning 24/7. I've seen others burn through the same or more on the forum some winters.
 
As someone who has burned both in my showroom and has sold many of each I would say Oslo, hands down as a better burning stove. When I was a Jotul dealer, the Oslo was the stove we thought of as "Just sell them an Oslo, that way we know they will be happy" stove.

I love the Hearthstones, the even heat, the style, etc. But in the Hearthstone line the Mansfield is the stove I sell if I want the best chance of a 100% happy customer.

Daksy just says older is better because he is a grey bearded gas wizard.
 
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