GrumpyDad
Minister of Fire
A full reload every 3 to 4 hours isn't normal. You have too much draft even on the lowest setting. If you have the damper closed and air on the lowest setting and are still only getting 3 to 4 hours burn with not overly seasoned hardwood then something is wrong. If you are using very seasoned softwood then that is to be expected.Please let me know how you have been able to get more that 8 hours burn time on your stoveWe got almost 8 hours one time. We burn 24/7 for our primary heat source but have to reload every 3-4 hours. We've spent hundreds of hours of research and trial and error but to no avail.
Consider using larger splits either way and see if that helps. Also do the dollar bill test on all openings and every inch of the openings to ensure you are impacted by poor quality control at build.