4.0 Cubic Feet!

[FireWalker]

When loading my new Equinox with splits in the E W direction thru the front door, you can really only get three good sized pieces in there. There is a ton of space left at either end but unless you have the right sized wood to slip in there, you are kinda stuck. The limiting dimension seems to be firebox height, plenty of width and depth but I don't want to force anything up against the burn tubes at the top of the box.

I'm considering either cutting next years wood short (16") or long (up to 24"). If I go short I can fill N S from front and not worry about wreastling long heavy pieces in from side door over a hot coal bed.

I'm not really complaining here as the three big splits (honey locust) I did shove in there last night at 10:00 pm burned with the damper set to low all night and at 7:00 am I had a vary nice coal bed that would have still been active at lunch time. We were in the mid 30's last night and were cruising at 72 inside.

Another issue I question is the floor temp. Before I added those overnight splits we were enjoying a higher heat setting maybe half throttle for a couple of hours until we got the house toasty. Just before I loaded for overnight I walked around the side and back of the stove and felt the floor. To hot to keep your hand on but not hot enough to burn. I have a tile hearth system over plywood subfloor, the installation is code compliant. Please comment on how hot your hearth gets.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Cut to length that you are loading is going to give the longest burn. I am jealous of your burn time!

My hearth doesn't get hot- but that's because the blower draws from the bottom and expels at the top or the unit.

 

[pumiglk]

Know what you mean about the firebox height and loading. I am cut to 16 with most of my wood so they fit n/s fine but the east west is a lot easier to load through ther side on a hot fire. Plenty of room to maneuver around but seems like some space isn't being used. I have a blower unit on mine so I can't comment on behind but my sides haven't gotten that warm. I have been checking with an IR themometer. Haven't really run it in a 24/7 type of burn but I had it crusining along for about 8 hours last friday and I took readings at one point - the hottest side is the right, soapstone was up to aboyt 460, but the hearth was only 110-115. Warm but not hot. Maybe the blower helps cool off the whole area do the air movement??

 

[FireWalker]

I like loading thru the front door, it is just easier for me and the setup I have. It wasn't this way with my Duchwest XL, it's front door was not big enough to load easily. What it did have was firebox height and because of this you could neatly cram in a lot of wood from the side. I could have easily loaded those three splits I burned last night in my DW.

In the past I have had a few complaints about split size and weight, too big for her to deal with. Front door loading allows for two handed wood handling while side door loading limits you to a one handed kind of heave ho loading technique. If I cut short and lay splits front to back across the whole width I bet I can get two rows high and take full advantage of the wide deep box.

With this stove I'm so far not having any issues with burn times or heat life, this thing really works great.

 

[mikeathens]

Holy crap you guys...reading this thread, I feel like I'm walking into a conversation between millionaires who don't know whether to burn their money to light thier cigars or thier pipes

I am envious. Not only could I not afford an equinox, the thing would have taken up half of my floor space!!

 

[FireWalker]

With the price of oil, I couldn't afford to not get an equinox! You get what you pay for these days. Not only is this stove beautiful, it heats. It's not that big in person, it does take more space in plan but it's a lot lower than my old stove.

My wife is starting to realize that this stove is good! "Are you telling me you didn't add any wood this morning and the stove is still this warm?"

 

[pumiglk]

Mike, believe it or not the equinox was a few hundered dollars more than the Mansfield (in enamel, which is what my wife like originally). Since my wood is free, and was being fed into that huge hole of a fireplace the equinox fits into, and my propane is quite expensive- the payback is likely 1-2 years. That was a no brainer since for a little more work, I will also be a lot more comforatble (never could afford to heat above 65). No complaints it isn a Cadillac of stoves, and performs like one - as I am sure the mansfield does as well since this was the stiove we originally wanted.

 

[FireWalker]

Tonight we are going down into the 20's, I may actually have to move this thing off it's low setting. :smirk:

 

[mikeathens]

Well, awesome stoves, to say the least. I got my mansfield at a bargain price of $2000 brand new; if I remember correctly, the equinox was $3200, so quite a few $$ difference in this particular instance. Plus, I didn't have an ox and 10 pro football players to help me move it!

Anyhow...sorry to interrupt. As you were all saying...

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Tonight we are going down into the 20's, I may actually have to move this thing off it's low setting. :smirk:

I hate you with every fiber of my being

 

[Todd]

I don't have the Equinox but I have a side loader so I know what your talking about trying to wiggle all the splits around to fit the whole firebox. I found on my stove it's best to rake the coals all forward, lay the largest splits in back and fill in towards the front with smaller splits. If I could fit 24" splits that is what I would cut and just have a good supply of various size splits.

How is this monster burning with half a load in her? Is it burning clean, any smoke out your chimneys?

 

[FireWalker]

When I got this winters wood it was all similar diameter straight lengths of honey locust (free). 5 cords worth. I used my dad's log splitter and it makes consistant 4 splits per round, so my splits are bigger than what I normally split by hand. This will prove a blessing with this stove.

As far as smoke, the designers have done their job well. The damper works very well and is easily adjustabe in fine incriments. Shut all the way it leaves enough air for clean burn. I got up last night at 1:00 am to check the stove, dancing blue flames at the top of the box, just what you want to see.

Half loads are more challenging to get a light off, I just let it go hot and die off instead of keeping a low fire burning. Let the rocks do what they do.

 

[Todd]

I was just curious whether it burned clean on half a load for these shoulder season burns? Seems like a 4.0 soapstone firebox would take a long time to come up to secondary burn temp with smaller loads?

 

[pumiglk]

So far it seems to me like it is a lot easier to get it to settle in with a full load. Burning smaller loads for me, it requires babysitting to burn clean although it is better when the box is hot - but as you can imagine that takes a while. It seems like loading it up to about 3/4 full and letting it rip with full air until the stack thermometer (I have both a stovetop and a stack)is pushing the red zone (900 or so) and the stovetop reads about 450 Takes about 1/2 an hour or so - then I can shut down the air pretty much a ll the way and she just burns... stack at abot 450, stovetop at about 450 to 500 (measured on the metal plate for the top vent option - stone is cooler) - no smoke at all. Smaller loads I haven't found the trick yet for getting it to cruise along clean with the air shut down, pipe temps drop below 400 and I start to see some blue smoke. Still burning but not as clean as I like. Since I only have 10 pro football players and an ox on a limited basis I want the cleanings to be few and far between (though I hope I never really have to move it to clean). It is early in the season so there more experiemnting to be done...

 

[Highbeam]

On the hearth heat question: My heritage also has an ash pan assembly that is always empty but when there is little or no ash in the firebox, like at the beginning of the season, the heat of the fire makes the hearth pretty warm with a good fire above. I can hold my hand there but just barely. Now when there is a couple of inches of ash on the floor of the firebox the fire burns much better, easier to start and coals better, plus, the hearth stays much cooler. If you allow a couple of inches of ash to accumulate I think you will find cooler hearth temps and a happier burning experience.

 

[FireWalker]

I'm not really paying much attention to the stack as it's fall I know the starting and stopping is going to make some smoke. I have noticed it's easy to get the glass blacked over when burning low fires. I've also been burning a lot of wood pile junk that may not be as seasoned as my good stacked wood. Fall is kinda wood pile clean up time, throw it in all the knots and unsplittable stuff.

 

[FireWalker]

On the hearth heat question: My heritage also has an ash pan assembly that is always empty but when there is little or no ash in the firebox, like at the beginning of the season, the heat of the fire makes the hearth pretty warm with a good fire above. I can hold my hand there but just barely. Now when there is a couple of inches of ash on the floor of the firebox the fire burns much better, easier to start and coals better, plus, the hearth stays much cooler. If you allow a couple of inches of ash to accumulate I think you will find cooler hearth temps and a happier burning experience.

I have noticed the same, although I have only emptied the pan once so far.

By the way, the pan worked well and I spilled no ash and without using the pan lid was able to move outside a good amount of ash with no drama. I'm not sure why people don't like this ash pan setup. Maybe it's because the EQ. is bigger the pan is also bigger and thus better.

 

[Todd]

So far it seems to me like it is a lot easier to get it to settle in with a full load. Burning smaller loads for me, it requires babysitting to burn clean although it is better when the box is hot - but as you can imagine that takes a while. It seems like loading it up to about 3/4 full and letting it rip with full air until the stack thermometer (I have both a stovetop and a stack)is pushing the red zone (900 or so) and the stovetop reads about 450 Takes about 1/2 an hour or so - then I can shut down the air pretty much a ll the way and she just burns... stack at abot 450, stovetop at about 450 to 500 (measured on the metal plate for the top vent option - stone is cooler) - no smoke at all. Smaller loads I haven't found the trick yet for getting it to cruise along clean with the air shut down, pipe temps drop below 400 and I start to see some blue smoke. Still burning but not as clean as I like. Since I only have 10 pro football players and an ox on a limited basis I want the cleanings to be few and far between (though I hope I never really have to move it to clean). It is early in the season so there more experiemnting to be done...

It may be a better alternative to fill up the firebox with lesser BTU woods like soft Maples, Elm and Pine instead of smaller fires with High BTU firewood.

 

[Vic99]

On filling the 4.0 cubic foot monster . . . if you buck your own wood, I would recommend cutting to varoius lengths. My homestead CAN take 19 inch splits. I like 15-17 inch splits to make it easier to reload. I also buck a few to 12-13 inches, especially crotch pieces and other misfits . . . they are easier to split and dry that way anyway.

 

[crazy_dan]

With the ash pan you have some other potential problems like the ash pan door sealing. some of them are small some are shallow. and then you have the it costs me money for that option then i don't want it (that is me I saved about $150 by not having the ash pan system). Besides it only takes a min to shovel out the ash in the morning. I compare it to legs vs pedestal controversy

 

[pumiglk]

No option on most of the hearthstones - you get it. I think the biggest rap in the past is the size, many say to small to be useful on other smaller models. Never had a stove that had one so I have nothing to compare it to. I wasn't to impressed with the cover design - seemed like more hassle than its worth. I guess I will have to try it at least once but its definately the Ash Pan is least important part of the stove - though one of the best places on Hearth.com ;-)

 

[crazy_dan]

I never had a stove with one either but I know with PE it is an option I wasn't limiting my statement to hearthstone. I was just listing the reasons i didn't opt for one. (ash pan that is)

 

[FireWalker]

It seems no one here is overly concerned regarding the somewhat hot surface temps. I'm getting on the tile under my stove?????????????????? At what temp does skin say no way, I'm burning??? 150??? more, Less???? I ask this knowing that the setting I'm currently using are a bit lower than I expect to be using in 60 days.

 

[Highbeam]

120 is too hot to touch. As in the scald point of hot water. Let the ashes build up in the stove to keep your hearth cooler. My hertiage's manual even recommends keeping a base of ash.

 

[dgisme]

The wood floor in front of my hearthpad gets quite warm also, but i am not too concerned because i am within the manufactuers minimum distance to combustables. As for not being able to load to capasity, I foundout yeasterday You dont have to. Loaded it up about 3/4 full at 7:30 AM, when I got home at 8:30 PM the temp in the house was 77* and there were still hot coals in the stove . I LOVE THIS THING.....