Hearthstone Equinox - it's mine

[FireWalker]

Just put a down payment on the Equinox and I am hoping I made the right decision. I'm in a 2500sf log home (not well insulated) with lots of glass and have been providing most of our heating with a now 13 year old Duchwest xtra large convection (cat) stove. I have an oil boiler that I use as back-up. The Dutchwest is just not enough stove for my home, when it's cold (0 degree F), I'm struggling to keep 70 inside. I'm a 24/7 burner and consistantly go thru 5-6 chord/yr.

After much debate, I have made my choice. The questions have me worried as this stove is a new design there are few out there to compare. Is this unit too big? In swing seasons will small fast fires do the trick? Is this stove going to drive me out and eat all my wood? For the money I am spending I hope I can live in warm peace for the rest of my days.

Someone tell me everything is going to be OK!

 

[Vic99]

Welcome to the site.

Whoa, dude, fantastic! You'll have to keep us posted with how that monster does. I'd love to see one in action.

Now you can say, "Yes, but I have 4 cubic feet".

Good luck.

 

[BrotherBart]

That stove is going to do just fine. It will take you a burning season to get the hang of how to burn in it under different conditions but this time next year you will have a smile on your face that couldn't be wiped off with a whack with a poker.

 

[FireWalker]

We still have some time before heating and as I said, I have only paid for half of it. The prices just went up $500 so I'm glad I got one early.

4 cubic feet, that a lot of wood! I just hope it will be equally as good at burning 3 pieces as it will burning 12.

By the way, I see you scrounge wood. I managed to scrounge a whole lot of locust this past summer. I pretty sure it's honey locust. Have you ever burned this type of wood? Free wood is hard to pass up and I was able to take about 5 chord. I'm used to the regular hardwood mix of oak, beech,ash, maple and birch.

 

[FireWalker]

Thanks Bart I needed to hear someone other than a salesman say that. My wife is not yet a believer, we need to work on her.

If I can master that damn Dutchwest with all its quirky problems, this stove should be a walk in the park.

 

[Jfk4th]

The big 4 cu footer! WOW, That is going to burn you out of the house. Like BrotherB said it will take you a season at least to figure her out, my Uncle has the Mansfield and it took him a little bit to get the sweet spot every time. How is your back, or how are the backs of the 10 other people that helped you move it :lol:
Damn another stove that I am envious about. So many stoves, so little time, so little space in my house. Oh well, 2 big stoves in my crib is enough for now

Free wood is free wood, did you mean 5 face cords or 5 cords, either way that is a good score. I am sure there are some that have burned that wood that will chime in

 

[Todd]

Like BB says it will take you awhile to get use to the new stove, but you should have no problem keeping warm. The only thing I wonder about this monster stove is like you said about burning it in the shoulder seasons with only a few splits. Will 3 or 4 splits heat that massive 4cu ft firebox to 1100 degrees to create a secondary burn? I guess you will find out. Good luck and keep us posted.

Locust is the good stuff, higher BTU's than Oak. Just make sure it's good and dry.

 

[Rich L]

Yo," The Firewalker Cronicles begin".Man that Equinox reminds me of a stove my cousin had years ago made by Hearthstone,don't remember the name though.This thing was in his ski lodge in Maine and was so big and heavy that to look at it would throw your back out.No 4 men were moving that thing.However when it was going it got so hot in there that we had to go outside in below zero weather to cool off.The lodge was probably over 3500 sq ft. and this stove was like having a foundry in your living room.If the Equinox is anything close to that old model you my friend have nothing to worry about.

 

[BrotherBart]

Get that big rock hot, let the fire die down and take the rest of the day off while it keeps wafting out dat gentle soapstone heat.

 

[Vic99]

Both honey & black locust are very high BTU woods. Black locust I believe is slightly thorny. I have not burned either. I've only been doing this for one year and I mostly get sugar maple, white birch, white pine, @#$! elm, and red oak . . . but I'll take almost anything that's not rotted or insect infested.

Five free chords . . . great! I am fortunate that I can get wood from my town's compost pile and neighbors. Plus I put the word out at work that I'm always looking. Right now I am over a 1/2 year ahead.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Black locust is a bit thorny. Honey locust is downright biblical thorny on occasion. Not as dense as BL, but still good stuff.

 

[FireWalker]

Thanks people for the concern regarding my back! There is no way in hell I will try to move this monster nor will I ask any of my friends. $450.00 will be paid to someone with much stronger back than mine to bring this lump in and set her up. I hope my floor is up to the challenge!

The lucust was chunked up since late summer 07 and split and put in a heap early this summer. All 5+ full chord is now stacked and covered waiting for winter so I'm ready.

Rich, you are scaring me a little, WHAT IF I CAN'T KEEP THE FIRE LOW ENOUGH????????????????????????????

I'm not worried about the below zero nights, those are the least of my worries, I'm worried about the nights it hovers around freezing. We will be the ones in our scivies with the windows open.

 

[Todd]

See Bro Bart's post, I think that will be the ticket. When You don't want it too hot just build a good hot fire i her and let it die. It will take an hour for the stone to absorb the heat before it is released, then the soapstone will radiat heat for hours afterwards but it won't be blasting seering heat. Run it kinda like a masonry heater.

 

[FireWalker]

See Bro Bart's post, I think that will be the ticket. When You don't want it too hot just build a good hot fire i her and let it die. It will take an hour for the stone to absorb the heat before it is released, then the soapstone will radiat heat for hours afterwards but it won't be blasting seering heat. Run it kinda like a masonry heater.

This is what I have been hoping will work, we will see.

What does the collective think, when I use the Duchwest, the norm is not ideal cat operation forcing me to bypass and thus waste heat and smoke. Will this much larger stove use less wood?

 

[FireWalker]

By the way, did I mention I'm broke, not a dime. These stoves are expensive!

 

[wellbuilt home]

HI con grats on the new stove . I am in the same boat . I lived in LG for many years im on assembly point . I live full time in monroe ny it about 21/2 hours south . I ordered a equinox in july and it should be in next month my house is 3000+sf and i was useing 3to4 cord a year 24/7 . I have the same DW stove 55btus and love it, but its getting old . I think the EQ fire box is 25% larger then the DW but the out put is more then double. We used a harth stone H1 in the 80s and it would heat a 3500 sf house. I think we will burn 25% more wood . The up side is that the stove will be puting out much more heat. I would splitt my logs into 2"x4" pieces so i could fill the fire box on the DW and keep it burning real hot all night . Burning the harth stone H1 we could stack three large rounds in the box with out spliting it at all . I think most of the work is in the spliting and stacking in the house . I think we will average around 6 cub foot a day .

 

[Rich L]

Thanks people for the concern regarding my back! There is no way in hell I will try to move this monster nor will I ask any of my friends. $450.00 will be paid to someone with much stronger back than mine to bring this lump in and set her up. I hope my floor is up to the challenge!

The lucust was chunked up since late summer 07 and split and put in a heap early this summer. All 5+ full chord is now stacked and covered waiting for winter so I'm ready.

Rich, you are scaring me a little, WHAT IF I CAN'T KEEP THE FIRE LOW ENOUGH????????????????????????????

I'm not worried about the below zero nights, those are the least of my worries, I'm worried about the nights it hovers around freezing. We will be the ones in our scivies with the windows opend.

Like it's been said toy around with it with different amounts of wood.Hey you asked for it now you got it.But don't fill her up if you don't have to or you'll be sorry I mean sweating.

 

[FireWalker]

Chunk, How is it we lived in the same place, and have the same 1st and 2nd wood stove! I'm assuming by your name your home is tight and well insulated. Are you worried about overheating?

 

[Wet1]

Sweet stove. I hope you have some serious logs to throw into that monster!

 

[FireWalker]

I understand I may not have to split my wood anymore.

 

[wellbuilt home]

I just love the lake and wish i could live there full time . What part of the lake are you on ? There are lots of log homes around me . I am a builder Wellbuilt home additions LLC . Ive been thinking about moveing up full time but Its to dam cold . What you should do is cut your wood to diffrent lenths some 25" some 16" use the 16" wood in the spring and fall and build a fire in the center of the box . I would like to think that the new stove will burn less wood but i dont think so . I have tons of insulation , every wall in the house every floor . plus 1" fome on the outside . Like i said before We used a harth stone H1 and we would use three 12" rounds x 20" for a load . I think you will be OK with a half load 2 or 21/2 cf to get a good burn . There is lots of pine around for free and it would work real good in the EQX in the spring and fall for a fast fire. we would start a fire in the morning to heat the house up and it would still be warm the next day . (We where working on the house) I think you could use scrape frameing lumber allso .Are you buying wood or cutting it your self or both . I lived out on the water in a 30' sail boat from May to Oct since 2000 this year my boat is home. It needs a over haul . I wish I was there . My brother in law is the new princapal in the LG school.

 

[doug60]

Ive got one comming to. I may pick it up this weekend.

My last stove was a 1977 Defiant.
I dont have any rounds , but the five cords of free splits will have to do.
28 x 52 bi level. Stove in the family room downstairs.
I did'nt burn a gallon of oil last year.
I have high expectations for the Equinox . The Defiant gave me a 5 to 6 hour burn at 400 stove top.
The Eqinox will also have an Outside Air Kit. Im hoping that will make a big difference in the heat distrubution.

 

[Highbeam]

Cripes, this is now a 4000$ stove. It should be excellent.

 

[wellbuilt home]

oh Yea Work is slow now so my wife wants a 500sf great room on the side of the house so I dont think im going to get to hot with the new stove

 

[wellbuilt home]

doug what town are you in ? where did you get your stove ? I was in ridge wood today .