Hello There,
Thought I would post a short review of our Homestead since it fits a niche need: because of the rear-exit height and design, it can be used as a hearth-mount stove in even the toughest installs.
Application: upstairs in split-level, about 1,200 square feet, fairly well insulated (30 year-old windows, but attic has lots of blown-in). Diagram below.
Location: Southern NH
Use: Nights, weekends, holiday breaks (we're teachers)
Pro's:
Very efficient--can run 8 hours well with one load of 4-5 medium splits or 3-4 big splits
Fairly quick to warm up--we can bring the house from 63-67 in 1 hour in 12 degree weather (see pics)
Nice size firebox--not too big (possible?), not too small; can fit up to 23" pieces at a slight angle
Beautiful--I guess this is subjective, but we think it's pretty.
Airwash system--glass is always clean, literally. The only time we had an issue was trying to burn 6-month-old oak, our fault.
"Heatlife"--this stove stays warmer much longer than our plate steel one, making for fewer peaks and valleys
Front lip design--unless wood is loaded wrong, when door is opened there is a lip to keep all the ash in the stove. Our other stove spills.
Glass size--we can practically read by firelight, the glass is so large--we really, really like this.
Air control--three positions: full open to light, 1/2 open to get temps up, 1/8 open to cruise/overnight burn; almost nothing but ash each time
Con's:
Firebox shape--I've not heard anyone mention this, but it's by far my biggest issue with the stove: because the rear-exit is so low, the firebox is slanted down towards the back, making it not-square. This means it's a jigsaw puzzle trying to fit in a full load of wood. Were it squared off, I think the burn times could easily clock 10 hours.
"Heatlife"--although the stove stays warmer longer, the warmth is around 200 degrees which doesn't do too much. What it does do is prolong the time I can re-start the fire from coals. Our in-laws' Heritage is better in this regard, presumably because there's more soapstone.
Door open direction--my wood's to the right of the stove, so it's a pain because I need to drag the pieces I'll use to the left side before loading; this means I need to vacuum almost every time I load. Luckily, it's only every four hours or so.
Weight--not sure this is a biggie for anybody after install, but it's ridiculous to move. Good thing we won't be moving it.
Non-leveling legs--I used a small washer under one leg to stabilize it.
R Values Needed--this stove needs some crazy r-values, which meant I needed to build a pretty thick (2.5") hearth extension
I think that covers it! Now, some pics & video.
S
Thought I would post a short review of our Homestead since it fits a niche need: because of the rear-exit height and design, it can be used as a hearth-mount stove in even the toughest installs.
Application: upstairs in split-level, about 1,200 square feet, fairly well insulated (30 year-old windows, but attic has lots of blown-in). Diagram below.
Location: Southern NH
Use: Nights, weekends, holiday breaks (we're teachers)
Pro's:
Very efficient--can run 8 hours well with one load of 4-5 medium splits or 3-4 big splits
Fairly quick to warm up--we can bring the house from 63-67 in 1 hour in 12 degree weather (see pics)
Nice size firebox--not too big (possible?), not too small; can fit up to 23" pieces at a slight angle
Beautiful--I guess this is subjective, but we think it's pretty.
Airwash system--glass is always clean, literally. The only time we had an issue was trying to burn 6-month-old oak, our fault.
"Heatlife"--this stove stays warmer much longer than our plate steel one, making for fewer peaks and valleys
Front lip design--unless wood is loaded wrong, when door is opened there is a lip to keep all the ash in the stove. Our other stove spills.
Glass size--we can practically read by firelight, the glass is so large--we really, really like this.
Air control--three positions: full open to light, 1/2 open to get temps up, 1/8 open to cruise/overnight burn; almost nothing but ash each time
Con's:
Firebox shape--I've not heard anyone mention this, but it's by far my biggest issue with the stove: because the rear-exit is so low, the firebox is slanted down towards the back, making it not-square. This means it's a jigsaw puzzle trying to fit in a full load of wood. Were it squared off, I think the burn times could easily clock 10 hours.
"Heatlife"--although the stove stays warmer longer, the warmth is around 200 degrees which doesn't do too much. What it does do is prolong the time I can re-start the fire from coals. Our in-laws' Heritage is better in this regard, presumably because there's more soapstone.
Door open direction--my wood's to the right of the stove, so it's a pain because I need to drag the pieces I'll use to the left side before loading; this means I need to vacuum almost every time I load. Luckily, it's only every four hours or so.
Weight--not sure this is a biggie for anybody after install, but it's ridiculous to move. Good thing we won't be moving it.
Non-leveling legs--I used a small washer under one leg to stabilize it.
R Values Needed--this stove needs some crazy r-values, which meant I needed to build a pretty thick (2.5") hearth extension
I think that covers it! Now, some pics & video.
S
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