I just became the proud owner of an early '80s Hearthstone II. I've burned lots of Vermont Castings and misc. other stoves over the years but this my first Hearthstone. My question is: Can I really use the internal damper or will it just result in a too-slow fire and excessive creosote (like in the early VC Defiant and its' relations)?
Don't get too worked up about that damper, it'll either work or it won't, but the HII isn't known to be a croesote machine necessarily. Depends on other stuff too, as you must know. That damper is good, but made of kind of a scrwney piece of steel and if and when it wears out, consider a plain old stovepipe damper instead. That's my sage wisdom after 20+ years of workin' on the dang things. Wish I had one, wife doesn't like the look, so stuck w/the old Defiant till the divorce comes throo. (lol)