Hearthstone II Soapstone stove

[wagvan]

Hi, I'm a newbie poster, but I've been lurking and reading for awhile. We just got a Hearthstone I soapstone stove off craigslist for $100. I haven't actually seen it in person, but my dad went and checked it out and bought it for me. (Thanks dad! Gotta keep those retarded...er, retired people busy and outta trouble and off the streets<grin>) Good condition, needs cleaning and a new door gasket. Both expected from a used stove IMHO. And the price, OMG! I have been coveting soapstone stoves for a long time most of the used ones go for at least $750 around here. We have an interior metalbestos chimney, and had a Wondercoal coal/wood stove and an Earthstove pellet/corn stove before buying this one. The stove comes with all the manuals and paperwork, but of course I don't have them in my hot little hands and I'm itchy to know about my new stove, but google has not yielded much at all. Does anyone have any info about the Hearthstone I? BTUs? heating area? anything? I have been reading about starting a cold soapstone stove and other soapstone how-tos, but I thought I'd come to all of you since you seem to be a wealth of info. We have a big (~2000 sf) old (1880) brick house and I'm hoping we can mostly heat our house with this with the gas furnace as backup. I'm not sure if its big enough, but I'm hoping that it will be more efficient and hold a load of wood and the heat much better than the Wondercoal. DH is planning a summer of collecting and cutting all the fallen wood that people have told him he can come and get for free. Last year we paid to have wood delivered, and it was pretty wet and not very cost effective. We have had a few dozen people tell us we can come get wood and now DH has a pickup and a chainsaw and we figure we will rent a splitter for a weekend once all the wood is gathered and cut in lengths. There is also tons of free wood listings on craigslist and the classified around here. Any wisdom for us? Thanks in advance... Here's a picture, not very good, but all I have.

 

[fossil]

Oh yes, I have all the information you're looking for. Every scrap of it. Readily accessible, even in .pdf that I could e-mail to you. In fact, I was all geared up to do just that when I read this:

...Gotta keep those retarded...er, retired people busy and outta trouble and off the streets...

I am retired. I'm sending you nothing...ageist! :lol: Rick

 

[wagvan]

Aw, I was just kiddin, actually its my dad's joke. I think it came from one of those pass it around the internet things. The <grin> was to show it was meant with love for my elders and betters. Besides, this year will be the big 4-0 for me, so I'm getting there soon. Besides I'm told you lose 10% of your brain function with each pregnancy, with 6 kids, I'm only working with 40%, and my teens like to remind me that I'm retarded and they don't mean it in jest!

 

[wagvan]

Was that a big enough grovel????

 

[fossil]

Was that a big enough grovel????

More than sufficient. Welcome to the forum. I knew you were kidding. Actually after 6, I'd think you'd kidded about enough. (just kidding). I've never owned a soapstone woodstove, nor have I ever, to the best of my recollection, ever had in my possession any literature related thereto (though, retarded...er, retired as I am, I could be wrong). So, I'm afraid I really can't help you a bit, except to keep your post topic near the top of the list in the hope that somebody with something meaningful to say will get involved. I think the stove is a beauty, and I'd say you got a heck of a good deal on it, and you oughta do something real special for your dad (although I have a feeling you do a lot of special things for your dad). Again, welcome! Rick

 

[wagvan]

Thanks for the bump action. My dad is getting a couple dozen duck decoys for fathers day to use with his new silver lab puppy, I think that's pretty nice. (I'll deliver them when I go up to get the stove, he knows they're coming.) Pleasure talking to you and thanks for the nice welcome. I figured you were kidding, but I didn't want to tick anyone off with my first post.
Katie
mama of many

 

[fossil]

Yeah, Katie, it seems to be considered proper etiquette around here to not really tick anyone off until about your 9th post or so. Stick around, there are some smart people here...you'll get to talk to some of them yet, I'm sure. Rick

 

[wagvan]

Well, golly gee whiz bang, thanks to you I'm up to 7 posts, a couple more and I can let it all hang out. Come to think of it, that may be how I got 6 kids. ;-)

 

[fossil]

Keep that kinda talk up, and your first thread is gonna end up in the Ash Can forum. :wow: Rick

 

[wagvan]

Well, the soapstone folks must not be hanging out here, tonight. <sigh>

 

[fossil]

Don't give up...it's late on the right coast...besides it's summer (finally), which is sort of the slow season for a woodburning forum. We'll keep your thread up there, and if necessary I'll start a new one that points to this one. Relax...but stay away from that whipped cream!. Rick

 

[fossil]

Oh, you edited your post! I was just kiddin' (again). I got a kick out of it. Rick

 

[wagvan]

Hoo boy, 9 posts, look out! Should I re-edit and put the whipped cream back in?
Katie
mama of many

 

[fossil]

Absolutely. Rick

 

[begreen]

The H1 is an old doggy. I wouldn't expect miracles out of it, especially in the efficiency dept. I think it was rated about 40K btus, but it didn't really deliver that. If you want efficient, you'll need to get a more current model, EPA stove.

 

[wagvan]

Bummer. It is still going to be nicer than the Wondercoal stove we have. Unfortunately we don't have the pocketbook for a current model EPA soapstone stovestove. Someday. Theough perhaps since we got such a deal on this one we may be able to use it to move up the food chain. Do you know what older model hearthstone stoves put out bigger btus?
Katie
mama of many

 

[fespo]

DARN Wagvan, you beat me to it. I seen that stove on line too! I did a craigslist multi search for wood stoves and that one came up. I was just too far south to take a look at it. I hope it works out for you.

 

[wagvan]

Yeah, I'm about 4 hours south of the stove, but my dad live across the lake from it, so about 4 miles away. He went and checked it out for me and paid them for it. WE still have to go and get it. There was a bigger one in traverse city I missed that was $350. I'm already thinking on how I can wangle this into a bigger soapstone stove, but I'd love to find out some info about this one as we are going to make it work for us for now.

 

[fespo]

I have two brother-in-laws up in TC, but they know nothing about wood stoves. So I don't ask them to check anything out for me

 

[wagvan]

I though woodburning knowledge was required to live in TC? Unless you're a fudgie or cone sucker...

 

[tickbitty]

Hi, I am just now running across your post, but I got an old hearthstone stove off craigslist in the spring too. I have the pdf for the manual for the hearthstone II, but I don't think it would quite work for yours. If you think it will, I can email it to you. HOwever, if you go to the hearthstone website and send an email, the guy there will send you the pdf for your stove manual. They also still sell parts (gaskets etc) for most of the old stoves. Good luck! I'm not going to be able to use mine, I think I need an insert instead, so I'll probably be selling it, but it's a shame, I like the look and feel of the soapstone stoves. Good luck!

 

[frwinks]

nice score on a nice stove... :coolsmile: from the pic it looks like our HII though? Is there an ID tag on the back? I thought HI had split front doors??
in any case:
the HI was rated for 100kbtu/hr and up to 18hrs of heat time. 86% combustion efficiency, and 4.5cuft. firebox
the HII was rated for 44Kbtu/hr and up to 10hrs of heat time on wood and 12hr on coal. 86% combustion efficiency, and 2cuft.of wood/30lbs coal firebox.

PM me your email addy, I'll send you the manual ;-)

 

[Beanscoot]

Yep it's a Hearthstone II. I installed a used one in my house this fall and I'm very pleased with it. I did have to replace all of the iron and steel innards though. Luckily I was able to make some steel parts at work.

I had heard that the Hearthstone I was a big stove, but didn't realize how much of a monster it was. More than twice the heat output and firebox size of the Hearthstone II!