Hearthstone Mansfield or Phoenix?

[stillconnected]

I am trying to decide between the Hearthstone Mansfield and Phoenix...

I have heated with wood in the past but this will be first wood stove in this house. Our plan is to do about 3 burns/day in the middle of winter, relatively active burning.

The house is about 2800 square feet - one and a half stories in the shape of a tobacco barn (a long rectangle).

Sadly, it is not an open floor plan and the only location option for the woodstove is on the first floor at the far end of the house. The room that it will be in is 600 square feet with a 3 ft. wide door to the next section of the house.

Any and all opinions are welcome! Thanks for your help!

 

[shawneyboy]

Personally I would say the Masnsfield due to the size of the home. Even then with it being at one side of the house you may find the far side chilly. Be sure to set up a fan or two to get the air flowing so that it will heat the far end of the house. I don't think the Phoenix will have enough BTU nor the burn time you are looking for. It is always better to go bigger and adjust the size of the fuel load down IMHO.

Shawn

 

[heatwise]

mansfield would be great, its large so you can put the wood in either way,straight in or side to side. nice for filling it up when its cold outside. the phoenix is nice and heats well and has the ability to heat in the shoulder season with less reloads. both great stoves and i cant say enough good about our rock. if you have any questions about the phoenix ill gladly answer them. pete

 

[BrowningBAR]

I am trying to decide between the Hearthstone Mansfield and Phoenix...

I have heated with wood in the past but this will be first wood stove in this house. Our plan is to do about 3 burns/day in the middle of winter, relatively active burning.

The house is about 2800 square feet - one and a half stories in the shape of a tobacco barn (a long rectangle).

Sadly, it is not an open floor plan and the only location option for the woodstove is on the first floor at the far end of the house. The room that it will be in is 600 square feet with a 3 ft. wide door to the next section of the house.

Any and all opinions are welcome! Thanks for your help!

Depending upon your layout, I would almost lean towards the Equinox due to your square footage. I think it might work as the room that it is in is quite large with, seemingly, only one direction for the heat to move to. You might need some fans to help circulate the heat to the rest of the house.

 

[begreen]

With a closed off 600 sq ft room, I would go the opposite way, smaller like the Phoenix or Heritage, but would consider two stoves if possible.

 

[BrowningBAR]

With a closed off 600 sq ft room, I would go the opposite way, smaller like the Phoenix or Heritage, but would consider two stoves if possible.

The "cigar barn" comment made me think this was an old home. I figured it would be a bit drafty.

 

[stillconnected]

Thanks for all of your thoughts! The dealer I plan to purchase from and the install pro are pushing me toward the smaller stove - Heritage. Their thinking is that I want to burn the stove at its highest capacity and that would not work with the Mansfield in spring/fall. They also have concerns about the heat pushing us out of the room the stove is in. Also, never bad to try and tighten up the house a bit.

I think long term a second stove at the other end of the house is a good route to go... after I replace the roof, septic, and get the kids out of the house.

I will report back when we land on a decision and get it fired up.

 

[snowleopard]

I was thinking the same thing about two stoves when I read your post.

FYI, the Heritage is keeping my 2000sf house warm, with no backup--okay, the sun is starting to reappear and give a good assist--in Fairbanks, AK. Never planned it that way, but my boiler fried in January, and the stove just kept on plugging away. I have a two-story rectangle, and the upstairs is a maze, and it's keeping both stories comfortably warm.

I find myself wishing now that I had the *need* for another stove, because I find this one so darn charming. I think the even heat and extra control you'd get from two would make for a much more comfortable heat. Also, when I first started trying to figure where I'd put a stove, I was flummoxed. It seemed that there was no good place to have one, but that problem was resolveable. If you could post a sketch of your floor plan, you'd probably get several folks chiming in with ideas.

Let us know if you need a list of second stoves to bond with/drool over. Really.

 

[Highbeam]

The phoenix and heritage are very similar in real size and output. The phoenix has the cool looking cast iron front but it also has a major fault.... no side load door. If you are even considering the phoenix size then the best hearthstone is the heritage.

2800 SF, I would be going for mansfield or bigger. The stove room will be warmer than the rest of the home, that's a given, but to heat that large home you will need the power of a larger firebox. If you get a smaller stove I fear you will overfire the snot out of it trying to do the job of the proper sized stove.

 

[snowleopard]

[quote author="Highbeam" date="1298848217"]The phoenix and heri

 

[snowleopard]

The phoenix and heritage are very similar in real size and output. The phoenix has the cool looking cast iron front but it also has a major fault.... no side load door. If you are even considering the phoenix size then the best hearthstone is the heritage.

2800 SF, I would be going for mansfield or bigger. The stove room will be warmer than the rest of the home, that's a given, but to heat that large home you will need the power of a larger firebox. If you get a smaller stove I fear you will overfire the snot out of it trying to do the job of the proper sized stove.

Agree that if you're going with just one stove, Mansfield or Equinox would be a better choice. I've been able to heat my house without running the stove at high temps (i.e., primary air intake and damper shut at night), but I should have mentioned that my house is fairly well-insulated. One question I didn't see addressed: will you have any other heat source besides the stove?

 

[fire_man]

Wood Mouse: I hate to throw in a wrinkle, you already have completely opposing viewpoints - go big - go small, now here is my input:

If your intention is to heat your 2800 sq ft Western MA house with only one stove, you will be sorely disappointed with the 2.2 cu ft firebox of the Phoenix. It's just not enough BTU's at 60K for that climate and that size house unless you are super insulated. 600 sq ft is a good size room for that stove but the narrow doorway will need forced air to spread the heat especially on cold days. But in my experience forced air makes for a drafty house. Is there a second story over the stove-room? That would help with the heat distribution since you will be sucking heat up thru an uninsulated ceiling. If your choice is between the Phoenix or Mansfield,I would personally go with the bigger Mansfield and burn smaller fires during shoulder season. At least you still have the extra BTU's when needed and oh well about burning less efficiently in a bigger stove during shoulder season.

The ideal setup for your floor plan is two properly sized stoves at opposite ends. This will be the most comfortable setup but by far the most costly and the most work long-term.

A third idea: Why limit yourself to only the Hearthstone stoves. Consider a large catalytic stove. Catalytic stoves are good because you can burn them at low settings and they are still very efficient. On cold days they can be burned nice and hot to throw the heat you need. You will have the benefit of a stove that works over a wider range of heating needs.

That's my two cents...

 

[begreen]

Sadly, it is not an open floor plan and the only location option for the woodstove is on the first floor at the far end of the house. The room that it will be in is 600 square feet with a 3 ft. wide door to the next section of the house.

What I want to know is how the heat for the rest of the house is getting out of a 600 sq ft room through a 3 ft door? This is an area heater, not a ducted furnace. If this was an open floorplan I would agree with the Equinox, but it is not.

 

[VCBurner]

Here's my two cents,

Everyone has made some valid points, BTW. But if you are buying a stove to heat your 2800sq ft house and are spending a lot of money on a beauty of a honking soapstone, don't go small. You are going to regret not getting the big boy. Western Mass is a very cold place. Lots of snow, ice and arctic freezing weather patterns. Buy the bigger stove! Get some in the wall fans to get the heat out of that 600 sq ft room and into the other areas of the house. These through the wall units can be hooked up to a thernostat, that will automatically turn the thing on at your desired temperature. It is easier to buy the bigger one now and get the air out of the room later than it is to sit in a cold house and wish you had spent your hard earned cash on something bigger. I've heard of so many people wishing that they could turn back time so they could buy the bigger version in hindsight. I don't think I've ever heard of someone saying, "this stove is just too big for my house" when the temps outside are in the single digits and below! In fact there are not too many Equinox owners here on this site. They are all too happy with what they have and don't need any advice on how to get more heat out of their stove!! :lol:

The least you should do is get the mansfield. Fans are cheap, the stove is very expensive!!

Check out these in wall room to room fans:
http://www.iaqsource.com/category.php/wall-mount-fans/?category=885

To back up my point, here's a thread from a lady who just bought a new stove (bigger,) after about a year with her brand new stove (small.)
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/71859/
She loved the heat but just couldn't live with knowing she could be a lot warmer with the big boy! Fortunetely, she purchased a less expensive Englander steel stove, and could afford the bigger model a year later. The same may not be possible with a Hearthstone. If you want to get a smaller soapstone stove, maybe the Woodstock Fireview would be better. At least, they will give you the option of returning the stove within six months for a full rufund! Then you can buy their new stove that is in the works when you return the Fireview. It also has the flexibility of a cat stove, with the light shows of the reburn tube stove (the new stove will be a hybrid.)

 

[Highbeam]

One of our moderators has a quote he repeats that goes something like this, " a stove is a space heater, the space I'm heating is my whole house". I don't use any other form of heat and my 1963 built 1700 SF home with its long hallways is easily heated from a single "space heater". True, the stove room will be 10 degrees warmer than the most remote bedroom but that is actually a good thing. If you want the same temp in every room then run your furnace.

The 600 SF stove room for the OP accounts for more than 20% of the home, it's a huge room. The home is two stories which means that the farthest room on the first floor isn't that far away and the upstairs will be heated well from below. The stove will have a nice tall chimney so will draft well.

Hearthstones are pretty. The only cat stoves (except maybe the VC) large enough to heat your home in your climate are double ugly. You really need a stove bigger than the heritage. It's only rated for 1900 SF and that's assuming ideal conditions and a warmer climate. You don't size a stove based on the room it is in, you base it on the heated area.

 

[Fsappo]

I would suggest that unless you need to buy a soapstone stove, your layout lends itself to a convection heater rather than a radiant heater. Just a thought

 

[Rich L]

Look don't be ridiculous,Stop dreaming even the Mansfield's manual will tell you it's not able to heat that much space so why should you or anyone else think it will.At least get the Equinox or a Blaze King King.

 

[ryanm527]

Unless I missed it I didn't see if you mentioned if this was an older house or not but I'm attempting to heat a bit less than you (in an old drafty house) with a Mansfield and even that is sometimes pushing it. I'd go along with the others suggesting the Equinox. It's actually what I would have gone with but it wouldn't fit in my space. The mansfield heats the main floor well, but not the upstairs much at all.

I've also got a fireplace insert in the other room and when it gets real cold we sometimes run both.... from my personal experience, trying to run two wood stoves turns something fun into a chore. It also uses a ton of wood. I would avoid this scenario if at all possible.

 

[MF1529]

Wood Mouse I would suggest you look at the Pacific Energy Stoves unless you're set on a hearthstone. I recently replaced a Mansfield with a PE Summit and I have been more than pleased. The Mansfield did not heat my 1700 sqft home well when the temps dropped to single digits. The Summit is rated up to 97,000 btu's and can blast me out of the house. If you don't need that much heat don't fill the stove. The option of big heat will be there if you need it. Plus the Summit was about $800 less and is very durable.

 

[NH_Wood]

Look don't be ridiculous,Stop dreaming even the Mansfield's manual will tell you it's not able to heat that much space so why should you or anyone else think it will.At least get the Equinox or a Blaze King King.

I heat 3000 sqft with my Mansfield - sole source of heat - 2000sqft down and 1000sqft up. Upstairs is cool - low 60's - but fine for sleeping. Cheers!

 

[ryanm527]

I heat 3000 sqft with my Mansfield - sole source of heat - 2000sqft down and 1000sqft up. Upstairs is cool - low 60's - but fine for sleeping. Cheers![/quote]

That would actually be the case with me as well... it does heat upstairs, just not to the wife's liking.

 

[Rich L]

Look don't be ridiculous,Stop dreaming even the Mansfield's manual will tell you it's not able to heat that much space so why should you or anyone else think it will.At least get the Equinox or a Blaze King King.

I heat 3000 sqft with my Mansfield - sole source of heat - 2000sqft down and 1000sqft up. Upstairs is cool - low 60's - but fine for sleeping. Cheers!

Yes that's the risk one takes.If it works for some it may not work for others.I would say yours is the exception not the rule according to Hearthstone.It's a better situation to go big more likely to get the job done.

 

[VbNemesis]

Look don't be ridiculous,Stop dreaming even the Mansfield's manual will tell you it's not able to heat that much space so why should you or anyone else think it will.At least get the Equinox or a Blaze King King.

I heat 3000 sqft with my Mansfield - sole source of heat - 2000sqft down and 1000sqft up. Upstairs is cool - low 60's - but fine for sleeping. Cheers!

Yes that's the risk one takes.If it works for some it may not work for others.I would say yours is the exception not the rule according to Hearthstone.It's a better situation to go big more likely to get the job done.

He's not the only exception. I heat my 2400 sq/ft very well with my Mansfield. I'm only on my first year with it, so I had the Unseasoned wood blues of the newbie burner, but i still managed to run it at 550 most of the time. My wife is always cold, so we usually kept the house near 80 with no problem! Now if the price difference isn't a Major issue, I would possibly consider the Equinox. But i doubt you'll be sorry with a Mansfield unless you feed it a poor diet. As far as the Blaze King, I see nothing but good things on them as well.... their just so.... ugly

 

[Highbeam]

8" flue for the Equinox and BK king too. 2800 SF + MA location = biggest 6" flue stove you can find or move up to 8".

 

[fire_man]

Look don't be ridiculous,Stop dreaming even the Mansfield's manual will tell you it's not able to heat that much space so why should you or anyone else think it will.At least get the Equinox or a Blaze King King.

I heat 3000 sqft with my Mansfield - sole source of heat - 2000sqft down and 1000sqft up. Upstairs is cool - low 60's - but fine for sleeping. Cheers!

Yes that's the risk one takes.If it works for some it may not work for others.I would say yours is the exception not the rule according to Hearthstone.It's a better situation to go big more likely to get the job done.

He's not the only exception. I heat my 2400 sq/ft very well with my Mansfield. I'm only on my first year with it, so I had the Unseasoned wood blues of the newbie burner, but i still managed to run it at 550 most of the time. My wife is always cold, so we usually kept the house near 80 with no problem! Now if the price difference isn't a Major issue, I would possibly consider the Equinox. But i doubt you'll be sorry with a Mansfield unless you feed it a poor diet. As far as the Blaze King, I see nothing but good things on them as well.... their just so.... ugly

How can you call a stove ugly that only needs feeding a couple times per heating season, ignites new loads like a dream, can be snuffed down for shoulder season, and even has been reported to walk on water??? That sounds like a thing of beauty. Too bad I could not get one because my wife said they are too :red: ugly....