Hearthstone Shelburne to heat 1,100 sq ft

[cycloxer]

Okay, so I just can't stand to look at my fireplace. It is an inefficient beast. My latest idea is to hearth mount a Hearthstone Shelburne. I originally ruled out this idea due to my mantel clearance. However, this has always been my favorite stove as I think it looks solid in matte black, has a 2 cu. ft. firebox, takes 20" splits, is designed like a battleship, and is built in Vermont. So, I e-mailed Hearthstone and inquired about the mantel clearance (which is not printed in their manual btw). They sent me an addendum which allows a 28" clearance. So, I will still require a mantel shield, but I can easily meet all of the clearances.

Does anyone have any input on this stove? I am comparing it with a Jotul F 400.

 

[begreen]

Like the F400, get it in blue-black enamel. In a year or two, you will be very glad you did.

 

[cycloxer]

Like the F400, get it in blue-black enamel. In a year or two, you will be very glad you did.

You know it is funny you should say that because I actually do not like the blue black color. My favorite color for a stove is matte black - especially when the stove is polished up to a dull shine with stove polish. If they offered a matte black powdercoat I would get that. The blueish tint turns me off. It reminds me of a WWI battleship.

 

[Fsappo]

Like the F400, get it in blue-black enamel. In a year or two, you will be very glad you did.

You know it is funny you should say that because I actually do not like the blue black color. My favorite color for a stove is matte black - especially when the stove is polished up to a dull shine with stove polish. If they offered a matte black powdercoat I would get that. The blueish tint turns me off. It reminds me of a WWI battleship.

The part to the blue/black on the Hearthstone or Jotul that folks like is the ease of maintanence. I've burned the F400 and the Shelburne. The F400 is nicer visually, glass stayed a little cleaner, glass was bigger, had a better handle assembly. The shelburne has the lifetime warranty that covers the glass/burn tubes and was for sure a stronger heater with a longer burn time. Both stoves should handle 1100 sf pretty well and get you close to an overnight burn. I was able to get the F400 to go 7 hours or so on average and the Shelburne to go 8-9 hours.

 

[cycloxer]

What about an F 600? I may have the opportunity to pick up one of these used for a great price. Is there such a thing as too big of a stove? It will fit and I can work around the clearances with a mantel shield.

 

[Fsappo]

There is a such thing as too big of a stove. How far into the fireplace will you be able to stick it? Too far in would make the side load feature wasted. I like oversizing stoves for my own use, but I run them hot , open the windows and doors which ends up wasting wood. I wouldnt go larger than the F500 for your size home, based on what I know so far

 

[cycloxer]

Yeah due to the depth of my fireplace, the side load door on the F500 & 600 wouldn't be very usable.

I think I have it narrowed down between the Jotul F 400 Castine and the Hearthstone Shelburne. They both fit fairly well, they seem sized about right, and I can pick them up for the same price. How do I decide between these two? What are the pros and cons of each? I want to buy a well built stove that will last for a long time.

 

[Bigtim774]

Both are good quality stoves that will last for a long time. I only have one problem with the Shelburne and all Hearthstones that is there door handle and latch system. For lack of better words it stinks.

 

[Fsappo]

Both are good quality stoves that will last for a long time. I only have one problem with the Shelburne and all Hearthstones that is there door handle and latch system. For lack of better words it stinks.

Aint gonna argue too hard with that one. I still love burning those stoves though, once you get used to the handles on the cast iron models

 

[cycloxer]

I just bought a Jotul Castine F 400. Jotul has made a name for itself in making the finest cast iron stoves out there. I wanted a cast iron stove, so Jotul was my choice. I also decided to go with this stove because of my local dealer. The guy was extremely knowledgable and helped me plan out the install. He also helped me compare different sizes of stoves (not all from Jotul) so that I could see what would fit best. He basically gave me as much information as I needed and then let me make the decision. It also helped that two of the guys who work there own F 400's. They could speak from personal experience as to the stove's capabilities. One had the flat black and one had the blue black. I went with the flat black because that color goes best with the decor in my house. I have a fair amount of black furniture and black wrought iron. The blue black had too much of a gray tint for my likes.

I also like the size of the firebox of the Jotul which measured about 20.5" x 13.5" x 11" or roughly 1.75 cu. ft. Perfect.

I'll return with pics once I complete the install and start smoking out the house.

 

[branchburner]

They both look pretty nice cropped in there. I would suggest getting the one that lets you bring it furthest out of the fireplace, if rear venting is possible for you (and maybe it won't be without a hearth extension).

EDIT - I posted a moment to late. Correction: I would get a Jotul!

 

[cycloxer]

Yeah I don't think I can go wrong with the Jotul. It is a tiny bit smaller than the Shelburne, but for my needs this is plenty of stove. It also fits and looks a bit better on my hearth. I have to go with a straight shot top vent. This will make cleaning a bit more difficult, but I should get a better draft. I clean my chimney myself anyway and it is a very straightforward 15' chimney with full access.

 

[Fsappo]

Great Job! You got yourself a nice stove and I'm glad you found a good dealer to work with. Enjoy it and supply pics when its installed

 

[firefighterjake]

What about an F 600? I may have the opportunity to pick up one of these used for a great price. Is there such a thing as too big of a stove? It will fit and I can work around the clearances with a mantel shield.

Yes . . . while I think it is a good idea to figure out one's needs and go a bit bigger, I also believe it is possible to get too large a stove that could potentially waste wood and produce too much heat too often.

 

[firefighterjake]

My own opinion . . . both are good brands. However, I also think that if you want soapstone the Hearthstone or Woodstock would be good . . . if you want cast iron the Jotuls offer some very good cast iron stoves.

 

[riverspots]

I'd go with Jotul just in case something ever did go wrong. It's got to have better customer service than Hearthstone which has none. Maybe Hearthstone will respond if they anticipate a sale but don't expect help if you have a problem.

 

[cycloxer]

Yup, good points. My dealer did mention that Jotul stands behind their product 100%. He basically said that if I have any sort of problem, they are going to take care of me. Nice to know. I spent a lot of time looking at the quality of the castings, the overall fit and finish of the stove, the build quality, and small design details like the door hinge and latch. There is no question in my mind that Jotul is the best in most of these areas. The Hearthstone was very close and I think their cast iron stoves are overlooked by many, but the overall build quality and design seemed to be a 1/2 notch below Jotul (though still better than most stoves out there).

 

[knotdodger]

I bought a Shelburne this year. I love the stove. It has not been to cold at night so far here in
Michigan. Around 30f to 45f. My house is a single floor , at 1400 sf. It is hard to keep it under
78 degree's. Two splits at a time. The stove looks nice. I only have one complaint, That is the
Ash Grate. It takes too long and is a pita to get the ashes in the pan. I just dont use it . I shovel
any ashes into my ash bucket.
I will know more come December or better yet January! If I had it to do all over. I wouldnt
change a thing. Of Course I am just a rookie........

 

[knotdodger]

I should have read the whole thread before posting....
I didnt see the first time thru that you bought a stove....

 

[cycloxer]

It was a tough choice. I liked both stoves and they each have their pros and cons. I almost flipped a coin. A local dealer made me a great deal on the Jotul Castine so I went with that one.

 

[knotdodger]

I had the same thing deciding between the same exact stoves...
Enjoy. Mine went in front of the fireplace also, I would never go
back to a fireplace ever. House is not drafty anymore. And plenty
warm.


Rob B.

 

[cycloxer]

Yeah it was important to me to find a good looking stove and I prefer the classic stove look. I liked both the Shelburne and the Castine in the matte black. I am actually going to polish my stove with stove polish to get that classic dull shine. I think it makes the stove look very classy. I wasn't a big fan of the enamel finishes and I am dubious as to the claims that the finish will last. I have a friend with a VC Defiant and his enamel is flaking off everywhere.

I considered an insert, but they were not a good value compared to a free standing stove, the blowers are noisy, and they don't throw much heat when the power goes out. So I passed on that plan pretty quick.

 

[begreen]

All finishes are not created equal. The blue-black finish on the Jotul or the Hearthstone is not the same as the VC stove. It has that soft shine but without the maintenance and burn-off smoke. And yes, it will last for years.

FWIW, we also have a 20+ yr old Jotul 602C in dark red enamel. There is hardly a nick on it.

 

[cycloxer]

If you saw my friend's stove, you would never buy a stove with enamel. You can't repair the finish. Regular black stove paint is easily repaired and polished. Show me a 20 year old blue black stove that has been used hard. I don't think the color has been out that long. I also thought the blue black color looked bad. It's not a true, deep black. It reminds me of a color you'd see on a WWI battleship. To each his own, but I wasn't impressed with the color, especially for another 350 bucks.