Just paid for the Mansfield, delivery in early March - Mansfield owners: any advice?

[NH_Wood]

Just took the plunge and bought a new Hearthstone Mansfield . Looking forward to the install on 12 March and hope to break in the stove during the last couple weeks of March and very early April. For you Mansfield owners (or other soapstone folks), I'd love any advice you might want to offer on the break in, and operation of the stove. Thanks in advance! Cheers!

 

[BrowningBAR]

Just took the plunge and bought a new Hearthstone Mansfield . Looking forward to the install on 12 March and hope to break in the stove during the last couple weeks of March and very early April. For you Mansfield owners (or other soapstone folks), I'd love any advice you might want to offer on the break in, and operation of the stove. Thanks in advance! Cheers!

Where did you buy it?

 

[NH_Wood]

Bought at Fireplace Village - Peterborough, NH.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Bought at Fireplace Village - Peterborough, NH.

Good chance I'll be burning a Mansfield next winter, also.

 

[thinkxingu]

NH, we had a couple small fires with just kindling to get the stove up to a couple hundred degrees, and then let it cool down between them--two nights. We then spent the next week increasing the speed at which we got up to temp.

The two biggest things I figured out:
1. When starting a fire, load the box up correctly and you can get a fairly long burn out of the first load instead of having to re-fuel after kindling dies down.
2. Closing the air after the load is going well will get the stove up to temp quicker and produce more meaningful heat.
3. For real heating (at least with our Homestead), we need to be around 450*. Lower will maintain, higher will heat.

We love our Hearthstone--best of luck with yours. And remember, without pics it didn't happen!

S

 

[NH_Wood]

1. When starting a fire, load the box up correctly and you can get a fairly long burn out of the first load instead of having to re-fuel after kindling dies down.

What do you mean by the above? How are you loading the box from a cold start?

 

[heatwise]

thats great news. you should be able to use it a bit before things warm up. i was very cautious on break in and made about 5-6 small fires at first. my understanding is that the stones hold moisture and these first fires dry them out, as well as curing enamel. i think you can look at the manual online from hearthstone site to read up on your stove. good luck , pete

 

[k3c4forlife]

1. When starting a fire, load the box up correctly and you can get a fairly long burn out of the first load instead of having to re-fuel after kindling dies down.

What do you mean by the above? How are you loading the box from a cold start?

Search for top down fires. They're as good as it gets.

 

[NH_Wood]

I've studies the manual forward and back (just for fun!). Yes - from my reading, it seems that the soapstones do need to have residual moisture driven from them during early, short, relatively cool fires, and the cast iron needs the same break in as for any cast iron stove. I've seen some youtube videos (produced by a Canadian government branch - not sure which). I'd like to give it a shot. I'm hoping for a really cold March this year (that's a first!)!

 

[ckdeuce]

I upgraded to a Mansfield at the begining of this heating season. We LOVE it! Here are a few things that we have found out:

1. We LOVE it Oh..... I said that already, but we really do. Coming from a steel stove, I will never go back!

2. Get an IR thermometer! ($29.99 at Autozone) Don't trust the Rutland stove top unit. I had been "Cruising at 450-500" and it was doing good. Bought an IR thermometer and found out that we were really cruising at 350-400. Now that I know the real temp, we are getting REAL heat. We bought it knowing that it would heat 2500 sq' at best, and my home is slightly over 3000 sq'. We bought it to reduce our heating bill, but we have only had to run the gas heat a few times (once or twice a week) if we are away for a long time. This stove has no buisness heating what I am asking it to do, but it does fine, and I hsve only been over 550 a few times.

3. Get it hot, and then shut it down. We can load at around 300 and shut it down at or before 400 and it will climb from there.

4. Don't be afraid of the 'SoapStone Worries" Somehow, someway this stove controls itself. I have never been over 600. It will climb.... make you scared...... more scared.... and just when you thing you are going to have to break out the fans, it calms down. Then it hangs there for hours! Great heat for a long time.

5. Let it run it's cycle..... Especially if you have wood that is not as seasoned as it should be. Get it up to temp, let it run, and when it drops below 450, increase the air, or just let it go for a while. If you reload to soon, you will find out that you will build up coals to quickly. Let her do her thing. If you have perfect wood, then this is a non issue..

6. Ash pan..... Gay as a French Horn.. Don't use it. You will try, and I know you will... But give up on it. I won't say it sucks, but it is not worth the effort. Sorry about the gay comment..... But it is gay'r than a cucumber sandwich. Trust me! Not that I am gay....

7. Stones will scratch.... So go easy if you use a stove top thermo. If you slide it on the stones, they will scratch. I have read that there are ways to take the scratches out, but I have never tried. I'm sure it's no big deal, just a heads up.

8. Load it as high as possible. As in full to the top. Don't be affraid. It will run best that way. Second air kicks in quicker and you can enjoy a cold beer quicker. I let her runs full for about 5 min, shift to 1/2 air and I shut it down before 10 min. Second air kicks in weak, but in 5min it is going crazy. Again, let the stove do the work if you have good wood. If you don't have good wood.... fine, but you will have to fuss with it more. It will still eat the wood as long as it is not green as grass.

9. Once it is in place, don't try to move it..................... Heavy

10. Enjoy!

 

[Bigg_Redd]

1. When starting a fire, load the box up correctly and you can get a fairly long burn out of the first load instead of having to re-fuel after kindling dies down.

What do you mean by the above? How are you loading the box from a cold start?

Search for top down fires. They're as good as it gets.

Especially if you don't mind waiting forever for your house to warm up.

 

[NH_Wood]

CKDeuce - thanks for the detailed post! I especially like hearing that you find the stove able to control its burn. I was worried about the possibility of loading the stove for its first overnight burn, falling asleep, and overfiring the stove - leading to cracked stones (discussed this a lot with the dealer). He said the same thing - hard to get the stove to overfire. So, although I'll still be real careful learning to control the burn, at least it seems that the stones are at least somewhat forgiving. Really can't wait fire her up!

 

[Highbeam]

6. Ash pan..... Gay as a French Horn.. Don't use it. You will try, and I know you will... But give up on it. I won't say it sucks, but it is not worth the effort. Sorry about the gay comment..... But it is gay'r than a cucumber sandwich. Trust me! Not that I am gay....

That was feaking hilarious. I'm sitting here chuckling about it still.

I have the little brother to the manny, the heritage and I agree with the whoel bit. Even the queer ashpan. It is very hard to overfire these larger stoves. TO do it you would need to fully load a piping hot stove and forget to close the air down.

 

[k3c4forlife]

1. When starting a fire, load the box up correctly and you can get a fairly long burn out of the first load instead of having to re-fuel after kindling dies down.

What do you mean by the above? How are you loading the box from a cold start?

Search for top down fires. They're as good as it gets.

Especially if you don't mind waiting forever for your house to warm up.

Once the fire has dropped down and bottom larger pieces are going pretty good I throw a few more splits on top. I just try to get a coal bed going without having to reload the fire. Gets the den hot really quick. Next week, when I install the Regency insert, gotta relearn my whole system...

 

[BrowningBAR]

It's official, I pick up my Mansfield in April!

I'll have 150,000 total BTUs available to me for next winter.

 

[Fsappo]

I light the Mansfield in my showroom just about every morning. I load the firebox stuff packed full with rounds and splits. I'll take 3 of those little fire starting squares and jam all three in between two logs towards the bottom. I light the firestarter, open the air, come back in 20-30 minutes and shut the air down. The fire goes all day and it takes me about 20 seconds to get it lit. I have also tried this starting the stove with the air shut down. It still worked fine. It took about an hour or so for the stove to really get going, and I'm sure I made a little creosote, but I wanted a fire that I wouldnt have to remember to shut down because we were already stacked with customers that morning. It's a very easy to use and forgiving stove. You'll enjoy the heck out of it without micro managing it or making teepee fires. It's the stove I use every day now because since I started, I never have to worry about kindling.

 

[cycloxer]

6. Ash pan.....

I just spit out my coffee.

Why are so many people bustin on stove ash pans? It's a freakin ash pan.

I want to start a poll: Best Ash pan Design

 

[ckdeuce]

6. Ash pan.....

I just spit out my coffee.

Why are so many people bustin on stove ash pans? It's a freakin ash pan.

I want to start a poll: Best Ash pan Design

Sorry bout the coffee man. I was just offering my thoughts.

 

[NH_Wood]

Thanks again for all the info! Congrats BrowningBAR - will be looking forward to exchanging Mansfield stories next winter! Franks - if I get the kind of burns you describe with the Mansfield, I'll be as happy as a cucumber sandwich......hmmm....that might've come out wrong.....

 

[BrowningBAR]

Thanks again for all the info! Congrats BrowningBAR - will be looking forward to exchanging Mansfield stories next winter! Franks - if I get the kind of burns you describe with the Mansfield, I'll be as happy as a cucumber sandwich......hmmm....that might've come out wrong.....

I will be in your neck of the woods. I am making a drive to New Hampshire for the Mansfield. For $1500 (BEFORE the tax break) a 5 hour drive is worth it!

And I like Cucumbers on my sandwiches... Should the wife be concerned?

 

[NH_Wood]

Give me the low-down on your deal! Where did you buy the unit and was there some kind of crazy sale????? Don't hold out on a brotha!
My wife handles the cucumbers in my house.......

 

[BrowningBAR]

Give me the low-down on your deal! Where did you buy the unit and was there some kind of crazy sale????? Don't hold out on a brotha!
My wife handles the cucumbers in my house.......

It is a slightly used Mansfield.

The short, short version:
The stove was owned by Mike who is the owner of Complete Heat in Nashua, NH.
Burned the stove in his home for one season and got little use out of it since he had another heat source that he enjoyed using (some sort of multi-fuel furnace).
He decided to sell it.
I talked with a few of the employees also and they seemed like good people and they all said the same thing (That the stove looks brand new and Mike hardly used it)
Awaiting some more detailed photos, but I've gotten good vibes from everyone and they will hold the stove until April, at which point I will pick up and pay for the stove.

This is also why my first post showed interest into where you bought the stove as I had not spoken with the stove owner, yet, and I was wondering if you somehow got to it first. I was prepared to buy a new stove, but this seemed too good to pass up. I did some basic research on Complete Heat and I did not see any negative reviews. All indications point to this being a fantastically good deal.

 

[NH_Wood]

I'd say good deal indeed! Congrats!

 

[ckdeuce]

Hold the Mayo boys........ At least until you light your first "Break-In" Fire!! Congrats!

 

[willmcb]

I have a mansfield in my living room and it is definately a beautiful stove. The mansfield is very durable but the heating advantages claimed by soapstone dealers are greatly exaggerated. If you are looking to heat a whole house with a stove and not so concerned with the room the stove is in being extremely hot, I advise going with cast iron or steel. Steel and cast iron have a greater capacity to radiate heat. The heat that is claimed to be absorbed by the soapstone goes up the chimney. Soapstone will stay warm longer but, Soapstone only radiates useful heat as long as the firebox is hot, and the same goes for steel or cast iron stoves. This disadvantage I see is not really so bad, especially if you have the stove in an area prone to become too hot. The mansfield is definately well crafted and I love it. I expect it to last a very long time. It is very simple and easy to operate.