Many of you know that my love for Vermont Castings has waned during this past several months that I've been unfortunate enough to own a Non-CAT Defiant. Last night, after building a bed of coals from 5PM to 8PM: I started my ritual at 8PM and at 11:30. I got the wood charred and the stack up to 500, closed the damper, got the Everburn rumble and then the stall. I did this, as usual, many times between 8 and 11:30. Many, many times.
Finally at 11:30, I snapped. I turned to the Defiant, and defiantly said, "do whatever you want tonight dear, you are out of here". And, that is exactly what's going to happen.
Here in CT it is going to be in the 40's and 50's for the rest of the week. The Defiant is now cooling down...and this morning I went to Dean's Stove, in Plainville, CT. (I tell you this because for all who want to know, they are a fine outfit). I ordered a new Hearthstone Mansfield, liner, connector, etc. And, it is going in this Thursday. That's, That.
I don't have to tell all the Soapstone owners why. But, for others who may contemplate a change, the thing that finally sold me on the Soapstone is the extra time the stove will radiate heat after the fire is burning down. What this will mean to me is, from 4AM to 6AM when I reload, I'll still have heat; from 4PM to 6:30PM when we get in and reload, we will still have heat. Combine that with passive solar gain and say not to the OIL man!
I've had Vermont Castings products for over 20 years: the Old Vermont Castings Company. They were great, so were their products. This new company and the technology they are giving the woodstove community are not the same company I learned to care for. Consequently, I have wasted a $ignificant amount of money by going with their latest NON-CAT Everburn model which has a secodary burn mechanism that works intermittently and requires a significant amount of user time to tend it and make sure one is not generating a lot of creosote to coat their chimney and potentially burn their house down: you get it I am mad and done with Vermont Castings.
I still have their wonderful CAT Defiant in my basement; I will be selling that off to someone who wants one. And, CORIE, you can now have the Non CAT for $900.00 if you want to have your freight company pick it up.
As for Hearthstone, while I was filling out my purchase paperwork for the MANSFIELD, I watched Dean's start a fire in the Heritage. The tech there put 4 crumpled pieced of paper in and some cut up pallet wood, threw in a match with full open, closed the door and walked away. Within about 3 minutes the fire was roaring, within about 10 minutes he shut it down and the secondary burn engaged fully (and beautifully I might add). I watched this stack of pallet wood burn for about an hour while we filled out all the paper work, etc. The secondary burner, just kept on going, and going. As I was leaving, I walked by the stove, it was very toasty warm; lots of heat being radiated. And, the original wood, which was the equivalent of about 3 splits of oak, 3.5 inches, was still burning and in tact. (that is not coaled).
So, good by to you Vermont Castings, hello to you Hearthstone: and now maybe I'll be able to sleep knowing that my woodstove is burning safely, efficiently and without filling my stack with that black gooey creosote I fear so much!
Finally at 11:30, I snapped. I turned to the Defiant, and defiantly said, "do whatever you want tonight dear, you are out of here". And, that is exactly what's going to happen.
Here in CT it is going to be in the 40's and 50's for the rest of the week. The Defiant is now cooling down...and this morning I went to Dean's Stove, in Plainville, CT. (I tell you this because for all who want to know, they are a fine outfit). I ordered a new Hearthstone Mansfield, liner, connector, etc. And, it is going in this Thursday. That's, That.
I don't have to tell all the Soapstone owners why. But, for others who may contemplate a change, the thing that finally sold me on the Soapstone is the extra time the stove will radiate heat after the fire is burning down. What this will mean to me is, from 4AM to 6AM when I reload, I'll still have heat; from 4PM to 6:30PM when we get in and reload, we will still have heat. Combine that with passive solar gain and say not to the OIL man!
I've had Vermont Castings products for over 20 years: the Old Vermont Castings Company. They were great, so were their products. This new company and the technology they are giving the woodstove community are not the same company I learned to care for. Consequently, I have wasted a $ignificant amount of money by going with their latest NON-CAT Everburn model which has a secodary burn mechanism that works intermittently and requires a significant amount of user time to tend it and make sure one is not generating a lot of creosote to coat their chimney and potentially burn their house down: you get it I am mad and done with Vermont Castings.
I still have their wonderful CAT Defiant in my basement; I will be selling that off to someone who wants one. And, CORIE, you can now have the Non CAT for $900.00 if you want to have your freight company pick it up.
As for Hearthstone, while I was filling out my purchase paperwork for the MANSFIELD, I watched Dean's start a fire in the Heritage. The tech there put 4 crumpled pieced of paper in and some cut up pallet wood, threw in a match with full open, closed the door and walked away. Within about 3 minutes the fire was roaring, within about 10 minutes he shut it down and the secondary burn engaged fully (and beautifully I might add). I watched this stack of pallet wood burn for about an hour while we filled out all the paper work, etc. The secondary burner, just kept on going, and going. As I was leaving, I walked by the stove, it was very toasty warm; lots of heat being radiated. And, the original wood, which was the equivalent of about 3 splits of oak, 3.5 inches, was still burning and in tact. (that is not coaled).
So, good by to you Vermont Castings, hello to you Hearthstone: and now maybe I'll be able to sleep knowing that my woodstove is burning safely, efficiently and without filling my stack with that black gooey creosote I fear so much!
You will have more time to enjoy and less time pissing around with it.
