Mansfield vs. Heritage?

[emt1581]

I've been doing my homework for the past week or two since coming here. We've looked at a few dozen different stoves and these are the two we're down to. Obviously there are differences between the two (I have their pamplet right in front of me). But what I'm wondering, from those who have experience with either is how you like it? Complaints?

The space we're looking to heat is around 1600sq.ft. but I know that sq.ft. ratings don't mean much from the stove companies. I also learned that layout, location of stove, etc. makes a difference. But all things being equal...what do you think of them?

Thanks!

-Emt1581

 

[Rich L]

I've been doing my homework for the past week or two since coming here. We've looked at a few dozen different stoves and these are the two we're down to. Obviously there are differences between the two (I have their pamplet right in front of me). But what I'm wondering, from those who have experience with either is how you like it? Complaints?

The space we're looking to heat is around 1600sq.ft. but I know that sq.ft. ratings don't mean much from the stove companies. I also learned that layout, location of stove, etc. makes a difference. But all things being equal...what do you think of them?

Thanks!

-Emt1581

Go with the Mansfield it's the better heater.A friend of mine didn't listen to me and went with the Heritage which turned out to be too small for his needs.Oh well !

 

[yanksforever]

Mansfield is the bomb!!

 

[BrowningBAR]

I've been doing my homework for the past week or two since coming here. We've looked at a few dozen different stoves and these are the two we're down to. Obviously there are differences between the two (I have their pamplet right in front of me). But what I'm wondering, from those who have experience with either is how you like it? Complaints?

The space we're looking to heat is around 1600sq.ft. but I know that sq.ft. ratings don't mean much from the stove companies. I also learned that layout, location of stove, etc. makes a difference. But all things being equal...what do you think of them?

Thanks!

-Emt1581

I'm always a fan of going bigger.

If you think the Mansfield will work for your layout, go for it. At 80k BTUs it should heat the hell out of 1600 sq ft.

 

[BrotherBart]

If you think the Mansfield will work for your layout, go for it. At 80k BTUs it should heat the hell out of 1600 sq ft.

And make a great spare bedroom in the Summer.

 

[BrowningBAR]

If you think the Mansfield will work for your layout, go for it. At 80k BTUs it should heat the hell out of 1600 sq ft.

And make a great spare bedroom in the Summer.

Easily converts to a 2 car garage in the summer.

 

[BrotherBart]

If you think the Mansfield will work for your layout, go for it. At 80k BTUs it should heat the hell out of 1600 sq ft.

And make a great spare bedroom in the Summer.

Easily converts to a 2 car garage in the summer.

But we are installing in a formal living room here. No tire tracks allowed.

 

[fossil]

And we're really not yet quite sure exactly where or how this thing is going to be piped up...nobody wants to go on the roof and figure out how the house was built so that we can figure out how to put a woodburner in there. :smirk:

 

[BrotherBart]

The stove should go in the basement. It is obviously where they will spend the most time. When we built this house it just had to have a formal living room and dining room. There have been exactly three people that have sat down in that living room in 28 years. And a dinner served in that dining room twice. They are shrines to my wife's grandmother's gorgeous antique furniture. And Ruth died at 103 in 1998. In a nice modern apartment and never asked anything about where the stuff was.

Put the stove where you are going to live. In that nice looking basement. Some heat will go upstairs and the prime mover will pick up the slack.

 

[begreen]

If you think the Mansfield will work for your layout, go for it. At 80k BTUs it should heat the hell out of 1600 sq ft.

And make a great spare bedroom in the Summer.

Easily converts to a 2 car garage in the summer.

But we are installing in a formal living room here. No tire tracks allowed.

Make that beer cooler. The living room ain't near formal yet.

 

[fossil]

I have a really good old friend...like from about 1962, or so. USMC Nam vet with a Purple heart. Anyway, when we were teenagers, he lived in Berkeley CA with his folks. Dad was a Psychiatrist, mom needed one. Their living room was impeccably decorated and furnished, and the carpet was absolutely snow white. I was never allowed to set foot in that room...only to gaze upon it from the tiled foyer.

 

[emt1581]

I've been doing my homework for the past week or two since coming here. We've looked at a few dozen different stoves and these are the two we're down to. Obviously there are differences between the two (I have their pamplet right in front of me). But what I'm wondering, from those who have experience with either is how you like it? Complaints?

The space we're looking to heat is around 1600sq.ft. but I know that sq.ft. ratings don't mean much from the stove companies. I also learned that layout, location of stove, etc. makes a difference. But all things being equal...what do you think of them?

Thanks!

-Emt1581

I'm always a fan of going bigger.

If you think the Mansfield will work for your layout, go for it. At 80k BTUs it should heat the hell out of 1600 sq ft.

Right. I can always do things to make the house cooler in the winter time (open a door, feed less wood, etc.)... the reverse isn't as easily done....cheaply.

Thanks!

-Emt1581

 

[emt1581]

The stove should go in the basement. It is obviously where they will spend the most time. When we built this house it just had to have a formal living room and dining room. There have been exactly three people that have sat down in that living room in 28 years. And a dinner served in that dining room twice. They are shrines to my wife's grandmother's gorgeous antique furniture. And Ruth died at 103 in 1998. In a nice modern apartment and never asked anything about where the stuff was.

Put the stove where you are going to live. In that nice looking basement. Some heat will go upstairs and the prime mover will pick up the slack.

Ya know what...you might be right. And growing up I WAS the kid Fossil talked about... I probably sat in my parent's living room 2 or 3 times in the years I lived with them. However, at this point we're really not planning on using the basement as a family room. The good thing is I plan to wait a month or two to order (this house needs to be sold first)... so we'll find out who's right. If you turn out to be right, I'll admit I was wrong.
In terms of the stove we're installing it for a supplemental heating source so we don't waste $150-$200 a month on electricity. So even if we don't spend much time in the living room, so long as it heats the place up...what does it matter?

-Emt1581

 

[emt1581]

And we're really not yet quite sure exactly where

I know where we WANT it...the living room




or how this thing is going to be piped up

I know how I'd WANT it but with the Heritage we don't have the option to laterally pipe it right into the wall. We'll have to put an elbow on it and then pipe it into the wall. Not sure if that's what you meant by "piped up"

...nobody wants to go on the roof and figure out how the house was built so that we can figure out how to put a woodburner in there :smirk:

I have said SEVERAL times (and twice today!) that either I, my roofing buddy, or a sweep need to do just that.

Any experience with either stove?

Thanks!

-Emt1581

 

[summit]

mansfield: straight in fuel loading is the best.

 

[BrowningBAR]

In terms of the stove we're installing it for a supplemental heating source so we don't waste $150-$200 a month on electricity. So even if we don't spend much time in the living room, so long as it heats the place up...what does it matter?

-Emt1581

Wait, what? Good hell, man, the Mansfield would be complete overkill as a supplemental heating source. That SOB should be able to cook you out of that 1600 sq ft house. If you are just using it to kind of cut down on heating costs and not as the primary source of heat, just go with the Heritage and save a few bucks.

 

[emt1581]

Wait, what? Good hell, man, the Mansfield would be complete overkill as a supplemental heating source. That SOB should be able to cook you out of that 1600 sq ft house. If you are just using it to kind of cut down on heating costs and not as the primary source of heat, just go with the Heritage and save a few bucks.

Wait...that's not what I meant. I meant that I wanted to use this INSTEAD of having to turn on the cable heat in the ceilings and run the electric bill up. Poor word choice on my part!

This is why I want it in my living room despite the fact that we probably won't spend a huge amount of time in there, because it'll heat the downstairs real nice and the upstairs well enough. At least that is my hope.

Thanks!

-Emt1581

 

[Highbeam]

Be sure and consider which stove is owned by each of the commenters, we are a biased bunch. I own a heritage in 1700 SF with a LONG burn season, about mid September to mid June. I've shoved about 17 cords through my heritage in 3 years and it performs exactly as advertised.

The heritage is actually a superior stove. It has a second side loading door for straight in loading, a bigger glass window for viewing, and the optional rear flue exit. It is also far more attractive than the mansfield. What the Mansfield lacks in features and aesthetics it almost makes up for in size, that is, if you need the size. 1600 SF of well insulated home does not need a mansfield but as you say you can always open a window.

You've got some baggage from your previous threads that I haven't taken part in. I would highly recommend that you place a radiant stove such as a stone stove in the same room that you will spend the majority of your time. These stoves send heat to your body via radiation like the sun so setting your stove in another room is like sitting in the shade when you want to be warmed by the sun. The blower option on these stoves is a joke.

 

[Fsappo]

Having burned both extensively, I would go with the Mansfield, hands down. Stop shopping and go buy it now.

 

[emt1581]

Be sure and consider which stove is owned by each of the commenters, we are a biased bunch. I own a heritage in 1700 SF with a LONG burn season, about mid September to mid June. I've shoved about 17 cords through my heritage in 3 years and it performs exactly as advertised.

The heritage is actually a superior stove. It has a second side loading door for straight in loading, a bigger glass window for viewing, and the optional rear flue exit. It is also far more attractive than the mansfield. What the Mansfield lacks in features and aesthetics it almost makes up for in size, that is, if you need the size. 1600 SF of well insulated home does not need a mansfield but as you say you can always open a window.

You've got some baggage from your previous threads that I haven't taken part in. I would highly recommend that you place a radiant stove such as a stone stove in the same room that you will spend the majority of your time. These stoves send heat to your body via radiation like the sun so setting your stove in another room is like sitting in the shade when you want to be warmed by the sun. The blower option on these stoves is a joke.

I'm not sure what style of home you live in but if you have an upstairs I'm curious how hot it gets up there? Do you have to use any other heat source?

Thanks!

-Emt1581

 

[Highbeam]

The heritage is rated to heat, what, 1900 SF? It's plenty big for 1600. I live in a long skinny rambler built in 1963 with a central stove location. As in ALL installations the stove room is hotter than the rest of the house. This is great since the bedrooms are at the extremities of the home and they remain up to 10 degrees cooler than the stove room. The heritage is 2.4 CF of stove which is squarely in the mid size stove range and very suitable for primary heating. Consider that the heritage is larger than many other stoves also suited to primary heating like all of the woodstock line. I do not use any other source of heat. We have a long but fairly mild heating season. Some single digit temps but mostly hovers around 35 all winter. My old home has R-5 insulation in the walls, 1.5" thick batts.

Wood heat is not central heat. You will not have a consistent temp room to room. This is why you want to put the stove in the living space so that you can enjoy the high heat of that room and retreat to the bedrooms at night where you will be greeted by slightly cooler temps and a nice cozy bed.

 

[emt1581]

The heritage is rated to heat, what, 1900 SF? It's plenty big for 1600. I live in a long skinny rambler built in 1963 with a central stove location. As in ALL installations the stove room is hotter than the rest of the house. This is great since the bedrooms are at the extremities of the home and they remain up to 10 degrees cooler than the stove room. The heritage is 2.4 CF of stove which is squarely in the mid size stove range and very suitable for primary heating. Consider that the heritage is larger than many other stoves also suited to primary heating like all of the woodstock line. I do not use any other source of heat. We have a long but fairly mild heating season. Some single digit temps but mostly hovers around 35 all winter. My old home has R-5 insulation in the walls, 1.5" thick batts.

Wood heat is not central heat. You will not have a consistent temp room to room. This is why you want to put the stove in the living space so that you can enjoy the high heat of that room and retreat to the bedrooms at night where you will be greeted by slightly cooler temps and a nice cozy bed.

A rambler...from your description it sounds like a rancher.

See this stove will be placed in the same room as the upstairs stair case. And for the heat to get to our bedroom it would have to go down a 15-20' hallway. I'm just curious to know if the heat would actually make it that far without help. Or since it is radiant heat, would it effectively permeate through the ceiling/floor to heat the upstairs? Again, these are things I don't think anyone can answer here...more of a trail/error thing.

Thanks for the info!

-Emt1581

 

[Highbeam]

In your part of the country they may be called ranchers but we don't have those here. Single story homes are called ramblers. Don't know why, maybe we drove Nash cars.

Heat will easily travel down a 15-20 foot hallway, however, the hallway and the rooms at the end will not be the same temperature as the stove room. When it was 6 degrees outside this winter the bedrooms at the end of my 20 foot hallway were 65. No part of your home will be as hot as the stove room. This is not central heat.

 

[emt1581]

In your part of the country they may be called ranchers but we don't have those here. Single story homes are called ramblers. Don't know why, maybe we drove Nash cars.

Heat will easily travel down a 15-20 foot hallway, however, the hallway and the rooms at the end will not be the same temperature as the stove room. When it was 6 degrees outside this winter the bedrooms at the end of my 20 foot hallway were 65. No part of your home will be as hot as the stove room. This is not central heat.

Good to know.

It's splitting hairs at this point but I'm wondering if the Mansfield would kick that number up to 70-75? But again, just because you had one result doesn't mean I'll get the same. Since I have a room to go across, a staircase, AND a hallway, that's going to give me a different result from you with a longer hallway and a different layout.

The Heritage really should be sufficient, but I'm thinking the Mansfield will remove all doubt in terms of being sufficient.

See there's obvious pros and cons to each... the Mansfield would be overkill in terms of heat, but it costs a little more and it would also need an elbow of stove-pipe on top whereas the Heritage is slightly cheaper, is rated to heat somewhat less space, but would conceal the stove-pipe.

Decisions decisions

At least I know either way I'm getting good quality and will be warm if the power goes out!!

Thanks!

-Emt1581