My Progress Hybrid is up and running!

[dpgoalie]

I fit this much wood into the Progress during the October Pig Roast.

I will take some pictures the next time I pack it and I'll use a tape measure or something to put the wood into perspective. We all have an opinion of what is large, small and medium. Heck, even my girlfriend has an opinion as to what is big wood and what is small wood. She can even tell you what wood lasts longer than other wood. She likes wood! She's not a fan of soft wood though......she likes it....... ah forget it!

fire_man, we spoke at the open house for some time just before you were getting ready to do your comparison to the Fireview. I was thankful that you did that. At that time I said to my girlfriend as you started loading your wood in "Gees, they grow small wood in Mass!." She elbowed me and said to leave Massachusetts alone. The 2 small Poplar splits I put in the stove were 20 inches long and about 1 inch thick. The 4 Oak pieces were 20 inches long and would have also filled that crate.

So maybe I should have called them large splits. But when I was loading that size wood in my non EPA stoves, it was definitely medium! This is my first EPA stove, so when I see wood the size of Fire_man's, I want to use it to pick stuff out from in between my teeth. I will see after this burning season if I should split my wood smaller in the future. My son and I hand split over 17 cords this summer. (4x4x8) White oak, Maple, Apple, White Birch, some Poplar and a bit of Walnut. If we would have split the wood the size of what's in that crate, we would still be splitting cause I can get 4 pieces of that wood out of one of the ones I put in the stove last night.

Since I'm new to EPA stoves and Cat stoves to boot, I'll be trying a bunch of things to discover what works for me......

dpgoalie: I remember that Pig Roast day fondly, loading those stoves with my Massachusetts splinters. Just for the record, I am originally from Upstate NY (lived in Albany and Rochester) where the splits are much larger. I used to split much larger, my Pre-EPA stove instructions said to load the biggest pieces that would fit. The Fireview instructions said that smaller splits were better since they light quicker and burn better - but its good to see you are having good luck with the big stuff.

Please keep the updates coming as you get used to the new stove, I can't wait to get mine.

I haven't decided as I have a whole winter to play with the stove, but I do think much of my wood will be overkill. But if I can get longer burn times out of the big stuff, I may keep it around. I will enjoy testing different size splits.

I'm glad your getting one. I know that you were undecided at the open house. It is great.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I fit this much wood into the Progress during the October Pig Roast.

I will take some pictures the next time I pack it and I'll use a tape measure or something to put the wood into perspective. We all have an opinion of what is large, small and medium. Heck, even my girlfriend has an opinion as to what is big wood and what is small wood. She can even tell you what wood lasts longer than other wood. She likes wood! She's not a fan of soft wood though......she likes it....... ah forget it!

fire_man, we spoke at the open house for some time just before you were getting ready to do your comparison to the Fireview. I was thankful that you did that. At that time I said to my girlfriend as you started loading your wood in "Gees, they grow small wood in Mass!." She elbowed me and said to leave Massachusetts alone. The 2 small Poplar splits I put in the stove were 20 inches long and about 1 inch thick. The 4 Oak pieces were 20 inches long and would have also filled that crate.

So maybe I should have called them large splits. But when I was loading that size wood in my non EPA stoves, it was definitely medium! This is my first EPA stove, so when I see wood the size of Fire_man's, I want to use it to pick stuff out from in between my teeth. I will see after this burning season if I should split my wood smaller in the future. My son and I hand split over 17 cords this summer. (4x4x8) White oak, Maple, Apple, White Birch, some Poplar and a bit of Walnut. If we would have split the wood the size of what's in that crate, we would still be splitting cause I can get 4 pieces of that wood out of one of the ones I put in the stove last night.

Since I'm new to EPA stoves and Cat stoves to boot, I'll be trying a bunch of things to discover what works for me......

In no way was I saying you were wrong. Just looking for clarity since this is a new stove and you are left with the burden of being the only one that has one on this forum.

I take it you had a Pre-EPA defiant with solid front doors? How does the heat compare between the two stoves at this point?

I didn't take any offense and I am happy to answer any and all questions that I can.

The Defiant was a 1975 and it was very, very leaky. I have a 2oo year old farm house (2,200 square feet) I burned about 8-9 cords (4x4x8) each winter. I can only compare the 2 at this point with 50 degree outside temps. With the Defiant, I would put in 2 medium (Which some may consider big) and on a very low damper, I would have to reload in 1.5 to 2 hours. With the PH, I put in 2 pieces of the same size wood and I don't have to put any more in for about 6-7 hours. So there really is no comparison between the two. The PH kicks its butt. Butt I am excited to see what happens in Late January. The Defiant running full speed heat my drafty home with no problem. But I needed a shovel to keep putting the wood to it. I want to see how the Progress heats this old house when the winds are whipping and it's below zero out.

I live your pain every winter. Nearly identical situation.

I am interested in hearing how the PH compares to the old Defiant. Even leaky, I can only assume that big bastard threw a lot of heat since I run the smaller Vigilant.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I fit this much wood into the Progress during the October Pig Roast.

I will take some pictures the next time I pack it and I'll use a tape measure or something to put the wood into perspective. We all have an opinion of what is large, small and medium. Heck, even my girlfriend has an opinion as to what is big wood and what is small wood. She can even tell you what wood lasts longer than other wood. She likes wood! She's not a fan of soft wood though......she likes it....... ah forget it!

fire_man, we spoke at the open house for some time just before you were getting ready to do your comparison to the Fireview. I was thankful that you did that. At that time I said to my girlfriend as you started loading your wood in "Gees, they grow small wood in Mass!." She elbowed me and said to leave Massachusetts alone. The 2 small Poplar splits I put in the stove were 20 inches long and about 1 inch thick. The 4 Oak pieces were 20 inches long and would have also filled that crate.

So maybe I should have called them large splits. But when I was loading that size wood in my non EPA stoves, it was definitely medium! This is my first EPA stove, so when I see wood the size of Fire_man's, I want to use it to pick stuff out from in between my teeth. I will see after this burning season if I should split my wood smaller in the future. My son and I hand split over 17 cords this summer. (4x4x8) White oak, Maple, Apple, White Birch, some Poplar and a bit of Walnut. If we would have split the wood the size of what's in that crate, we would still be splitting cause I can get 4 pieces of that wood out of one of the ones I put in the stove last night.

Since I'm new to EPA stoves and Cat stoves to boot, I'll be trying a bunch of things to discover what works for me......

dpgoalie: I remember that Pig Roast day fondly, loading those stoves with my Massachusetts splinters. Just for the record, I am originally from Upstate NY (lived in Albany and Rochester) where the splits are much larger. I used to split much larger, my Pre-EPA stove instructions said to load the biggest pieces that would fit. The Fireview instructions said that smaller splits were better since they light quicker and burn better - but its good to see you are having good luck with the big stuff.

Please keep the updates coming as you get used to the new stove, I can't wait to get mine.

I haven't decided as I have a whole winter to play with the stove, but I do think much of my wood will be overkill. But if I can get longer burn times out of the big stuff, I may keep it around. I will enjoy testing different size splits.

I'm glad your getting one. I know that you were undecided at the open house. It is great.

Yeah, I didn't realize you had a Pre-EPA Defiant at first. I can fit HUGE splits in the Vigilant. I can only assume the Defiant could fit, seemingly, an entire tree if you tried. Your 'medium' splits are probably quite large.

 

[firefighterjake]

So far this is the only stove that I can say has made me consider having an affair and leaving my beloved Oslo.

 

[nh_stovebuilder]

Dpgoalie- hi there. I'm glad you're stove is working out for you. As one of the people that worked on your stove (as well as many others), I wanted to let you know it was a true pleasure. And being the very 1st Progress Hybrid stove out the door, you have joined us in reaching a milestone in the industry. We were very excited trying to finish up the final touches. Thanks again!

 

[Todd]

Hey, what are you guys doing standing around? Get back to work and get those stoves out the door! :lol: Just kiddin, hope you guys took some time off to eat some turkey.

 

[nh_stovebuilder]

Hey, what are you guys doing standing around? Get back to work and get those stoves out the door! :lol: Just kiddin, hope you guys took some time off to eat some turkey.

We aren't just standing there. We actually making history! Hehehehe

That photo was taken on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. So ya see, with all the turkey we had eaten the day before, its no wonder we happened to be standing there....

 

[begreen]

Gotta be a whole lot of pride in turning out this new stove. Congratulations.

 

[nh_stovebuilder]

Pride is just one of the many feelings. It's been a long road, and a long wait. Both have been worth it though.

 

[begreen]

Yeah, you must feel like you've just run a marathon and then given birth. And now you need to work like crazy to fill orders. Well, I hope you have a home run here and can go fishing in spring.

Gotta ask. Is there a plan to replace the brass fitting on the front with something a bit more congruous with the style of the stove? A nice black ball fitting seems like it would be more in character with the stove.

 

[nh_stovebuilder]

I've not heard of any revisions such as that. The open house PH originally had a push-pull bypass system. It has since been swapped for a twist style system. As far as the brass handle being used, I do know it has been inscribed with the words "HOT BYPASS OPEN" AND " HOT BYPASS CLOSED" in their respective position. I'm not sure if that was a safety requirement to use the brass with words inscribed, or if that was just something that had been suggested. As time goes on, we may make some minor alterations as this is a new product line. I personally would like to see something differant with bypass handle as well as the door handle. But then again, I may just need to let it grow on me as I'm familiar with the looks of our other stove models.

 

[begreen]

Trust first instinct Vaughn. Brass is incongruous with the rest of the stove finish. They should at least use a stainless, nickel or aluminum (black anodized) to more closely match the stove's fit and finish.

 

[HollowHill]

Dpgoalie- hi there. I'm glad you're stove is working out for you. As one of the people that worked on your stove (as well as many others), I wanted to let you know it was a true pleasure. And being the very 1st Progress Hybrid stove out the door, you have joined us in reaching a milestone in the industry. We were very excited trying to finish up the final touches. Thanks again!

Thank you and all the others at Woodstock for all your efforts, they are very much appreciated. I am so looking forward to getting my stove. You should be very proud to bring such an innovative new addition to the wood burning world! It has been a real pleasure to deal with Woodstock

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Vaughn, good to see you posting again. Looks like a proud bunch there with that stove and yes, I recognize a few of you guys!

The handles are something I talked to Tom about and he led me to believe they would be looking at perhaps changing them and even suggested a few ideas. And there are still lots of folks waiting for their stoves!

 

[Jags]

SOOooo...when is Woodstock looking at building a 3.5 or 4.0 cuft version of this thing? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[fire_man]

Word has it they are working on a smaller-than-keystone stove. There is actually more demand for the wimpy stoves rather than Mega stoves from what I understand.

 

[Jags]

Word has it they are working on a smaller-than-keystone stove. There is actually more demand for the wimpy stoves rather than Mega stoves from what I understand.

Tell that to the Blaze King crowd.

 

[fishingpol]

Word has it they are working on a smaller-than-keystone stove. There is actually more demand for the wimpy stoves rather than Mega stoves from what I understand.

OOOH, I'd love one of those. Make it the size of an F3 or a little larger than a Hearthstone Tribute and I'm in. It would have to fit in my fireplace opening. Front load would be nice. Wimpy stove? aw, now that's mean Tony. ;-)

edit: Did I mention I need a 10 hour burn from it with a small firebox?

 

[Todd]

Why not just make a small, medium, and large stove in each style they have now?

 

[Jags]

Why not just make a small, medium, and large stove in each style they have now?

YES!

And by "Large" - I mean Large. I Wanna see a 4 cuft beast with this new setup.

 

[Todd]

Why not just make a small, medium, and large stove in each style they have now?

YES!

And by "Large" - I mean Large. I Wanna see a 4 cuft beast with this new setup.

Is Woodstock's masonry heater big enough? I don't know, if I needed a stove that large I think I'd look into their big masonry heater or an efficient wood furnace.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Why not just make a small, medium, and large stove in each style they have now?

YES!

And by "Large" - I mean Large. I Wanna see a 4 cuft beast with this new setup.

Is Woodstock's masonry heater big enough? I don't know, if I needed a stove that large I think I'd look into their big masonry heater or an efficient wood furnace.

I would rather have a stove than a Masonry heater or a wood furnace. Masonry heaters are just a little more expensive and require some support which would cost even more. And, even efficient wood furnaces seem to be less efficient than a wood stove and seems to get less burn times than a Blaze King. Unless I'm missing something.

 

[Jags]

Why not just make a small, medium, and large stove in each style they have now?

YES!

And by "Large" - I mean Large. I Wanna see a 4 cuft beast with this new setup.

Is Woodstock's masonry heater big enough? I don't know, if I needed a stove that large I think I'd look into their big masonry heater or an efficient wood furnace.

Nope - no reason for either. I got a 3 cuft stove now and it heats just fine. It simple does not have the fuel capacity I need between loads (I am often gone for 12 hrs at a time). AND a 300f stove top ain't gonna heat my house, I need 500+. A 4 cuft stove would be the perfect size. I like the blaze king king for the burn, but I just can't get past the 70's Earth stove design. Woodstock makes some purdy stoves - why not build a big one with this new tech. Its a no brainer and seems to go hand in hand with the dual smoke eaters.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Why not just make a small, medium, and large stove in each style they have now?

YES!

And by "Large" - I mean Large. I Wanna see a 4 cuft beast with this new setup.

Is Woodstock's masonry heater big enough? I don't know, if I needed a stove that large I think I'd look into their big masonry heater or an efficient wood furnace.

Nope - no reason for either. I got a 3 cuft stove now and it heats just fine. It simple does not have the fuel capacity I need between loads (I am often gone for 12 hrs at a time). AND a 300f stove top ain't gonna heat my house, I need 500+. A 4 cuft stove would be the perfect size. I like the blaze king king for the burn, but I just can't get past the 70's Earth stove design. Woodstock makes some purdy stoves - why not build a big one with this new tech. Its a no brainer and seems to go hand in hand with the dual smoke eaters.

I'm telling you, put the Blaze King size and system in a VC or a Woodstock design. That what I want.

 

[Battenkiller]

A 4 cuft stove would be the perfect size. I like the blaze king king for the burn, but I just can't get past the 70's Earth stove design. Woodstock makes some purdy stoves - why not build a big one with this new tech. Its a no brainer and seems to go hand in hand with the dual smoke eaters.

We hinted at that before on some thread, and the humorous Woodstock response indicated that it may be a cold day in Hades before they went that route. Lack of demand for a $4K+ stove may be part of that decision? The only advantage I can see with a stove that big is in the increased burn time that you want. But after reading about and actually watching this stove run in person, I wouldn't worry about being away from it for 12 hours. I suspect you will come back to a very warm stove.