New Hearthstone Clydesdale 8492 Insert Review

[Scott from Akron]

We are enjoying the first true burn after breaking in our new 8492 series Hearthstone Clydesdale insert. I self installed the unit in our main floor living room (ranch home) which wasn't too bad. We love the looks and are enjoying the dancing flames. In our basement we've had a large Timberline stove since the early 80's (bought my parents home). It still functions great but the Clydesdale will be our go to unit now. Being able to see the flames in our living room is fantastic. We were initially looking at the Blaze King Sirocco insert but chose the Clydesdale for several reasons.

First, although I like the looks from a distance, I did not like the relatively thin sheet metal face and surround material of the Blaze King which that I felt may not stand up to accidental dings (I have 8 year old twins. You never know). When I saw it at the dealer I wondered if it was really all together but it was. The Clydesdale, on the other hand, has a very solid cast iron exterior and surround which I felt would stand up to just about anything and at most require touch up paint. I'm sure the Sirocco is a fine unit, but for $4k plus, I would have expected a more solid feel from Blaze King.

Secondly, while I liked the Blaze King's auto control function we really wanted to see dancing flames from a secondary air inlet system. I may be wrong but I don't believe the Sirocco had this and, once set low, would just glow as it sends everything through the cats. With the Hearthstone unit on low it still has dancing flames from the secondary air inlet before it sends the gases through the cat system. We wanted that effect and it does not disappoint.

Lastly, the Blaze King was flush mount only and liked the idea of being able to project the unit out into the room if I wanted. In the end, I did install it projected fully and like that look best. From what I've read here, it will heat the room better that way too.

All in all we're very satisfied with our purchase so far.

 

[begreen]

Thanks for the review. I think this is the first for the hybrid Clydesdale. It's a handsome heater. I'm glad to hear that it's working well for you. One unique aspect of this insert is that the body is cast iron instead of steel. Another nice feature is that the depth is adjustable from 12.75" to 16.6". The insert also has a configurable flue collar which is a nice detail.

 

[Scott from Akron]

Over a month of use and we are really enjoying the looks and heat from this unit.

 

[neohioheat]

@Scott from Akron I'm debating between a Lopi Evergreen and Hearthstone Clydesdale. Would you recommend the Clydesdale over the Evergreen? How long would you say your Clydesdale takes to get up to temperature in the morning? Also, are you using it for your primary heat source?

 

[Scott from Akron]

@Scott from Akron I'm debating between a Lopi Evergreen and Hearthstone Clydesdale. Would you recommend the Clydesdale over the Evergreen? How long would you say your Clydesdale takes to get up to temperature in the morning? Also, are you using it for your primary heat source?

While I have no experience using the Lopi, I'm really happy we got the Cyldesdale. We did look at the Lopi Evergreen and liked it's looks. I'd made a spreadsheet of 12 units that we liked, comparing sizing, features, and pricing, a tax credit info. The Evergreen was in the running because it would qualify for the tax credit and yet didn't have a CAT. Also, it could project out like the Clydesdale which is what we were looking for. One thing we didn't want a flush unit. What I didn't like was the hot air start feature, which seemed gimicky to me, and just another thing to break/repair/maintenance. It could be the best thing ever, but it was too new to tell. Also, the Clydesdale could hold a larger log than the Evergreen. 24" vs 20.5". We already had a large amount of wood seasoning that was a larger cut than the Evergreen could handle. My Clydesdale is putting out good heat within about 15 minutes in the morning, starting with a good bed of coals. It's still blowing warm air in the morning when I wake. Yes, we've been using it as our primary heat source. Looking at the chimney and not seeing any smoke is a nice, knowing we're getting way more heat per log than our old Timberline in the basement.

 

[neohioheat]

Is there anything to watch out for with the Clydesdale based on your experience so far? It seemed like the cleaning of the blower was a little more intensive compared to the Evergreen. Also the break in process for the unit also seemed a bit more involved.

That being said, I am leaning towards the Clydesdale so far because I prefer the look of it over the Evergreen and it has the tax credit whereas the higher up models from Lopi (Medium Flush) do not apply.

 

[Scott from Akron]

The break in was a simple process. Small fire at first, a complete cool down, and a few successively hotter ones with cool downs in between and it's seasoned. I bought a cheap laser thermometer that helped keep it in the range needed. The look of the insert was a major part of our decision as well.

It seems a few others here have had some minor issues with their new Clydesdales but mine was fine. One issue I read about was a missing plug/bolt under the top grate that was sent out later. Another was a filing touch up on the top grate which wasn't resprayed with paint. Some people have had an issue with the bypass getting stuck. The store I bought from told me to ensure the flue collar lock arms were oriented in a certain direction on install or it may catch the bypass mechanism. That may have been the issue.

As far as quality, I'm happy with mine. I'm in the electrical distribution world and we're seeing a lot more quality issues from major manufacturers. The labor issues is causing it and I wouldn't necessarily single out Hearthstone for having misses on their production line. I did, however, ask my dealer to open the crate and inspect my unit unit for any defects or missing parts before I took it. I didn't want to be the guy that ended up missing a crucial part, not being able to use it, waiting on a 4 month lead time or something. That's a real concern in today's supply chain. I'd do that with any stove today.

I never compared blower cleaning, but when I had it opened up it didn't seem like it would be too bad.

 

[neohioheat]

@Scott from Akron Thanks for the responses and helpful information. Have you cleaned the blower on yours yet?

 

[Scott from Akron]

@Scott from Akron Thanks for the responses and helpful information. Have you cleaned the blower on yours yet?

No I have not cleaned the blower yet. I've had to clean the inlet for that though. It's a thin length of mesh under the ash lip in the front. You need on of those small thin vacuum attachments to get to it properly.