soapstone stoves - heritage vs fireview

[mlydon]

I'm looking to replace my old insert with a hearth stove. I'm interested in soapstone, and the two contenders I see mentioned here a lot are the Hearthstone Heritage and the Woodstove Fireview.

The heritage seems nice, and I can lay eyes on one. Cons I've seen mentioned include poor latches, problems with the ashbox. It also seems to go for approx $3000, and I'll need to fight off the dealer who will want to charge me installation, tax, etc. Further, if you go to Hearthstone's website, and hit contact us, there are no phone numbers - they tell you to talk to the dealer.

The Fireview I can only order (but you CAN return them within 6 months) The Fireview is now roughly 2500 shipped. Cons seem to include complex operation - I just saw a thread where leaving the damper open accidentally caused 1000 degree + flu temps.....

Can I get comments? Anyone run both?

Thanks,

Matt

 

[Fsappo]

I'm always looking to buy things for my home via a dealer. I prefer to purchase from a local place that I can walk into and talk to a person face to face if I have questions. We sell Hearthstones in our showroom and I have dealt with the company off and on for over 25 years. They have excellent customer service and dealer support. If a client comes into our showroom, we of course need to charge sales tax but pushing installation shouldnt happen. Any stove dealer out there should be busy enough with installs where they would welcome a nice clean cash and carry deal. I have not had any complaints personally thru my firm in regards to the handles or the ash pan, but I have seen reports on those issues from other areas.

I did also sell the Fireview and the Palladium(?) 20 years ago or so and I always got the feeling that Woodstock prefered to go consumer direct. I always felt the stove was a good quality stove though and I dont get negative feedback from customers I meet who have one of those units.

 

[Slow1]

Obviously I have a bias but will try to keep it in check here

Cost - I expect that over the life of the stove that really won't make a huge difference. Both stoves should last 10+ years and as such $500 is at most $50/year difference which frankly shouldn't hurt too bad - then consider you get 30% of that back in tax rebate... so I wouldn't put a huge weight on that (although it is a nice thing of course, less up front money is always good).

Dealer vs direct - well, someone has to install it either way. I agree with Franks there, you should be able to tell the dealer "I just want the stove, here is the cash". However - think about the support of any issues or questions. Here I will tell you that Woodstock is extremely good. Best customer service experience I've had with any company in years. I have no reason to believe that they will go away - dealers to come and go, but given that WS has been there for a long time and are making an excellent product I don't see why they would disappear so I expect that support, if ever needed, to remain in place.

Stove quality - I can't really speak to any problems with the Heritage as frankly I expect the issues are few and far between. I always have thought of them as excellent quality stoves. I do know that the Fireview I have is quite a piece of quality work. Details of construction are nice - I don't see any excess sloppy cement etc. Having visited the factory I can see that the folks there take pride in their work. This is not to say other stove mfgrs are any less, I just don't know about them.

Complexity - This is where I will get a little bit defensive although I have not had the stove for very long. ANY stove if you leave the air open too long will result in an overfire and high flue temps. Yes, as others will verify, operating a CAT stove is slightly more complex than a non-cat stove. It has one more control lever on it and thus another step. However I can tell you now it is less complex than my previous VC non-cat stove! But to the comparison at hand it will be more complex, but will it be complex enough to cause you trouble? Somehow I doubt that is the case - bottom line I doubt that the Heritage is a "load the wood onto coals and walk away never to adjust the air or anything until next reload" perhaps it is - if so, I'll be corrected shortly by someone.

Now to the Cat - I think this is a difference that will make the most difference day in and day out. You will get amazing burn times and clean burns when dialed way down. I have only had the stove burning a few times (less than a dozen) and I can tell you it is incredible. I literally had coals after 21hrs the last time I burned yet no smoke for the burn - I had turned it way down since it got too hot in the house (shouldn't have burned that day.. too warm). The point being that I COULD turn it way down and extend the burn without smoke and result was a clean, loooong burn - not a sooted up chimney.

Both stoves are nice big rocks so will benefit from the thermal mass and thus keep the firebox hot. Both will also radiate out for hours after the burn and moderate the peaks of heating. Fireview will likely have fewer spikes in heat output just due to being able to dial down the air more and extend burns with the cat burning smoke off.

I don't know about the Heritage flue temps, but I will also comment that in operation the flue temps on the Fireview seem to be amazingly low. To me this translates into more heat staying in the house. Would be interesting if someone with a Heritage can post their flue temps - seems the FV will run 250-300 as a course of 'normal'.

Now to sit back and watch the fun

 

[3fordasho]

I'm looking to replace my old insert with a hearth stove. I'm interested in soapstone, and the two contenders I see mentioned here a lot are the Hearthstone Heritage and the Woodstove Fireview.

The heritage seems nice, and I can lay eyes on one. Cons I've seen mentioned include poor latches, problems with the ashbox. It also seems to go for approx $3000, and I'll need to fight off the dealer who will want to charge me installation, tax, etc. Further, if you go to Hearthstone's website, and hit contact us, there are no phone numbers - they tell you to talk to the dealer.

The Fireview I can only order (but you CAN return them within 6 months) The Fireview is now roughly 2500 shipped. Cons seem to include complex operation - I just saw a thread where leaving the damper open accidentally caused 1000 degree + flu temps.....

Can I get comments? Anyone run both?

Thanks,

Matt

Don't let my comments about the 1000F+ flue temps worry you. In normal operation (not bypass mode) with the cat engaged this is not possible. I believe many stoves with a full load of dry wood and a wide open air inlet will allow scary flue temps to develop if you let it. I could be wrong though....

 

[edthedawg]

I have a Heritage. I like it. I've read an awful lot about the Fireview and kinda wish I'd found out more about it early on.

Operations can be quirky with both - I'm inclined to say the Heritage is a little easier to run. I've had no handle or ashpan issues. Dennis loves the cat on his Fireview - I've got no basis for comparison.

I don't actually like the front glass / shape on the Fireview that much, to be honest. But for shorter cash on a stove w/ raving reviews, i'd be plenty inclined to go w/ it anyways

I'll say this - the only consistent dislike for soapstone in general comes from infrequent burners. you need really well-seasoned, dry wood and consistent burning to get the most out of the stone. Get it hot, keep it hot, let it heat you. Don't waste all your time and energy heating it.

Hope this helps

 

[Todd]

Both are great stoves but I'd give the nod to the Fireview because it will save you firewood and has greater control. Previously I owned a Homestead which is a tad smaller than the Heritage but I averaged 4 cords per year with it verses 3 cords with the Fireview. Over the years that can really add up. This cat stove is very easy to operate and maintain and customer service is second to none. It may be worth a road trip to Woodstock so you can lay your eyes on one and there are also many pictures in this sites gallery.

 

[Highbeam]

Slow1 did a great job. I own the heritage and agree with most everything he said.

Dealers are not important, they can be a great positive but a bad one is no big deal. The manufacturers are important and I have dealt directly with Hearthstone on all issues and never my dealer, who incidentally, went out of business which is why I got a great deal on my stove. If needed, you will be able to get in touch with Hearthstone and talk to actual people just as you can speak with woodstock folks.

The heritage latches are good in that you can touch them with your bare hands while the stove is hot and they do cinch down the gaskets very tightly. The latches are extremely functional. However, they feel dainty and small in your hand. I believe that neither the WS or HS latches are superior or a problem. Some other stoves in the hearthstone line(the homestead?) had some failure prone latches that are apparently different.

There are no problems with the HS ashbox. It is just useless. That is not unlike the WS ashbox which will get used the same amount.

The real difference between these stoves is cat vs. non-cat stoves. The very fact that you know what a flue temperature is tells me that you are capable of mastering the added complexity of a cat stove. The benefits to the cat far outweigh this learning curve.

Another difference that you hadn't mentioned is clearances with the WS requiring a much larger hearth due to the rear end construction methods. Your masonry hearth will help here.

Another difference is that the HS has a front AND side load door. The front door is much larger and offers a much bigger view of the nicer non-cat fire.

Another difference is wood size. You can run 21" wood in the HS vs. 16" in the WS, both manufacturer's numbers.

I am a new flue prober thermometer user and I can report that I easily run the flue up to 850 within 15 minutes of a cold start with the stove at full throttle. I've seen 900 but the stove seems to top out at 850 for a long time while the stone warms up. After intial startup my flue temps seem to hover in the 600 range until the later coaling stage where it runs back down to 450 or so which is the same as the stove top temp. The flue temps never seem to drop below the stove temp which makes sense I guess. This heat running up the flue is indeed wasted heat.

I burned 24/7 from Oct15 to June 15 last year and only burned 4.5 cords to heat a 1700 SF house in a mild climate. Our climate doesn't get especially cold but it stays cool for most of the year. For example, it was 43 this morning and will only get to the upper 50s today.

Having run 11.5 cords through my heritage I find that it operates exactly as promised by hearthstone. I don't regret my purchase. My next stove will have a cat for the burntimes. It's not about wood consumption or low emissions, it is the burn time. The ability to burn low and slow.

 

[mlydon]

Just to clarify the quality concern - I just this morning browsed approximately 20 heritage reviews and a like number of fireview. Almost every heritage review mentioned poor construction/design. Misaligned hinges, ash pan not worth being there, weak handles, weak grates/baffles, etc.

NONE of the Fireview ones had quality beefs.

 

[Slow1]

Have you called Woodstock to discuss your options? When I first called them and expressed concern about not being able to see the stove for myself they were going to try and find someone near me who was willing to show off their stove... I don't know if that is 'normal' practice or not, but you may want to make the call and just see what their response is.

Heck - if you don't want to go all the way up to NH, head on up to MA and take a look at mine.

 

[mlydon]

They didn't offer to find a nearby burner, but I did speak to them, and was pleased with the overall positive attitude, they are sending me the catalog, etc.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I'm looking to replace my old insert with a hearth stove. I'm interested in soapstone, and the two contenders I see mentioned here a lot are the Hearthstone Heritage and the Woodstove Fireview.

The heritage seems nice, and I can lay eyes on one. Cons I've seen mentioned include poor latches, problems with the ashbox. It also seems to go for approx $3000, and I'll need to fight off the dealer who will want to charge me installation, tax, etc. Further, if you go to Hearthstone's website, and hit contact us, there are no phone numbers - they tell you to talk to the dealer.

The Fireview I can only order (but you CAN return them within 6 months) The Fireview is now roughly 2500 shipped. Cons seem to include complex operation - I just saw a thread where leaving the damper open accidentally caused 1000 degree + flu temps.....

Can I get comments? Anyone run both?

Thanks,

Matt

Matt, you are looking at two very fine stoves. It also looks like you've done some good homework so far.

When we were looking for a new stove 2 years ago we also looked at the Hearthstone line and I have to admit they have some beautiful stoves. As you can see, we ended up with a Woodstock stove and could not be happier.

We too have found others that have bought Hearthstone stoves and most have had problems and complained of not getting much heat from them. We've also found a couple that love their stoves as do some on hearth.com. But the quality you get from Woodstock is hard to beat and I would not expect this stove to last only 10 years; I'd expect more like 30 years!

You would have to ask specifically about seeing an owner but realize that not everyone would be willing to accept a stranger in their home looking at their stove...and anything else. We lucked out and it turned out that we had done business with this family in the past! And all of their kids also owned Woodstock stoves.

You no doubt have seen a few of my posts so I'll just end with stating we are much warmer in our house since installing the Fireview and are burning only half the amount of wood we used to burn. Plus we have what we feel is the prettiest stove on the market.

Well, I should also add that if there are any problems, Woodstock is fast to make things right. They run a company like a company should be run!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Just want to add that there is only one way I would advise against this stove and that is if you plan on burning unseasoned wood, or should I say not properly seasoned wood. Moisture is a cats worst enemy. You could burn some partially seasoned but you'd have to leave the cat off for a much longer period of time which would mean just sending more heat up the chimney rather than keeping it in the home.

Also, on the hot flue. Ours usually runs around 300.

 

[mlydon]

QQ to the Fireview owners - can a FV be set up with outside air?

matt

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Yes, they can.

 

[Highbeam]

That is a nice stove Dennis, now about that phone line....

One thing about the stove ratings section. Woodstock has done very well in that section and should be proud. You've got to realize that all woodstock owners are mail order people with, dare I say, more of a DIY attitude than your typical mall girl. The Hearthstone stoves are mall stoves so you are likely to get more pretty girl owners. Add that the sheer volume of stoves sold by hearthstone dominates the sales from woodstock and a guy might conclude that there will be more complaints for the HS whether they are deserved or not. Mall girls are high maintenance you know.

The stove ratings section asks you for cons. When someone says to me, "what would you change about your stove?" well I can come up with some stuff that isn't a problem but more of an area for improvment. Just like you will see some woodstock owners wish that their stoves were larger.

Oh if I forgot to firmly vote to the original question. As a Heritage owner I would sell it and buy a fireview if I had the hearth for it. Not because the heritage is a dud but because the fireview has some superior qualities.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Highbeam, I'm surprised nobody had commented on that phone line before. It was not being used though.

On the bigger stove by Woodstock, I got word recently that they are definitely working on it.

 

[Highbeam]

Dare I say that that phone line must have been a .... hotline.

 

[wendell]

Really not much to add here but I agree with what has been posted regarding the Fireview. I am just finishing my third break in fire and am really impressed with the quality of the stove and the customer service I received. I replaced a soapstone Morso with this stove and was able to engage the cat for the first time today and can't believe how long the little bit of wood I had in there burned. I can't wait to see what it does with a full load.

With the rear heat shield your clearances are reduced but that also blocks the OAK hook up which I wouldn't use anyway.

The only things I would change about the stove would be a larger window and a more plain stove as I'm not big on the scroll work.

My decision came down to the Fireview and the Phoenix and although I like the looks of the Phoenix better, went with the Fireview due to never having heard a bad word about the stove or the company. I am happy with my decision.

 

[wendell]

If you haven't seen it make sure you check out my thread on my purchase of my Fireview. Might be something in there you find useful.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/41550/

 

[MacPB]

I originally ordered (down payment) a stove about 3-4 years ago and backed out because of the cost. I was not pressured at all to continue with the sale. Their product really sells itself. I wish I purchased it then because of the high oil prices two years ago.

I finally got a Fireview last September. It is by far the best company I have ever dealt with. I must have called them between 100-200 times within a few months after ordering and when I was first learning how to burn. The craftsmanship is top notch. Even their surface thermometer is the most accurate I have found, which tells me that they have good quality control on incoming materials.

Anyway, this is my first stove so I can't really compare to other stoves but here are some of the reasons I like it and why I bought it:

• Requires no electric (great in power failure)
• burns half the wood with the catalytic combustor
• beautifully crafted
• can cook on it (power failure)
• simple to operate once you get used to your particular install circumstances (weather, chimney draft, wood type)
• built to last for at least 20-30 years(except replacing catalytic combustor) judging by posts from people who still use the original stoves.
• simple mechanics (compare opening a hood on a pre-1980 auto versus a newer). The Fireview is built the way older cars were, but uses newer cat technology
• Nice view of fire (on startup but especially when flames kick in from combustor)
• Did I mention the best customer service
• Much more

The only regret I have is using wood that was not seasoned properly for at least a year last winter.

Mike

 

[Slow1]

With the rear heat shield your clearances are reduced but that also blocks the OAK hook up which I wouldn't use anyway.

General FYI - If you plan to install the OAK you simply order the OAK heatshield - it is a different part number. The downside of course is that if you do add the OAK later you have to replace the heatshield.

 

[CTburning]

I was faced with the same decision, hearthstone vs woodstock. I think the Heritage in blue is a better looking stove but the Fireview is a better fit. I am lucky that my neighboor has a Hearthstone and a friend of a friend has a Fireview. I was able to see and talk to both owners before making my decision. I was able to save a good $1k by buying the Fireview over the Heritage and because of the times, sealed the deal. Couldn't be happier. Good luck with your decision.

 

[firefighterjake]

I have to admit . . . while I love my Oslo . . . I also love the look of the soapstone stoves.

If I were to get a soapstone stove tomorrow I think I would have some serious questions to ask myself.

On one hand I'm like EdtheDawg and Wendell . . . I don't particularly care for the look of the Fireview with the glass shape and fancy metal work . . . I actually prefer the simpler lines and design of the Heritage. At the same time, I like the fact that the Heritage has both a front and side loading door . . . while I don't always use both of my doors to load wood, I do use both when cleaning the firebox and find it provides easier access for me.

On the flip side, Fireview offers a great price point, cat (with the longer burns), reputation for quality (I honestly can't recall any owner having any one issue or complaint about this stove other than some wishing it was bigger) and customer service . . . Hearthstone stoves on the other hand while certainly not junk have had some common issues with some models. In my own case, a couple dealers who carried this line and other lines said they liked the stove, but didn't think the baffle board was particularly well designed.

Perhaps the biggest difference between these two soapstone stoves however is the one thing already mentioned -- one is a cat and one is a secondary burn. There are pros- and cons- to both tech (and in fact there is a recent thread on this topic).

I guess in the end, the decision for me, and for you, would boil down to what is most important to you in a stove.

Complex Fireview? Nah, unless you rode the Short Bus to school anyone should be able to work the Fireview . . . from what I've read and seen, all this entails is switching one extra lever and knowing when to engage the cat . . . not much different from knowing when to start cutting back on the air with a secondary burner.

Overfire the Fireview? My take . . . any stove can be over-fired by anyone . . . all it takes is some inattention or lack of knowledge.

Dealers? A non-issue in my opinion. In my case, the dealer was not pushy at all . . . sold me a stove at a good price . . . didn't pressure me to have them install it or pressure me to buy more doo-dads to go with the stove. Heck, I'm the one who told him I wanted a rear heat shield . . . and when I asked about buying a blower, he suggested I save my money and wait to see if I needed one. If anything, my dealer has not been what I would have expected -- he has answered questions from me, sold me a quality stove, answered more questions and that's about it . . . it's been over a year and I have yet to stop back to the store simply because I haven't had to do so. If I do need a part, then I will most likely stop by . . . or go to another dealer . . . or order via the internet. Again, a non-issue.