Woodstock Fireview

[Vic99]

I'm most likely going to upgrade my Homestead for next season. The Homestead is a good stove, but I'd like more for my house. As I've stated here before, I'm thinking Mansfield, Heritage, or Woodstock Fireview. I'd like to see a Fireview burn in action. Anyone live near me that would be willing to see a Fireview burning in Feb or March?

Obviously the pluses of that stove have been mentioned here often, but I have a couple of concerns. For example, I want to see the CAT in action. Some have mentioned that the fire is not very visible or prominent when the CAT is engaged. A large part of why I got a stove is to see a cool fire show most of the time. I'd also like to look at how the stove sits in the room and generally ask lots of other questions.

Please PM me if you are willing. I live near Lowell, MA (near NH-MA line).

Thanks.

 

[Chief Ryan]

If you live in Mass you should take a ride to the factory. There very helpful and willing to spend boat loads of time with you. You can see all of there stoves and products. You can talk to the guys who do the testing. It was a lot of fun.

When i was there they had a Keystone in the showroom that was not running at the time i was there but the test stove in the back was.

I was in Boston for the marathon and took a ride from there.

 

[Todd]

Here is a nice video of a low secondary burn of a honey brown Fireview. Too bad your so far away, your welcome here anytime.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/25765/P0/

 

[pinewoodburner]

Sorry that you are not closer but as one mentioned, you can go to the factory and see them in action and being built. As far as the fire, you can cut the air down so there is no fire, and the stove can cruize at 500-550. No visibale red coals or fire. To me that is strange. You can cut the air sypply up a little and have fire dancing at the top of the box but not on the wood. That is what my daughters like. Again, it looks cool because the fire is not coming from the wood, but just on the top of the inside of the box. Cut the air up more, and you will get a nice flaming inferno inside the stove.

 

[Bobbin]

Vic., this household is willing to help you out. How do I PM you? click on the little PM box under your profile area? I'm sorry, I know that is a really dumb question.

 

[Vic99]

Great, thanks.

Look at my Icon to the left of this text box. Under that it will say "profile" and "pm". Click on "pm" and follow the directions.

 

[Rich L]

I'm most likely going to upgrade my Homestead for next season. The Homestead is a good stove, but I'd like more for my house. As I've stated here before, I'm thinking Mansfield, Heritage, or Woodstock Fireview. I'd like to see a Fireview burn in action. Anyone live near me that would be willing to see a Fireview burning in Feb or March?

Obviously the pluses of that stove have been mentioned here often, but I have a couple of concerns. For example, I want to see the CAT in action. Some have mentioned that the fire is not very visible or prominent when the CAT is engaged. A large part of why I got a stove is to see a cool fire show most of the time. I'd also like to look at how the stove sits in the room and generally ask lots of other questions.

Please PM me if you are willing. I live near Lowell, MA (near NH-MA line).

Thanks.

Gee Vic I just sent mine back yesterday.I'm in Medford too.the Fireview is a beautiful stove.It was just too small for my home.It has a splendid view of the fire.If you want more heat and your house is large the Fireview may only do the job if your house is well insulated.Mine is very drafty so I went with a much larger stove.However the Mansfield is more powerful if you have a good draft put a pipe damper in.I'm getting about 12hrs.of usable heat with mine after adding a pipe damper.It also has has a good view of the fire.

 

[Highbeam]

"Upsizing" from the homestead will be disappointing if you only go to another small stove.

Homestead:

50,000 BTU/hr
1200 - 1800 sq. ft.
2.0 cu. ft.

Heritage:

55,000 BTU/hr
1300 - 1900 sq. ft.
2.3 cu. ft.

Mansfield:

80,000 BTU/hr
1800 - 2500 sq. ft.
3.2 cu. ft.

Fireview (largest woodstock made)

55000 btu/hr max
900-1600 SF
2.2-2.3? CF box

I don't really like the looks of the mansfield or the cost so if I was in your shoes I would be looking at something different like a BK, PE, or even a cast iron jotul or morso.

 

[markleyh]

I'm most likely going to upgrade my Homestead for next season. The Homestead is a good stove, but I'd like more for my house. As I've stated here before, I'm thinking Mansfield, Heritage, or Woodstock Fireview. I'd like to see a Fireview burn in action. Anyone live near me that would be willing to see a Fireview burning in Feb or March?

Obviously the pluses of that stove have been mentioned here often, but I have a couple of concerns. For example, I want to see the CAT in action. Some have mentioned that the fire is not very visible or prominent when the CAT is engaged. A large part of why I got a stove is to see a cool fire show most of the time. I'd also like to look at how the stove sits in the room and generally ask lots of other questions.

Please PM me if you are willing. I live near Lowell, MA (near NH-MA line).

Thanks.

Vic, I just installed a Fireview two weeks ago and we are really happy with it. We "upgraded" from a QuadraFire Cumberland Gap because we were not getting long enough heat output and because we could not control the fire. We have a 35 foot interior masonry chimney and the draft made the Cumbie overfire. You can't shut down the air intake completely on those non-cat stoves like Hearthstone and Quads.

The Fireview gives a beautiful secondary burn--even better than the Quad, which is known for the secondaries--the video that Todd posted does not do justice to the beauty of the colors or the softness and, well, sexiness of the lambent flames. I am seeing blue, purple and green in addition to the reds and yellows and whites. All these colors are from the flame photometry of the various trace elements in wood.

We are pretty close to you and I will PM you with directions.

herbert

 

[Jags]

I am seeing blue, purple and green in addition to the reds and yellows and whites.

Heeey maaan, you gonna share that wood, or keep it all to yourself? Sounds like its some good sheet, man. :lol:

 

[Todd]

I am seeing blue, purple and green in addition to the reds and yellows and whites.

Heeey maaan, you gonna share that wood, or keep it all to yourself? Sounds like its some good sheet, man. :lol:

Maybe it's not the wood? Flashback?

 

[Vic99]

Highbeam: “Upsizing” from the homestead will be disappointing if you only go to another small stove."

True. Part of what I'm hoping for is if I vent with a pipe out of the top of the stove AND go bigger, that will give me more heat into the living space. Maybe 3 feet up and 3 feet, turn at a right angle and go 3 feet into the chimney. I'm still not sure how much ~6 feet of stove pipe would and a 2.2 cubic feet firebox would help. If the fireview has a more complete combustion with a CAT, that may add some more living space heat as well.

I want to stick with the heating style and aesethics that soapstone provides. Can't afford a Tulikivi, so I'm looking at Hearthstone and Woodstock.

This is my thinking . . . as to whether it would add enough heat to the living space in a practical sense, I'm not sure.

I hear so many good things about Woodstock and customer service, I can't ignore looking into it. I also wonder if Woodstock underestimates the heating area in the same way that most other companies give living space heating numbers that are unrealistic for most. They seem to consider that you have optimal insulation and layout.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Vic, you are right. There are plenty of people with Fireview stoves and 2000 sq. ft. or more and are very happy.

As for the flame you want to enjoy. It is all with the setting of the draft and, naturally, the wood that you burn. Once you learn how to get that dancing flame, you'll really enjoy that show. When you go to bed at night and turn the draft way down, you may get up later and think the fire is out because you only see a glow at the top of the glass. If you bend down and look up at the top of the glass, you can then see the fiery red cat glowing nicely. But it is really weird not seeing any fire or even hot coals but you look and see the stove top temperature is 600 degrees. That is weird, but very nice.

I also agree, go up to Woodstock and see the whole thing and ask tons of questions. If there is a certain person you want to talk to, ask ahead of time to be sure that person will be there. Most are very good but I really like talking to Mike. I've also talked to a couple guys who build the stoves. They are very helpful and will bend over backwards to assist you in any way they can. But don't look for a lot of high pressure sales people. They are not, or was not when I bought mine.

Good luck to you.

 

[markleyh]

Vic, you are right. There are plenty of people with Fireview stoves and 2000 sq. ft. or more and are very happy.

As for the flame you want to enjoy. It is all with the setting of the draft and, naturally, the wood that you burn. Once you learn how to get that dancing flame, you'll really enjoy that show. When you go to bed at night and turn the draft way down, you may get up later and think the fire is out because you only see a glow at the top of the glass. If you bend down and look up at the top of the glass, you can then see the fiery red cat glowing nicely. But it is really weird not seeing any fire or even hot coals but you look and see the stove top temperature is 600 degrees. That is weird, but very nice.

I also agree, go up to Woodstock and see the whole thing and ask tons of questions. If there is a certain person you want to talk to, ask ahead of time to be sure that person will be there. Most are very good but I really like talking to Mike. I've also talked to a couple guys who build the stoves. They are very helpful and will bend over backwards to assist you in any way they can. But don't look for a lot of high pressure sales people. They are not, or was not when I bought mine.

Good luck to you.

Vic,

I totally second this. You can ask for Mike H. by name. He worked at the Vermont Castings plant for many years and now is a fixture on the other side of the Connecticut River in Lebanon for Woodstock. I haven't been able to stump him yet. He really knows about stoves especially the catalytic ones.

herbert

 

[Vic99]

Cool. We may do that.

 

[Chief Ryan]

Yep, Mike Hartigan is his name. Very nice guy. He'll spend a lot of time with you but call as ahead to make sure he's there.

Like Backwood said the Cat glows very nicely. The first time i saw it i got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and i thought my rug was on fire. The Cat was glowing so brightly it illuminated my rug bright red.

I also had special handles made up because my stove is in a fireplace about 2 inches. I asked if they could extend the damper handle and put a knob instead of a lever on the Cat handle. No Problem and no extra cost.

Great stove and a great company.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

And Chief has a beautiful installation also. Perhaps he might post it again or a link to it?

 

[Todd]

Vic,
I was in your shoes a few years ago when I upgraded from the Homestead to the Fireview. I don't think you can just go by the BTU numbers between these two stoves. The Fireview is a bigger stove, 475 lbs to 360 lbs and the firebox is a true 2cu ft, the Homestead is not. I have found the Fireview to be more efficient and do a much better job heating my 1800 sq ft. Your not going to be burning either stove at full bore to get those high numbers and the Fireview will put out a more constant even heat output. I've burnt through an average of 1 cord less per season of wood since the change, I doubt that would of happened with the Heritage or Mansfield. IMHO I think the Fireview is somewhere in between the Heritage and Mansfield in true heat output efficiency.

P.S. If you end up going to the factory try and get the full tour and see if you can pry the big secret of the upgrade out of them.

 

[Vic99]

I think I will go on the tour next weekend. Will be sure to report back.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Good luck on that tour Vic. Prepare yourself this week and make a list of all the questions you might have for them.

 

[markleyh]

I bought my Fireview without going to the factory, but I really miss not having been there. We are totally happy with it, but it would have been a cool thing to do. My friend drove up and picked up the stove and was very impressed.

One thing neat that you won't see on the website--they have a dog in just about every office! Goldens, black and yellow labs, etc.

Must be a cool place to work.

Ask for Mike Hartigan and give him my best...he only knows me as a voice on the phone.

Herbert

 

[Vic99]

Will do Herbert.

Really looking forward to this trip.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Vic, Mike will not be there this coming weekend. The two veterans who will be there is Lorin and Ron, so you should do fine.

 

[Chief Ryan]

And Chief has a beautiful installation also. Perhaps he might post it again or a link to it?

Shucks Backwoods :red: HERE YA GO

 

[Wet1]

"Upsizing" from the homestead will be disappointing if you only go to another small stove.

Homestead:

50,000 BTU/hr
1200 - 1800 sq. ft.
2.0 cu. ft.

Heritage:

55,000 BTU/hr
1300 - 1900 sq. ft.
2.3 cu. ft.

Mansfield:

80,000 BTU/hr
1800 - 2500 sq. ft.
3.2 cu. ft.

Fireview (largest woodstock made)

55000 btu/hr max
900-1600 SF
2.2-2.3? CF box

I don't really like the looks of the mansfield or the cost so if I was in your shoes I would be looking at something different like a BK, PE, or even a cast iron jotul or morso.

I too would be concerned that you might not be going big enough since you seem dissatisfied with the size of your current stove. I know you're big on the soapstone, but my guess is something like a BK Princess might be a better fit if performance is your main motivator for the change.