Woodstock Progress or Ideal Steel Hybrid

[Joyboy]

Yes, such a wide range in burn times even in the same stove! I usually rate max burn time as down to the last red-hot coals that can be loaded with small splits and take off without needing kindling. For the last few years I've been burning only ash during the coldest part of winter. On zero degree days I may only get 6hr burns running it 600+ stovetop. I have however done a load of hand picked all square large splits of ash and packed them in tightly, turning down the air as soon as in the cat active range and scorched good and got almost 24 hrs (I think it was 22 but can't remember without my notes handy). With compressed wood bricks I've been able to pack in 84 pounds of wood and in full cat mode (black firebox, no visible flames) had a burn of almost 50 hours with a pile of red hot coals remaining and stainless steel center burner on top hoovering around 300F at the end after 2 days. Then again I just burned a 2/3rd load of spruce and got 3-4 hours lol. So you could say it has a burn time of half a day +/-400%

I just realized I am not sure if I have ever heard of the PH being able to burn in 'full cat' mode with no visible fire.

The really long burns need a good working cat. This year mine is not working well, seems to expire much before I thought it would. Still trying to find a large enough pot to do a vinegar boil to bring it back to life.

I was wrong. After 3 hours there were some light secondaries. Guess I wasn’t watching close enough for them. Wish my burn times were 3 times longer than I thought. Lol

 

[Gwynthie]

Actually I have the PH but would probably advise you to get the IS. The high BTU output of the PH is great and not hype but in your temps I think the IS is a better choice. I'm happy with my PH especially tonight because it's below 0 but if i was 30s 20s id rather have the longer burn time of the IS. I get a 10 hour overnight burn and I do two 7 hour burns in the day.

I noticed the you have your Progress woodstove in front of your fireplace. We have also have a Progress that we are getting ready to install in a similar location. Is your mantle wood or stone? Ours is wood and only 20" higher than the top of the stove, so we are planing on replacing it with something non combustible - brick or granite depending on price.

Do you have any trouble getting to the levers in the back of the stove or lifting the stove top? We are trying to determine how far out in front of the fireplace (brick) we will put the stove. Right now our plans call for 7" but we may push it back closer. The fireplace opening is just tall enough to allow the stove pipe to go directly back, although it is about 6" wider than the stove. Because of the height issue, there's no way the stove will fit into the opening, so the question is how much room would be good to leave between the brick and the top of the stove.

It's been so cold this week in MA I can't wait to get this stove installed!

 

[begreen]

I noticed the you have your Progress woodstove in front of your fireplace. We have also have a Progress that we are getting ready to install in a similar location. Is your mantle wood or stone? Ours is wood and only 20" higher than the top of the stove, so we are planing on replacing it with something non combustible - brick or granite depending on price.

Do you have any trouble getting to the levers in the back of the stove or lifting the stove top? We are trying to determine how far out in front of the fireplace (brick) we will put the stove. Right now our plans call for 7" but we may push it back closer. The fireplace opening is just tall enough to allow the stove pipe to go directly back, although it is about 6" wider than the stove. Because of the height issue, there's no way the stove will fit into the opening, so the question is how much room would be good to leave between the brick and the top of the stove.

It's been so cold this week in MA I can't wait to get this stove installed!

Congratulations. In some case a mantel shield can allow closer mantel clearance. Can you post a picture of the fireplace?

 

[georgepds]

Re" I just realized I am not sure if I have ever heard of the PH being able to burn in 'full cat' mode with no visible fire. "

I burn in that mode often... but if it is a full load the coals will give off an orange glow.


To burn that way, turn on the cat and lower the air intake

 

[Gwynthie]

Congratulations. In some case a mantel shield can allow closer mantel clearance. Can you post a picture of the fireplace?

Here's a photo of the fireplace as it is now.

Congratulations. In some case a mantel shield can allow closer mantel clearance. Can you post a picture of the fireplace?

Here's a picture of the fireplace with an outline of the stove placement and new hearth. We plan on removing the oak flooring under the new hearth and replace it with a layer of plywood and Micore so that it is level with the old hearth. Then we will cover both the old hearth and Micore with Durock and then new tiles.

The white mantle and skirt board are wood. We are thinking about removing them and replacing with granite or soapstone. I also want to do a German smear on the brick. We are planning on moving the furniture and putting some wood storage on either side of the fireplace. I'd like to do a wooden box that has cubbies and a seat, but am not sure about the side clearance to the stove. I think it should be alright if it's more shallow than the fireplace brick.


Love to hear any feedback about our plans or suggestions. I've had a myriad of questions. But right now I'm mostly concerned about how close we can get the stove to the fireplace opening, and still lift up the soapstone top and get to the levels on the back of the stove.


Here's a sketch. The red is the fireplace brick facade, the yellow the wood stove.

 

[toddnic]

The pH uses a weird shaped cat packed in with a weird gasket using a tool.

This IS NOT correct! There is no tool needed and no weird gasket.

 

[Highbeam]

This IS NOT correct! There is no tool needed and no weird gasket.

I’ve watched Woodstock’s maintenance video. There was this hokey gasket jammed in with a tool to hold the goofy shaped cat. Do they no longer use that gasket? It was like a rope.

 

[toddnic]

I’ve watched Woodstock’s maintenance video. There was this hokey gasket jammed in with a tool to hold the goofy shaped cat. Do they no longer use that gasket? It was like a rope.

The cat is just a long rectangular shape. Not goofy whatsoever. It slides directly into its slot on the top of the stove underneath the cooking surface. There is a rope gasket that goes around the top and the sides for a perfect seal. Very easy to deal with and takes me a few minutes to take out, clean, are reinsert. What video are you referring to? I might need to post a new one

 

[Highbeam]

The ph cat shape is goofy because it is unlike any other. Super long and skinny. That gasket has to be stuffed in with a tool. The video was on Woodstock’s excellent website.

I wish I could remove and replace my bk cat without having to buy a new gasket. The IS cat gasket just sits there with the cat on top. A far more normal looking cat btw!

 

[toddnic]

The ph cat shape is goofy because it is unlike any other. Super long and skinny. That gasket has to be stuffed in with a tool. The video was on Woodstock’s excellent website.

I wish I could remove and replace my bk cat without having to buy a new gasket. The IS cat gasket just sits there with the cat on top. A far more normal looking cat btw!

Have owned and operated the PH for 4 years now.... I can promise you, NO TOOL NEEDED!

 

[Highbeam]

Have owned and operated the PH for 4 years now.... I can promise you, NO TOOL NEEDED!

In the video Woodstock used a putty knife to stuff the rope in. I consider that a tool but whatever.

 

[209]

You are correct Highbeam...I don't know where I got the fireboxes were the same size..I also didn't realize the PH had a screwy cat location...armed with this new knowledge the IS would be my choice...when I was researching cat stoves it came down to the IS or BK Princess...I would still like to have one...lol

I also own a ph ,this is my six'th winter and the cat is very easy to clean and here is no need of a tool to place the rope gasket into place. It really could not be any easier to remove , clean and replace. I'm on my second cat, although the one that came with stove is still usable.

 

[Highbeam]

I also own a ph ,this is my six'th winter and the cat is very easy to clean and here is no need of a tool to place the rope gasket into place. It really could not be any easier to remove , clean and replace. I'm on my second cat, although the one that came with stove is still usable.

What? How do you stuff the rope gasket in without a tool? The maintenance video from Woodstock shows them using a tool. How else can you stuff it in tight?

It’s a goofy shaped cat (super long and skinny) but very easy to get to for maintenance.

 

[weatherguy]

What? How do you stuff the rope gasket in without a tool? The maintenance video from Woodstock shows them using a tool. How else can you stuff it in tight?

It’s a goofy shaped cat (super long and skinny) but very easy to get to for maintenance.

They show a tool but after doing once or twice I can do it with no tool. It' the same shape as my princess cat was but every time every time I removed it from my princess I had to regasket, don't have to with this one.
Enough with this silliness, Gwynthie mine is set in about 6 inches, I wanted it out as far as possible but still easy to get back to the tee when I clean and plenty of clearance to open the top and the side door. The pic is my avatar if you can see it.

 

[Highbeam]

Princess is 10x4. Ph is like 35x2! I exaggerate slightly. No problem though. The IS looks normal.

 

[weatherguy]

Princess is 10x4. Ph is like 35x2! I exaggerate slightly. No problem though. The IS looks normal.

 

[billb3]

What? How do you stuff the rope gasket in without a tool? The maintenance video from Woodstock shows them using a tool. How else can you stuff it in tight?

It’s a goofy shaped cat (super long and skinny) but very easy to get to for maintenance.

Not seeing a tool

 

[begreen]

The ph cat shape is goofy because it is unlike any other. Super long and skinny.

Long and skinny is not that uncommon. It's pretty similar in size and shape to the one in the FPX stoves and not that unsimilar to the VC cat.

 

[Highbeam]

Tha

Not seeing a tool

Not seeing a tool

New video, maybe even new cat design! Who knows. This thread is over a year old, but the video at the time showed the use of a putty knife style tool. It wasn't a big deal anyways compared to the BK type.

Good job to Woodstock for making videos like this. Those videos sell stoves and are so very helpful in the modern day of kids not wanting to read the huge manual which is often full of 500 required safety labels.

 

[Highbeam]

Long and skinny is not that uncommon. It's pretty similar in size and shape to the one in the FPX stoves and not that unsimilar to the VC cat.
View attachment 243274 View attachment 243275

Just watch the video. The table was full of normal shaped cats and then that oddball PH cat. The shape doesn’t seem to affect function since even that oddball cat produces excellent performance.

Fpx and vc do make make stoves with cats in them but they are not on the same level as the big two.

 

[begreen]

It has nothing to do with "same level" The FPX cat size is almost the same size as the PH. A long rectangular cat is not oddball. You are just used to one brand of stove cat. You do realize that Travis and VC sell a heckuva lot of cat stoves, right? Woodstock sales are pretty small in comparison.

 

[weatherguy]

I'm not sure why you think rectangular is odd shaped, square, round and rectangular are basic shapes of cats in the industry.

 

[Highbeam]

I'm not sure why you think rectangular is odd shaped, square, round and rectangular are basic shapes of cats in the industry.

Just the very long, skinny is odd. Look at all of the other Woodstock or bk cats. None are such an odd shape.

Sheesh. Get over it. I’m allowed to find it odd.

 

[weatherguy]

Just the very long, skinny is odd. Look at all of the other Woodstock or bk cats. None are such an odd shape.

Sheesh. Get over it. I’m allowed to find it odd.

You do, and we're allowed to find you odd

 

[Highbeam]

You do, and we're allowed to find you odd

I’m definitely odd. Thanks wg.