Hearthstone Wood Stoves

The Hearthstone craftsbury wood stove is what I call a smaller version of the Bennington. It comes with soapstone but what I like the most about this stove is the fact you can get it in 5 different finishes.  It burns at 40,000 BTU's which heats a home around 1300 sq ft.  The embossed cast iron wood stove burns at a 81% efficiency and emissions are 3.0 gm/hr.  Burn times are 7 hours and heat times are 9 hours.  Maximum long length is 17 inches and the firebox is rated at 1.5 cubic feet.

Hearthstone Equinox is a soapstone workhorse.  Not only does it look great it can heat a barn. Well, not actually but it can produce 120,000 BTU's or 3,500 sq ft.  Burn times are around 12 hours and it will continue to heat for another 4 hours.  It is rated at burning 78% efficiency and only 3.0 gm/hr of emissions.  Maximum log lengths is 25 inches inside a 4.0 cubic ft firebox.

The Hearthstone Mansfield is not as large at the Equinox but it's still big. At 80,000 BTU's it will heat an area as big as 2500 sq ft.  The burn time is a good 10 hours and the maximum heat time is 14 hours. The EPA rating of 2.8 gm/hr makes this a very efficient stove and the firebox is 3.2 cubic feet with a maximum log length of 21 inches.

Hearthstone Phoenix fits into the upper end of wood stove production. It incorporates both soapstone and cast iron which combines quick heat with long term heat.  It burns at 60,000 BTU's, warms a home in the 2000 sq ft range. It burns at a 75% efficiency rate and the emissions are a long 2.4 gm/hr.  Logs up to 21 inches long can fit inside the 2.2 cubic foot firebox.  Turn time to heat time is 8 hrs and 12 hours respectfully.

The Homestead has the lowest EPA rating at 1.9 gm/hr. 1800 sq ft is what this stove can heat at a rating of 50,000 BTU's.  Along with a low emissions rating this hearthstone stove has a very clean burn which is rated at 83.5% efficiency.  The maximum log length is is 21 inches and the firebox is 2.0 cubic feet.  The maximum burn time is 8 hours and the maximum heat time is 12 hours.

The Shelburne is a true cast iron wood stove.  Much like the Homestead it can heat a 1800 sq ft home, the burn times are identical as are the heat times.  BTU ratings are the same but the EPA rating of the Homestead is a little higher 2.1 gm/hr.  Still that little difference still makes it one of the more efficient wood burning stoves on the market today.  And the other difference between the Homestead and Shelburne is the efficiency rating which is 80% instead of the 83.5%.  The firebox in both models are the same as is the maximum length of log: 21 inches.

To me the Hearthstone Tribute is a smaller version of the Heritage pictured above. It will heat a home in the 1300 sq ft range with a maximum BTU rating of 36,000.  Burn time is not as long either and neither is the heat life which is 7 hr burn and 9 hr. heat.  The EPA rating is an excellent 2.9 gr/hr and the efficiency rating is again excellent at 83%.  16 inch logs fit into the 1.2 cubic foot firebox.

User comments found on the web:

• Soapstone is WONDERFUL. It really does hold the heat and radiate it to the room in a very gentle manner. Our stove isn't a Hearthstone, but the really intense heat you often feel standing next to a metal stove is not present with soapstone. Sure, it's warmer close to it, but it's not blasting heat. I doubt we'd have any other sort of stove ever again. It's that nice!

• We just purchased a Hearthstone Phoenix this year. Overall I like it, although there are issues that will need to be addressed. The door seal does not pass the dollar bill test and the ash pan latch doesn't seem to latch properly. But I like the Phoenix over the Heritage for it's more rounded lines and the cast iron front. The kids can sit in front of it in the morning to warm up while the stone heats up. The fire viewing is great! The only time the glass gets dirty is on very low burns, but cleans itself when burned hotter. I came from a cast iron, catalyst, Vermont Castings Encore. Soapstone is a far superiour heat. I would consider going back to cast iron, but I will never go back to a catalyst.

• Don't get too nervous about the bad reviews. Hearthstone is making their stoves at a torrid pace to keep up with demand this year. I got nervous too, but then decided for every complaint, there's probably 100 or so satisfied customers. Just check a few things on your stove before you fire it up for the first time.

• I have had two Hearthstone wood stoves. The first I purchased in 1987. It was almost identical to the Heritage except it had a side mounted ash pan door, a cast iron firebox, and a bi-metal thermostat for the air intake. I can't remember what it was called back then. It was prone to overfiring. After about seven years of use the cast iron firebox was burned out and the cast iron smoke baffle destroyed. I purchased parts to rebuild the firebox and smoke baffle only to have the same thing happen a few years later. The stove still worked but burn time decreased. I gave it to a friend of mine and bought a Heritage.