On my trip out east I did stop at the Woodstock Soapstone factory. Super busy there and some excellent people too.
I visited Woodstock on Saturday to help my X girlfriend secure an Absolute into her pick up. While there I couldn't pry the updated air control for my Progress out of their warm live hands. Since it was a Saturday no factory workers were there so I had a run of the place. A bunch of Progresses all made up as they were scattered about everywhere. All I could think of how many happy customers there will be in the near future.
Every so often I go back to the website to browse around and day dream, and I have a question I was wondering if anyone had thoughts on something. Unless I'm mistaken, I thought the Ideal Steel was the big brother to the Absolute Steel and all the the figures I can find on their spec sheets indicate the Ideal is bigger, has more output potential, longer burn time and weights a good bit more. But it costs less- Unless I'm mixed up and have it backwards, does anyone know why the prices would be like that? Just curious.
I suspect, in part, they aim to have a competitively priced stove in each category, and don’t view themselves as the competition. I’d guess assembly time is as important to cost as the materials are (I wouldn’t be surprised if the additional materials for the IS were a small difference in price). The PH has a ridiculous number of parts to stock and assemble as compared to the AS.
^^. This plus I would imagine also; the number of sales of AS vs. IS and it has to take longer manufacture time to put smaller parts in smaller stove
RGrant you are not alone my friend. I do this often, I was just on their website the other day after seeing Eckie post. I day dream and built out the stove I'd want and it's between the IS and the Progress Hybrid. Both similar specs in sq ft heating area, burn times, etc.. but IS had a tab bit bigger firebox but looks like the Progress is all cast iron and soapstone but I think you can line IS with soapstone. Bigger price tag for progress but we are dreaming here right? LOL!
ReelFaster You are right the I S is a steel box with a soapstone lining. The progress hybrid, is a cast and soapstone stove. When I bought mine five years ago I liked the looks of the progress much better. But the IS was about half the price