Soap Stone vs Steel Stoves my observations

I am not looking to start a debate. Though I suspect there are some deep rooted opinions on the which one is the better stove.

• The main pro from our old Soap Stone II was that the heat seemed to radiate further on the first and second floor. (Our house is old with a floor plan that is not open and smaller rooms.) Where the steel stove does not seem to radiate as far. Better for the single room or a large open floor plan.
• The soap stone didn't run at as high temps as the steel stove. It was a more moderate level that was comfortable. The steel stove needs to run at higher temps in order to get heat pushed out beyond our living room.
• Both stoves had/have about an 8-10 hour burn time. The difference I've found is that I can't overload the steel stove without it taking off. Where the soap stone didn't have that problem.
• The soap stone took a longtime on a cold morning or day to get warmed up. Where the steel stove warms up much faster.
• The steel stove burns the secondaries where the soap stone didn't to my knowledge.
• The soap stone had a much smaller firebox to fill with wood than our steel stove. (I know this has to do with model selection.)

I think that our current steel stove burns more efficiently with the newer technology built into it. Though I cannot speak to whether newer soap stones also burn off the secondaries. I imagine they do. Even at a higher price point than a steel stove, I must say that I personally believe that a soap stone is the way I wish I had gone. Unfortunately at this point, I am not in a position to dole out $4000+ to get a new soap stone to replace this steel stove. For the time being it is what it is.


Looking forward to reading others personal experience between the two.


Jason from RI

 

Yup that about sums it up, I've had One steel stove (VC Resolute) and Three soapstone stoves (Fireview, Palladian and Progress).

As far as it taking off when overloading, I think that has more to do with how controllable is the air inlet. I have never seen any of our WS stoves take off even when fully loaded with super dry Cotton Wood.

 

Interesting...3 sizes of soapstone stoves you’ve had.
All in the same house?
If so, how many square feet?
Which size worked the best?
Which size do you like the best?
Which stove did you like the best?

 

Yes all in the same house 2300 sf. 2 stories

The Progress replaced the Fireview as the primary heater and heats the house 80% of the time. I fire up the Palladian on the super cold 10F days to keep the entire house comfy.

I like the Progress best for fantastic 12 hour burn times and amazing heat output (I use to have to get up in the middle of a really cold night to reload the FV because I was burning it too hard to keep up)

I like the Palladian best for the mezmorizing magical looking secondaries that are so relaxing and I love the looks of that stove the most.
I will never own a stove without an ashpan again which is why I sold the FV and made the Palladian the secondary stove instead of using the FV as secondary.

Sadly we may be moving in a year or two after finally getting the most perfect Woodstove setup

 

I would like to see a video of the Palladian secondary’s as well as the Progress.

 

Well I can get a picture of the Progress tomorrow night (tonight's flame show already ended) but the Palladian might not get lit for a little while longer.
Both stoves don't usually kick in until it gets super cold but I might just do it a little early this year now .

 

DITTO! Installed our Fireview in 2013. Could not be happier. In all the years the only thing we have replace is the cat. And that was switching to the newer steel version.

 

I started with the Fireview and loved everything about it. Until it got into the teens or windy. Then it couldn't keep up and i fought to get the coals burnrd down quickly so i could load it up again.
The IS solved those problems, burned a little less wood, gave us a couple more degrees upstairs and lasted that couple extra hours it took to keep us warm at night during the deep freezes.

I like the IS, but i don't love it. It's ugly compared to the FV.

I really want a Progress Hybrid.

The lack of an ash pan on the FV was part of the shortcomings. It was hard to wait to clean out the ashes and get back to a high STT when it was cold out.

 

Be careful here, you're not just comparing soapstone to steel. You're also comparing a much smaller, old smoke dragon, low efficiency, soapstone to a modern, high efficiency, low emissions, EPA steel stove that is much bigger. Several of your bulleted differences could have more to do with the technology and size difference than the material difference.

For me, I replaced a modern soapstone noncat with a modern steel cat stove on the same hearth and have now burned each of them for over 30 cords as primary heat in a relatively moderate climate with a 9 month heating season.

Statistically, most folks run their stoves on low output for the huge majority of the burn hours and I am no exception. The soapstone noncat did a great job of heating, looked great, and delivered to its specifications. The cat stove, burned on low, resulted in longer lower burns that greatly reduced the cycles in temperature of the home so everything in the house stays warm and comfortable. Much easier to only load once per 24 hours as well, wood savings of 20%. The cat stove is not as pretty and the flame show not as vigorous unless I crank it up for fun.

Myself, I don't value the performance of the stone. It doesn't bring anything to the party that a proper cat stove doesn't already deliver. The low/long burn rate of a good cat stove replaces that long comfortable warmth that stone stoves are so proud of. The stone looks awesome though. Kind of an old school craftsman feel to a stove made out of rocks. With a stone non cat stove, the agony of the slow warm up was very painful since I was having to warm it up from cold so often due to short 8-10 hour burn times.

 

I found some videos made by Woodstock of the Progress flames





My flames tend to be more gentle at the beginning of the burn and when it really gets hot you can see jets of flame thru the fireback.
Maybe differences in draft leads to different flame patterns, my chimney height is on the low side.

 

Thanks. I have seen those.

My issues with the Progress is a hearth depth of 42” and that stove being rear exhaust, and it’s size. I’m just afraid it be way to big for my house. Maybe not. Who knows? My house is 1350 sq feet. Of course I think that puts the Palladian border line big enough if my memory serves me correctly.

 

Pretty sure i heard Backwoods Savage 's voice in that last video.

 

Can someone give me a measurement from the back of the stove pipe to the front of the stove body on the Progress? (Not counting ash lip, but you can give that measurement as well if you want to.)

 

I measured 24.5 " from the outlet of the flue collar to the front of the stove body not counting the ashlip or bypass handle. The stove is super hot so it was a little tricky
Is that the measurement you wanted?

I think the Progress would be too much for a 1350 sf house considering I heat a 2350 sf house 80% of the time in a New England Winter. Seems like the Fireview would be a better fit or maybe the Palladian.

 

Great video. I am kicking myself for missing that FV I asked you about for 1/4 price of a new one...15-18 years old and never used a single time. Ash pans are nice, but also another gasket to worry about going bad, which I don’t mind changing.

On my coal stove I’m replacing gaskets every two years, I may stretch that to every 3 years, whether they need replacing or not. Gaskets are cheap and reassurance is cheaper than insurance...especially with coal that can melt a stove and burn a house down.

 

Excuse the mess. I am waiting on a vented ash pan door being made (while using an electric heater instead of expensive fuel oil). Wanting to burn some of my 3 year seasoned wood when I get it all hooked back up. Hopefully Hitzer will call me tomorrow and I can pick it up on Saturday.

Tricky? Man...great effort for me on a hot stove. Much appreciated.

Not sure if I explained what I needed correctly or not. That might be right. I’ll clarify what I need.

Looking at the stove from the side I need measurement from front of stove body to the far rear side of your exhaust pipe. That may have been what you measured for me. If so, then I have enough room for a Progress on my hearth by about 3 inches. Being side load I have plenty of room on the side of my hearth and no worry of a log rolling out the front. Still think a Progress is far too big which presents the issue of burning super low all the time and not burning at all in shoulder season for that much stove still putting off way too much heat for its size for my home. I really want to avoid that. My coal stove now is too big...luckily I can idle stove body as low as 230F and sometimes even that is too much heat for the house this time of year. The full load of coal burns for 5-6 days if I let it burn from load until it goes out and this time of year with outdoor temp swings it’s often still too hot in the house. Coal is nice. Actually it is great, but windowstats means wasting fuel and wasting fuel means wasting money.



My coal stove is top vent and 11” off the rear wall (which remains cool to touch even with stove body running 300F-350F). If I measure as if that was the rear exhaust of a Progress, then I know it will fit on the hearth because I have about 28” to the front of my hearth. That means a Palladian or FV would easily fit, rear vent or top vent...wouldn’t matter then.

I’m using the knowledge I gained from my old wood stove and this coal stove and combining all of that with what I’m learning from you guys to help me make a better education guesstimate on the size of a new wood stove. Spending $3000-$4000 only to determine a stove is too small or too big is an expensive mistake and something I really want to avoid.