Hi all... been meaning to get over to this site to post for some time after visiting occasionally, finally getting around to it! (Sorry for taking so long, Dennis.) I am honored to be another of the beta testers for Woodstock's new hybrid, and have been running it for a few weeks now. I have run a Harman Oakwood (downdraft) primarily for the past several years, but was increasingly intrigued by the lure of cat/hybrid stoves, especially for the ability to "dial down" in spring and fall. I probably won't post too many pics (Flamestead has that well covered) but happy to answer any and all questions. I'm very impressed with this stove so far, especially the heat output I'm getting for the amount and types of wood I'm burning (including pine and poplar). Flue temps are far lower than with the Harman (and a leaky Jotul I also ran), so I know I'm heating the great outdoors a bit less than before. Bring the stove to temp and closing the bypass and air supply has been far simpler than with the Oakwood. A few of the other great things so far have been the brilliant and beautiful secondaries I'm getting, and the crystal-clear glass I'm viewing then through. While the glass does soot up a bit after low burns, it has seemed to burn clean much more quickly and completely than with other stoves I've run. The firebox is spacious and easy to fill. Also happy with the coals I'm getting at the tail end of the low-burn cycle. And while both the wife and I weren't crazy about its looks when viewed online, we're both really happy with the way the Wildwood looks in our fireplace. At $1800 I'd say the stove is a solid value.
Very cool. I bought an IS in the fall and the amount of heat a cat stove gets out of the lesser woods is amazing to me. I put a bunch of the limited amount of pine I have in one day and was very surprised how long it burned. The AS isn't for me due to a corner install but I'm glad people are liking them.
branchburner we're so happy you were chosen for a beta tester and it make sense as you aren't too far from the factory and have been there before. I believe we met back in 2011. I think it is time we get together again. And here is a thank you ahead of time for keeping us posted on the operation of the stove along with possible improvements you might suggest.
Thanks Dennis... yes, it's been a few years, and was sorry not to make it up to West Leb to see you last year... next time!
Ya, I kept looking for you but never found you so figured you had to work. We did have a good time though. Here is some of the FHC gang.
One thing I've noticed so far, and curious if others have experienced this (with Woodstock hybrids). There is the very different nature of a low cat burn, where there is little or no flame in the firebox, and of a high burn, where top of the firebox is filled with rolling secondaries. The low-flame burn actually seems to give higher stove top temps, as the cat is working hard (temps right above the cat over 500f). But the high-flame burn puts out a lot more of a blast of heat, as the front and sides of the stove get much hotter (pushing 650f at one spot right now, while top is only in the 400f range). So far, my experience is that to maintain a low burn, the air must be shut down pretty far and pretty early in the burn. If the fire gets too hot and lively early on in the burn, the rolling secondaries kick in and then stay kicked in... shutting the air all the way back at that point will not take the fire down to a slow, low-flame or no-flame burn of lower heat output. In effect, the option of "dialing down" the stove is lost if not opted for early on in the burn. (This is not a complaint , BTW... although it chews through the wood a bit faster in this high-burn stage, the stove puts out a tremendous amount of heat at relatively low flue temps.) I suspect this also has something to do with the increased draft seen under colder outdoor conditions. Just wondering in other beta testers have noticed this, and if that is the nature of just this stove (or the way I'm running it) or of these hybrids in general, where rather than just a cat there is burn-tube technology also at work.
This is common trait of WS's cat stoves, and probably all cat stoves. Makes sense that a hybrid in cat mode would do the same.... Probably. How tall is your chimney? A key damper would probably help prevent this, if it was an inconvenience.
I can shut my is down to around the 3rd or 4th notch and lose secondaries. However my chimney is 13 feet instead of the recommended 15. I was going to add 2 feet but maybe I'll only add one. I'd like to be able to burn cat only on the first 3 notches if possible. That might cover colder temperatures and windy conditions.
This also has much to do with how it is designed which is a bit different than on the other stoves. It doesn't surprise me what you have experienced and the difference in the heat. Enjoy!
Yes, we've experienced this, in varying degrees. We have discovered that our draft is exceptionally strong (not quite off the charts, but well outside the normal expectations), and that clearly contributes to what we've experienced with all three Woodstock hybrids. With the PH we could never slow the stove down, so we had to be careful to bring it up to the temp we wanted and then get it leveled off. With the IS we could get it to slow back down a bit. Now, with the Absolute Steel and with a key damper in the flue and a barometric damper, we have much better control. I'm quite interested to see how the PH burns on this flue with these additional draft controls.
I have not had any problem transitioning from high heat/secondary burning down to slow burn/cat heat. As soon as a drop down below 3.5ish the secondaries die out and the stove seems to go into long slow cat burn. I am very impressed with the length and consistency of the steady cat burn.. in this shoulder season it's been "fill it in the AM, get the heat up, then turn the draft down and let it run all day." About 11:00PM just do the same for the midnight to morning burn. I usually add a little wood after dinner but the stove keeps it's coals so long it doesn't seem to even need it until I do the evening load.
Seem to be getting a little better in my timing to get cat-only, but I must say, the stove puts out pretty good heat even when burning on "low." As the stove top right above the cat gets up to 500-550f, some rolling secondaries usually kick in, and seem to be self-sustaining for a while even with the air control shut. The rolling flames at the top of the firebox may go on a few minutes, then disappear for a few, then reappear. The top and sides in general seem to run 400-500f in that low mode, so the sides are about 100-150f cooler than in higher gear (with air setting also low-zero). I do have pretty good draft, and am burning nicely dried wood, At the same low air setting, I definitely get a hotter burn with similar loads of wood when outdoor temps are cooler. Somewhat warmer temps and the fiebox seems more likely to sustain a flameless cat-only burn.
Welcome aboard branchburner Nice deal you have worked out! Don't be worried about posting pics, we all like 'em!
Dave, branchburner may be new to this forum but he has been around forums for a while now. Fortunately the two of us met about 5 years ago and I can say he is a great guy.
Hahah... laziness that comes with the status quo, I guess. But having a new stove to play with gets the excitement stirred up again. Most of my limited posting in the last few years has been to occasionally help people who ended up having troubles with downdraft stoves like my Harman, which can be a PITA both to get the hang of, in the initial learning curve, and then to maintain a few years down the road. Nice to be burning a stove with reasonable flue temps for a change.
