Comparing the Ideal Steel to Progress Hybrid

What length wood can you get into the IS north and south ? Thank's !

 

18" max with the andirons in.

 

I could agree more on the Ash Pan... No cut corners... even nice roller bearings used on the closing mechanism... I love removing powder instead of coals..

 

OK, I know I'm justifying the purchase of the Ideal to myself , but....the issue of the ash pan goes beyond convenience IMO. With my current stove, I'm shoveling ash and coals out of it on a frequent basis during periods of continuous burning. I've read that most fires associated with wood stoves occur from improper disposal of ashes (more likely, ash with coals mixed in). If the Ideal ash pan system screens the ash that falls into it such that large coals are kept out, in theory, this makes ash disposal a bit safer. Certainly a better solution that shoveling ash and coals into a metal bucket at 5:00 every day and having to dump it when it's bitter cold out.

 

My PH just gives you fine ash in the pan...I was a happy camper to see no coals are ever wasted... I simply take my pan out and dump the ash into a 5 gallon covered pail... Then once the pail is full the ashes are dumped into a 30 gallon pail where the ashes are stored until I need them for my driveway... If I'm burning heavy I go about 3-4 days , light a week before checking the pan.. Ash is usually even finer then this. Like powder.

 

Thanks for the tip. Part of the issue is that while I have an EPA tube stove, the firebox is 2.4 cubic feet....that would be enough for a lot of folks, but if there is any substantial ash buildup, it limits the amount of wood that can be loaded as I don't like to bang the tubes or load above the firebrick. I work 60 hours per week and need both a larger firebox and longer burn times. I've seen some posts that the Ideal has a firebox of 3 cubic feet, and some of the videos showing 16 hour+ burns are just nutty . While an increase of .5 cubic feet on the firebox may not sound like much, if you run the numbers, it is actually 20% larger than the current setup. My wood is pretty good, a mix of 3-year C/S/S ash, hickory and oak that's reading 9-13 on the outside and mid-high teens on the inside. Not to beat a dead horse on the ash pan thing, but my little guy is pretty sensitive to dust and the Ideal ash pan system seems like it would help cut down on airborne dust that inevitably results from shoveling. As for the looks of the Ideal, well, it's not really a factor. I'm looking for it to produce heat, not win a beauty contest. Just hope they can get this thing out into the market in time for the 2014-2015 heating season.

 

This is a timely post, Charlie. I own the Progress WITHOUT the ashpan, but was considering buying one. I have heard pretty much nothing but good things about doing this.

I did hear that there were questions if the ashpan door gasket really sealed properly, and also possibly that small coals fall through the grates so there are fewer good coals left. My goal is to reduce ash dust in the house.

 

He's been here since Dec. 5th, this is just his first post.

I agree the Dennis and Ray, it's nice to see you here.

 

Thanks Ray and Dennis and rdust.

Old habits are hard to break. The fire feels nice and warm on this side!

The great posts on the ashpan really have me thinking. I might just start a new thread so I don't hijack this one!

 

Just go get the pan! You can thank me later. I can't even imagine owning the PH without it, it's awesome. There are no issues with the ashcan door gasket, the mechanics of how it closes are so good and tight, you could prolly get away with removing that gasket. I'm not saying to do that, just that it is that tight.

 

WS ash pan systems are great. Its a built in coal sifter. I have never had to clean out my ash pan area, been burning since the fall of 2012. In my book, dealing with the mess in the house is the worse thing about a wood stove. The WS ash system means zero ash mess in the house, that takes care of the worst part of the mess in the house problem. Now all I need to deal with are little pieces of bark, thats easy. Super clean and efficient system.

 

All I can say is Woodstock figured the slots in the coal grates to the prefect size as to only let the ashes through... Maybe the slots being at a 45 degree angle stops the coals from dropping through as well... All I know is it works like a charm... Believe me, you would know if the door gasket is ever bad.. Open that ash pan door and you can start a fire with one coal in the box! You'll never look back at getting the ash pan... it's the best thing,,, it holds a weeks worth of ashes! You'll love it! I just use a 3 foot metal long handled metal hoe, hands stay outside the firebox while I rake the coals... works great...

 

You guys have me convinced. Charlie that picture is great, thanks.

Machria and fox, your words of praise for the WS setup say it all - I've heard enough, done deal!

 

Can the Ideal Steel be connected to outside air? Does the outside air feed ALL of the air that the stove uses or is it like my Englander nc30 where the outside air is only for the primary air? Is the outside air setup similar for the PH and the Ideal Steel?