Woodstock Soapstone Progress vs Absolute

Well, I joined Firewood Hoarders! Yay! We are in the midst of doing our due diligence on replacing our 20 year old+ VC Encore with a new stove. REALY like Woodstock Soapstone Sotve Company. Visited facotry- impressed with overall business model, care, details, quality.

We have a 2800 sq.ft. home, however no ideally set up for total wood heat. Impressed by both the Progress and the Absolute. Specs on both put our needs well in the comfort zone. Looking for comments from folks who have used either (or both) of these stoves. Cons - Pros - comments?!

Thasnk you

 

Both smaller stoves. Have you seen the IS model?

 

Progressive is big soap stone. total soapstone cast iron frame Not a steel stove 2.8 cu ft firebox

Ideal steel, I have and use is bigger than absolute steel.. steel stove soap stone inserts 3.2 cu ft firebox

you will want a big stove
Welcome to the FHC

Oldhippie I know has an AS
Backwoods Savage is Woodstock knowledge base

 

Welcome!
Describe your setup, floorplan, home size, and insulation/heat requirement levels please.
Do you have wood dry/ready to burn...I assume you do since you have the VC already?

 

If I was gonna buy a new stove it would be either Blaze King or Woodstock. Slight edge to BK due to their community engagement and customer support.

 

These brands have the best tech but some pretty weird looking stoves! The kuma guys make some high performers too but nothing really big.

LE Wood Stoves, Freestanding LE Wood Stoves by Kuma Stoves

 

For that SF I would go with a Progress or Ideal. I think the AS would be too small.

I also like side loaders (Progress) vs. Front Loaders (Ideal). I like keeping everything off to the side, opposed to moving it to the front of the stove to reload.

 

Yes side loaders are great BUT remember how much wall space you need. IMO 6 feet to side of stove and no corner insulation

 

I had a side loading hearthstone and really liked it compared to a typical front loader that is shallow so you have to chuck wood in sideways. A well designed front loader that is deep so you can load wood straight in as you would with a sideloader makes all the difference. The IS is designed this way, as is the BK line. Chucking wood in sideways is the enemy.

Whoa, those are huge pictures. DOn't know how to fix it. Sorry.

 

2800 sq. ft. is a lot of space. But if it wasn't originally set up for woodstove heating, perhaps the biggest stove isn't needed. You need to prioritize your requirements. If you are looking to heat the entire house with a single stove, big is good. Then the Progress, Ideal or the BK. Problem with the BK is the cost of getting it to Maine may put it out of the running just due to shipping cost.

If the stove's beauty is important, the Progress is a winner, and it will heat as much as you need. If pretty isn't high on the list, the Ideal is also excellent. The Absolute Steel isn't that much smaller, and it's a great stove.

Given you live in Maine, between the quality of the stoves, AND EXCELLENT customer service, you can't go wrong with Woodstock Soapstone.

 

Boy, WS has some great deals right now!
Spring '25 In-Stock Stove Sale