What’s Going On with Woodstock Soapstone?

You know... I'm in the market for a new stove and have been researching for a few months. I have the same stove for many years and it works fine so no rush. It uses more wood than a new stove does, but I've had zero issues other than routine gaskets. And because I'm careful, I get quite a few years on them. I have them on hand. I have good fully seasoned wood, top covered, off the ground, good air flow... I have a rack inside so I can keep a couple of days worth inside and I have a case of bio-bricks (compressed sawdust).

There's more but you get the point? I have covered all my bases. I have reliable sources of everything we need here.

So I thing those VC stoves are awesome... Then I read about all the problems with them the last few years... Then I looked at Hearthstone and find out they have almost zero customer service except via the dealers. And they've got a serious problem with there air supply arms binding up and it has been going on for years and they still don't seem to have a reliable solution. Then I look at others and I see customer service issues all over the place except for one company.

Then there is Woodstock. From what I hear they have some great folks there. Very friendly and attentive. That's awesome except they've got more excuses than I can hardly understand. The welder is welding stoves and can't do the tabs on the combustors? Let me solve this problem for you. Hire another welder. A part timer. A retired guy with experience. Check the local trade school. Try giving your welder a raise or offer prospective employees better wages of profit sharing. Have the welder work OT. Sub-contract the work out to a local welding shop. Stop making excuses and resolve this issue.

There is only one stove manufacturer that I am aware of that has a rep on this site who is very involved with helping their customers out.

I shop USA first. If I can't get what I need I go North America. If that doesn't work out, I go to America (North, central and south) Then anyplace that can help me.

I refuse to buy stoves made in countries that have missiles pointed at us and our allies. You know who you are Ashley and US Stove.

I haven't bought a new stove and I haven't committed to one. My research continues until March and then after shoulder season, we will make our decisions. Good product, customer service, parts availability and country of origin. For me, that's my decision factors.

Sorry Woodstock, Hearthstone, Vermont Castings and associated companies, US/ Ashley Stove and associated brands. I'm taking my $$ somewhere else. Woodstock there is still time to stop making excuses and fix your cat availability issue. You're losing customers and it's only your fault, not the welder welding the tabs.

 

Woodstock could get around the cat flange welding issue by redesigning the sled as to allow for a drop-in cat. No more need for welding stainless tabs on it.

 

I would guess they decided to NOT do that so that customers were forced to spend their money at Woodstock to get a new one. What a great business practice that turned out to be..... Unfortunately they're not the only ones and not the only industry.

Funny thing is, if you bought a new stove I'd bet it comes with a new cat. At least that's how it was in the auto industry. New car breaks and the part needed to fix is on backorder with no known date of delivery. Meanwhile they're still rolling new cars off the production line.

Most companies don't care about the customers they have, they've already gotten that money. On to the next one, unfortunately. Welcome to our throw away society. Could be fixed but can't get parts, just go buy a new one.

 

Jeffrey Svoboda I believe your opinions are wrong; I will tell you why:
Woodstock soapstone was started next to Woodstock Vermont (first factory few miles up route 4 Bridgewater VT) when I joined FHC I was looking to improve learn and get a better stove. I chose a Woodstock Ideal Steel and picked it up in 2015 after Beta testing; for about $2,200.

5 years later I learned on FHC the stove were developing cracks at the hinges. I checked closely and I had the start of a small one.

5 years after purchase of the stove; Woodstock offered to pay to ship stoves back to factory repair and ship back to owner at Woodstock expense! The warranty had expired 4 years earlier. Since my stove in shipping container weighed in excess of 800 pounds I transported it to factory as it’s 125 miles from my house to save them shipping. I felt that was fair.
Woodstock not only repaired the stove but gave me every upgrade/improvement that occurred since purchase. When I picked stove back up it was better than NEW.

Then you say the same company is trying to save a few dollars by calling their cats a dealer only item!
How? I stated earlier I bought 2 new cats in August, I do not recall exact price BUT less than $500 for both shipped to my house. The shipping on stove both ways to factory was more than that!

So in short, it is my opinion that you and others that may not have experience of being a customer complaining about the lack of service is ill informed.

Yes I am a fan of company they have earned my loyalty. I wish every product I had to purchase in life had similar characteristics to this company.

 

I hope I'm wrong, like most times. Unfortunately it's not what a company did but what they currently do that matters. Where did you buy those cats? Can you currently buy a cat stove from them but not a replacement cat? I was just speaking in general and not trying to prove anything. Just kinda stating what I've gathered from reading this thread and putting a little spin on it to get some more replies.

 

Fair enough; I bought the cats from Woodstock, website said back ordered. So I called 800 number in June, they said they were back ordered but where expected by middle of August. I called again in August, paraphrasing here but Tarriffs and importing materials were more challenging for small companies then let’s say Walmart. Why I ordered 2 and got in a week

here’s a pic of 5 year old one so you can see it

that flange is what’s welded on. Realize this thing operates in 1,000 degree smoke filled area.

What I like about Woodstock design is I can pull cat while stove is warm let it cool and vacuum it out and replace it with out tools or gasket in under 5 minutes, allowing me to refill stove on a coal bed no stop on heat.
Cat in pic is clogged and if not worn out would need cleaning

 

They've always sounded like a great company and build beautiful stoves. Why such a simple, consumable part has become such a problem? They know how many stoves they've sold over the years and kinda how often a cat needs to be replaced. Not saying they need one in stock for every stove but an abundance there should be cause I doubt all those stoves are getting used 24/7 and need a cat when anticipated. They're response is reactive rather than proactive. Like others have stated, there are ways to fix this problem.

I suppose people should be more like you and order a couple in the off season but normal people are not programmed to think that far ahead, they're just trying to get through today.

BUT you ordering 2 when only needing 1 makes their problem worse.

It's kinda weird that most catalytic converters in vehicles last 10+ years or the life of the vehicle but a wood stove needs one every couple years. I suppose wood smoke is much dirtier than gas smoke. Would be kinda cool if they could figure out a way to burn them off periodically, kinda like a new diesel soot collection device.

 

I was so focused on the pic so to explain what we are talking about, you other questions.
I do not know BUT assumption would be if cats were not available stoves would unavailable also.

Since rebates for clean burning to include installation from Government stop today that they would have had many orders before rebates ended.
The Ideal Steel won a green heat award in 2014?
The absolute steel is very similar stove but smaller.

My nephew works for a woodstove dealer for 5 years (not Woodstock) he mentioned the rebates ending and working insane over time to get everything done by new year. Same with solar panels and mini splits. I also tried to get a mini split installed this year in July and no company could do it by year end completely booked

 

Hawdahs gonna hawd...

 

The cats have pro rated 5 year warranty; but to be honest and according to Blaze King they have an expected life span of 10,000 hours.

I had snow on Halloween a white thanksgiving so my stove is running 5,00o hours a year. It’s easier for me to buy new one than keep cleaning old one.

cats are a little bit like vehicle tires they still work when old but your glad you bought new good snow tires in a blizzard then almost worn out pair.

 

I got a couple old ones I could clean and make work in a pinch..

 

True that! I wonder how many cases of toilet paper he has stashed away during the pandemic.

I assume the worst when it comes to business practices because that's what I've always seen. Didn't matter the industry, mind you, that's only auto and building trades.

I can remember working at a dealership and the new chargers just came out. So like 2005. We got one in and the motor was knocking right off the delivery truck. 5.7l hemi. Go to order a new one and they were backordered indefinitely. No stock anywhere in the country. Somebody got on the phone and made something happen cause Chrysler shipped us one off the assembly line. It came in this big steel frame box, like a skeleton, you could see the engine wrapped in plastic, bolted to the frame so that when one got tipped over the engine wasn't damaged. Every other engine I got came in a plastic tote.

Needless to say, there were still Chargers/Challengers/300s/1500s being built and sold with that engine but nobody could go into a dealership and buy a 5.7l and actually receive it.

Hopefully that's not the case with Woodstock.

 

I also assume the worst with most companies, why I choose to expand on one I have had great experience with.

I have also done a lot of construction, supplier blame installers, blame batch of products few fix problems.

 

If they would prefer to deal with a USA supplier for their cast iron, let me know...we have a locally family owned foundry that does a ton of OEM parts for premium manufacturers...even the rail industry, which had went to offshore suppliers for castings for a time...but they have since came back...RR doesn't like failures.

 

Baker Manufacturing in Evansville WI has a foundry. They do a lot of casting for John Deere.
I have no affiliation with them,,,

 

I am so grateful that I did not buy a cat stove years ago.

I have been more than satisfied with the stoves I purchased with secondary burn tubes.

Yeah, they burn a little more wood but I have not spent a nickel on them in the years I've used them.

 

I dunno...I think I'd be willing to spend say, $100/year average to have the "low n slow" control that some of the better cat stoves have...we have a pretty long shoulder season down here though, compared to y'all...

 

Understand. I have always lived here with the exception of my military years being spent in warm climates.

Just the whole thought of the cat stove and it's maintenance and the "finicky" cat itself was enough to turn me off.

15 years ago I researched and decided on Englander stoves. I have not regretted my decision. In those 15 years, not an extra penny has been spent on that stove.

During those same 15 years, I have read time again about owners of cat stoves mentioning (complaining) about problems with their cats, the prices of cats, finding the cats, how to and what to use for cleaning solutions of the cats......and on and on. Just reference the number of discussions over the last 15 years alone!

IIRC, my NC-30 was right around $500. A one time cost. That $100 a year average to burn lower and slower would have turned out to be $1500 in addition to the much higher initial purchase price.

I like saving money for other stuff.