Heavy. Very heavy. I couldn't even tip it on a dolly. I'm about 180 pounds. We picked up our new Woodstock Absolute Steel (Simple Prairie) at the trucking depot, where a forklift was used to put it in the back of our 3/4 ton Chevy. I broke out in a cold sweat. The sign on the crate said 500+ pounds!!!!! It is one thing to read the weight on the spec sheet, another to watch the springs compressing as the stove is put in the truck. It momentarily went through my mind that I should I send it back right then. How do we, me and my dad, get it in the house? How do we even get it out of the truck? Well there was no turning back. We managed to back the truck up to the back stoop and slooowly slide it on to the stoop. We took everything we could easily remove off the stove. Strapped it to a two-wheel dolly and inch by inch got it into the house. With the one side on the dolly and the other two legs on a furniture dolly we moved it into the future kitchen, next to where it will be installed. It's sort of too heavy to hurt yourself moving because you can't muscle it, its a "give me a big enough lever and I will move the world" job. (Disclaimer: I'm sure you can hurt yourself moving it. Be careful.) It is a beautiful stove and perfect for the house we are building in the Shenandoah County, Virginia. I'm looking forward to getting it running, but we still have a few jobs to do before that can happen.
Welcome to posting westczek Yeah, these stoves are heavy. I'm sure you'll like it once it's installed & running
Congrats- that is a nice stove. And yes, they are heavy, even after you remove all the heavy stuff in / on them BTW: I just got back from visiting my granddaughter in the Shenandoah valley (Staunton)- beautiful area to be sure. Best of luck with the stove, and I think you will enjoy it. Brian
I know everybody likes a good photo to go with a story. Here is said stove still in the crate in the bed of our truck, along with 300 feet of well pipe. We picked it up in Hagerstown, Maryland. We went with the black stove and charcoal details. Understated, but will look good with any color scheme.
You can move an AS by yourself if you're careful. I got mine out of the Bronco, which has a heavily padded floor, and then through the house onto the hearth with only an aluminum ramp and one of those cheap Harbor Freight dolly's. I moved it 100% by myself. If you can't rock it up onto two legs by yourself though....maybe you should ask your wife to try? LOL
Indeed these stoves are heavy. We bought a Fireview many moons ago. It came during the summer and I left it in the crate. I had it loaded onto our trailer but was able to wrestle it off the trailer and onto a furniture dolly. In the fall, we laid some 2 x 10 to move it up onto the porch and then into the house. We put it directly in front of the hearth then I un-crated it. Took the top lid off (very heavy), the firebox door and firebrick out. Three of us got it up onto the raised hearth and all was well. I do not look forward to the time we move it out! But, it is possible in another year or two we may have a new one as Woodstock will be doing a complete revamping of the Fireview making it into a hybrid stove. We just might buy one.
I believe they are way more than the 500# as stated. Getting it off the truck I used my Mini Skid Steer rated at 750# and it was all it would do to lift it out of the tuck. To install it. I used the mini to put it on the deck. I bought an HF furniture dolly and mounted a piece of plywood on top. My wife and I moved it over the threshold to the back poach. During the process, the stove tipped towards me and I was holding all the weight of the tilted stove. At that point I decided to call in help to move it into place. Put a call out to an FHC buddy close to me and he showed up with his young brawny son. Two of my grandsons came. Between the five of us we got it the rest of the way in and set. Don't hurt yourself. Call in some help. I don't know how anyone could install an AS by themselves. Moving an AS has got to be a young man's job.
I commend you for being smart enough to enlist help! If we move, our Ideal Steel is staying! Moving in the IS alone was fun and interesting. Pulled the truck up to the dining room door and used a furniture dolly to hold up two feet, since the bloody stove was too big for the dolly. Propped the others up on blocks and just pushed carefully. Best part was having a crowd to watch - wife (slipped disc or something), buddy (recovering from heart attack), and buddy's wife (recently recovered from breast cancer.) Buddy's wife moved one of the ramps I was using once when I needed it moved, which was thoughtful. On install day, me and the gnarly old chimney guy lifted it a foot or so onto the hearth. He said it was the heaviest "f***ing Stove I ever lifted." neither one of us broke though, and I even managed to slide it around on furniture feet into the proper spot while he and his helper were at lunch. They had a good chuckle.
Welcome to the FHC westczek .. That stove should keep you warm for years. I have its big brother the Ideal Steel.. Over 700 pounds!
when I brought mine off the back deck and started up the aluminum ramp to go in the slider, I looked down and saw some deep dents into the ramp from the wheels. Grabbed some plywood, and laid out a path. Surprisingly, I was able to have the last piece lay up on my hearth, which is just a bit shorter than yours, and I was able to push it right up by myself. Two of us struggled mightily to get it out of the truck and onto the lift gate, then into my bronco at my work though! Definitely are heavy bastards!
If I move I haven't figured how I'll move my Hearthstone One.It's a re-built model and beautiful however it and it's 750 lbs is coming with me.
The Progress Hybrid will probably have be moved if we ever move out of the house. When I ordered it I asked for stone with a lot of variation and character and I was amazed at what they picked out. I’m not sure if I would be as happy if I had to order a stove again. I’m taking it with me.
Funny I was driving home from VT on Monday (the 14th) and saw someone with Virginia plates heading south with a woodstock crate in the back of their pickup. I thought for a second it might have been you but the dates don't line up.
