Vermont woodstoves

Looking at one of these, I was going to buy a new stove a while back and something came up and couldn't do it. Now i have got to get a new one mine is shot. Are these any good, I liked the way it looked and two ways to put wood in. 1779.00 dollars is what it sells for. Blower is an extra 179.00 dollars. hate to spend that kind of money right now but gonna have to. Mine will not go another year. The firebox is burned out, it is about 30 years old though.


DutchWest Catalytic Wood Stoves

DUTCHWEST Cast Iron - Extra Large 0002462


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Get The Facts
Brochure - Cast Iron Catalytic Wood Stoves
Brochure - French
Manual (English)
Manual (English) - Central Eurpean
Warranty - Ltd 3yr DW (Catalytic)
Fast and Efficient. Beautiful and Convenient.

The Dutchwest Catalytic Wood Stove line features solid cast iron construction for quality you can see – and feel. With three different sizes, you can easily find the right stove for any room size. They’re fast starting, long burning, and remarkably efficient. Just what you would expect from Dutchwest.

Product Features

Traditional Federal styling
Convection system for spreading the heat
Three models - small, large, and extra large to suit any heating need
Industry's lowest smoke emissions
Convenient ash pan and side loading
Glass panel with overfire airwash for clear fire viewing
High efficiency - more heat from less wood
Solid, durable cast iron construction
Decorative polished nickel accents
Raised griddle for stovetop cooking
Optional Accessories:
Dual speed convection fan
Rear and bottom heat shield
Fan thermostat
Fan Rheostat

Product Specifications
Ash Pan YES
Log Length (Max.) 25 in.
EPA Emissions Rating 1.3 (grams/hr)
BTU/hr Range EPA Test Method 10,500 to 27,700 BTU/hr
Cast Iron Construction YES
Heat Circulating Fan Optional 2 speed
Flue Collar Size Oval 8 in.
Flue Collar Reversible YES
BTU/h (Max.) 55000 BTU
Efficiency 74.3 %
Burn Time (Max.) 12 hours
Combustion Technology Catalytic
Firebox Lining Cast iron
Firebox Volume 2.9 cubic feet
Heating Area (Max) 2400 sq. ft.
Rear clearances (with optional shields) 18 in. to combustibles
Weight 550 lbs.
Unit Depth 18 in.
Unit Height 33 in.
Unit Width 28 in.
Mobile Home Kit NO

Also liked this one, It's gonna be one of the two. Which one is better.


Heritage
Wood


Heats up to: 1,900 sq. ft.
Burn Time: Up to 8 hours
Heat Life: Up to 12 hours
Size: 55,000 BTUs
EPA Rating: 2.77 grams per hour
Efficiency: 81%
Maximum Log Length: 21"
View this stove in a room

Heritage
Description Features Photos Specs Finishes Accessories Documents DescriptionFeaturing optional top or rear flue exits, greater heat output with a larger fire box, beautiful detailing, and soapstone facing on the side loading door, the Heritage woodstove is just what you need. When fully loaded, the new Heritage will burn for up to 8 hours, providing up to 12 hours of sustained heat. The side door makes it even simpler to load this efficient stove. In addition, as with all HearthStone woodstoves, the Heritage warms your home with minimal fire tending required.
Features2.3 cubic foot firebox; extra wide door
Holds up to 46 lbs. of wood

Side-loading door
Allows logs up to 21" in length to be accomodated side-to-side for easy loading, or use the optional lock kit to reduce side clearance from 16" to 3.5"

Single air-intake lever/stove control
Stove operation is easy; performance more consistent.

Reversible flue collar
For top or rear exit

Unmatched fire viewing
Air entering the firebox through the stove’s secondary air tubes ignites the gases rising off the burning wood. The resulting light and flames provide dazzling fire viewing, even when the fire is burning at a low rate.

Non-catalytic combustion system
Clean burning, more complete combustion provides more heat from less wood, greater efficiency; reduced smoke and creosote build-up.

Outside air adapter (optional)
Improved efficiency in today’s newer "airtight" homes; reduces cold air drafts along the floor.

Rear heat shield (optional)
Allows more placement options; stove can be installed closer to a wall because clearance requirements are reduced. Creates a convection passageway between shield and back of the stove to allow optional fan to circulate air through the house.

Fan with built-in thermostat and rheostat (optional)
Helps spread heat evenly throughout home; fan operates only when stove is at significant heat level. The rheostat controls fan speed. Use of rear heat shield is required.

The second one is made by hearthstone, Just seen there was no name.

I can't attest to the heritage

BUT..I currently have the vermont castings in my house. 1300 sq.ft. hole in the wall. I burn maybe 2 cords a year and that is keeping my house non stop 0ver 70. I can load mine for a 12 hour burn and then let it go for a few more before I load it again..works great for me. I have read a lot of posts about the catalyst going out. I have had mine self installed for 4 years and haven't had a problem. Might replace the catalyst this year..10 minute job..just to see the difference. don't spring for the fan unless you have a min. of ten feet in front of the stove. I have a homebuilt job blowing across and a box fan blowing diagonal and still have tremendous heat out of the front. That window lets out a ton. honestly underneath doesn't get as hot as I thought it would. I would put it on a raw pine floor without hesitation. Front and top is the worst part. I have an infrared thermometer and at good burn I can't get half way across the top before it beats 700 degrees..not uncommon heat rises..but that catalyst is something else if you have never had one..no smoke out of the chimney whatsoever when you got it running right. only smoke I have is start up. I love mine. Good Luck

I know alot of people over at http://www.********** like the hearthstone Heritage and they say the duchwest stoves are ok but there not built like they did back in the day.

I have a Woodstock soapstone and love it. Had it for 5 years now and it can drive ya out in the dead of winter up here. I'm a few miles (about 10) from Lake Superior so many of you probably know what our winters are like. Check them out if you like. woodstove.com Forgot to add the Fireview is the model I have

Thanks for the replies, Since this post i've read good and bad things about the dutchwest. So now i'm really confused. May have to look harder at the hearthstone. Things i liked about the dutchwest were a large ash pan and 25 inch wood. One thing i didn't like about it that the legs are like womens spike heels. Mighty spindley and cheap looking legs for a stove as heavy as it is. I don't have a clue about all the catalyst stuff it has on it. It also recommends 8 inch pipe and i have 6 inch. Things i didn't like about the hearthstone is the ash pan is the size of a dust pan. I would have to empty it twice a day. Also it only holds 21 inch wood which i could live with but would have to cut some of mine down.

I think you'll be surprised at how little ash is left from a good clean burn. Last winter we took out the ashes about once a month. That's burning 24/7 and as the only source of heat in the home. We have a Lopi Endeavor. It's a great stove I would recommend without hesitation. It's not as pretty as some, but it is extremely practical. The Liberty in that line of stoves will take a bigger log which would be nice, but we get 10+ hour burn times. These stoves have a 6 inch flu. We also burn about 2.5 cords per season.

Also, if your chimney system is as old as the stove you're replacing you probably need to look at doing something with it as well.

Good luck, and enjoy your new stove!!

whitemountain said:

I think you'll be surprised at how little ash is left from a good clean burn. Last winter we took out the ashes about once a month. That's burning 24/7 and as the only source of heat in the home. We have a Lopi Endeavor. It's a great stove I would recommend without hesitation. It's not as pretty as some, but it is extremely practical. The Liberty in that line of stoves will take a bigger log which would be nice, but we get 10+ hour burn times. These stoves have a 6 inch flu. We also burn about 2.5 cords per season.

Also, if your chimney system is as old as the stove you're replacing you probably need to look at doing something with it as well.

Good luck, and enjoy your new stove!!

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All the pipe in the chimney was replaced two years ago. Does the new stoves put out less ash. I know if it's the same as my old one most of the new ones i looked at would have to be dumped daily and even twice a day.

We also burn 24/7 as our primary heat source. I empty ashes about every three weeks. As was stated, a good burn produces a small amount of fly ash. My chimney is inside of 6' wide and 3' thick masonary with a stainless steel liner all the way to the roof. Maybe this helps but I clean the chimney every three months and get about three cups of soot.

stihl sawing said:

All the pipe in the chimney was replaced two years ago. Does the new stoves put out less ash. I know if it's the same as my old one most of the new ones i looked at would have to be dumped daily and even twice a day.

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I remember as a kid one of my chores was to take the ashes out. We did it morning and night. Those days are over my friend. The new woodstoves simply burn more of the carbon in the fuel. The firebox is more efficient whether injected air, or catalytic secondary combustion. The result is less ash. Less ash in the stove, less ash in the chimney. This is especially true with good seasoned wood. I think you'll be very happy with one of the newer "EPA rated" stoves.

whitemountain said:

I remember as a kid one of my chores was to take the ashes out. We did it morning and night. Those days are over my friend. The new woodstoves simply burn more of the carbon in the fuel. The firebox is more efficient whether injected air, or catalytic secondary combustion. The result is less ash. Less ash in the stove, less ash in the chimney. This is especially true with good seasoned wood. I think you'll be very happy with one of the newer "EPA rated" stoves.

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Many thanks, Then i won't make a judgement on the size of the ash pan.

I own the heritage and really like it. I don't even use the ash pan system and shovel out the ashes after several weeks of burning 24/7. I burn softwoods like cottonwood, doug fir, red cedar, and alder. 7 cords the first year and 4.5 this last year after insulation improvments.

So after shoving 11.5 cords through it I can say that it performs as advertized. It will take a long log, uses the 6" flue (this is important), and I find it very attractive. The hearthstone company is great with excellent service despite me not having a dealer. I bought from a dealer that was closing up shop at a good discount so manufacturer support was important.

You don't want that dutchwest or really any VC product. The company is in various stages of bankruptcy and has chosen not to honor warranties!!! That particular DW cat stove is known to be difficult to operate given the various air inlet controls which is unlike the other very good cat stoves such as blaze king and woodstock.

You don't seem to like the plate steel stoves but why not consider the PE line of stoves. One has a cast iron shell and is very nice to look at. Check out pics and prices of the hearthstones and the PE stoves at

http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/fswood.htm

Here's my stove and the boxer. The stove cruises along at about 400 for a comfortable heating experience with no blowers making a racket.

Highbeam said:

So after shoving 11.5 cords through it I can say that it performs as advertized. It will take a long log, uses the 6" flue (this is important), and I find it very attractive. The hearthstone company is great with excellent service despite me not having a dealer. I bought from a dealer that was closing up shop at a good discount so manufacturer support was important.

You don't want that dutchwest or really any VC product. The company is in various stages of bankruptcy and has chosen not to honor warranties!!! That particular DW cat stove is known to be difficult to operate given the various air inlet controls which is unlike the other very good cat stoves such as blaze king and woodstock.

Click to expand...

I guess I'd have to give just about the opposite advice! :chainsawguy:

I have two good friends who had their Hearthstone stoves crack on them and NOT be covered under warranty! Stone stoves take much longer to heat up, though they do retain their heat longer than cast or plate steel stoves. I like the way they look, but I'd always be VERY nervous about trying to ever move one without cracking the stone panels. I wouldn't want to buy an engine block made of stone............

As for Vermont Castings, it's true that they have been in various stages of bankruptcy, but so has United Airlines, GM, Ford, etc. and they are all still in business and doing just fine! VC stoves are very attractive, very efficient, and IMHO easy to work on and find parts for. We bought a Defiant-Encore Cat stove used from a family friend for $100, and then put another $100 into it and it's a GREAT stove! Can't speak from experience about the Dutchwest stoves. Jotul, Arrow, Pacific Energy, and Lopi all get rave reviews from their owners.

Look on Craigslist in your area--there's always good deals to be had on used stoves!

Thanks NP,

This is true, if you overfire your soapstone stove it can crack. As an owner I can say that I have not cracked or ever heard of a cracked heritage. Further, the cracks that I observed (internet) were on overfired small soapstone stoves like the tributes or homesteads and not the larger heritage, mansfield, or equinox. The little stoves aren't meant to heat large spaces but are so dang cute.

It is very obvious when a stove has been overfired to the point of failure.

Oh and VC has some very nice looking stoves and their older stoves were excellent performers too. The current generation of non-cat stoves are a disaster and the company is not making good on warranty. Parts availablity has gone way downhill with high prices when available. This is not the same as a company like GM that makes good (IMO) vehicles, supplies parts, and honors their warranties. I wouldn't let my family buy a VC product, they are set to tank.

Here's Mine After 22 Years

Just polished her up for you with Rutland stove polish. I do this every year in August prior to the first burn:


Note that your pic shows a single door and mine has double doors in front. I also removed the legs and went with a fireplace insert. This stove can go both ways. Also, you can dispense with the glass and have a solid front. I like the glass and bought a couple of spares at a glass shop in case I crack one. I never have.

So what have I done to her in 22 years, averaging 5 cords a year? Not too much because it was so well built. Last year I finally replaced the inside fireback casting with a 1/4" steel plate that cost a "whopping" $22 from a welding shop. After I bolted that on, the stove loved that. This year I finally rebuilt the flue collar. That was easy. (See the thread I posted earlier this week). Remember, this puppy can get to 1400 F if you let it, and that will take a toll on steel or cast iron.

The 25" log capacity is fabulous. I never have regretted that. This stove has a catalytic combustor posibility, but I have been experimenting with making a steel plate to replace it. The cat combustor does work very well, and I can get 1200 F with either it or a heavy steel, perforated plate that they used to include for burning coal.

A terrific feature is the shaker grates and big ash pan door underneath. You can run the stove non-stop. The ashes stay cool enough in the ash pan that with proper timing, you can dump them without letting the fire go out.

Remember also that this stove kicks out convection heat also with the lower ports and upper ports. The 2-speed blower doubles that output and the thermostat switch works to perfection, turning on only when the fire is hot. I like the blower because it even tells me when to turn the block-off plate and thus fire up the secondary combustion chamber.

There is so much control of the fire that many people become confused trying to use this stove. However, with a little practice, it's a piece of cake. You will not be disappointed because it's a tried and proven performer. Install it free-standing, and you will even get more heat out of it than my installation. Then you will wonder how on earth you can get all that colossal heat to the rest of the house.



Looks kind of nice, too. My flat-coated retriever loves that rug in front of the stove. Oh, and BTW, I made a pull-out grate that allows cooking a juicy steak with the doors open over a low fire.

looks real nice man. i really wish i woulda ponied up more cash when i bought my insert. at the time i knew nothing about stoves and i sure as hell didnt think it was going to turn into my perminant heat source. my dutchwest if fine for what it is but the burn time advertised and what the dealer told me is total BS. my insert was just over 1200 i think 3 years ago.

Husky, you and Stihl Sawing are two terrific members of this Forum. I used to burn lots of wood in Connecticut using a Vermont Castings Defiant--a terrific stove and mostly cast iron. "Hotter than a $2 pistol". I loved that Defiant but had to leave it behind as my life changed.

When I moved to Nebraska, I looked hard and far to a stove that might beat the Defiant and one that I could still afford. The only stove I found was the Federal Airtight, and I bought the biggest one that Consolidated Dutchwest sold--the 288.

Back then, cat combustors were high technology, so I looked for that. However, the cat combustors are hard to clean and companies made big bucks selling them to people who bought them every other year or more. Worse yet, cat combustors fall apart after a few years when you burn 5+ cords a year. I have always cut, split, and burned that much dry wood every year.

So the bottom line is this. The stove that Stihl Sawing shows is the present-day version of my stove that I have nicknamed "Jaws". It swallows up whatever I feed it and asks few questions. It handles a 2' log with ease, and the side loading door is a huge plus. Few stoves have a side loading door.

This stove is mostly cast iron, and that separates it from many other offerings. Cast iron creaks when it heats up, and that is music to my ears. And, when cast iron gets hot, it stays that way, very slowly cooling down--similar to a cast iron skillet. The stoves shown here (mine and the one SS shows) weigh close to 600 lb, and that's a bunch of cast iron.

Would I buy this stove again after using it for 22 years? Heheheheheh. Only unless I could not find another one. But Stihl Sawing just showed it to all of us. Glad to see the foundry is still making these, and who cares where that is these days?

well me and the wife has been talking about it and the vermont stove is one we both like. I hear all the bad things about it and makes me nervous. But like anything there are pros and cons. I also hear a lot of good things about it too. Just looking at the stove on the showroom floor it looks like it's well made. Now i can't see everything inside of it but the outside walls are heavy. As Wood Doctor mentioned it is heavy at 635 pounds. I've never owned a cat stove so it will be a new experience for me.


I know our old stove burns wood like crazy, It does a great job of heating the house but it takes a lot of wood every winter. They have the stove in stock, i just need to get the time to go get it and round up a couple of strong guys to get in the house. My house is not very big so it should do the job. Never owned one with a glass front either, That's going to be neat to look at. I do appreciate all the comments on the stove and i will certainly post pics of it when it's installed. Not going to do nothing fancy, just set it on a pan. Would like to build a hearth to set it on but really don't have the room.

Well, they have made a few design changes to the present-day version of this stove, and I imagine this has been for the better. On the new version as your picture shows,
(1) there is no lower side intake for convection air below the loading door.
(2) the convection air exhaust at the top is one continuous slot.
(3) the removable hot plate on top is much larger.
(4) the front door is a single piece.
(5) hardware controls are different.

However, it would appear that not much else has changed. The legs are stronger than they look. I see where you were concerned about that.

Also, be aware that the secret to this stove's success and efficiency is successful secondary combustion in that top chamber, all made possible by a heavy block off damper plate near the top rear that is pivoted using a mechanism that you control just above the side loading door. That should be closed after the flue temp reaches about 400 F or so. It is not closed automatically, nor is it opened automatically. When closed, the secondary exhaust gas temp will go right up. I find that 1000 to 1200 F is ideal.

Prior to starting the fire and whenever you open the loading door to add fuel, you must open that block off plate to send exhaust through the primary flue. Otherwise, you will get a puff of smoke in the house. After awhile, this becomes routine, but it takes a bit of getting used to.

This stove has a double-wall back, and it is the inside wall that I eventually had to replace after 21 years. The flue collar lasted 22 years. To me, replacing these parts was trivial. The swiveling shaker grate mechanism above the ash pan operates flawlessly today and I don't even see signs of wear. How they did that I will never know--pure quality design I guess.

I seldom rely on this stove burning longer than 9 hours on a single load. It can be done, but I prefer to add fuel every six hours and to not throttle it down. You will eventually find an ideal air intake setting for your installation and draft conditions. The air intake control flexibility is huge.

As with many stoves, mixed hardwoods provide the best fires. I burn ash, oak, elm, maple, mulberry, locust, and a few others. Combinations always work the best rather than just one species. Mixing different sized logs also works better--the smaller ones help the big ones stay hot. When reloading, I try to throw in three or four logs rather than just one. This stove loves that procedure, and that's another reason why I nicknamed it "Jaws".