The AARROW ECOBURN INSET 5 and 7 stoves are made by ARADA. This manufacturer also makes the HAMLET SOLUTION INSET 5 and 7 stoves, which I could not find on this reviews website.They all follow
the same engineering patterns, made from very high quality 5mm thick British steel, convection and their signature "crucible" shaped grate.I know them all, both AARROW and HAMLET insets and they all feature the same top quality construction, easy to light and control output, etc.Like any inset, their performance may vary a little, because chimney flues vary considerably so this always needs to be checked during installation.The only thing I would say is that when installing these insets, anyone should always consider:1. High quality flexi-liner [I used 904 grade on my stoves installations], insulated should be used.2. Whether vermiculite or a wrapper, it is best to insulate the flexi-liner.3. Inside the wall cavity, the stove body should be well insulated with fire-rated class A1 Rockwool or a similar non-combustible insulation material.With a good installation, I can't fault these AARROW ECOBURN 5/7 and HAMLET SOLUTION 5/7 insets. They give many years of trouble-free service and maintenance spares are always available, which is a bonus I can say about the manufacturer ARADA and can't say about many other manufacturers.
The size of the firebox is limited by the size requirement of an inset stove, but means that it can only be kept in overnight if coal is used. Well seasoned hardwood burns hotter and faster
than coal, expect to top up hourly at full heat output. I have had difficulty reducing the heat output and am about to have an insulated flue liner fitted in an attempt to fix this problem, which will double the price of the stove. It was a tight fit in the fireplace without the liner and Gather. The Gather will only fit a 5inch flue and the building regulations require a 6inch. This means an additional adapter is required which makes the installation even more awkward and expensive.The stove "pings" quite loudly as it expands and contracts whilst heating and cooling.I used about 6 cubic meters of hard wood over last winter, heating a 1930s 3 bedroom bungalow with minimal loft insulation, which I feel is not bad.With wood being used it really must be swept at least annually.The company customer service has been excellent.
Stove expert replied:
Inset stoves can be more difficult to install but once the insulated flue has been added things should settle down and performance easier to regulate. You have not said if the stove is insulated around the inset box or whether it is the chair back version.
Bought an Aarrow Ecoburn Plus 5 Inset last month. Lovely looking stove with a nice large viewing window that pushes out a decent amount of heat. Drawbacks:- The ash pan does not completely fill
the orifice below the grate meaning that some ash has to be swept from it. And, the lip at the front of the ash collection area prevents the ash form being swept out easily. I believe these are two design flaws that can be easily rectified by removing the lip making it even easier to slide the better sized pan in and out.
After a small amount of DIY building work due to installing flue liner I installed this inset stove.The stove itself looks really good in our new fireplace, it's "modern" look really goes with
our decor.As this was our first stove it did take us a while to get used to lighting and using air wash system to maximise heat and fuel consumption, once mastered you can get a lot of heat from a very small amount of wood.(the wood must be seasoned or you are wasting your time buying "any"stove).We burn wood most of the season but do burn smokeless fuel over the Xmas period (when we are off work ) only because we find we can burn smokeless fuel overnight and will still be lit next day whereas we have never been able to achieve with wood ( maybe we aren't doing things right).Overall I would recommend this stove, looks good with oval glass which allows a good view of the flames, air wash system really good, heat output good( once mastered),only negative is that your logs do have to be cut a bit smaller and you can't put much wood in due to small firebox apart from that can't fault stove.
Perfect fit into an existing 16" traditional fire opening. Multifuel, once closed down, airwash and air intake will keep going through the night , open intakes up in the morning add logs or
fuel and it fires up again instantly. Had it going constantly over the coldest weeks in the winter. Excellent heat output . No fuss installation combined with a 6" stainless steel flue liner. I would recommend this to anyone who has an opening and surround that they want to keep undisturbed.
Stove expert replied:
Monthly maintenance with the stove let out is recommended to insure that the air way is kept clear. Drop the baffle plate and remove debris from the top of it, clean our grate system etc and away you go again.
Fantastic stove to fit if you don't need a higher output than 5kw, and you are fitting into an existing baby brick fire opening.The whole installation was done under an hour, without any builder
Brilliant stove for taking up a small space in the room and looking smart, lighting easily and producing a good heat. Installation is a tricky job as no connection is provided between the gather
(that sits on top of the stove with a 5" outlet), and the liner connection - I had to have a part made up at the local forge. Also it is incredibly tight to fit the stove under the lintel and still have enough of a face over the stove to seal to. Once in place though it certainly does the job. Not as hot immediately as a free standing stove but once the chimney gets up to temperature it has plenty of heat capacity. Never managed to keep it in over night yet.
