WhatStove?

Review of Dunsley Highlander 5 stove

great little heating appliance

Ewan Evans 9 years ago

We bought this stove in January & I have now used it enough to write a confident review. I chose the Dunsley as they manufacture heating equipment as well as stoves.

For our relatively small living room it heats the room very well & does not cause too much of a draft through the room. The heat does not escape further into the house much but this may be down to the construction of our house.

The fire is well made & it is easy to take the bricks out to allow sweeping of the chimney. The airwash system works well & the glass stays very clean if we burn decent fuel. I started out last year burning compressed sawdust blocks, this caused quite a bit of blackening. I am now burning seasoned sycamore & the glass stays clear.

The grate opens & closes via a lever to switch between smokeless fuel & wood, I like that this can be done on as the fire is burning as at the end of the night when effectively only charcoal is left in the grate I can open it up to get the last bit of heat out of the wood before we go to bed.

I do not attempt to overnight the stove as it is very easy to light & we only tend to use it in the evenings ( it also states in the manual that it is not for continuous use. )

There are 2 air controls & this is the most controllable solid fuel stove I have ever used. The bottom ( primary ) airflow I treat like a major control & the top ( secondary ) airflow I use for fine tuning.

The door is opened using a removable leaver. this is good as the leaver remains cold ( provided you don't leave it hooked onto the handle ) the model I purchased has the black handle.. however I could see the lever scuffing or scratching if you had a polished finish handle that is offered on other models

The only downside I could mention is the ash pan could do with being a little wider or maybe have some guides to put it under the grate. unless it is perfectly central then ash will fall down the sides of it & to the bottom of the fire. The only redeeming factor of this is the ash pan is somewhat like a shovel so if any ash is spilled then it can still be retrieved from the fire bottom,

Overall rating:

5 flames

Build Quality 5 flames (avg 4.8)
Quality of finish 5 flames (avg 4.8)
Value for money 5 flames (avg 4.6)
Ease of use 5 flames (avg 4.6)
Ease of lighting 5 flames (avg 4.7)
Firebox size 5 flames (avg 4.2)
How well does the airwash work 5 flames (avg 4.1)
Controllability 5 flames (avg 4.5)
Handle operation 5 flames (avg 4)
How likely are you to buy it again? 5 flames (avg 4.6)
What is your overall satisfaction? 5 flames (avg 4.6)