Two years ago we began restoring a 1909 built home in the Rye area near the East Sussex coast,and wanted to add two woodburners. One room was a bit larger so we chose the Clearview Pioneer 400
(5kw) and for the slightly smaller room (and fireplace area) the Woodwarm Foxfire (4kw). Whilst both stoves are well made the Fox Fire performs much better and we wish we had installed two of them. It gets up to a good operating (burn) temperature more quickly, uses less wood to remain at that temperature range, has easy to use controls and the glass remains a good deal cleaner. We have used the same wood for both stoves over two winters so have a good sense about they both perform.
Stove expert replied:
Glad you are having a good experience with the Fox Fire Paul. : )
Our new house needed a small stove and we are so glad we chose this Woodwarm product. Knowing of their sound reputation was a key factor in our decision and we have been totally satisfied with
it. We use solid fuel and have no trouble keeping it in overnight which initially surprised us; however the well designed and manufactured adjustable combined with the fine air controls must play a major part in this. This good design and a solid build quality make riddling and ash removal simple operations and the air wash is a delight with almost no sooting of the glass despite regular slow burning. Whilst not the cheapest product on the market, it’s visual attractiveness, user friendliness and efficiency have made the Foxfire an essential element of our new home.
Installed this stove in a 2 bedroom bungalow, well you really do get what you pay for. Burning wood is very very good. Best airwash and top quality build. We've had a couple of stoves before
a Franco Belge Montfort in our old house that was very good but not so well made but was economical to use.The air wash didn't work that well. The other was a quite old Arrow boiler stove that had seen better days though would throw out the heat but tended to eat through the wood. It worked OK with a bit of anthracite but then couldn't shut the air off enough. Woodwarm seems second to none. As the best stove I've ever had , it can be shut off to a point where the wood burns really slowly and with a little solid fuel will stay hot all night. even though they are pricy to buy it will pay for itself, and more in the long run
I was recommended this stove by my HEATAS fitter it's not cheap too buy but you really do get what you pay for. It's simple to light reacts very well to the controls and if there's a better "
air wash" system on a stove I'll "eat my hat". Fantastic stove with great build quality.
We purchased the Woodward Foxfire 4kw after researching many multi-fuel stoves for several months. Now professionally installed in our rural cottage we are more than pleased. We are finding
that we are only using the central heating system when arriving home to a cold cottage after a few days away. By leaving cottage doors open this little fire heats the entire home. We agree with other reviewers, that maybe more expensive at point of purchase but very economical to run. By using a mix of hard wood and smokeless solid fuel we have on occasion shut it down and still had a fire in 11 hours later. The cottage is never cold. We are so impressed we are about to install a second one in another house.
Stove expert replied:
Full marks so must be a great stove.
Only got this in 10 days ago and more than pleased , to date only burned seasoned logs in it and the airwash system keeps the glass clean. I usually light fire with half fire lighter and kindling
sticks to get flue heated and then put on logs after a few minutes , turn off primary valve keep the airwash on full and gradually turn back to first position. Stove more expensive than a lot on the market but well worth it !!!
Got our Woodwarm Foxfire 4kw stove installed in December 2010 in the middle of one of the worst winters for many years. Had researched very intensively as our recent self-build project incorporated
a Mechanical Heat Recovery Ventilation (MHRV) System and we needed a "room sealed stove". We found this facility with the Foxfire which supplies both primary and secondary air. We had calculated our room requirements about 6 - 7kw but, when we discussed with our stove installer how air-tight our house was, we were recommended to go with the Foxfire 4kw, and on reflection we are glad that we didn't install anything bigger. The stove has performed exceptionally well over one of the hardest winters in years. One of the first things we noticed about the stove was just how easy it is to light. We fitted 4.5 meters of 125mm flexible flue liner which aids in the draw of the fire. Because the stove is of steel construction, it is up to temperature in less than 10 minutes. Using a stove thermometer, we easily reach operating temperature and then reduce the air supply to see one of the most desirable flame effects on such a small stove. The external air kit supplies both primary and secondary air and is very responsive. To date, we have only burned wood so, we only use the secondary air supply which facilitates the air-wash and keeps the glass very clean for days. We only use well seasoned timber with a very low moisture content. Re-fuelling is easily achieved with a robust handle and glove supplied with the stove. The firebox is not very big, approximately holding eleven inch logs, which we have to re-fuel roughly every 90mins on a steady burn. However, if we need to go out for a while, it is possible to slumber the fire for several hours. Overnight burning is something we have not been able to achieve, maybe due to the size of the firebox and limited fuel storage. This little steel stove heats our room very quickly and adjacent rooms as the night progresses. The fact that it is not a cast iron stove is of little importance to us as once our room is hot, even if the fire goes out, our room is so well insulated that the heat can be felt in the room and adjacent rooms the next morning. I would definitely recommend this little stove for any small room or larger well insulated rooms and especially new eco-houses with MHRV Systems. I find the entire stove very well constructed with quality materials. Very little ash is produced sometimes not having to empty the ash pan for a full week of burning. Finally, on reflection of all the wood we used all winter, from our wood pile, this stove is remarkably easy on fuel.
Stove expert replied:
Lots of heat for little wood, what could be better? Great review of this stove.
This has got to be the best 4/5kw stove I have ever come across,I've had 2 morsos
and one clearview pioneer 400. This stoves air wash system work so well the glass never needs cleaning for months
, Its up to temp in 10 mins flat.
And can slow burn for 7/8 hours. Mine has external air kit which houses primary
and secondary air controls fully sealed to the room. Woodwarm have thought of everything in this stove. There riddling system is very robust and remains flat. They are bars that move back and forwards instead of a spinning wheel which used to stick on me all the time on the morsos and the clearview
Stove expert replied:
nGood review, airwash sounds amazing better than most as quite normal for some build up on slow burning.
Had one of these stoves installed a number of months ago. It was replacing another stove of fairly reputable make which was thoroughly unsatisfactory - smoky glass, smoke leaking into rooms
etc. Chose the roomsealed version of the Foxfire and have to say we are thoroughly pleased with the result. This stove is easy to light, takes a good sized log, stays in overnight and responds well to control changes. Glass get lightly stained if set at slumber for prolonged periods but the easiest way to clear it is to open up the fire and let the staining burn away - which it inevitably does so that the glass rarely needs cleaned. This stove is just light years ahead of our previous one. Had we known how well this stove was going to work we would probably have ordered a larger Woodwarm stove with an integral boiler. As it is it is perfectly sized for the room it is in i.e. about 5m x 4m and puts out enough heat to take the chill off the whole house if all the doors are left open.