Review of Clearview vision 500 stove
Made to Last
The Clearview is robustly constructed (and indeed quite heavy for its size at I think about 120Kgs). I understand that all of the seams are welded which means that there shouldn't be any panel gaps as the stove ages. This will help in burn control as air won't leak in (or smoke out). I think that the single door is preferable to a double door model as it is easier to seal and you get a better view of the fire. The option to have the 2 inch legs was a boon to us as our fireplace is not very high. The complimentary leather welding gauntlets are a nice touch as they mean that you can place the logs accurately on a hot fire rather than throw them in from a distance - they also have a multitude of other uses such handling a difficult cat.
\n\nThe design manages to avoid the overtly baroque embelishments of some traditional stoves as well as the rather industrial looks of some ultra modern ones.\n\nIf you are installing it yourself (as we did) then plan the logistics carefully due to the weight - going down a step is do-able but you wouldn't want to go up one. we used lots of wooden blocks and a trolley made from an old kitchen work top and 4 heavy duty castors. Watch out for the air inlet control rod which sticks out at the bottom and seems comparatively fragile compared to the main body. The instructions are refreshingly no-nonsense and avoid those worrying technical drawings.