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Review of Hunter Herald 14 stove

Update Hunter 14

Kit Muscillo 6 years ago

I reviewed this stove on the site you are on when it was new now I would like to add my views 2 years of burning on.

The build quality of the stove is without doubt a strong point. It is built like a battle ship and few stoves meet its standard. It is heavy and good looking and a very viable alternative to the modern looking stoves that are becoming so popular.

Many people here have given the stove rather luke warm reviews so I thought that I would mention a few things that have made the difference to me. This stove has a steeper learning curve than most but it will be worth it if you preserver.

Firstly, I had a liner fitted. The stove did not perform well without one and unless you have a modern chimney the extra money spent will bring out the best in the Hunter 14.

Secondly, I ignored the tertiary air inlet. The hunter has a third air inlet in the back of the stove and this is hardly mentioned in the manual that comes with the stove. I left mine shut for the first year of use however after opening the third inlet my stove has taken on a new level of performance. The third inlet will introduce air to the top of the fuel and the heat will be stronger. My hunter only became excellent when I opened this vent. Very much worth a try if you are experiencing poor heat.

Thirdly, the Hunter has a separate inset for the firebox if you intend to burn wood. These are under a hundred pounds and are reputed to make all the difference. I have indeed had trouble burning wood and have come to the conclusion that the stove performs best on solid fuel. This is the opposite of my Farthers stove that cost twice as much and burns wood beautifully but is lazy with multi fuel coal. If you intend to burn wood on the stove then ask about the additional firewood box.

Fourth, the stove is big! Because of the size of the stove I spent the first year banking the fuel into one corner. The result was a luke warm fire that only seemed to reach a temperature of 250 f max, certainly not warm. After reading an article however I tried spreading a thin layer across the entire fire box about an inch high. Now I reach optimal burning temperature and save fuel. Up to 400 f

Five, this stove is thirsty. Its a big stove and will require more fuel than some however by spreading the fuel across the entire box I have improved heat and paradoxically saved on fuel. Fuel burn slower when not pilled high.

Conclusion: The Hunter 14 is a good stove however it has three air vents (a clean burn system) and if the third one is opened up the stove operates better. It seems to work best with solid fuel however a separate firebox is available for it and this is not made clear in the manual. The fire is warm and snug and controls well if fitted with a linear. It is built like a battleship. If you open the third air vent and spread coals across the entire surface of the box it should improve performance.

Stove expert replied: Great comments, lovely to hear you are getting better results with all controls now being operated.

Overall rating:

5 flames

Build Quality 5 flames (avg 3.8)
Quality of finish 5 flames (avg 3.9)
Value for money 4 flames (avg 3.5)
Ease of use 4 flames (avg 3.3)
Ease of lighting 5 flames (avg 3.8)
Firebox size 5 flames (avg 3.6)
How well does the airwash work 5 flames (avg 2.8)
Controllability 5 flames (avg 3.1)
Handle operation 5 flames (avg 3)
How likely are you to buy it again? 5 flames (avg 2.9)
What is your overall satisfaction? 5 flames (avg 3.1)