Arada Hamlet Solution review
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- If you could buy a Mercedes for the price of a Fiat... Wouldn't you?
It's not perfect, but it performs every bit as well as some more expensive stoves, and what makes it better is all the boxes they've ticked with the design. If you have any questions about this stove, installations or trouble shooting just let me know in the comments. - Розваги
Hi, thanks for your video's, for a first-time novice they are pretty invaluable. For these stoves, if you are only burning kiln wood, would you recommend leaving an ash base on the griddle rather than removing it all?
A bed of ash for wood is generally a good idea.
Thank you for your content, very well done. I've had this stove for about 4yrs and like you said, it is functional, but you don't have a lot of control.... but over all I'm very happy with it.
Glad to hear it’s been working well for 4 years, long term experience feedback is really helpful.
Cheers
hi Gabriel, love your videos very informative. i was toying between this solution 5 widescreen or the lowry 5xl. i understand i could take the defra screw out of the solution 5 for better flame control but have read to do this i need a 6" flue liner. why would that be? would that be the case for the Lowry too?
we would be night and weekend users, which would you recommend or would you recommend some other stove around the £1000 price range
our lounge is 7.2 mtrs by 3.3 mtr
1960's semi detached
will burn both wood and coal
thank you
Removing the DEFRA kit from a stove does mean a 6” flue is required with essentially all stoves. Your room is quite large so I would be going for a tougher stove with as large an output as possible.
Between these 2 the XL is probably the best option, however you could also take a look at a Stovax County, wide, multifuel. This stove may be available for around your budget (with a bit of negotiation), but it’s very tough build will certainly take decades of abuse.
It’s not that you necessarily need this, it’s just a possibility if you feel your use could become a little rougher or more serious over the years.
Hi Gabriel.FirstlyI want to say your vids have been a massive help in trying to narrow down what stove and they have show me you don't need to be paying stupid money to get a good stove. So thank you.
My question, I live in a Victorian house with the living room measuring for a 5 x 4.6 H3M. Drafty and a big bay which is only just dbl glazed. I have an existing fireplace which due to small budget I will be leaving in. It as access width of 73cm to host a stove.
I have been advised on a 5kw, I am not sure?
Is it worth spending money I don't really have on a Clock Blithfield, are they that good! or would something like an Saltfire STX5 be in any way as good? Or even a Morsoe 3112.
I will be burning a mix, ideally I'd like to burn wood all the time but in reality it will be a mix.
Thank you
You have a big and draughty space so the main thing that a Clock is giving you is extra power given that 5kw is not really enough. Given the size and type of space 7kw is really what the room needs, and the Blithfield is rated at 5, but in reality it is vastly more.
There are other lower cost stoves that also give this kind of power, but then the Clock is particularly useful to a more serious user. An example of an alternative is something like an STx Wide, but over the years (if you intend to stay for a while) there is an argument that the Clock will give more heat, use less fuel, run cleaner and satisfy a more serious user, so it certainly couldn’t be written off.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question!
@@TheTortoise
I brought one of these and got it up and running at the weekend I've also fitted a Recoheat to the flu to help with harnessing the wasted heat from the flu pipe and Holy Moly it's very fast at heating the front room and the rest of the house, so my question is how much more control will I get with removing the screw as even at the closed down position I'm still finding that it's flip-flop and boxers and the rate of wood it's going through seems higher than expected. The draw up is very strong even with the secondary very closed down. And all because of this I'm wondering if a Damper would work and be ok to use. Great video
The good news is you’re not necessarily losing heat, it’s just giving you a lot and quickly. The downside is that these stoves do tend to burn quickly and struggle a bit with control. If you can, removing the bolt will have a positive affect on: economy, burn time and room temperature. I would definitely do this, providing I wasn’t required to have the DEFRA kit obviously.
Thanks for your reply, I don't live in a DEFRA control area so I have since taken the screw out and now has that little more control that was needed which I'm sure will have the desired effect on the economy of running it. Overall I'm very happy with my first purchase and once I get to grips with how to run a backboiler type I will upgrade to it mean time this will keeps us warm through the winter months.
@@martingoodright2791 sounds good. Stoves with back boilers were basically all discontinued at the start of this year due to efficiency requirements. Let’s hope so options return in the future.
Hi Gabriel, been watching your videos for the past week or so, looking at either this Hamlet or lowry 5x ... are these quite similar? Which would be good for night and weekend use.. thank you
They both have similarities, but there are some key differences too:
The Hamlet is all British made which is quite nice when compared to the Chinese, shipped in Lowry. However the Lowry has a better burn time, control and I dare say is also a bit tougher built. The final finishing of the Hamlet is certainly more refined though.
Hi Gabriel, love these videos and thanks so much for them. I appreciate that reviewing inset stoves is tricky, but do you have any general thoughts on them? I have a small, hopelessly inefficient open fireplace with lovely old tiles that I don’t want to smash up and an inset stove may be the only option, but I don’t want to waste the money if they don’t shove out much heat, which I have read here and there. (Posting here because the Arada Solution 5 is a strong candidate, as well as the Stovax Riva 40). I understand of course that any inset will be better than an open fireplace, but wondering how much better in your experience.
I’m actually testing my first inset stove for a review right now.
Inset appliances that cassette right into the fireplace tend to work better than stoves that are half in and out as they have proper convection systems.
The heat output isn’t quite as good, but when compared to an open fire and lots of normal stoves in tight openings, they’re actually excellent. The Riva will be the better stove, but it will also be vastly more money. If it is for more serious use then it’s perhaps worth the extra, but if it is just a replacement for the open fire then the Hamlet is far cheaper and will still increase, heat, efficiency and fuel economy dramatically.
@@TheTortoise Thanks, that’s very helpful. Very excited you’re doing a review of an inset…which one, and are there any others you recommend adding to a shortlist? It will have to be a smaller one to fit the fireplace.
@@tomward8104 I currently have a Beltane Holford and the next one is a Di Lusso r4. They’re all built for British standard openings.
I’ve got a video showing how they get heat out which might be worth a watch once I’ve got it edited!
@@TheTortoise Brilliant, thanks, haven’t heard of either of those! I will definitely be watching the video. One final question if you have ten seconds - are the vent/external air requirements the same for insets, i.e. no need if 5K or below in a pre-2008 house?
@@tomward8104 yes that is correct. Most stoves for that size opening will be the right size.
Hi there, thank you for this, great review! I was wondering how much smoke you get when you open the door to add more fuel? This is a problem that we have with our current stove so something that we're looking to avoid in the next one! Many thanks again! :D
These are to a certain extent known for that. Modern appliances do tend to make the job of the smoke white hard, but some are better than others.
What are you burning (mainly wood or coal based fuel)?
How big is the room (meters cubed)?
How old is the house roughly?
And how will the stove be used (evenings, occasionally, seriously)?
Let me know the answers and I can suggest the most forgiving models that are also appropriate for you.
Hi. This channel is great! Just what I needed before i move house! I've had a villager flatmate for years but decided to leave it with the old house and have an upgrade in the new. The fire place is in an open plan lounge/dining room around 43m2. Can I ask what kw you'd recommend and what brand for around £1.5k. Many thanks!! All the best.
Let me know the following:
How old is the house?
Will you burn mainly wood or coal?
Will it be used for evenings and weekends or all and night/anywhere in between,?
Is this a closed off room, or are there lots of doors/archways leading out of it?
I’ll make some suggestions once I know what you’re after, also do you like more modern or traditional styles?
@@TheTortoise Hi there. Thanks for getting back to me! It’s a Victorian house so poorly insulated. It’s open plan with an open stair case. Multi fuel is essential or a conversion grate. I’d like to use the stove as much as possible. You spoke very highly of the Heta Ambition 8. Would that be suitable? Thanks again for your help! All the best to you.
@@rolandguilford8301 I’m assuming that you are burning primarily coal given your request for multi-fuel? This is a rare thing nowadays so options are fewer , but it is important not to buy m/f as a just in case, or to enable the stove to run for longer. This advice is totally incorrect, as wood will burn much more quickly on a m/f stove, so if you had a wood burner you would find that wood could burn overnight or all day just like coal, but only if you buy the right stove. Ignore the words multi-fuel and replace it with coal burner, that is a far more accurate description for anything with a full riddling grate.
Assuming the above info doesn’t change your request then I would look at the following:
Clearview vision 500
Charnwood island and cove models
Town and country bransdale
Arada Farringdon medium
The Ambition 8 is a superb all out wood burner, it is very capable of running 24/7, but only on wood.
@@TheTortoise Thanks again sir! I was under the misapprehension that coal would burn for longer and make a nice addition when needed. I was also unaware that wood burns faster in a multi file unit. Wood will be the main fuel source. May I ask for some recommendations based on this new info please? Many thanks. Roland.
@@rolandguilford8301 I’d look at:
Parkray Aspect 8
Ambition 8
Ivar 8
Dean forge Croft small
Burley 8kw
Charnwood Aire 7
These are all top of the range stoves, built for serious use. The Aspect will be lowest cost and probably overall best value, but it’s not quite the same level as the others, the Charnwood is similar and is also I expect the most costly.
Hi we have just installed a 5 k and I told the salesman we have a big supply of wood so put in a wood burner that will take a big logs I trusted his decision,on installation I thought it was a silly size and I wish I sent it back at the start you can’t put a decent size log in so any one looking to purchase one beware and check it carefully I will say for a little burner it does give out a lot of heat but you have to get very small log’s
Hi Gabriel. Which hamlet would you recommend for a 5 x 4 lounge in a 70's bungalow?
I guess the 4 or 5 compact, but would prefer the asthetics of the widescreen. The 5kw rating for them all (aside from the 4 is unhelpful 😅)
Essentially is it better or more efficient to run a smaller stove hot or larger stove less hot? Thank you!
Often there are advantages to having larger stoves, but the Hamlet range is designed to burn through in around 45min to an hour, so in this case a larger stove will mean more and faster fuel consumption.
What are you burning on the stove mainly wood or coal?
And
How will it be used, all day and night, evenings or only occasionally?
@@TheTortoise
Thanks for your reply.
I didn't know that about the Hamlets.
Mainly smokeless coal, evenings and weekends.
@@jameskelso7156 given that the Hamlet sounds ideal. I would look at the Solution widescreen, as the occasional nature of your use will mean that a stove that can heat the room quickly is more important. You also prefer the look and given that you’re burning smokeless fuel you will find that you can achieve longer burn times with that size of stove. The less time in hours of burn time is more specific to wood burning so I think you’ll get on fine with it in this case.
Hey man ! great job with all your videos they are very helpful... I was going to buy a hamlet solution 5 widescreen... but i am looking around still before i pull the trigger. which one would you recommend under £1000 for a 5k stove? Many thanks Ax
Sure no problem:
What will you be burning, mainly wood or coal based fuel?
Will this be used for evenings and weekends or more seriously?
Why sort of property is this going in?
Let me know and I’ll give you some suggestions.
thanks for the review bought myself one. Two questions; how do I remove the 'Fitted Smoke Exemption Restrictor Screw'? What coal is best to use in this burner?
The DEFRA screw could be drilled out, but from a warranty point of view you would be better with the special bit to remove it. Arada may supply one, you could call them on 0129735700.
Coal wise the recommend smokeless fuel nowadays.
@@TheTortoise thanks for the super quick reply! I've bought some bits from amazon so hopefully they'll do the job.
Please can you recommend any decent 5KW inset Multi-fuel stoves to be used often? I currently have an old cast iron stove, but this needs to be replaced due to its age, and because the flue is at the back of the stove. This means the stove would need to be removed to clean the chimney.
To advise you well, I would need to know a little more about, how big the space you have to fill is and how big the room is.
Multi-fuel appliances tend to be very efficient with wood and sort of flatscreen type designs are very much a Scandinavian idea where they only burn wood, so there are no great options to be honest. The alternative is the British design of an inset which is sort of half in and half out and built for normally a 16" or 18" fireplace, these are often multi-fuel (EG the Ekol inset is a good one, and Hamlet make one too), but their output is relatively modest (so we would need to check your room size).
I have also recently tested a Contura i5 which is a semi 5KW inset for larger fireplaces, again its Scandinavian and again therefore wood burning, but it did work very well and keeping it in over night is a doddle.
1 last idea, Heta made an inset for the UK market, it is multi-fuel but it is kinder to wood than coal, its built for a standard 16" fireplace and is definitely the best performing multi-fuel inset of that type with wood that I have seen. The Heta 40 inset.
If you plan to burn mostly coal, then the Ekol, hamlet, and serenity 40 are all good options depending on room size.
I've just this week had an Arada Hamlet Solution 5 Widescreen fitted
along with a 6" twin walled flexible 904 grade liner.
The stove has more-than lived up my expectations.
Awesome, thanks for the comment. Feedback like this is really useful, positive and negative!
Do you know how to change the firebricks on this model
I had the inset version with the 904 liner and I must say we are over the moon
@@riversrock glad to hear it, I was just talking to someone about one of these. Glad to hear you’re enjoying it.
A very practical review. thank you. 👍
Thanks a lot.
Hi I just had a Hamlet 5 widescreen installed, I've managed to fully unscrew the knob for the secondary air flow, its come off and I can't sew what it was screwed to. Any idea how I can get it back on?
I’ve finally got in front of one. I just today dismantled it and there are 3 bolts in the top air wash just at the top on the inside of the door. If you remove all of them, and tap the air wash into the stove you can then access the void.
Hope this helps.
@@TheTortoise thank you
What would be your choice between this stove and the aga Ludlow wide 5kw?
The Hamlet is a really nice stove and suits a lot of people, but the Ludlow is a much higher spec appliance. If I could accept the cost difference then the Ludlow is going to be much more controllable and have longer burn times and better fuel economy.
Having said that, if this stove was really just a back up and focal point for a few hours in the evening then the Hamlet will do that job perfectly and for less money than the Ludlow.
Where’s the best place to get one of these stoves for the price you mentioned looking at 5kw.
I try to distance myself from the sales side as much as possible. If I tow the party line certainly the manufacturer will suggest contacting your most local dealer as they can give the best service, but a lot “click to buy” online, which is quite convenient and perhaps less money.
Fabulous stoves
Is this stove good for daily use , say 12hrs per day using mainly coal
This stove was designed as a budget version of their other stoves for more intermittent use. For this type of use I would like at things like:
Clearview
Town and country
Charnwood
Saltfire STx range
Arada Farringdon range
Hope this helps.
@@TheTortoise Thanks for the reply, I had watched your review on Saltfire STX5 and liked that stove, I will go and look at the other stoves you mention
@@macraghnaill3553 good luck with it.
Hi how long will 3 logs like that last for?
Really dependent on their size, density/weight, moisture content and how much ash is in the stove.
3 kiln dried ash logs on all at once could burn in an hour, but if you stagger them and using good technique aim for a long burn then 3 hours is possible.
anyone know why my handle is so stiff ? it never used to be thanks
Not sure?
This stoves handle isn’t adjustable so it would suggest the body itself has moved. I would expect it to loosen up with a few firings.
@@TheTortoise thanks for the reply ..we have been using the fire and it has not loosened up so really not sure i can’t even find anywhere on how to remove the handle to check it
Removing the handle is a tricky thing to do, and is unlikely to help. It sounds mad, but historically you would adjust the doors by hitting it with a mallet.
If you give Hamlet a call, they’ll hopefully have a solution. From memory their number is 0129735700
Removing the handle is unlikely to solve anything. You may do better by adjusting the hinge side.
Which one would be the better buy Gabriel. Hamlet solution 5 or the Saltfire stx5. Thankyou.
They’re quite similar appliances, but the Saltfire is definitely the more functional beast. It has more power, better control and is more toughly built. The Hamlet is a cleaner looking stove and it’s British made. Between those, I’d want the STx5 for me, but if this was primarily a back up and focal point, the cleaner look and British build would feel more attractive.
@@TheTortoise is the Saltfire British built ?
@@d17mop I’m not sure where it’s built, but it won’t be British. I’ve got a Saltfire Peanut in at the moment and my guess is they’re from the East, but they do work quite nicely and this Peanut particularly is really well finished.
@@TheTortoise they’re designed and manufactured in Dorset Gabriel. They are part of the Ekol brand.
@@d17mop yes that’s right, but they’re certainly not manufactured in this country, of that I’m quite sure. I really don’t see where it is manufactured as an issue, but it’s best to be straight rather than try and wriggle round the issue.