In this video get an overview of the Stovax Stockton wood burning and multi-fuel stove range from The Tortoise - an independent reviewer of stoves and fires. See how easy the Stockton is to light and control, how clean it is, how long it burns, and final thoughts.
Well, this is an old favorite. The Stovax Stockton 5. Hi, I’m Gabriel. My family have been manufacturing, designing, and selling stoves for three generations. This channel has two sides: stove reviews and information, and many films about influential people whose success story might inspire you. Check them out and leave me a comment. You could also like and subscribe to see more.
They make a version to suit everyone, from a three kilowatt, a four kilowatt, this five kilowatt, a widescreen five kilowatt, an eight kilowatt, and an 11. They do wood and multi-fuel versions on most of them, and they even do gas and electric versions. This really is a trusted favorite of the UK stove industry. The options vary a bit from stove to stove, but they all come with heat shields. The larger versions can have two doors, and they have top and rear flue outlets, and they’re built like a tank.
Okay, let’s light it. As always, small logs on the base. And a few bits of kindling. Fire lighter on the top. It was up to temperature in 20 minutes with the door closed from the off.
The largest version is 76.2% efficient, and the smallest is 86%, with the others sort of fitting in between. They’re all now DEFRA approved and Ecodesign compliant. Being an older traditional style stove, it’s been around for a long time and won’t have started out beautifully clean, but nowadays they all run clean like this, providing you’ve got dry fuel.
This stove’s been around for a long time, and if you know the stove, you’ll be pleased to know that the controls haven’t really changed. We’ve got a lower control, um, which is for when you’re burning coal or when you’re lighting the appliance, and you just flip it over to the right to close that down. The top control, you sort of knock probably sort of two-thirds, three-quarter closed once it’s up to temperature because it can be quite a lively stove. But once you want to shut it down, if you go the whole way, it does do quite a good job, but the moment you flick it back even just a touch, it wakes straight back up. You do get a tool and some gloves, which you will need because the handles do get hot. Um, this twist handle is again familiar and has never really changed, and the tool itself on the multi-fuel version will take out the ash pan, but will also latch into the door handle and enable you to open the door even if you’ve lost your gloves.
We test fuel economy on stoves by getting them up to temperature and then burning a single net of kiln-dried logs on them to see how long that net will last. This one did it for nine hours, eight to nine hours, which was good.
I suppose it’s not for everyone, it’s not that modern sleek look that people would often want as a backup and a focal point, but that’s because it’s more functional, it’s more utilitarian. I suppose it’s more me. I’ve had customers who have had these for decades, running all the time, doing the job of heating the home, and that’s where these come into their own. Like an old Land Rover, this could do decades of hard work, and it’s only a service away from doing the next decade. And the best thing is, unlike the Land Rover, they’ve modernized it, made it compliant with Ecodesign and DEFRA, but they haven’t spoiled the traditional, familiar look and feel.
Sign up to our newsletter and receive the latest news and updates, including product launches, offers and promotions, exclusive giveaways and competitions, as well as seasonal tips and advice.
Subscribe Now!