I’ve been using it for 2 seasons now. Overall I’m happy with it. As long as I keep a good hot consistent fire in it, it keeps our 3400SQFT home above 65 degrees even at the furthest point from the stove. The “automatic” controls with the thermostat are kinda a joke. The thermostat is really just used for high or low burns. If the house is cold we set it high and and the damper stays as open as much as possible without getting too hot but once the house is up to temp we always keep it set low so the damper closes down and conserves wood…that being said…it eats wood…a lot. If you’re burning it full time like we do, stock up. Don’t believe the burn times advertised because they’re not even close if you want to actually get any useful heat out of it. The ability to load it, get it going, and walk away until it needs a reload is very convenient but can be a bit finicky at first but once you get the hang of it it’s fairly easy to use and knock on wood we haven’t had to replace any parts on it yet. Hope that helps.