The ACR Woodpecker is the entry level stove into the ACR range. ACR is a company that imports lots of stoves and distributes them under the ACR brand, which is based in England. The stove is made from steel, it has a cast iron door and a big glass. The models do have a grate and an ashpan, but its design focus is towards wood (as the name suggests), and they make 3 types:
WP4 (Woodpecker 4) + a log store version
WP5 (Woodpecker 5)
WP5Plus (Woodpecker 5 Plus)
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Lighting the stove: 8/10
These are easy to light, I tested the WP5 and it's internal design with a static grate made lighting the stove rally quick and easy. It's also relatively light weight so it heats up quick too.
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Cleanness: 5/10
These stoves are all DEFRA approved and EcoDesign, so they're all clean. The stove does also have relatively good control, good enough in fact, to cause blackening on the glass. It can clean it off mostly if you get it hot again, but maintaining clean glass will come with a bit of learning, particularly if you're using it a lot.
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Controls & Controllability: 6/10
The main handle has this nifty design which means you can tighten and loosen it depending on the condition of the rope seals. This is a really simple yet invaluable design feature that will be useful from day 50 onwards. Adjusting door catches is often a complete nightmare, with things seizing or breaking, but this (as you can see in the unboxing video) is as easy as it gets. The handle does get warm, but the stove comes with a glove so that is easy enough too. The controls are push in and pull out levers underneath the door, they are very effective, make the stove easy to light and shut down for long burns too.
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Fuel economy & Burn time: 5/10
The stove has good fuel economy and can burn over night too (with a bit of practice). It will suit evening and weekend use, but could be more serious if required. This stove is entry level so is relatively simple in its design and will age more quickly with serious use, but it is capable on the occasion it is required.
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What I thought:
This is really well priced, particularly nowadays. It has all the clean credentials we look for in stoves, and big glass too. It's also flexible on fuel and easy to use and control. The stove is trying to be suitable to as many people and situations as possible, so that flexibility will cause a certain amount compromise to performance. But if you're after something that requires flexibility over outright focused performance, then you will get on well with this stove. As far as the company is concerned, ACR company didn't strike me as overly friendly, their warranty is a little "my way or the highway" but perhaps that's just a more honest way of putting things. I have called them (as I do with every stove I review) as a fake customer and they were helpful, but I did get the feeling that it was only up to a point. Of course when you bear in mind the cost of this stove, it is at least understandable.
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1 comment
Hi we have the woodpecker 5 plus and I’m finding with the secondary left out and primary pushed in you can’t feel the heat in the room however if I push the secondary in and leave the primary out we feel the heat in the room straight away if I use it this way will it damage the fire .