Side by Side Comparison of: Vestal Manufacturing vs Holiday Times vs Panacea vs RH Peterson Co.

Bought this grate almost a year ago, and it has held up very well! We see so indication of any deterioration or weakness, and it appears to be solid and sturdy. Lots of reviews of similar products mentioned failures, but this grate is the real deal and does exactly what we need it to do -- hold the logs up and hold them steady. This is a fine product!

Nice thick iron, seems well made. I like how it elevates the fire which provides good air flow, and less ash. Seems to burn through all the wood better than wider open grates. Fits as described and looks good in my fireplace.

Long term product evaluation. This grate has held up since Oct 2011 and has no signs of weakening as I write this on Oct 2015. We live in NJ and have 4-5 fires per week during the season. This product was made in USA and well worth the price compared to the cheap grates available in the big box hardware stores that last less than a season !

Works like a charm. Holds a lot more wood that my earlier "wire" model. The flat bottom holds the embers much better than wire models with the large gaps between the "arms". Time will tell how it will weather the flames, but I'm starting with a lot more metal, so I'm optimistic.Of course, make sure you measure your firebox accurately before you order. Allow for the narrowing of the firebox towards the rear.*By wire I mean the type with "U"-shaped arms and bed made from welded 1/2" rods. The

This is a great grate....many fires no decay of grid like others I have owned....I'm gonna buy another for back up......I burn 4 cords a year so won't hurt to have an extra.....highly ratedUpdate a couple of months later and a cold winter - this is a nice grate BUT back has eroded and now has a hole min the middle where the grate use to be I like it - good size and height but like another reviewer who sent pic mine has given way in the back and center. Don't know if I'll buy the backup as stated earlier - price is decent but I'd like it to last more than one season

I use this grate for roaring fires all day every day and it is perfect. It keeps the logs well in place. The height is great so it makes cleaning an easy task without having to remove it to clean underneath. Fires burn longer and stay hotter because of the consolidation of wood.

I bought this to put BBQ Charcoal ashes in so I could clean my grill while it was still hot. I often forgot to clean my grill till the next time I use it due to waiting till it was cool enough for me to clean out the ashes. I decided to get an ash bin that would be okay for hot ashes from my BBQ and this fits the bill perfectly. I can put hot ashes in it without worry. The can does get hot but since it sits on concrete and not near anything flammable, I am not worried. The lit is not as tight on mine as others have mentioned, it is perfect not too loose or too tight.This allows me to always put the grill away clean and cooled down easily.

Very good product. I use my wood burning fireplace insert as a main heating source and clean it once a week . The one week constant burning ash fills around 1/2 of this bucket. The insert helps to burn the wood completely so only ash is left. I also have a special "Ash vacuum cleaner" which I use for the remaining fine ash , that is remaining around and inside the fireplace after the "rough cleaning" with the scoop, that is included with this ash bucket.

This is very nice, when it first came it was a bit out of shape and the lid would not fit, hubby just pushed on it so the lid would easily go on and stay on. We love it, looks nice and keeps the ashes from blowing all over. I would not set it on a surface with hot coals in it that was not fire safe, we think that would just be for safety reasons.

This bucket is perfect to keep near our outdoor firepit to scoop out the ashes. It is large, so for an indoor fireplace might not suit your needs unless you have a large hearth, but on an outdoor patio it is great.We had been lifting up the whole pit to dump it and I was tired of ending up covered in ashes so I finally decided to get a bucket and shovel for the task. This one is well mad and has been holding up to the elements well. It does what it should (it's a bucket that holds things and the scoop scoops). The holder for the scoop works well and keeps the entire ensemble looking nice.Not much more to say about it other than I would happily buy this again to fulfill any bucket/scoop needs

This is an excellent tool to have when you have fireplaces and use them. It makes it very safe to clear out the ashes and not have to worry if any of the ashes are still hot and can cause a fire. I usually clear out the fireplace and leave the ashes in this bucket for 8 hours them place them in the trash. Very safe without being sorry.

My wife bought this for me for christmas. I've used it for a solid month and it easily took a full month's worth of ashes (and that's with almost 24/7 burning in a brand new wood burning stove) before I first had to empty it. But it's still relatively modest in size for the amount of ash it holds, it's attractive in a simplistic way, the wood handle grip feels nice, and the lid fits on fairly snugly (not airtight, but snug enough that it won't fall off without a solid hit under the lip).The shovel is a good size. The handle is NOT long, but that makes it more manueverable. The shovel could use a wood handle or something to prevent a hot hand from digging hot coals out, but that's a pretty minor nitpick and I've never actually had to drop the shovel...just came close once or twice when really working with hot coals.I definitely recommend this as a nice hearth ash bucket. Keep it outside on masonry after dumping hot ashes in it; it won't look out of place :)

This is one of the best items I have purchased for my fireplace. I had been using grocery bags (not the plastic bags, but the re-usable ones with cloth handles) to haul in my wood from the outside, and it was just a bad idea overall. I couldn't fit many pieces in, and the wood ripped the bags. I found this log tote on Amazon, and ordered one right away. It arrived quickly and exceeded my expectations. It is strong, sturdy and holds quite a bit of wood. The depth keeps all the dirt and leaves inside, and can be easily shook out when empty. I no longer have to worry about tracking in dirt and leaves when I bring my wood in. I like this item so much I actually bought another one to use when we go camping. This meets all my criteria for 5 stars - a great product at a great price for something that is a vast improvement over what I was using before.

This is the one you are looking for. This is it. I have 22" long firewood for my stove, & they fit inside the end pockets of this tote. The straps go all the way around, and have never broken. The design keeps all the lose wood bits inside the tote, & off the floor. It carries all the wood I can lift with one arm. Be carefull to keep hot coals & sparks from landing inside the tote, as they will melt a hole in the material.

Great construction for the price. It's pretty heavy duty, like; one that you would expect to pay $40 or so for. It's big enough for me, I've seen some that are HUGE, but I don't think I could carry a lot more than this holds in terms of weight. We heat our entire house with a wood stove, so I am hauling wood all day, every day during the colder months. It keeps up.

Best value log tote out there hands down. The fabric is very heavy duty, stitching is legit. I used this log tote to haul an entire cord of wood from the front of my house to the back of my house and definitely overloaded the heck out of this thing, no issues at all. I can see this thing lasting me the next decade or so even with heavy use. I can fit about 5-7 pieces of wood in this before the handle will not wrap around it anymore, it also has a fairly long pocket for those oversized logs. I haven't loaded one piece of wood in the tote that didn't fit within the front and bottom pockets. You would have to have some massive logs for this to be too small.Highly recommend, I may buy a second for redundancy. At this price why not!?

Worth every penny!! When it arrives in the mail the package looks too small to be any good. My husband was even skeptical when he opened it. But it does great! The handle wraps all the way around so they will not break off. The material is very sturdy and has not ripped in two winters. My husband is very strong and brings in at least 3 loads of about 6-7 large pieces of split wood DAILY. The inside has never torn and it is nice that the sides wrap around the load a little so it holds the wood in nicely and prevents pieces of wood from falling all over the house as well as protect the furniture and walls incase it's bumped against them. I am buying extra incase it can't be found again!

Still working great and in great shape in 2017 and we use it almost everyday in the winters. Works well. seems pretty sturdy. I think it will last quite awhile. Our logs are spit to 20" and depending on the thickness this carries about 6 logs. Unlike the picture here our logs are all different thickness. Some are quite wide. On average I'd say about 6 thick logs. The thing I love about it is that I do not get filthy and have bugs on me from carrying the logs by hand against my shirt. Also no bark and dirt dropping onto the floor as I walk through the house to the bin near the wood stove. That is the main reason I bought it. It lays flat on the ground to fill it then just grab the handles and off you go. Update! bought 2013 still going strong in 2016!

What I expected.

As advertised. No complaints as of now!

Product was as described, well made and met expectations.

Better than anything I could find around here.

Arrived in a timely manor. Good plus quality, heavy in weight! Hoping it last the time of many many fires!!Check back in and see if the grate earns a 5 star rating!Thank you,PLGFreeman

Legs were a little shorter than I had hoped, but fimne for my purposes when propped up on a tile. Excellent quality and price.

Overall, good ash bucket. Nice size, shovel is sturdy. Top didn't actually fit until we bent and reshaped the bucket itself.

Product is well constructed and as described.The only caveat is the handle looks a lot brighter than the picture, making it look a bit cheap. I will finish it with a darker stain to make it look more like the picture.

Works as advertised. Shovel is much better than what I've been using. Good value.

Bought this with fireirons and a log tote, happy with everything! Bucket is lightweight so easy to carry, lid fits well, shovel is sturdy enough to be useful. A good buy.

For the price, this ash bucket works. I frankly wish that it were built of thicker gauge and were more dent resistant, but this is what you get nowadays. The spot riveted on shovel carrier is convenient, but it is possible to get the bail under the shovel, leading to a #^*+ it moment until you straighten it out. I am old enough to remember when all trash cans were galvanized steel and heavy duty. If I were running, say, a coal stove, that's what I would hold out for. For a fireplace or wood burning stove, this ash bucket will work.

I really needed a "real" ash bucket, since I make a lot of fires in my woodstove and the ash really builds up in there. I was tired of using my large stewing pots for ash! This bucket is nice and plain and sturdy (I was looking for both). It's not heavy (empty). The shovel that comes with it is convenient, and it's well-designed: the scoop is broad and has flat edges that makes it very easy to pick up a large volume of ash at once. The "holster" for the shovel is also really nice. The two things that are issues (albeit very minor ones) for me are its size (it's BIG - 13" dia at the top x 13" tall) and how the lid doesn't exactly lift off easily. If you have plenty of space on your hearth, go for it. If you have limited space, Measure first! Imagine a 13"x13" box sitting there. I'm not sure if the lid is support to have a "hitch" to it for safety reasons (ie, so that it can't tip over and spill hot ash out on your floor) or if I just managed to get a "hitchy" one. Arguably, it's going to be safer if the lid stays closed, but this lid has no particular safety closure (clasp, hook, etc). I don't have dogs or kids, so it's not an issue for me. Unless you're cramped for space, I highly endorse it!And of course... always empty your fireplace or stove when it's cool, and never assume there aren't any hidden hot coals in there!Hope this helps!

This is a great bag but the handle are too short. It definitely keeps the mess down since the ends are covered, but if you have a lot of wood, the handles are too short. For the price I am happy, but it is not a perfect product for my use, but it is better than the leather open one that I have been using last winter.

It was a little too small for what my husband had wanted. He uses two 5 gal buckets instead to haul firewood. We plan to give this one to our son-in-law instead.

It is a bag and it is used to carry wood. The bag is sturdy and tough with handles. I can place five or six normal sized fireplace logs in the bag and carry it from my woodshed to the house. I have two of these bags and I can balance myself with logs on each side. My wife can carry only one bag and will carry it in front like a grocery sack with logs. They hold up well and last about two years. Some of my logs will have sharp stick points or 'pokies' as others might say and this will tear the interior and finally wear a hole in the bag.

The copy stated it was a canvas body. And it is.. but it is lined in vinyl. There was no mention of the inside being vinyl. I assumed it was a tough canvas body throughout However, It holds a lot of wood. I will use it mostly to carry lots of kindling. The viynl may be a good thing. I don't knwo yet. But it is a good size and seems sturdy. Wish it were made in USA. It is made in China.

We have a wood-stove and it is our heat source for the winter so we use this thing a LOT! It's sturdy, I like that it has ends, so a lot of the junk stays in the bottom and not in a trail along the floor. I could wish the handles were a little longer so I could carry a little more and accommodate some of the more oddly shaped pieces, but it works. And extra trip or two won't kill me, or I could just by two and double fist it, right? What I do like about the straps is how thick and wide they are in the hand. No cutting off circulation to the fingers with these, which makes up for the smaller size. Our old one had terrible straps, so this is a joy to use.Update: I have been using this now for two years and it's still going strong. I have found that the shortness of the handles makes carrying a load of wood a lot easier. While carriers with longer handles allow me to carry more in one trip, my knee is much happier not being hit with every step. The weight of the wood falls squarely on my thigh and not my knee, so the shorter straps I thought where a drawback are actually an asset on further use. It also has remained quite supple and still folds easily for storage.

The description, which says canvas, is in fact a big FAT LIE and they should change it. The label clearly says polyester/PVC and Made in China.However, as much as I loathe companies that misrepresent stuff, I have to say that for $12 this is a darn nifty product which, at least for me, has held up very well under heavy use for a year. I don't discount the experience of the folks who say they've got holes from light use--I believe them--but my two totes have been used to carry about 1.5 cords of wood each and the material is showing no holes or signs of wear. I'll update this review if I have any problems!The handles are sturdy and comfortable. Looks wise, these are attractive, or at least not ugly! From a few feet away they do look like canvas! The sides are designed to help keep wood chips off your floor, but personally I'm lazy and in a hurry so I throw the tote on the ground, toss the wood on 'em, fold 'em up like a taco and hightail it back inside. With this method, the "sides" are flat, under the wood. If you want to use the sides as shown in the pic you have to load the wood more carefully.I don't find wood chips fall out using the taco method, and if one does, I can always sweep it up later.I bought two, and I'm glad I did as it's much more comfortable to carry two moderately heavy loads than one big one. And of course I want to carry the wood as efficiently as possible! Each tote can easily hold 7 or 8 logs but I put in only about 5 or 6 and take one in each hand. So with each trip out, I can carry 10 or 12 logs. That's more than double per load what I can carry cradled in my arms and way more comfortable!I knocked off one star in my review for the misrepresentation in the headline; if it weren't for that I'd have to give this five stars!Another note for those that are comparison shopping: When I originally bought these a year or so ago, I hunted for a quality American made canvas product and did not find a product I liked better. Frontgate has some leather products in the $200 price range but the handles didn't look sturdy, leather is heavy and I just don't like the design--especially for that price. LL Bean has a nice one called Dura-Tough now selling for $34.50, but it is shaped more like a open gym bag with stiff sides, making the taco method impractical! I even went to a fancy boutique fire place store and guess what they had? This exact Panacea model, but at a big markup! If you are going to buy this utilitarian, made-in-China but well-designed little tote, this seller's price is a good deal. If you want the sides to be firmer (which means you DON'T adhere to the taco method) you might want to spring a few more bucks for the LL Bean model. For non-taco loaders (burrito?) that one looks a lot easier to load because you can just place it there and toss the wood in it without fussing to make sure the floppy sides stay up. But, to be clear, even for double the price that one is also synthetic! It is labeled "polyester canvas." What the heck is polyester canvas? To me, canvas is a natural fiber and the dictionary definies it as "a firm closely woven cloth usually of linen, hemp, or cotton used for clothing and formerly much used for tents and sails." I guess polyester canvas is marketing term meaning a canvas-like material made out of polyester. Nice spin guys; we wouldn't buy it if it said polyester cloth. In any case at least, unlike this item, LL Bean's description clearly gives you a red flag that it isn't "real" canvas!

Grate clearance from floor is only 3.5 inches, not four as described. Most people buying need to know this for gas starter clearance. Seems ok other than that.

Looks like great quality however the quality of the packaging job is comical. This review reflects this package job more than the quality of the grate. Who is dense enough to think that a cast iron grate with pointed legs won't puncture a thin cardboard box with nothing but some crumbled up news paper as packing? All four legs were protruding out of the box about three inches when I received it. I can see why so many people have received broken merchandise from Vestal. I'm going to have a chat with Vestal as this situation has has happened many times to a lot of people and is completely avoidable.

It stays hot and makes lighting and keeping a fire going very easy. Did not bend in extreme heat yet. Would highly recommend over the cheaper version you find in stores.Update: After 3 winters this grate has a giant hole center back from melted iron so I've downgraded from 5 stars to 3 and am ordering an even heavier grate to replace it.

I like this grate but I was disappointed that the black finish turned into an ashy white after first use. The grate works well and looks great with a fire in it but it looks pretty shabby when it's not in use. Apart from that, it's well made and a good price.

Its basically a bucket that is painted black. Serves is purpose, but you could get a silver one for about half the price.

Good. Needed it.

The lid came bent and doesn't sit flush with the bucket and takes a bit of maneuvering to get on as a result. Bucket itself is large and sturdy, shovel seems fine, but whether the result of poor packaging or poor craftsmanship, the lid came damaged.

This is more of a decorative or accent piece than anything else. Extremely light weight some what like a cookie tin would be. Same for the shovel and lid, light weight. The lid does not lock down and if the bucket is accidentally knocked over (Murphy's Law) I fear that the contents would spill out. For the occasional user this might fit the bill but I am going for a sturdier galvanized pail with a locking lid to insure any hot coals are well contained. It may not be attractive but definitely a lot more practical.

The pail was slightly bent upon arrival. It didn't surprise me, however, because the metal is very thin and easily bendable. The shovel isn't very stout either. I guess I was expecting a slightly heavier gauge metal. Overall, I can use the pail for my ashes and it will probably last a awhile as long as I don't bump it into a wall or drop the shovel, but definetely not worth $35. Maybe a $10 bucket.

I'm pretty happy with this purchase. It does the job I use it for - removing spent ashes from my woodstove. Both the bucket and shovel are made from fairly thin metal, and the paint scrapes off a little too easily. I'm not sure why they painted the inside of the bucket, and what is the ribbon that comes with the shovel for? It seemed like a fire hazard to me, so I cut it off. There is no instruction sheet and there is very little written on the box other than "ash bucket" - I assume this is some kind of legal strategy? As others have indicated, this thing is probably bigger than it needs to be - I'd say about 3/4 the size of a 5-gallon bucket. On the positive side, the lid does fit pretty snug (although I doubt it would contain the ashes if it tipped over), and the pocket to store the shovel is handy. The shovel itself is a good size for my stove (a fireplace shovel is too awkward), and does a good job scooping out the ash. Note that I don't use the bucket to store hot coals, just ash, or 95% ash. I'm trying to avoid what another reviewer experienced - an overheated bucket smelling like burn paint.

It's OK but not very substantial. I say that because I've had one identical in appearance for years and hoped this would be the same. Unfortunately, it looks the same but is not made with the same heavy fabric and banding.

Personally I find it more of a hassle to load the bag than to just carry the logs in my arms. You can't fit a ton in the bag and it ripped in several spots after only using it one winter.

It works, and allows me to carry more than I could otherwise. However the logs never quite make it into the tote the way it's shown in the picture--the edge flaps sometimes get in the way.Seems strong enough, unless you had really large and wet logs. I almost got a leather one on amazon, but after finding out that one wasn't real leather I bought this economy version. It does the job and I spent the savings elsewhere.

It works, but the material is thin and seems cheep. It does not hold a lot of wood. Maybe 5 logs. The pics give it this nice, loose thick canvass appearance. The inside is stiff and plastic like. Still, the price was right and it does what it claims so I'm basically happy with the purchase. If you're looking to get a few logs from your woodpile to your fireplace and don't want to drop a lot of money, it's worth it.

Based on the reviews, this seemed like a good deal. Now that I've got it... not so much. For $10 shipped, I'm not outraged, but I'll only use it until I can find something better. In an answered question, a few people said that it was made of canvas. Hardly. I've currently got a canvas log holder that cost me $10 five years ago. Wish I'd bought a few of them, because that store is gone now. It looked slightly similar to this, so I had high hopes. When you put it down, it stayed upright so that you can "fill" it. When you put this down, it lies flat on the floor. It does look like it could handle very long logs, like over 24". My logs are all around 18" so that doesn't help me.

Adequate, nothing more. Seems reasonably made. Don't expect straps to last more than a few years. I like the "rubber" liner. It will not stand on its own when not carried, sides fall down and wood can roll out. I prop it up against hearth, works okay.

I had this for two years. The middle of the second year the grate broken apart in the back and by the end of the year the front had broken in the center. My guess is the metal was not strong enough for the heat, and eventually it weakened and came apart.While the grate design was good, the quality of manufacture was not.They need to make stronger grates for higher temps.

Metal failed during its second winter. Grate melted with regular use.

From all of the great reviews on this I wanted to give it a try. We use our fireplace for supplemental (sometimes our only) heat, so I wanted something that would hold the coals longer and last longer than the usual couple of years that a typical welded-bar grate does. We have gone through two of those over the years. Something like this is what we usually have: Minuteman International FG6-27C 27-Inch Standard GrateThis cast iron fireplace grate holds the coals great, but after less than three months, the back side of it started sagging (read: MELTING) and finally the back rail broke in the middle of the melted area. We know how to build a hot fire and I was expecting a grate manufacturer to know how to build a grate that can handle it. I definitely won't be buying one of these again and unfortunately may go back to buying the cheap ones that we have to replace every couple years anyway.On a last note, if you just need a grate to build a pretty fire for ambiance, this would probably work fine, but if you need a hot fire for actually heating your home, I would pass on this one.I'm going to post a photo of the damage, if I can find out where to do it.

The shovel broke in half on the first use

It works, it's not too bulky, but the lid as others complained is not sized to the item correctly and it was not flat - it has a warp. For the price I didn't want to pay $20 or $30 more to upgrade so this is where we sit.

The handle was broken off and the bucket was very thin and flimsy. I returned it and wouldn't recommend it at all. Shovel was fine, though!

It's okay but while recycling the boxes I noticed that the box had tape on all the open edges so it had to be a return which explains the slight crease in the lid. To late to return the item, very disappointed. they didn't check the return very closely.

Holds a good amount of ash however if Ashes are still hot it will melt the can. Would not recommend for wood stove if planning to use often because your ashes will always be somewhat hot.

The lid is warped. Doesn't sit on the top of the can correctly. Otherwise, it would be a nice bucket.

Cheap construction and smaller than is terribly useful. I now use it to collect weeds when I weed the garden.

Too flimsy. Ends flop open and stuff falls out. I ended up throwing it away.

Picture shows brown straps. The one I received had black straps. It would be nice to actually receive what I thought I was buying from the picture shown.

Durable, yes, but if you've ever had any other kind of log tote bag, you won't like this one. It's shaped just right to be inconvenient, and the depth of the ends is just not enough to carry much wood. It's also far too long for the way it's stitched.

I don't love this bag. I have a really good heavy duty one and this one just doesn't compare. I wanted one that I didn't mind getting messy to use to clean up the woods around the house where the wheelbarrow doesn't go. This bag is so flimsy and doesn't stay open nicely to put stuff in. It's kind of shaped wierd too. Maybe if didn't already have a really good one, I wouldn't mind it, but I do and I don't like this one. I would not buy it again.

The handles are not long enough to really reach around a large load of logs. The canvas is great and well made. It really only holds about 3-4 normal sized logs. The photo must have a few super-tiny logs in it.

measurements were insufficient

came broken in half... not packaged with any support at all... loose in the box... if it wasn't broken, i'd say it probably was a good quality product... company needs to learn how to package its products...

It said it would stand up to the heat didn't happen fell through after the first season again save your money look some where else

this product arrived without the shovel. doesn't make much sense and it says it's a non returnable product.

Junk

First 2 received were smashed in. Very cheaply made as others stated. Shop around on this one

this is a cheaply made item that should never be trusted with potentially live embers.

Crap. It was delivered damaged. It's paper thin. I plan on returning it right away. Don't buy this product.

This product was damaged both times I ordered it. The material it is made of is light which can be a good thing if you have a lot of ash in it, but it dents very easily, and the lid was warped. I finally bought a different product after 2 failed attemps.

Worst waste of money. Wood constantly falls out. There is no good way to stack wood in this waste of canvas. I would have given zero stars if it was possible. I could haul more wood without spilling using a 5 gallon bucket.

Unstructured tote offers little convenience in carrying firewood. I don't recommend this product

Don't believe the hype. This bag holds less logs than I can carry with one arm. The handles are also far too short if you tried to over-load the bag to make it useful. "Top Seller" apparently doesn't mean quality, it just means cheap. This was cheap and it is cheap. Such a simple product to manufacture to make it usefull... this one, we found useless.

The one star is for fooling me with the "canvas" description. The definition of canvas is "a firm closely woven cloth usually of linen, hemp, or cotton used for clothing and formerly much used for tents and sails". This is made of none of those materials and though it might hold up for light use, New England winters mean plenty of trips to the wood pile and I don't think it will last. If you are looking for canvas quality, keep looking.

Seriously worthless! This bag holds about 5 pieces of firewood. The dimensions are completely wrong for chopped firewood. It's too big on the ends and too short on the sides. Don't waste your money! I used this bag once and then decided to go back to using my (far less attractive, but far more useful and sturdy) blue Ikea bag.

This is not canvas. Terrible low quality nylon. As the other reviewer said, basically a gym bag.I opened up the box and immediately hated it. I used it anyway, thinking I would get used to it, but now, months later, I'm shopping for a new one because this thing annoys me so much every time I pick it up.