Grate Wall of Fire Model M-6 Smoke-Free Fireplace Grate – 26' Wide x 15' Tall – Durable Alloy Steel Construction, Increases Heat Output, Eliminates Smoke Issues, Ideal for Larger Fireplaces

I don't usually write reviews but felt this product deserved it.I've had my M-6 for over two years and have enjoyed it since day one.This thing is heavy duty and great quality build right out of the box. Install couldnt be easier if you went by the measuring guide on their website.Building a fire in it does take some practice. I recommend lots of good kindling on the bottom to start a good coal bed. After that just load logs into it and enjoy, simple as that.USE DRY SEASONED WOOD!!! I think the only negative reviews i've seen involve customers using "green" fresh cut or wet wood that cause the fire to be either very dull or won't get started at all. That being said after you get a good fire going this thing will indeed burn green or wet logs since they dry out up top before entering the burn section of the grate.Performance. Heat output is consistent and excelent. I have a 2500SF open concept home that is not particularly well insulated and the fireplace can keep up to a 30degree differential before heat pump comes on (meaning if its 40degreesF outside it will be 70degF inside).I agree with the manufacturer that heat output is near double your "standard" fireplace fire; "standard" being basic stacked grate or log cabin style fire by your average person building a fire. If you are someone experienced with the "back log" or yule log concept then heat output would be comparable BUT BUT BUT the grate wall of fire heat output is consistent and doesn't require constant tending for optimum burn that conventional methods would. Exclude tipi fires in a rumford fireplace for this comparison.The ambiance is also consistently great with this thing, and the added safety of having the ligs behind the grate is in itself worth the money. I usually just load a big stack on the grate before bed and even up to 8hrs later there is still a decent fire since the burn rate is so efficient.Smoke. The design does in fact help prevent smoke issues since it forces the user to build a fire at the back of the box, which any experienced user will tell you "always build a fire at the back of the box" which is tobprevent smoke and turbulence in the draft.2 years later and its still burning right along. Cut wood consumption from 2 cords to about 1-1/2 so defenitely an effeciency factor in there.Bottom line if you have experience in making optimum heat fires or if you just bought a house with a fireplace this grate is absolutely worth the cost. As an experienced home fireplace user i enjoy no longer having to constantly twnd the fire for optimum burns and the added safety that a burning log cant roll out (I have had this happen with traditional fires) is well worth it.

This thing is a God send. I had an older, much cheaper standard grate in my fireplace, which had come with my home when I purchased it earlier this year. It wasn't in the best shape, but I figured I'd use it this winter season and worry about replacing it before next. Within a couple of weeks and a few fires, however, it became clear that I needed a replacement, and I started shopping around for something heavier, more substantial, and less likely to come apart under the heat of the cured hardwood fires that are so commonplace in my part of the country. The pricing of a better solution scared me, and I was a bit taken aback by 3-figure price tags on a heavier-grade grate. After a week or so of doing my homework, though, it became clear that if I wanted a safer solution that would minimize the heat stress on my fireplace masonry, I was going to have to bite the bullet. So I decided to go whole-hog, and started looking for the "be-all, end-all" solution. The "Wall of Fire" consistently came out at the top of the list with customer reviews, but also with price tag. But wood isn't cheap (or environmentally friendly, if not used efficiently), so after agonizing over my checkbook for a few hours, I ordered the Grate Wall of Fire, as well as the companion reflective fireback.Shipping was fast, and both arrived in perfect condition a couple of days later. These things are built like Panzer tanks, weigh a ton, and were NOT easy for this ---um, "woman of vintage years"-- to wrestle from the door at my entryway to my great room hearth, remove from their boxes, and install in the firebox. But with some elbow grease and colorful language, I did it. (It's not complex, and there is no assembly required - it's just VERY HEAVY, high-quality product.)The result is worth every penny, and every grunt and groan. Even when I pulled wood off of a freshly-delivered cord that had been curing in an open field, and had been transported in a downpour, the fire lit quickly and easily. It takes a while for the heating effect to build up (again, these are heavy-gauge grates, and heating that metal takes time and energy), but once it does, wood burns very efficiently, smoke goes pretty much 100% up the flue even from the first match, and especially with the reflective backplate also made by GWF, the OBVIOUS improvement in heating efficiency is apparent not only while the fire is lit, but the next day as well, with the very low amount of residual ash that is left behind. I don't have to clean out the fireplace after each fire, but can go for several days before that becomes ---I don't even want to use the word "necessary" here, because even after several days, I could still load wood and burn an efficient fire without cleaning. Anyway, I guess it's habit. But the point is, I'm not cleaning EVERY DAY, after EVERY FIRE, and I'm not hauling a lot of cinder out of there - mostly ash. I also don't have to wait until the Second Coming to safely dispose of ash outdoors, because the remaining embers are generally small and lose their heat in the ash can pretty quickly.LOVE THIS THING. Well made, and well worth the investment. Buy the backplate, too, if you're serious about using your fireplace for anything but a conversation piece.