[mcesare]

I tried adding steel wool to a solution of copper sulfate.
I used about 0.51 mols of iron.
I ended up needing 0.65 mols of copper sulfate to get reaction to complete (all steel wool broken down).

Should the reaction have been heated ?
Does reaction just bog down as most of iron is oxidized(?).

M

[Burner]

I used about 0.51 mols of iron.

How do you get this number? Steel is a group of iron alloys and contain elements other than iron.

[Borek]

I tried adding steel wool to a solution of copper sulfate.
I used about 0.51 mols of iron.
I ended up needing 0.65 mols of copper sulfate to get reaction to complete (all steel wool broken down).

Please elaborate on what you did and on your observations, it is not clear what your statements are based on.

[Arkcon]

I tried adding steel wool to a solution of copper sulfate.
I used about 0.51 mols of iron.
I ended up needing 0.65 mols of copper sulfate to get reaction to complete (all steel wool broken down).

Like everyone else, I wonder about how accurate you can be.

Should the reaction have been heated ?

It should have made its own heat, this reaction can get pretty warm.  But generally, yes, many reactions happen faster when warmed.  But how fast did you want? 

Does reaction just bog down as most of iron is oxidized(?).

Definitely.  That all revolves around how "fast" you wanted it.  Briefly, we always call a student's attention to stoichiometry.  But for the production of something via chemical process, we always use the excess of one reagent, to be sure the reaction proceeds to completion.

[Enthalpy]

"Steel" isn't too inaccurate, with a little bit of luck.
Some compositions, especially stainless steel, can contain much of alloying elements.
But most often - and I expect that from steel wool - steel is pretty much iron. Like 0.5%Si, 0.5%Mn, 0.3%C, rest Fe.

By the way, Mn (comes from Fe ore) and Si (from refractory lining in ovens and melting pots) are so common in steel that most steel designations based on the composition omit them completely, despite their big effect on steel's properties.