Thinking of buying a new wood stove for next winter

[Idahonative]

Ok I been around some tell me this, how much H3ll does a man go through to change out a cat? It has been in 1500* temp every day of the heating season for 7 winters lets say. Now you have to replace it is it just me or does anyone else smell a nightmare repair?

Can't say how hard it would be for other stoves but for our Blaze King, it is simple as pie. Just a stainless band that holds it in place. No screws, no bolts, nothing to really take apart. Just open the door, remove the stainless flame shield (just sits on two brackets), loosen the old cat with a screwdriver and slide out, clean any debris, slide new cat in with new insulation around it and you're done. Easy as can be.

 

[Jeff Lary]

wow sounds good

 

[Jeff Lary]

I have to admit the stoves looks funky as hell with the two tone colors. I think it would look great in a solid light color though. Also like the cooktop feature.

Dude you need to know I love you deeply,.. but that stove is way to busy for my calm country abode. Things on it beside it in front of it yea a lot going on.

 

[Ambull01]

Dude you need to know I love you deeply,.. but that stove is way to busy for my calm country abode. Things on it beside it in front of it yea a lot going on.

Umm, I love you too? Anyway, look at the basic model! All that fu fu crap is a little much, I totally agree. I don't really like the stupid artwork crap on the sides either. Those little girly things in front is andirons I think, supposed to keep the splits off the glass. They're all optional. An all black/dark base model would look good I think. Besides, I've heard the BK stoves aren't exactly lookers.

 

[Idahonative]

Umm, I love you too? Anyway, look at the basic model! All that fu fu crap is a little much, I totally agree. I don't really like the stupid artwork crap on the sides either. Those little girly things in front is andirons I think, supposed to keep the splits off the glass. They're all optional. An all black/dark base model would look good I think. Besides, I've heard the BK stoves aren't exactly lookers.

BK not lookers? Have you checked out the Ashford 30? Nice looking cast iron stove, same air control as the King model, 2.75 cf firebox, 30 hr. burn on low. Available in three colors, even satin or high gloss enamel. A very nice looking, high quality stove.

http://www.blazeking.com/EN/wood-ashford30.html

 

[Ambull01]

BK not lookers? Have you checked out the Ashford 30? Nice looking cast iron stove, same air control as the King model, 2.75 cf firebox, 30 hr. burn on low. Available in three colors, even satin or high gloss enamel. A very nice looking, high quality stove.

http://www.blazeking.com/EN/wood-ashford30.html

Yep, that is a good looking stove. Should have mentioned the Ashford is considered the good looking model.

 

[Cerran]

The biggest reason I'd go with a Blaze King is it's a stove with an established history of performance and the company has been around for 20+ years. Chances are if you need support or service in the next 20 years they will be around.

 

[Idahonative]

The biggest reason I'd go with a Blaze King is it's a stove with an established history of performance and the company has been around for 20+ years. Chances are if you need support or service in the next 20 years they will be around.

Totally agree with you Cerran that those are important considerations. Actually, Blaze King has been around just two years short of 40 years. As you probably know (living in Idaho), they have been very popular around here since their founding in 1977 just a few hours down the Interstate from us. Heck, they have been developing clean burning/high efficiency stoves for over 30 years:

"As the Clean Air Act continues to evolve, we at Blaze King Industries have committed ourselves to leading the industry in developing pollution-reducing hearth products. In 1984, Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality awarded their very first Wood Stove Certification to Blaze King. By 1992, our catalytic wood stoves led the industry for efficiency and burn times."

 

[Jeff Lary]

I am not a greene i could not care less about particales released into the air. Onthe other hand long burn times are definetly somthing i am interested in !

 

[Ambull01]

The biggest reason I'd go with a Blaze King is it's a stove with an established history of performance and the company has been around for 20+ years. Chances are if you need support or service in the next 20 years they will be around.

Well looks like Woodstock has been around since 1978. A+ BBB rating. 6 month return policy. Sounds great to me.

 

[Idahonative]

I am not a greene i could not care less about particales released into the air. Onthe other hand long burn times are definetly somthing i am interested in !

You probably don't realize it but your statement is a contradiction. You like long burn times but you don't care about particles released into the air? Those particles (smoke) are wasted fuel. It is very difficult to have long burns if you are pumping wasted fuel out of your stack.

I've said it before, it doesn't matter what side of the environmental fence you are on. Long, efficient, clean burns in a cat stove might make the EPA happy but it should also make the stove owner happy as well. You are squeezing much more heat out of the same wood and keeping that heat in your house. You WILL use A LOT less wood vs. a traditional stove and have MUCH longer burn times. You don't have to be a Greene or a Tree Hugger to appreciate that.

 

[Idahonative]

Well looks like Woodstock has been around since 1978. A+ BBB rating. 6 month return policy. Sounds great to me.

Woodstock makes a good stove but they are not an apples to apples comparison to BK. When it comes to stove performance, one is Varsity and one is JV.

 

[Ambull01]

Woodstock makes a good stove but they are not an apples to apples comparison to BK. When it comes to stove performance, one is Varsity and one is JV.

lol. Perhaps. Just found an old thread about a beta IS tester on this site. Same guy that made a thread on another firewood site I visit. You posted on that thread about your BK. So it's the great air control ability of the BK that's most responsible for the insanely long burn times?

 

[Hddnis]

I've got a quadrafire and like it a lot, good stove and very well made. My next stove is going to be a Blaze King based on my experience with them. I did a job in a huge log cabin that was heated by single Blaze King that the owner loaded once a day. I've got several friends with them and they swear by them, I thought it was all hype till I got that firsthand experience and now I'm sold.

That said though, got a few friends that are really happy with quadrafires too, like I am. My only complaints are they like to burn hotter, which is fine when it's really cold, but makes shoulder season a problem, and they tend to not burn the coals down when running them at higher temps.



Mr. HE

 

[Jeff Lary]

You probably don't realize it but your statement is a contradiction. You like long burn times but you don't care about particles released into the air? Those particles (smoke) are wasted fuel. It is very difficult to have long burns if you are pumping wasted fuel out of your stack.

I've said it before, it doesn't matter what side of the environmental fence you are on. Long, efficient, clean burns in a cat stove might make the EPA happy but it should also make the stove owner happy as well. You are squeezing much more heat out of the same wood and keeping that heat in your house. You WILL use A LOT less wood vs. a traditional stove and have MUCH longer burn times. You don't have to be a Greene or a Tree Hugger to appreciate that.

As soon as I posted that I came to the same conclusion. There is a video someplace made by BK and they have a normal fire in the stove, they also have cut Hugh holes in the smoke pipe . Probably they removed 80% of the pipe as soon as it comes out of the stove. They guy puts his hand into the running stove pipe for like 20 seconds to show how much heat leaves the home. It is the most amazing thing you will ever see concerning wood heat. That is what sold me I guess.

 

[Jeff Lary]

I was just putting some wood in the stove and got to thinking. When I am home and able to put wood in when ever I want I put in a couple of split pieces about every 1.5 -2 hours. The two I just put in were a maybe a 11" round split in half I really don't know how long it will last but when there is room o toss in another piece or two. My wood is 22" long by the way. But you should know this particular wood is at least 2 years old very very dry, too dry really but I am home with it so I will try to get it used up. I burn some of this during the day time but at night I burn wood I cut last winter, so it is about exactly 1 year old. It lasts much longer of course

 

[Idahonative]

lol. Perhaps. Just found an old thread about a beta IS tester on this site. Same guy that made a thread on another firewood site I visit. You posted on that thread about your BK. So it's the great air control ability of the BK that's most responsible for the insanely long burn times?

I think there are many good stoves being built by different manufacturers and I don't want to talk down to any one particular brand. They all have their place in their respective price range for the customer. I'm no expert when it comes to wood stoves, just someone who heats our home with wood and have for a long time.

There are obviously many things that have to go into the designing and manufacturing of a stove to help it perform well. But yes, if I had to narrow it down to ONE thing that sets the Blaze King apart it would be the air control. But with the King, there's no denying a 4.32 cf firebox helps also. That is a lot of fuel. All the more reason the stove must have great air control since having all that fuel is pointless if you can't control it.

 

[Idahonative]

As soon as I posted that I came to the same conclusion. There is a video someplace made by BK and they have a normal fire in the stove, they also have cut Hugh holes in the smoke pipe . Probably they removed 80% of the pipe as soon as it comes out of the stove. They guy puts his hand into the running stove pipe for like 20 seconds to show how much heat leaves the home. It is the most amazing thing you will ever see concerning wood heat. That is what sold me I guess.

Yep, I can vouch for the cool flue temps. I think this is the vid:

 

[Ronaldo]

Nice video.

 

[Jeff Lary]

yea that's the one if you did that to my stove you would pull back a charred stump