2016-17 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)
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Highbeam
Minister of Fire
That's the one thing I dislike about BK, you generally need to rely on a dealer. I wish BK would wake up and have an online parts store via their website. I live in MA and the dealer network is weak. In fact, the shop I bought my stove from no longer sells BK.
Again, this is 2016. I should be able to order an entire stove or any part necessary with just a few clicks of the mouse. The trend is less brick and mortar stores and with a focus of online shopping. Oh well, stove is decent anyway (Sirocco 30).
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
I agree. The only reason I have ever gone back to my dealers is to look at new stoves or by force to buy a new door gasket for the BK last season. It's an old fashioned idea that the dealer is important, time and time again we hear the opposite which is the dealer causing the trouble.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Agreed. I was amazed when BKVP posted that we can only order cat's thru BK dealers, and then followed up with a statement saying there was no guarantee the dealer wouldn't sub a cheaper aftermarket cat for the OEM.
WTF? I want to order direct from someone who's guaranteed to sell me the OEM part.
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BKVP
Minister of Fire
Ashful,
I get your concern. The are "independent" retailers and we have no control over their decisions as to where they purchase gaskets, combustors, paint etc. I can only suggest that you specify at the time you order that you wish to come from BK. The packaging will show it came from us.
I just discovered they do use ceramic cats but the smaller units use steel. I love the instantaneous light-off of the steel cats and have found, contrary to what others have said, the steel cats do not fall out of the active state easily.
So why do the smaller stoves use steel but the larger units not? Cost, operation or perhaps lifespan?
So why do the smaller stoves use steel but the larger units not? Cost, operation or perhaps lifespan?
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Ceramic costs less. I recall that the big ones have shipped with steel in the past. More modern designs from bk and Woodstock ship only with steel cats.
Poindexter
Minister of Fire
Third burn with my sub 8%MC cordwood this AM.
I love how fast the cat lights off, I can just about light the stove with a firm gaze, but overall it is too dry for day in and day out use. I am probably going to blend the rest of this cord with some wetter stuff up around 12-16% MC to get my ease of operation back.
Circus du jour was the cat probe getting up above the active range, about half way between the labeled top of the active range and the g in "Blaze King" printed at the lower edge of the cat probe dial. It had been running about an hour on wide open Tstat. I was hoping I could get more volatiles out of it by running wide open longer, so I could turn it down once the chill was off the house.
What I had to do was run the convection deck fans at full throttle to cool down the combustor. It worked, but instead of the wife telling me what she wants and me having the stove do that, in this case the dry wood is telling me how to run the stove instead of my wife.
Take home, <12% MC is "too dry".
I love how fast the cat lights off, I can just about light the stove with a firm gaze, but overall it is too dry for day in and day out use. I am probably going to blend the rest of this cord with some wetter stuff up around 12-16% MC to get my ease of operation back.
Circus du jour was the cat probe getting up above the active range, about half way between the labeled top of the active range and the g in "Blaze King" printed at the lower edge of the cat probe dial. It had been running about an hour on wide open Tstat. I was hoping I could get more volatiles out of it by running wide open longer, so I could turn it down once the chill was off the house.
What I had to do was run the convection deck fans at full throttle to cool down the combustor. It worked, but instead of the wife telling me what she wants and me having the stove do that, in this case the dry wood is telling me how to run the stove instead of my wife.
Take home, <12% MC is "too dry".
I am a very big fan of the instantaneous light-off steel cats. My neighbor is coming by today to see my Ashford and decide if the old faithful ~25 year old Lopi is to stay or go. I think he will lean towards a King with its 40 hour burn time and rather boring burning characteristics. No brainer in my mind.
Poindexter
Minister of Fire
OMG, +90dF in the main house and I am afraid to turn the stove down.
Don't do it, stop seasoning your wood at 11%.
Don't do it, stop seasoning your wood at 11%.
Lokidric
New Member
Hello everyone,
After a long while of humming and ha-ing, today I purchased a new 30.1 sirocco. I'm so excited
I'm just as stoked as that box will be in another month. It goes in in a couple of weeks. Just in time.
After a long while of humming and ha-ing, today I purchased a new 30.1 sirocco. I'm so excited
I'm just as stoked as that box will be in another month. It goes in in a couple of weeks. Just in time.
I'm with you. Could not stand dealing with the dealer. They were first class a-holes. I have nothing but positive experiences dealing with Chris and BK. Have never been back to the place I got it from and mine was only the 2nd one they had ever ordered and they knew nothing about it. It is a pain to get parts from a different dealer but I guess worth it in the end to have the stove I have.
Hello everyone,
After a long while of humming and ha-ing, today I purchased a new 30.1 sirocco. I'm so excited
I'm just as stoked as that box will be in another month. It goes in in a couple of weeks. Just in time.
Can't wait to see pics! You will love it I am sure!
It's good and increasingly rare to find that kind of dealer. Not just with stoves but in any industry.
I research the heck out of practically every major purchase and with the help of the internet I usually know more about the dealers/salespersons product and there competitions offerings than they do going into the deal.
Sometimes I just set back and let them talk. Often, they will just start making stuff up once they run out of facts.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
After some hunting around, I found a great BK dealer, only 1 hour from my house. There are two others much closer, but one wants to sell stoves above list price (even when buying two on a single order), and the other was a downright criminal who actually bragged to me about damaging customer's roofs. What's amusing is that the tech's at the good dealer (FC Pro's in Kintnersville) don't believe BK's advertised burn times, let alone that I'm getting burns much longer than even BK advertises. They were recently at my house doing some cleaning and service, and I felt like I was trying to sell BK to them!
BKVP, I have no concern about FC Pro's ordering the OEM combustor, if I request it. They're a great group of people. The comment was more based on experiences others here had mentioned last year. I'm sure that your hunt for good dealers to properly rep your product is no small job.
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BKVP, I have no concern about FC Pro's ordering the OEM combustor, if I request it. They're a great group of people. The comment was more based on experiences others here had mentioned last year. I'm sure that your hunt for good dealers to properly rep your product is no small job.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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"What's amusing is that the tech's at the good dealer (FC Pro's in Kintnersville) don't believe BK's advertised burn times, let alone that I'm getting burns much longer than even BK advertises."
I too was an unbelieving skeptic from the life experience as a long time burner with many stoves that did own an upscale cat stove that performed poorly. Having read time after time about the wonders of the BKs , I took a chance and laid down the cash. This time it paid off. Looking back at the operation of all my other stoves, the BK is a dream stove come true.
I too was an unbelieving skeptic from the life experience as a long time burner with many stoves that did own an upscale cat stove that performed poorly. Having read time after time about the wonders of the BKs , I took a chance and laid down the cash. This time it paid off. Looking back at the operation of all my other stoves, the BK is a dream stove come true.
It's so sad that dealers are all thought of as worthless on here. That's far from the way it should be, and far from reality. We do as much or more service and parts after the sale, even if there's no money in it. You can't please absolutely everone, but we sure try. Many dealers still offer a much needed service to customers, with a smile. Rather than wish the dealer network away, maybe wish It would be as good as it once was..
I use a dealer over an hour away cause they are pretty good. They will also ship me the parts so I dont have to drive there.
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