Wow, I don't even need to post in here.. You guys covered it all for me!
36 hours was the longest I managed to get on softwood, it was Scots pine to be exact... That was somewhere around 47lbs if I recall correct. I have it all written down in the other room. I haven't done as much testing as I'd like to... Been working 12-14hr days 6 days a week so I can't really pay any attention to the stove (go figure, work picks up when it's time to play with the stove) In reality I load the stove 2 times a day. It's easy for me, the fire burns clean and great. No need to be picky about how to load the stove, just throw a couple splits in and away I go.
But yes, the stove sits at about 230-240 fans off on low after it gets settled in. Highest I've been able to get the stove top on my softwood was about 540... That absolutely will roast me right out of the house in no time.
BK hasn't listed any BTUs for the Chinook, when I asked I was told that it's proprietary information and can't give that out yadda yadda. But yet they give it out for the other stoves? Confusing...
18' stack, no problem burning in low-mid 40 degree weather. When it's in the high 40s and 50s, I'll open the T-stat a couple hairs above 1 to help maintain draft on long burns.
Stove was $3499, My total after OAK and ash pan + taxes was somewhere around $4200.
Blowers are included in the stove price... They come already attached, it's not optional like the manual would have you think they are.
I did the math in another thread somewhere about the actual BTU output of the Chinook. By comparing the burn times of the princess/chinook and min burn times with the Chinook burn time being x. I think it came out in the neighborhood of 4600-4800... Would have to look it up... that's the BTU output before efficiency don't forget. So the actual output is 4/5 of that. I tell people to run 1500W space heater on high.... If that won't overheat your house, then neither will the Chinook (or princess for that matter). A 1500W space heater is around 5100 BTU with 100% eff.