Torn on which of these 2 stoves to purchase

Hello everyone,
My wife and I are going to buy a wood stove as soon as the check shows up from the insurance company for the replacement of the wedding band I lost. Over the past 3 months I've been reading everything I could get my hands on. My preference is for non-catalytic because I'd like to think it will last forever without parts regularly going bad. I've got it narrowed down to these two wood stoves and I can't figure out which one makes more sense for us.

Jotul F55 Carrabassett
http://jotul.com/us/products/stoves/jotul-f-55-carrabassett
Pacific Energy Alderlea T5
http://pacificenergy.net/products/wood/cast-iron-stoves/alderlea-t5/

They are very similar stoves so I feel like either will be great. We prefer the aesthetics of the PE; but the Jotul is pretty too. I like that Jotul's F55 firebox is larger. So on paper it would seem the F55 has an edge when it comes to burn time. The F55 does not have any ash pan. But from what I read most people like to keep a bed of coals in there at all times anyway. So I'm not considering the lack of a removable ash pan as a "con". Just have to manage the ash removal differently.

I've never used a wood stove before so there may be pretty significant pros or cons to these two that I'm not picking up on. Can you chime in with some of your opinions on which of these wood stoves you'd go with if you were buying one next week and your reasons why?

Fun facts:
House is 2000 sq/ft
Stove will be located in the dining room (which is smack dab in the middle of the house).
We're in Greenville, SC

One other detail to factor in is the pricing I've gotten.
PE T5: $2,550
Jotul F55: $2,300

So the Jotul comes in at $250 cheaper.

Jolby,
I've heard nothing but praise for BK stoves. Especially from people in the far north. Which speaks volumes for the stoves' performance. I've also seen a lot of praise for catalytic stoves. And I read through the thread you posted. If I lived in a cold region it'd be hard to pass up on an awesome BK stove. But here's why I'm favoring non-cat stoves...

* I don't want to worry about people loading non-ideal wood into the stove fouling up the catalytic combustor.

* I'm speculating that the F55's substitution of a bottom layer of firebrick instead of an ash pan plus it's large firebox means I won't need to wake up early in the AM to add firewood. And when I am eventually up and add some all the heat held in by that firebrick and the coal bed means the logs will catch fire quickly and the reburn stage will kick in fast. It seems the 8/10+hr burn times of cat stoves is now possible with the newer non-cat stoves (especially the Jotul F55). Please correct me if I've got the wrong perspective on this.

* It seems PE and Jotul have got the baffle design robust enough to last a lifetime now. So since I live in a mild climate My mindset is to go with a newer tech non-cat stove that won't have parts wearing out but is large enough to easily burn all night well into the morning.

I'm still trying to get comfortable with this decision. So please throw anything at me you feel would be good for me to know!

jolby said:

7 Acres, I can't tell you which is a better made or operating stove since the only stove I've used is my Buck 81. I did call a place in Ga about a Blaze King Princess as an insert. It was a 1000 more at 3200. This was Dec 2010. I went with the Buck for 2200. But at the time if I had read this current post https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/...ly-silly-aka-nicks-sirocco-30-install.124409/ I might have gone with the Princess, The only negative other than the increased cost was that my wood supply was poor and not dry enough. I was afraid that I would damage the cat with unseasoned wood. I'm sure either of the 2 you are considering will be good choices, but the Blaze King line of stoves has a great reputation and you might want to consider it as well

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Thanks for that detail, begreen! Jotul seems pretty proud of the stainless baffle design of their newer F55 and F45. They are guaranteeing it for life now. Do you know if the F55 and F45 baffle design is now on par to the PE in terms of being a lifetime baffle? Jotul's is certainly not time tested. Or is PE's T5 baffle still better than any of Jotul's?

Also, I was wondering about PE's secondary control. Is that related to PE's "Boost air for easy lighting" feature?

begreen said:

Three is a reason for the extra cost. The primary difference between the two boxes is the baffle design and secondary control. PE's baffle is unique and time proven. It is stainless drops out of the way for a clear shot at the flue for cleaning. It is robust, tough and heavy. The other difference is a regulated secondary air supply. This is unique to the mid-sized PE and helps extend the burn time. The swing away trivets are unique to the Alderlea series.

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Thanks, Jeff_t. So are you saying you're getting 16hr burn times in your PE? Or just that after the burn was over for several hours you were still able to ignite a reload off of the hot coal bed?

Thanks for the useful wisdom. The part about the ash pans not necessarily being an advantage made a lot of sense. Yes, we have a very open floor plan. I'll check out the Super 27. My opinion on the swing out warmers is similar to yours. Not sure I'd use them. Especially since swinging them out is going to get in the way where we want to put the stove.

jillybeansisme said:

Hi 7Acres. I am researching wood stoves also and came upon your post. What I've learned so far (whether others agree or not): is that a non-catalytic wood stove is usually easier to start for most newbies. A bucket & shovel is as good or better than most ash pans because alot of those ash pans don't self-cover and ashes spew or you have to remove a plug from under the firebox for the ashes to dump into the pan. A mostly square floor for your firebox is preferable so that when you stock it with logs you can cross them rather than having them all in one direction where they can roll against the glass in the door. You don't want a top loader because when you open it you can get smoke in your face, etc. I looked at the Alderlea T5 but decided against it because I really don't need the little warmers that fold out. You can get the Super 27 for as little as $1685 (ash can is $150 extra and legs are $85 extra vs. the pedestal). I was also considering a soapstone stove, but have decided to go with the Super 27 or Classic. Something else you might want to take into consideration -- you stated your house is 2000 SF, but is it an open floor plan or more closed off? I'm putting mine in the living room, which is in the center of the house but the warm air will seep through the kitchen, dining nook and playroom. Anyway, it's probably less expensive to purchase the stove at the end of the season.

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Can you run a Blaze King cooler than a PE or Jotul without it dying out? I guess that's how BK gets 30hr burn times, right? They're able to sustain a clean burn with much lower fuel consumption than a non-cat can?

Man, now I feel like I need to seriously consider Catalytic stoves too. And understand them better. If the only thing that goes bad on them is the catalytic combustor. I may be able to warm up to them. Well, back to more research. If the Blaze King is as awesome as everyone says (and I've heard that from folks on other forums I'm on) I should probably take a serious look at it.

In the mean time, enjoy this photo from this weekend after just a few hours with the X27 on some standing dead oak I felled. I've got a lot of logs to process and this area facing south gets a good breeze and will hold 10+ cords. I've got this small stack now but I won't quit till it's all split and stacked. Critique on this wood pile setup is welcome (if slightly off topic).

jeff_t said:

And as much as I like my Blaze King, they aren't for everyone, so I won't tell you how great they are and you have to get one. But, there are a couple of things.

First, less than ideal wood sucks in all modern stoves. The BK can be burned with the bypass open until the sizzling stops. Ideal? Definitely not, but it can be done.

And then, these stoves really shine when it comes to even controlled heat. On a low burn, they don't give off much more heat than an electric space heater, and still do it cleanly. Not just for cold climates.

And then, they are really easy to operate. If you don't believe me, you can ask my wife, and my girls, and my sister, and my nephews.

After all that, I really like the PE, and could certainly live with it every day. We are considering a move and downsizing, and the T5 and Super 27 will be at the top of the list of choices for the new place.

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