Am I a traitor?

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Will be interesting to read this comparo for sure... Kinda wish you were comparing the Ideal Steel to it, but the PH is also a cool stove.

Ash collection and the fact that the Ashford can't burn at a really hot rate are my two main knocks on it... On the cold days last year, it couldn't heat the house by itself, which was disappointing.. overall though, the long burns and lack of smoke out the stack are awesome.
 
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Ash collection and the fact that the Ashford can't burn at a really hot rate are my two main knocks on it... On the cold days last year, it couldn't heat the house by itself, which was disappointing.. overall though, the long burns and lack of smoke out the stack are awesome.
How big a house are you heating with it? I saw that you said it was an "old house". How is the insulation and air-sealing?
I figured that's what the deal might have been; That the BKs sip the fuel, therefore the long burn, but they give it up on the top end possibly due to engineering for the long burn? I'd certainly want the long burn if I was going over to Mom's to load the stove every day (even if it's only 40' away,) like I did at my MIL's. Maybe Mitch can get away with one load a day. :cool: That wasn't happening in my case. With no wall insulation, a bad layout, high ceilings and three walls of glass in the stove room, it swallowed up the heat like mad. There was no 'glide' period, had to keep the stove crankin'. A load every 12 hrs. into the mighty Buck 91 was as thin as I could stretch it. :oops:
 
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Will be interesting to read this comparo for sure... Kinda wish you were comparing the Ideal Steel to it, but the PH is also a cool stove.

Ash collection and the fact that the Ashford can't burn at a really hot rate are my two main knocks on it... On the cold days last year, it couldn't heat the house by itself, which was disappointing.. overall though, the long burns and lack of smoke out the stack are awesome.

You would love the Ideal Steel. It cruises pretty low but makes tremendous heat when you need it. I don't know what all it does during the night, but I never question whether I will be warm or not in the morning.
 
Another factor, speaking of pumping out extreme heat. Is my neice calls my mother the ice Queen. She never puts heat on in her bedroom, in fact kepts a window open on moderate cold days. In fact if she didn't have alot of company at her house it would be around 45 degrees. Which is why she never had a woodstove. Half of it is security if the power goes out.

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Another factor, speaking of pumping out extreme heat. Is my neice calls my mother the ice Queen. She never puts heat on in her bedroom, in fact kepts a window open on moderate cold days. In fact if she didn't have alot of company at her house it would be around 45 degrees. Which is why she never had a woodstove. Half of it is security if the power goes out.

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If you have suitable draft, the BK is gonna make her happy, then. I can run mine much lower than I previously thought a wood stove could go.

In shoulder season, I still open the door 24 hours later and go "Damn stove, how do you do that?!" :)
 
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my neice calls my mother the ice Queen....if she didn't have alot of company at her house it would be around 45 degrees.
:eek: It's down to 67 in here, and it feels pretty cool to me. At 45, just sitting in the house and not generating any body heat, I don't think my hands would work anymore! Does she like it that cold, or is she just frugal?
 
If it gets above 70 she starts sweating. There was a time before grandkids and ppl would vist but keep there jackets on. 9 grandkids later she adapted and will deal with high 60's.

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If it gets above 70 she starts sweating.
I can understand why she lives in Canada, and not Southern Indianada. Gets a little steamy here on occasion. :oops:
 
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Sheesh, if I was ok with keeping my place in the 40s the Ashford would do just fine!

When I was burning oil here, the thermostat was low 60s, burning wood though I like the place to be in the 70s.

I also think I'd like the ideal steel, but that stove came out after I had already bought mine. That would definitely be overkill, my house is only about 1500 sq ft, but I also tend to like overkilling things :)

For now, I'm sticking with the Ashford, getting the place more insulated for this year too this week, so that should make a decent difference.
 
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I would say the Ideal Steel is probably the most versatile stove on the market. Large firebox, capability of low slow burning, and capability of generating pretty high heat with the secondaries. Having a blaze king thermostat would be icing on the cake.

With the insulation, setup of my house, and climate, it works perfect for every situation.
 
Drz. Youre running an Ashford?

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Ok. Got nervous for bit there.

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That's what he's got in his signature...
Strictly Tapatalk user. I must have went to website to register but I don't remember. So I have know idea what your referring to. But I'll check it out

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the fact that the Ashford can't burn at a really hot rate are my two main knocks on it...
I don't understand why you believe the Ashford can't burn really hot? My Ashfords can burn every bit as hot as the Jotul Firelights (without completely losing control of them, which was always possible) I owned before, and much quicker than I'd ever want to intentionally rip thru a load of wood. What's wrong with your stoves, that you can't get them to burn as hot and fast as any other?
 
Dunno, but even at WOT on the thermo, a load lasts quite a while.. haven't measured it. Flames also move slower (less air) than other stoves I've watched, and at full steam you can still stand next to it.. The old Lopi (non-cat) at my girlfriend's place gets blazing.

The Ashford BTU output rating is much lower than other stoves, not sure if they have a different way of measuring it, but I would think that should be directly comparable.
 
20161102_115555.jpg Here's a better picture
 
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So 2 hrs in to the 1st fire I really do feel like a traitor, cause I'm really enjoying this stove. Between the fan that my stove does not have and the beautiful finish, there is a lot to like about the Ashford. I fired it up at 1pm with 5 average size splits let's see how long this goes on low.

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So 2 hrs in to the 1st fire I really do feel like a traitor, cause I'm really enjoying this stove. Between the fan that my stove does not have and the beautiful finish, there is a lot to like about the Ashford. I fired it up at 1pm with 5 average size splits let's see how long this goes on low.

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You are choosing between champions. Both will have excellent, though different, qualities.
 
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You talk Ford over Chevy and drive a Nissan....

Because out of all of the great rivalries -- Coke vs. Pepsi, Red Sox vs. Yankees, Chevy vs. Ford, etc. . . . no one ever has Nissan vs. any body. :)
 
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