Side Shields For Blaze King...Worth It?

I'm still hoping to get the King this summer, and I'm wondering if the side shields are worth the investment. I plan to get the rear shield so I can place it a little closer to the wall...since I have ceiling fans in every room in the house (except dining and kitchen), I'm not planning on getting a fan on the stove. But, I'm undecided about the side shields. I do not need the side shields for clearance purposes...the closest side wall is 12' away.

I'm wondering if the side shields would help make the stove more convective than radiant?
If so, would there really be any advantage to this since I have a ceiling fan in the same room as the stove? Actually, the ceiling fan is centered in the living area. There are no fans in the dining area nor kitchen.

Any thoughts, experiences or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

BeGreen said:

They would help if the closest combustible, be that a wood pile or furniture is less than 18" from the stove. I think they can be added later if nothing is very close. You might want to try it out for a season and see.

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There won't be any combustibles within 24" of the stove, unless we occasionally place something on the over-sized hearth for drying purposes. I like the idea of trying first and adding it later if necessary...which is the same approach I was considering for the attached fan since I do have ceiling fans.


Thanks to everyone for their thoughts.

It sounds as if the consensus is...indifference on the side shields, but a must on the fans.

I'll certainly keep this in mind while pricing this stove.

Thanks for the input