New stove for the cabin

[MNman2]

New poster here, great forum I've been reading about woodstoves for a few days now and things have changed ( a lot! ) in the 40 years that have passed since I last burned wood. That was in an old Franklin stove ... and we were amazed back then when the NEW Fishers hit the market!
So now that I've properly dated myself...
Fast forward to 2018...I have a cabin with electric BB heat that's prohibitively expensive to heat...I'm sure it was never meant to be 4 season, although it's fairly well insulated...more on that later. I'm in extreme N Minnesota, and during winter extended periods of below zero weather happen...so it's cold!
I'm semi-retiring, so I want to spend a lot more wintertime up there, and will very likely live there full time in the next few years, so a more cost effective heat source is a must. Enter the wood...theres LOTS of it up here I have a decent background with wood, having burned many years ago, but more recently (and steadily) I've cut and used a lot of wood in the firepit, woodstoves in shacks/tents, and helping friends make wood. I have all the stuff...truck, chainsaws, decent amount of ash on my own land, and tons of scavengable wood around. Plus I'm in good shape and up to the task, hopefully for another bunch of years.
But...I'm starting from scratch here, as far as setting up a stove in a new space, and particularly on choosing the best type of stove for my needs. The cabin is small...recent remodel makes it one large room of appx 500 sf., 12 ft peak cathedral ceiling. also 2 bedrooms adding 240 sf., also high ceilings.
The walls are well insulated, and we put in all new windows, new siding, and a new metal roof this summer.
The roof remains poorly insulated, the walls are well insulated. Don't suggest adding insulation to the roof...we were up and down that road before putting on the new metal roof and it is what it is.
So...which stove type/brand/size, etc...I read the "read before you ask" thread, and these are my main questions (so far...) ;
Size/type of stove for starters. I do intend for this to be my primary heat source, so I expect to have a fire going pretty steadily all winter. And I want a big enough stove to hold coals overnight. Not expecting a roaring fire after 8 hours, but enough coals to restart. I've read about a bunch of modern stoves, and the small size of their fireboxes is the first thing I question. Lots of varying opinions out there, but burn time in the small stoves worries me. Also, it will be a lot easier for me to find lots of wood of varying/dubious quality than to find great seasoned hardwood. So going old school with a Fisher (or similar) style stove was my first thought. and there are lots of them available used up here as well. But firing up a big stove with big wood in a small space seems like way overkill, and if I continually burn small/cool fires I suspect I'll have creosote issues in no time. And are those older stoves even UL listed? That's the benchmark the insurance company sets, along with a safe installation,
And lots of people seem to have trouble getting the newer styles to heat well, and although I understand there are a lot more people using them effectively, it does seem to be a concern. I expect other people would occasionally be firing the stove, and they just sound, well , complicated. And then theres the replacement parts...
Anyone who wants to offer their opinion, I'm all ears, and thanks

 

[bholler]

New poster here, great forum I've been reading about woodstoves for a few days now and things have changed ( a lot! ) in the 40 years that have passed since I last burned wood. That was in an old Franklin stove ... and we were amazed back then when the NEW Fishers hit the market!
So now that I've properly dated myself...
Fast forward to 2018...I have a cabin with electric BB heat that's prohibitively expensive to heat...I'm sure it was never meant to be 4 season, although it's fairly well insulated...more on that later. I'm in extreme N Minnesota, and during winter extended periods of below zero weather happen...so it's cold!
I'm semi-retiring, so I want to spend a lot more wintertime up there, and will very likely live there full time in the next few years, so a more cost effective heat source is a must. Enter the wood...theres LOTS of it up here I have a decent background with wood, having burned many years ago, but more recently (and steadily) I've cut and used a lot of wood in the firepit, woodstoves in shacks/tents, and helping friends make wood. I have all the stuff...truck, chainsaws, decent amount of ash on my own land, and tons of scavengable wood around. Plus I'm in good shape and up to the task, hopefully for another bunch of years.
But...I'm starting from scratch here, as far as setting up a stove in a new space, and particularly on choosing the best type of stove for my needs. The cabin is small...recent remodel makes it one large room of appx 500 sf., 12 ft peak cathedral ceiling. also 2 bedrooms adding 240 sf., also high ceilings.
The walls are well insulated, and we put in all new windows, new siding, and a new metal roof this summer.
The roof remains poorly insulated, the walls are well insulated. Don't suggest adding insulation to the roof...we were up and down that road before putting on the new metal roof and it is what it is.
So...which stove type/brand/size, etc...I read the "read before you ask" thread, and these are my main questions (so far...) ;
Size/type of stove for starters. I do intend for this to be my primary heat source, so I expect to have a fire going pretty steadily all winter. And I want a big enough stove to hold coals overnight. Not expecting a roaring fire after 8 hours, but enough coals to restart. I've read about a bunch of modern stoves, and the small size of their fireboxes is the first thing I question. Lots of varying opinions out there, but burn time in the small stoves worries me. Also, it will be a lot easier for me to find lots of wood of varying/dubious quality than to find great seasoned hardwood. So going old school with a Fisher (or similar) style stove was my first thought. and there are lots of them available used up here as well. But firing up a big stove with big wood in a small space seems like way overkill, and if I continually burn small/cool fires I suspect I'll have creosote issues in no time. And are those older stoves even UL listed? That's the benchmark the insurance company sets, along with a safe installation,
And lots of people seem to have trouble getting the newer styles to heat well, and although I understand there are a lot more people using them effectively, it does seem to be a concern. I expect other people would occasionally be firing the stove, and they just sound, well , complicated. And then theres the replacement parts...
Anyone who wants to offer their opinion, I'm all ears, and thanks

You want a modern stove for sure there is no way you would be able to properly run an old fisher or something like it in that small space. If it was just going to be weekend use that may not be a bad option. But the way you want to use it i would recomend a cat stove. They give you decent heatoutput to bring things up to temp but you can then shut them back low to hold the temp and get long burns. As far as the wood goes all stoves new or old run like crap on wet wood. Just get ahead so you have dry wood.

 

[jetsam]

I went from old stoves to new stoves a few years back. If you are willing to learn how to use the stove effectively, there is no reason to go back to old stoves. More heat from less wood is awesome.

In your situation, you want a big firebox and high burn rate to warm up the cabin from cold, but also strong turn-down ability so you can burn overnight without roasting once you have the place warmed up.

I'd be looking at a BK king, but I seem to say that in every 'what stove should I get' thread.

You could also just go for a large tube stove and plan on more temperature variation and smaller fires once the place is warmed up.

 

[bholler]

I would not go to a king the place is only 750 sqft. And 12' to the peak. I think that is overkill.

 

[jetsam]

I would not go to a king the place is only 750 sqft. And 12' to the peak. I think that is overkill.

It turns down to 15k btus, which with 12' uninsulated ceilings may be lower than he even needs to go. He's in a cold place, too. The turn down is why I specifically said BK, though.

 

[bholler]

It turns down to 15k btus, which with 12' uninsulated ceilings may be lower than he even needs to go. He's in a cold place, too. The turn down is why I specifically said BK, though.

There are other cat stoves that will work but bk certainly has the best control. I know a king would work but the cost difference in the stove and the chimney when going up to a king is pretty considerable.

 

[MNman2]

There are other cat stoves that will work but bk certainly has the best control. I know a king would work but the cost difference in the stove and the chimney when going up to a king is pretty considerable.

Thanks for the responses so far I kinda expected to get set straight on burning less than perfectly seasoned wood.
That BK king is BIG! Like...dimensions of the stove big. I thought most cat stoves were on the small side? I haven't built a platform yet, and won't till I know what will be sitting on it, but as I've been looking I was hoping to find one with a more modest footprint. I'm guessing you wouldn't have suggested that model if there were a smaller one that would do the job? Also...cost. seeing as this will be a completely new installation there will be considerable cost for pipe I know...just trying not to break the bank here, although I don't really have a specific budget.
I'm assuming tube stove means modern but non-cat?

 

[Rickb]

If you want at least 8 hours of heat out of the stove you will need to go with a larger 2.5cuft stove or a Blaze king. I think you would be hard pressed to get 8 hours out of any other 2.0cuft stove that isnt a blaze king.

That said the bigger blaze kings do allow you very good control so you dont have to open the windows because of too much heat. You will be paying for that tho. If money is a issue you could try something like a summers heat or NC30, both I blieve are made by the same company and are a cheaper alternative. They will put out good heat but can not be turned down real low like the BK stoves can. Just depends on how much you plan on using it and what your willing to pay.

As said above tho, good wood is key to any stove.

 

[begreen]

The 2 cu ft Pacific Energy Super 27 will do the job. It has a good long burn time, can run happily on a partial load and is a very simple design that helps the stove to be easy to maintain and operate. It will also work okay on a shorter chimney. Their Alderlea T5 is the same firebox in a cast iron jacket.

In cat stoves take a look at Woodstock Fireview and Absolute Steel.

 

[bholler]

Thanks for the responses so far I kinda expected to get set straight on burning less than perfectly seasoned wood.
That BK king is BIG! Like...dimensions of the stove big. I thought most cat stoves were on the small side? I haven't built a platform yet, and won't till I know what will be sitting on it, but as I've been looking I was hoping to find one with a more modest footprint. I'm guessing you wouldn't have suggested that model if there were a smaller one that would do the job? Also...cost. seeing as this will be a completely new installation there will be considerable cost for pipe I know...just trying not to break the bank here, although I don't really have a specific budget.
I'm assuming tube stove means modern but non-cat?

For your needs i think a princess or one of the 30 firebox bks would be my choice not the king. Also look at the Woodstock hybrid stoves.

 

[pjohnson]

I've got a similar cabin in northern Wisconsin. It had a small Pacific Energy stove that worked well in the fall but once it started to cool off it couldn't keep up. It had a small fire box took maybe 12 inch wood and had to be fed every couple hours. That alone was a pain. I was all set on a Blaze King Princess but already had an eight inch chimney so went with the King. It is a big stove for sure, I think I finally got the stove pipe today and hope to get it going this weekend we'll see how good it work. I guess what sold me was the ability to turn it down and heat in the spring and fall and not get roasted out and enough capacity to make it thru the night. Im not sure where you are but there is a dealer in stores Albertville and Monticello that did have some Kings and Princesses on display. They can be hard to find.

 

[bholler]

I've got a similar cabin in northern Wisconsin. It had a small Pacific Energy stove that worked well in the fall but once it started to cool off it couldn't keep up. It had a small fire box took maybe 12 inch wood and had to be fed every couple hours. That alone was a pain. I was all set on a Blaze King Princess but already had an eight inch chimney so went with the King. It is a big stove for sure, I think I finally got the stove pipe today and hope to get it going this weekend we'll see how good it work. I guess what sold me was the ability to turn it down and heat in the spring and fall and not get roasted out and enough capacity to make it thru the night. Im not sure where you are but there is a dealer in stores Albertville and Monticello that did have some Kings and Princesses on display. They can be hard to find.

Yes due to the fact you already had an 8" chimney a king probably made more sense.

 

[sprawlnstall]

I'm heating a lot more house with a blaze king princess in northern MN. The shoulder season is where I see the most advantages of a a cat stove you can set the dial and forget about it. I would bet a princess would have no problem heating your cabin up quickly in the winter. Hopefully on a low setting it would not roast you out in the shoulder seasons.

 

[Ludlow]

Your place is almost exactly like mine. We have 800 sq ft footprint on piers. One large room with open cathedral. Two bedrooms in back and a half loft. I got a 2.0 cu ft tube stove and at 35 degrees outside it roasted us out at 78 degrees inside all last weekend. I resorted to putting a single split on the coal bed at a time. A full reload would have had us with all the windows open once it took off.

 

[Woody Stover]

The 2 cu ft Pacific Energy Super 27 will do the job. It has a good long burn time, can run happily on a partial load and is a very simple design that helps the stove to be easy to maintain and operate. It will also work okay on a shorter chimney. Their Alderlea T5 is the same firebox in a cast iron jacket.
In cat stoves take a look at Woodstock Fireview and Absolute Steel.

I don't know how much that sinks in with folks, although you've repeated it often. IMO, the KISS principle carries a lot of weight. Seems to me that one may well be able to run for a decade or more with no maintenance required, as opposed to a cat stove where you might have to put in a new one every few years to maintain peak performance. That Alderlea cast jacket should buffer the output and keep you from roasting out.
That said, I won't argue with the suggestion of a Woodstock cat, me being a fanboy and all. The Fireview will run on a very short chimney, the Absolute maybe not breathe quite as easily. Heck, maybe a Keystone would even work, keeping the bedroom doors partially shut and using fleece or down comforter on the bed during cold snaps...however the un-insulated roof and vaulted ceilings don't help. You may be rolling the dice with a shorter chimney on some of the other cat stoves mentioned here. Probably not an issue in the dead of winter for the OP since he's just south of the Arctic Circle.