PE Alderlea T6 LE VS Blaze King Ashford 30.2 What do I choose?

[JKE28]

I am a new member, but I have been lurking and reading for some time now. We are building an addition to our house increasing the size from 1,100sft to 1,800sqft. The house is a 1994 Ranch with an electric heat pump for main heat. The wood stove will be located in a large open concept room around 1000sqft of open space. I typically burn about 2-3 cords of all hardwood a winter.

Our current stove is a Vermont Castings Resolute Acclaim 2 with Cat. I absolutely hate this stove, and this is the perfect time to ditch it. I have narrowed it down to 2 stoves all are about the same price of $4,000. I was leaning towards the PE but the salesman offered the Blaze King at the same price of 4K. Should I just stick with what I picked? Any and all feedback from folks that have both stoves would be great!

PE ALDEREA T6 LE
BLAZE KING ASHFORD 30.2. (I really didn't want another Cat stove but is the Blaze king at 4K to good of a deal with a tax credit to boot?)

 

[EbS-P]

Tough choice….. Ashford for the tax credit. T6 for lower operating costs and ease of use. After 20 years and cat replacement costs I bet the money comes out about the same. Both are good stoves.

I like my heatpump and secondary combustion stove(s). Heatpump is great to run down to 40-45 degrees then I can burn a full load in the morning or evening. A lot more cold starts but a top down fire with lots of kindling makes it easy and clean.

I’m leaning Ashford.

 

[JKE28]

Tough choice….. Ashford for the tax credit. T6 for lower operating costs and ease of use. After 20 years and cat replacement costs I bet the money comes out about the same. Both are good stoves.

I like my heatpump and secondary combustion stove(s). Heatpump is great to run down to 40-45 degrees then I can burn a full load in the morning or evening. A lot more cold starts but a top down fire with lots of kindling makes it easy and clean.

I’m leaning Ashford.

Thanks for the insight! It's really a tough choice. I kinda wish the salesman didn't offer that deal LOL. Some additional info is the stove straddles the dinning room and living room, so I lean PE because it's a cook top style stove.


Ease of use is important, my wife hates the current cat stove, always forgetting its on when she loads it and it ends up blowing smoke into the house. I do about the same as you with my heat pump. I really won't fire up the wood stove unless I see 40 or below. Sometimes we do light it just because it's the weekend and we love having a fire. I do a load in the AM or PM depending on my work schedule. We both work a lot so longer burn times are also a plus during cold snaps, but honestly that's about 15 - 20 days total a year.

 

[begreen]

For low and slow and long burns, the Ashford is great. It's a good-looking stove and well-made. BK stands behind its products. You can cook on the top but if direct access to the stovetop is wanted, the heavy trivet top must be lifted off and placed somewhere.

For KISS design and low maintenance, it's hard to beat the PE. If the heat pump is going to cover most shoulder season heating then the advantage of the cat stove diminishes. The cooktop on the T6 is great not just for quick access to a hot top, but for slow cooking, bread dough rising, too.

 

[EbS-P]

T6 sounds like what you really want. Making your wife happy is probably better than a long slow burn if you have a heatpump.

 

[JKE28]

For low and slow and long burns, the Ashford is great. It's a good-looking stove and well-made. BK stands behind its products. You can cook on the top but if direct access to the stovetop is wanted, the heavy trivet top must be lifted off and placed somewhere.

For KISS design and low maintenance, it's hard to beat the PE. If the heat pump is going to cover most shoulder season heating then the advantage of the cat stove diminishes. The cooktop on the T6 is great not just for quick access to a hot top, but for slow cooking, bread dough rising, too.

Thanks for the tips! I honestly think I can't really go wrong with either. They both seem like well built well loved stoves. Unlike my current VC stove. I tend to be leaning on the KISS design and functionality of the PE, over the long burn of the BK.

Do you have an Alderlea T6? What's your experience with it? Do you end up using the cook top at all? I have also thought of the T5 because we are in Virginia it doesn't have to combat sub zero temps really ever. Would love to hear first hand experience with it.

 

[JKE28]

T6 sounds like what you really want. Making your wife happy is probably better than a long slow burn if you have a heatpump.

Happy wife happy life right? Yeah I mean I was dead set on the PE T6 until he offered that BK for the same price. I think it was enough to make me stop and think but the more I talk bout it the more I think my original pick is what I should go with. I don't think I will regret either one.

 

[begreen]

Thanks for the tips! I honestly think I can't really go wrong with either. They both seem like well built well loved stoves. Unlike my current VC stove. I tend to be leaning on the KISS design and functionality of the PE, over the long burn of the BK.

Do you have an Alderlea T6? What's your experience with it? Do you end up using the cook top at all? I have also thought of the T5 because we are in Virginia it doesn't have to combat sub zero temps really ever. Would love to hear first hand experience with it.

Our T6 will be going on it's 15th season in fall. It's been a good stove. I like its ease of use and low maintenance. Yes, we cook on it. I heat our morning coffee water on it daily and make slow-cook meals in a dutch oven on the trivet top. My wife uses it to raise bread and pizza dough.
The T5 may work out. How many sq ft will the stove be heating?

 

[Itslay90]

Our T6 will be going on it's 15th season in fall. It's been a good stove. I like its ease of use and low maintenance. Yes, we cook on it. I heat our morning coffee water on it daily and make slow-cook meals in a dutch oven on the trivet top. My wife uses it to raise bread and pizza dough.
The T5 may work out. How many sq ft will the stove be heating?

I know the summit is the samething as the t6. What made you picked the t6?

 

[JKE28]

I know the summit is the samething as the t6. What made you picked the t6?

I like the T6 because of the cook top, it is going into a dinning room area. The summit was a consideration but price difference isn't to much.

 

[JKE28]

Our T6 will be going on it's 15th season in fall. It's been a good stove. I like its ease of use and low maintenance. Yes, we cook on it. I heat our morning coffee water on it daily and make slow-cook meals in a dutch oven on the trivet top. My wife uses it to raise bread and pizza dough.
The T5 may work out. How many sq ft will the stove be heating?

WOW 15 seasons and you still love it!?! That's something I wish I could say about my VC. It's been the worst stove I have ever had in my life. That's awesome that you cook on it, that's what really draws me to the Alderlea line of stoves.

It will be heating a 1,800sqft house. It will be located in a 1,000sqft room/area with high ceilings. Virginia winters are weird. We get shots of pretty cold weather teens to 20s at night and 30's and low 40's during the day. Normal is 35-45 at night 50s during the day. So I feel the T5 is border line.

 

[Itslay90]

I like the T6 because of the cook top, it is going into a dinning room area. The summit was a consideration but price difference isn't to much.

Okay now I understand,

 

[begreen]

WOW 15 seasons and you still love it!?!

15 seasons at 3 cords per season and a total of about $120 spent on keeping it up so far.

 

[Highbeam]

You need a really tall and warm chimney for the ashford. At least 15’ of perfect vertical stack. Can you do that?

1800 SF is pretty small for a t6 but I can appreciate wanting a larger firebox.

With a modern heat pump that does most of the work for you (plus your desire to keep using it) and after having had a bad experience with the VC I vote for the T6 and exchanging more up front cost, lower efficiency, and shorter burn times for the pleasure of a simple dependable burn with clean glass.

 

[JKE28]

15 seasons at 3 cords per season and a total of about $120 spent on keeping it up so far.

Do you think the T6 is overkill for what I need? Should I be looking at the t5?

 

[JKE28]

You need a really tall and warm chimney for the ashford. At least 15’ of perfect vertical stack. Can you do that?

1800 SF is pretty small for a t6 but I can appreciate wanting a larger firebox.

With a modern heat pump that does most of the work for you (plus your desire to keep using it) and after having had a bad experience with the VC I vote for the T6 and exchanging more up front cost, lower efficiency, and shorter burn times for the pleasure of a simple dependable burn with clean glass.

I think the chimney will be right at 15' possibly 13' haven't gotten that far yet. The old chimney was 14' that was knocked down.

I do have a cathedral ceiling so I figured go big, because I can always make a smaller fire, do you think I should be looking at the T5?

The heat pump is just easier day to day with the mild winters in VA I just can't see going all in on wood heat 24/7. At this point I think the Blaze king is out. It's a great stove and a good price but I just don't think it's the right fit. The PE sounds right for me. I wonder what I can expect on burn times with the PE. I never trust what the website says.

 

[Highbeam]

I think the chimney will be right at 15' possibly 13' haven't gotten that far yet. The old chimney was 14' that was knocked down.

I do have a cathedral ceiling so I figured go big, because I can always make a smaller fire, do you think I should be looking at the T5?

The heat pump is just easier day to day with the mild winters in VA I just can't see going all in on wood heat 24/7. At this point I think the Blaze king is out. It's a great stove and a good price but I just don't think it's the right fit. The PE sounds right for me. I wonder what I can expect on burn times with the PE. I never trust what the website says.

Under 15’ I would skip the ashford. It’s the right size for your space and more efficient with the ability to burn much lower so will be great match for mild winters. It just needs a really great chimney.

Either t5 or t6 will make it through the night. T5 is a closer match for your SF in modern construction in mild climate.

I have 1700 SF in a similar climate and t5 is probably what I’d pick but man would I dislike dealing with such a tiny firebox. My princess is almost 2.9 honest cubic feet and it’s even cramped to work in sometimes.

 

[mar13]

Clear glass and pretty secondary burn is a plus for the PE. The T5's stove top is a bit small for much cooking. I have the enamel, so I don't risk putting pots on top of the trivets. (A downside, I've learned to enamel.) I have tall ceilings so sometimes I wish I had the T6 for the larger firebox, but my clearances would not allow it and my climate is relatively mild, so not a big deal. I have no personal experience with a cat stove. Blow back smoke is never an issue for me.

 

[JKE28]

Under 15’ I would skip the ashford. It’s the right size for your space and more efficient with the ability to burn much lower so will be great match for mild winters. It just needs a really great chimney.

Either t5 or t6 will make it through the night. T5 is a closer match for your SF in modern construction in mild climate.

I have 1700 SF in a similar climate and t5 is probably what I’d pick but man would I dislike dealing with such a tiny firebox. My princess is almost 2.9 honest cubic feet and it’s even cramped to work in sometimes.

I think the short chimney was one of the many problems my VC had. I don't think I can or want to put a really tall chimney on the roof. We are still in hurricane ally here and a lot of costal storms wind wise and damage wise.

The T5 is closer on the sqft space, but to your point that fire box size is just on the small side. It's a little bigger than what I have now with the VC which makes me nervous. Jamming splits in the stove in the middle of the night and playing tetras with the splits has gotten old. The T6 is on the heavy side but I think it will be better in the long run.

 

[JKE28]

Clear glass and pretty secondary burn is a plus for the PE. The T5's stove top is a bit small for much cooking. I have the enamel, so I don't risk putting pots on top of the trivets. (A downside, I've learned to enamel.) I have tall ceilings so sometimes I wish I had the T6 for the larger firebox, but my clearances would not allow it and my climate is relatively mild, so not a big deal. I have no personal experience with a cat stove. Blow back smoke is never an issue for me.

Good to hear first hand experience. I like the pretty burn as well, it will be a center piece of the home. Glad to hear of no smoke blow back, I hate that about my current stove.

When you are talking clearances is there a big difference between the two? I know states can vary, and Virginia is pretty easy going on this stuff typically. I have a brick hearth so I should be fine.

 

[begreen]

Do you think the T6 is overkill for what I need? Should I be looking at the t5?

The T5 will do the job but will need to be pushed a bit harder in very cold weather. The T6 will do the job but will be loafing until it gets below 40º. It will handle the occasional dip into the teens well. I was faced with the same question and chose the larger size. No regrets. The T6 will run fine on a 4-5 split fire when less heat is needed.

 

[mar13]

My hearth is a corner install (bricks as well) which makes it harder to set the stove back from the front edge of the hearth. The T6, if I recall correctly, uses a tad more space than the Summit. The Summit would have barely fit my location (enough inches from the hearth edge leading up to carpet), but not the T6. California follows standard national standards. It can be tight trying to fit everything into the T5 and I get jealous of Begreen's pictures of his stove loadings. Regardless, I've been very happy with my stove and it regularly gets complements (clear glass, enamel)

 

[JKE28]

The T5 will do the job but will need to be pushed a bit harder in very cold weather. The T6 will do the job but will be loafing until it gets below 40º. It will handle the occasional dip into the teens well. I was faced with the same question and chose the larger size. No regrets. The T6 will run fine on a 4-5 split fire when less heat is needed.

That's good to know. I think now that I have taken the BK out of the picture, I'll get a some quotes on the T5 to just see the price comparison. As long as both can last all night, they are a big improvement from what I have now.

 

[JKE28]

My hearth is a corner install (bricks as well) which makes it harder to set the stove back from the front edge of the hearth. The T6, if I recall correctly, uses a tad more space than the Summit. The Summit would have barely fit my location (enough inches from the hearth edge leading up to carpet), but not the T6. California follows standard national standards. It can be tight trying to fit everything into the T5 and I get jealous of Begreen's pictures of his stove loadings. Regardless, I've been very happy with my stove and it regularly gets complements (clear glass, enamel)

OK I understand what you're saying now. I should be good with my hearth but I will double check the measurements. Now that I know I am getting an Alderlea, maybe I'll get a quote on a T5 just to see if going down a size will save more money.

 

[bcrtops]

We have had the T5 same amount of time as Begreen the T6. Still love the stove, especially for it's ease of maintenance compared to most units. We cooked Christmas dinner for 6 people on that stove one year ( with help of a camp stove), when we were without power for 5 days. We do use the cooktop some for things like stews, beans, & soups. Ours has used about 5 cords /year, so has gone through a lot of wood over the years. We burn in the spring & fall with small, short fires more than most people seem to, otherwise with just winter burns, we'd be down to 3-4 cords / yr. All around a great stove, you won't find very many negative comments from owners.