When I opened this thread yesterday begreen, Highbeam and begreen again had already posted in it. I figured the OP had a good thorough answer without actually reading the content of their replies and moved on. Now that I have been tagged...
We upgraded from an Ovation Country Flame (c. 2000) non cat stove to a Blaze King Ashford 30 in May of 2014.
Before I carry on, I readily agree the more modern non-cat stoves are "better" or "more controllable" than my 14 year old non-cat model was. However, from reading here about current production non cat stoves I suspect the differences are incremental compared to my old stove. If I was shopping for a non-cat I would look at the NC-30 (Englander I think) first, and look it over hard before I looked at anything else.
Caveat out of the way, I run 7-9 cords per year in 1200 sqft of suburban ranch, 9 month burn season, central Alaska, 5 star plus rated insulation envelope. I ran the BK wide open full throttle for about six weeks in the depth of winter last year, but also enjoyed 24 and 30 hour burns at the tips of the shoulders in May and August.
When I switched stoves I kept the telescoping flue pipe with the same thermometer on it, same hearth, same chimney. But, my youngest daughter also moved out, taking two bushel baskets of hair products with her. I do use an oil burning furnace as backup heat for when the stove is cold, but the same furnace also makes domestic hot water.
I can say, without reservation the BK runs a cooler flue temp than my old non cat did, in all operating conditions. Wide open full throttle maximum heat output on the BK flue temp is ~roughly~ equal to the lowest flue temp I could readily achieve with the non cat running as low as it would go.
Roughly the same heating degree days over the burn season, higher average indoor temperature range on the BK/cat, confounded by the daughter moving out, I burned about 25% less wood in the BK than I did in the older/ obsolete non-cat. Clear advantage BK/ cat.
Second, with the BK I can keep the interior of the house in a +/- 3 dF window for weeks at a time (+79 to +85dF). With the non-cat I was looking at +/- 10 degrees F daily swings, +70dF and +90dF twice a day, every day. Clear advantage BK/cat. I am sure the new non-cat stoves can do better at this than my old one did, but I doubt the technology can do as good as a well managed cat stove no matter how skilled the operator.
I did have to forget everything my grandpa taught me about running smoke dragon stoves. He would have the door open every half hour or so to wiggle the splits around with a poker to keep the burn going just right. With the BK, load it, shut the door and DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR AGAIN until the end of the burn. Just keep your cotton picking hands off the loading door, twiddle the TStat all you want, you'll be fine.
My stove/ my envelope I run a 12 hour burn cycle from about +10 or +15dF down to -30dF or so. Colder than -30dF I do run a hot/fast load of spruce when I get home from work, with full loads of birch on the overnight and workday cycles. Colder than -40dF, full loads of birch at workday and bedtime cycles, with a hot fast load of spruce when I get home from work in the afternoon, and when I get up in the middle of the night to pee. Only had to do that twice last year.
M2c
