What is the longest you have gotten out of a cat?

[WoodpileOCD]

I'm in my 5th year burning 24/7 with my Buck. I bought it off of Craigslist out of a foreclosed house so I have no idea of its history. Still fires right off at 400-500* and with the right wood and air control runs to 1500-1800 with no problem. I know there are threads on how long they should last but just curious about anyone's real life experiences and how many years before it crapped out.

 

[TheRambler]

Seems the average is 4-7 years depending on amount of use and conditions. Though some cats have a 10 year warranty(BK i think) so these cats may be larger and thus have more surface area and therefor more service life potential. A good trick to revitalize a cat if it has any life left on it is a 50/50 vinegar and water cleaning/bath. Clean the cat out good with a vacuum etc, then use a spray bottle to thoroughly soak it with the vinegar solution, then rinse with distilled water. use distilled water in the spray bottle too by the way. You should see a noticeable improvement after you let it dry out completely and then reinstall. Do this when the cat is cool obviously. Soaking a hot cat might not be a good idea...

 

[Woody Stover]

Same deal here with the 91; Got it used, so not sure the history of the cat that came with it. Could be the original (4-5 years,) I don't know. Seemed like it lit slow but I didn't realize at the time that it takes a while to get that big stove up to temp. That original cat is probably OK for a while yet, but I put a new one in shortly after I got the stove. The steelie in the Fireview I sold is into its 4th season, still working OK. The cat stove I've had the longest, the Dutchwest, used to go through 'em in a few years, probably due to me burning wet wood through them. But I expect any cat will start to drop off in performance after several years of 24/7 use, so I will probably replace it if I notice that it's harder to light or drops out sooner...

 

[MaintenanceMan]

Only about 8 lives. Never quite could get that bragged about 9th.... They don't always land on their feet either.....