Hi, I've been following this conversation about the Blaze King Ashford and the Lopi Cape Cod, as I am in the market for a new wood stove and those are my two finalists (unless I get a King). Unlike Webby3650, I tend to hold on to my stove until long after I should have gotten rid of it. For the record, I have an OLD Sunfire stove, made from rolled steel and I am going to replace it because it's a mega-polluter. While I live in Santa Cruz, CA, where it doesn't hit freezing too often during the winter, I do like a larger wood burning stove, as wood has essentially been my sole source of heat for the past 29 years. My main home is about 1600 sq. ft., with an additional game room (man cave) of about 700 sq. ft. (it's usually kept closed off to the 'main home, but it is attached). I won't be heating the game room unless I'm back there, but I want a stove that's big enough to heat it when I do go back there.
Given that I tend to keep my toys and I don't like to put lots of money into rebuilding them, a concern of mine nowadays is how much upkeep/maintenance the new stoves will take. My Sunfire is essentially one big piece of thick rolled steel that has required nothing beyond a cleaning now and then. So, my question is: Given a choice between the Ashford and the Cape Cod, which one do you think might require the most maintenance over a period of years? I hear that the catalytic unit needs to be replace after 7 -10 years and, no problem, I can live with that. Do you have an opinion of which might need a rebuild (re-sealing the seams?) over time? I've read that cast iron stoves will need rebuilding eventually (though the sales people discount that notion). Given that I don't like to pay lots of money for maintenance (and I won't do it myself), I might 'settle' for a steel stove, such as the Blaze King King. I like the King, in that it can take large logs and most of my wood (which I generally cut and split) is cut in longer lengths.
I can get the Cape Cod, in black, for about $3000 ($850 more for brown enamel) and the Ashford for right about the same price (about $3K in black). Your thoughts, please? Do you think that they're built comparably when it comes to quality and they're lasting a long time? Any feedback from someone who owns either of these stoves will be appreciated.