So you're saying, running the BK is more similar to the comfort level of a gas stove? If so, why would I buy a Woodstock Keystone over, say the Boxer 24? At least I though that one was alright looking.
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Long Burn Time Tiny Stove for a Small House. Is it possible?
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So you're saying, running the BK is more similar to the comfort level of a gas stove? If so, why would I buy a Woodstock Keystone over, say the Boxer 24? At least I though that one was alright looking.
Its pretty close for my situation. I pack it full around 930-10pm, burn it on high for 10-15 min, turn it down to the cruise setting that works for me and I dont touch it for 24 hours besides maybe opening it once to pull unburned stuff to the center/ front. This is on <20% moisture hard wood from the northeast (oak, hickory, ash, maple)
The main differences are aesthetics and a desire for a soapstone side loader vs a thermostatically controlled front loader.
Would the BK use less wood per season heating the same space? Or am I just stuffing the BK more vs the Keystone to get those long burn times?
SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
I live in a well insulated 1200 sqft saltbox in Maine with two small woodstoves. Our house has several windows that face east and west with four sliding glass doors on the south side. One stove is a wood cookstove and the other is a Morso 2b Classic. We usually get twelve hours of heat with the Morso per burn and I vary the load based on outside temp. If the house is 75df but my wife says she "feels cold" then I will keep the Morso burning, but usually one fire that burns for 4-6 hours is fine. Last winter I kept it burning for about seven days straight loading it every 6-8 hours when it was really cold. On some very cold nights the house might dip to the low 60's downstairs by morning, but the house heats back up to 72+ within two hours.
The cookstove is lit every time I want to cook and the outside temp will let me do it, but we don't need it to keep the house warm.
The cookstove is lit every time I want to cook and the outside temp will let me do it, but we don't need it to keep the house warm.
The BK 24 has not yet earned the good reputation that the other freestanding BK models have. I believe it has an odd firebox shape since it is really an insert repurposed as a freestander. At least look for a Boxer24 owner to get first hand experiences.
The Keystone is very efficient and small so I don't think wood use will be much different per year than a BK. It might actually be lower because you won't burn it as much. Reloading more than once per day is at least twice the work.
Since you are really just burning for fun, I would just look for the most aesthetically pleasing stove and be happy with it. There are some very small PE brand noncats that might have the look you're after. To heck with efficiency, you really don't want that much heat anyway.
Woodworking and general lumber nonsense gathers me plenty of lumber. Always cutting down trees for people, trimming, etc etc. I got probably 2/3rds of a cord of Locust, 1/4 cord of Oak, and 2/3rds a cord of Maple just from this summer without asking for any of it. This winter I need to build a shelter for all of that and all my sawn lumber to air dry for a few years.
I had a non EPA stove before the BK so I cant say. What I do know is I used to go through 15-20 splits of wood in the non EPA per day when it was in the 20s out. Now I fit 8-10 pieces of similarly sized splits in the BK for the same 24 hr period.
It really sounds like this is more of a fun factor for you so get what you'd like to look at. The BK is a very boring stove if you like to tinker or play with it and it rarely has sustained visible flames unless you're at 50% throttle or more
Nigel459
Feeling the Heat
For heating needs, I suspect the Keystone to be the goldilocks here.
I have a similar space, small and well sealed. In said space I have used a BK 20 box, two different tube stoves, and currently a Hearthstone Green Mountain 40, a hybrid. The GM40 was mostly an aesthetic choice, with hopes that it could burn somewhat low and slow. We are very happy with it but the BK def goes lower and much longer burn with its larger firebox.
Back to the Keystone, I really wanted to try it, pretty confident it would tick all the boxes for us in aesthetics and function with its side loading ability, straight cat burn ability, and smaller firebox. Unfortunately Woodstock stoves are not approved in Canada
I have a similar space, small and well sealed. In said space I have used a BK 20 box, two different tube stoves, and currently a Hearthstone Green Mountain 40, a hybrid. The GM40 was mostly an aesthetic choice, with hopes that it could burn somewhat low and slow. We are very happy with it but the BK def goes lower and much longer burn with its larger firebox.
Back to the Keystone, I really wanted to try it, pretty confident it would tick all the boxes for us in aesthetics and function with its side loading ability, straight cat burn ability, and smaller firebox. Unfortunately Woodstock stoves are not approved in Canada
For heating needs, I suspect the Keystone to be the goldilocks here.
I have a similar space, small and well sealed. In said space I have used a BK 20 box, two different tube stoves, and currently a Hearthstone Green Mountain 40, a hybrid. The GM40 was mostly an aesthetic choice, with hopes that it could burn somewhat low and slow. We are very happy with it but the BK def goes lower and much longer burn with its larger firebox.
Back to the Keystone, I really wanted to try it, pretty confident it would tick all the boxes for us in aesthetics and function with its side loading ability, straight cat burn ability, and smaller firebox. Unfortunately Woodstock stoves are not approved in Canada
We downsized our house because sometimes too much extra space is just a waste. I never realized how much everything needs to have a purpose when you have less room. That's the rental price if you will in our house, serving purpose and serving it well. I want to find the best stove possible because it needs to be easy to use and burn a long time. Or else it will become more hassle than its worth won't get used. and it'll become just an object that serves no purpose. I guess that's why I came to these forums, to get it right the first time.
So I guess the list now went from this..
Hase Bari (But the price... AACK..)
Morso 6143
Woodstock Progress Hybrid
Kuma Cambridge LE
Unforgettable Fire Katydid
To this..
1 - Woodstock Keystone
2 - BK Chinook 20
3 - PE 1.6 Neo
4 - Morso 6143
5 - Hase Bari
Of those 5, you're not going to get easier to use or longer burn times than the BK. Plain and simple.
Just to add. The advertised burn time on my BK Sirocco 20 has not been speculation in my experience. It's true. Sounds like a low and slow, long moderate burn will fit your well insulated needs nicely.
If I were so inclined to try another brand for my personal home, my next choice would be a Woodstock.
If I were so inclined to try another brand for my personal home, my next choice would be a Woodstock.
Can't argue that. I just emailed Woodstock and asked them why I should chose the Keystone over the BK Chinook 20. And I emailed BK and asked them vice versa lol. I'll keep you posted.
Update: Woodstock just emailed me back and man you got to admire honesty lol. I said I was looking for a stove with 12hr burn time, etc etc etc.. This is what I got.
"Thank you for your interest in our Keystone stove. It has an 8-10 hr
burn time. I use the Keystone and get an average of 8 hr overnight burn
with 2 pieces of hardwood in the firebox.
I am not familiar with the Blaze King model you reference. The best
comparisons I would look at are burn times, sq footage heated, and
possibly firebox size. ........"
Etc.
I love that they won't even stretch the facts a little and say something like most salesman "Welll maybe you can do this or that and get 12hrs.. Nope.. They say exactly what they list everywhere.
I have read the Keystone can get 14hrs, and if they say 8rs on two logs I wouldn't be surprised if it can be done.
No we wait for the BK response..
Great point, lets scratch those off the list. Now it's just
1 - Woodstock Keystone
2 - BK Chinook 20
3 - PE 1.6 Neo
Yeah, just have a hurdle that is the looks of the BK's. Maybe i'll change my mind. Dunno/
Sidenote, you have one of the saws I wanted to get until Stihl came out with the fuel injected saw.
Based on the described requirements it's always been between 1&2 in my mind. The Neo is a good medium-sized burner, but average burn times are going to be 6-8hrs depending on the demand.
You will read all sorts of claims. People's idea of burntime varies a lot. There is no clear definition. For some it's when the coals burn out which doesn't mean anything when it's 0º outside. A burntime at 50º and at 10º will be two different animals, even with the BK stove. The soapstone will retain heat longer and that will slowly release over time even after the fire has died out. This reduces the room temp swing between burns. The BK uses a thermostat to deal with the swing. If the heat loss of the house is low then the BK will have the longer burntime.
Oh, the VP of Blaze king emailed me.. So my email from Woodstock shows their impeccable customer service and their inability to lie even about small things. And this email from Blaze king VP shows they are just as good of a company.
"Boy oh Boy (My Name Removed)! The owner of Woodstock is a very dear friend of mine, so now what do I do?
So let me state they make a great product, supported by great employees and super customer service.
Let me also state clearly so do we. Plus we have made and pioneered catalytic wood heaters since 1984. The one feature our units offer that no other wood stoves offer in our thermostat. All wood stoves burn cord wood, a recognized, unmetered fuel.
Our thermostat changes the game by turning the fuel into a metered fuel, providing unparalleled even heat from every single load.
That combined with our 10-Year, 100% NO FAULT & NO MOUSE TYPE warranty on the combustor is #1.
Now, if you elect to support Woodstock, thank you. They are as I wrote, a great company. If you elect to support Blaze King, thank you and we will take great care of you as well. You’ll be in good stead with either decision!
Chris"
"Boy oh Boy (My Name Removed)! The owner of Woodstock is a very dear friend of mine, so now what do I do?
So let me state they make a great product, supported by great employees and super customer service.
Let me also state clearly so do we. Plus we have made and pioneered catalytic wood heaters since 1984. The one feature our units offer that no other wood stoves offer in our thermostat. All wood stoves burn cord wood, a recognized, unmetered fuel.
Our thermostat changes the game by turning the fuel into a metered fuel, providing unparalleled even heat from every single load.
That combined with our 10-Year, 100% NO FAULT & NO MOUSE TYPE warranty on the combustor is #1.
Now, if you elect to support Woodstock, thank you. They are as I wrote, a great company. If you elect to support Blaze King, thank you and we will take great care of you as well. You’ll be in good stead with either decision!
Chris"
FYI, Chris from BK is a member here and that’s a good thing.
I think the Woodstock guy was trying to throw you a subtle hint. 8-10 hours is what their marketing spec sheet says. It’s the script, he has to say that. Then his little wink wink was that this 8-10 hours is on two pieces and of wood. That stove holds way more than two pieces of wood. Wink wink.
Neither cat stove is made to burn anything with paint or stain on it. You’ll poison the catalyst.
I think the Woodstock guy was trying to throw you a subtle hint. 8-10 hours is what their marketing spec sheet says. It’s the script, he has to say that. Then his little wink wink was that this 8-10 hours is on two pieces and of wood. That stove holds way more than two pieces of wood. Wink wink.
Neither cat stove is made to burn anything with paint or stain on it. You’ll poison the catalyst.
I'm actually surprised @BKVP hasnt seen this thread yet and jumped in. He is very active in the yearly blaze king thread. He's been very honest and helps anyone with any BK questions he can whether it be on here, on the phone or ive even heard of a few cases in person.
SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
Between the two cat stoves you are looking at I would go with whatever looks nicer. Personally I prefer a short hot fire with a small amount of fuel rather than a low burn with low output over a long time. If the weather is sunnier than forecasted I won't have to wait 12 hours to turn off the heater, but you can also put a small amount of fuel in a cat stove, but at that point you might as well get a noncat.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
Sales questions should be kept offline. No stove manufacturer is permitted to promote their products in the forum threads. The email response was direct, diplomatic and professional.
Check out the MF Fire Nova if you want to support a local business:
You can’t get replacement glass for this stove. You must buy a replacement door with the glass installed. If I remember right it was $1300 or so!
