About to pick up a BuckStove 94NC, any last moment thoughts?

[ccgypsyblood]

Hi all, I've been cramming on all the great info here for the last couple of weeks. I'm about to buy a BuckStove 94NC and am checking to make sure I'm not missing anything important. Here's my situation, I have a 4500sq ft house built in 68 that I'm working on getting fairly airtight, it's a ongoing process, I close off several rooms during the winter months so I'm looking to maintain heat in about 3200 sq feet.
My main fireplace is masonry cavern (52 wide by 32 high) built into a full double masonry wall (with about a 4 foot airspace between) that is a interior wall. so, full masonry fireplace (no clearance issues) that currently has a ancient BuckStove smoke monster that is vented directly into the chimney (no liner), this stove and setup is absolutely worthless, it came with the house, so it's time to do it right.
I was almost settled on the Osburn 2400 insert until I saw the 4+ sq ft firebox size models, and after lots of investigation I think the 94NC (I'm not ready for a Cat yet, I cant plan that far ahead ) is the best bang for buck I've found. Although the lack of customer support for us west coasters does concern me (the presence of a company rep on this board was a major factor in me favoring the Osburn).
I have a second old BuckStove that is installed as a stove that heats a portion of the house, I'll replace it with something EPA after I get the insert done.
Anyway, my masonry is in good shape, I'll have to cut my flu for the 8 inch liner, and am planning on installing a block off plate and some Kaowool to insulate the insert, I'm planning on doing the install myself and am just looking for any second opinions before I pull the trigger.

Thanks for all the great advice I've found on here, this forum is a invaluable tool for someone who is looking for the right way to do it.

Carl-

 

[budman]

4,500 sf ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa :grrr:

 

[Pagey]

Post pics! :coolgrin:

 

[BrowningBAR]

I wonder how many cases of beer BrotherBart could fit in that thing!

I think we all look forward to you posting pics and giving a review of the stove. It's huge and should really pump out heat.

 

[Pagey]

I wonder how many cases of beer BrotherBart could fit in that thing!

I think we all look forward to you posting pics and giving a review of the stove. It's huge and should really pump out heat.

That BIG Buck burns entire grapple loads in a single feeding!

 

[BrowningBAR]

Might be the first stove Bart could fit a keg into.

 

[ccgypsyblood]

Here's is a picture of the fireplace from right after I bought the place, it was in the middle of a remodel. Windows to the right have been replaced with good double paned andersen and of course there is flooring and such now. There is another fireplace on the oposite side of the chimney on the second floor in the master bedroom.
aaaand just for fun, here's a pic of a barrel stove with a oil drip I built from spare parts last winter. I call it Mr. Happy

 

[scoooter]

Lift with your knees

Scott

 

[BrowningBAR]

Lift with a forklift

Scott

Fixed that for you

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

Post pics! :coolgrin:

+2, post pictures.

oooops, I should have read the entire thread

 

[scoooter]

Lift with a forklift

Scott

Fixed that for you

Thanks!

Scott

 

[ohlongarm]

I bought a Buck 94C last year,I kept it all of one month ate tremendous amounts of wood and gave very little heat ,I called Buck a dozen times and got no reasonable explanation or answer ,got rid of it and now have a BK Ultra.This was my unfortunate experience hopefully not yours.Good luck.

 

[ddddddden]

Interesting report, Longarm. Maybe this is why nobody else makes a 4+ cu-ft non-cat. The few owners who post about the 94's catalytic twin, the Buck 91, seem to like it.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I bought a Buck 94C last year,I kept it all of one month ate tremendous amounts of wood and gave very little heat ,I called Buck a dozen times and got no reasonable explanation or answer ,got rid of it and now have a BK Ultra.This was my unfortunate experience hopefully not yours.Good luck.

That seems odd. How does a 4.4 cu ft firebox not produce heat? I am not saying you are wrong, I am simply confused/amazed /disappointed to hear that happened.

 

[ohlongarm]

Strange but true I personally rate the Buck 94 the worst woodstove i've ever had the displeasure of owning,you will be lucky to get a six (6) hour burn with a solid load of hardwood,I lost my shorts on that deal as I only got $800.00 on a trade in on the BKUltra. I'd hate to see someone else have a similar experience. This will be my first season with the King, I think? It will do the job,but with a little less flame for fire viewing.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Strange but true I personally rate the Buck 94 the worst woodstove i've ever had the displeasure of owning,you will be lucky to get a six (6) hour burn with a solid load of hardwood,I lost my shorts on that deal as I only got $800.00 on a trade in on the BKUltra. I'd hate to see someone else have a similar experience. This will be my first season with the King, I think? It will do the job,but with a little less flame for fire viewing.

What stove temps were you able to get out of it?

 

[ohlongarm]

I believe on high, I could get about 600 degrees but the damn thing ate up wood like it was tissue paper,Buck told me the stove is made to burn using the blower at all times when burning,NOT for me I seldom used my blower on the two previous Quadrafires and not once yet on the Blaze king.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I believe on high, I could get about 600 degrees but the damn thing ate up wood like it was tissue paper,Buck told me the stove is made to burn using the blower at all times when burning,NOT for me I seldom used my blower on the two previous Quadrafires and not once yet on the Blaze king.

Oddly enough, it makes me want to use one just to see what the hell is going on with the stove.

 

[davidmc]

I love my 91.....go ahead and get the cat!!

 

[ccgypsyblood]

ohlongarm- Thanks, that's good food for thought. I've never been very impressed with BuckStoves in general, I grew up feeding Earth stoves till now. The documentation available on Buck's website is somewhat not informative on the stoves construction. Is the 91 constructed with a inner firebox or is it still single walled like pre-EPA stoves?

Davidmc- I'm still waffling on "to cat or not to cat" since I have a secondary stove in my house I may get this in the cat model and use my other stove for any junk wood I have... what kind of burn times are you getting from your 91?

 

[davidmc]

ccgypsyblood,
I am getting 12 to 14 hours on a packed load. That is what I like about the cat stoves, can can turn them down low and get a long burn.The cat is not hard to get used to.

The stove has a single wall firebox with an airspace and an outer wall. The blower pushes the hot air out of the airspace. I usually don't use the blower until it gets cold, past the shoulder seasons.

This stove has a huge firebox but I would like for it to have a little more height, it's about 12". It is 24" wide at the front and narrows a couple of inches to the back and 23"deep so 20" wood north and south works good.

I hope this was useful.

 

[BrowningBAR]

ccgypsyblood,
I am getting 12 to 14 hours on a packed load. That is what I like about the cat stoves, can can turn them down low and get a long burn.The cat is not hard to get used to.

The stove has a single wall firebox with an airspace and an outer wall. The blower pushes the hot air out of the airspace. I usually don't use the blower until it gets cold, past the shoulder seasons.

This stove has a huge firebox but I would like for it to have a little more height, it's about 12". It is 24" wide at the front and narrows a couple of inches to the back and 23"deep so 20" wood north and south works good.

I hope this was useful.

Interesting. Good to hear it is working out and 12-14 hours is really nice burn time. I wonder what the issue was that ohlongarm was running into? What was the cost of the stove?

 

[weezer4117]

I believe on high, I could get about 600 degrees but the damn thing ate up wood like it was tissue paper,Buck told me the stove is made to burn using the blower at all times when burning,NOT for me I seldom used my blower on the two previous Quadrafires and not once yet on the Blaze king.

Oddly enough, it makes me want to use one just to see what the hell is going on with the stove.

Go ahead and say it! im leaning towards the operator of the stove to!

 

[Danno77]

I'm not positive, but I think you might vaporize if you try to stoke the stove when it's at full tilt. Be careful.

 

[ccgypsyblood]

Well, unemployment came about six months sooner than I was expecting, so no buck 94 for me right now. But the universe did provide in the form of a 2003 Lopi Revere for 100$ (thank you craigslist), it's in perfect condition (missing one firebrick, but that was cheap down at my local stove store) and aside from putting my back to the test getting it in place I'm plenty happy for now. I went ahead and relined my chimney with a 8" inch flex liner and am using a 6"-8" adapter at the stove, as of right now I have a perfect draft, and I dont expect it to get cold enough here to get a overdraft even with the large liner. I had to modify my smoke shelf to allow the liner through, but was able to use some existing bracing to mount the block off plate with some long carriage bolts and nuts. This is my first EPA stove and I'm really enjoying the secondary burn, the little Lopi likes to hang right around 500 and I'm getting about 7 hours useful heat with relight at 8-9 hours. Like the Rolling Stones say "you wont always get what you want, but you just might get what you need"