BK Princess vs. Buck 74

[Deadspider187]

You were pretty clear, I was pretty fuzzy at 430 this morning

What's your chimney like? Is it masonry or insulated class A? If everything is already in place, installation is a snap. You could DIY, unless your insurance requires a professional install.

Is it worth an extra $1k? I guess it depends. The BK will burn for a long time with nice, even heat, and really shines in the spring and fall with the ability to burn clean at a reduced output. If it's not a big deal for you, go for the Buck. It's a solid stove.

We're all dry wood fanatics here, but it really is necessary for a satisfying burning experience. Get next year's supply now.

I think I'm out of my expertise as far as chimneys go. It's a metallic silver insulated pipe that goes stright up out of the stove, makes a 90 degree turn to the outside, then heads straight up through the porch roof.

I didn't really want to go with 8" because of the cost associated with it, although we were thinking that and a Buck 80 at one point. That's why we started looking at the Princess was for the cat and chimney size.

 

[rdust]

Either one will probably get the job done. For me the Princess is the obvious choice. My last stove was a 2.2 cubic foot EPA non cat, to be fair the Princess is bigger but it heats circles around the non cat. The control of the BK stove is what makes it my choice, not overheat the house when it's 50* and keeps up just fine with it's 0*. I've always been able to get an easy 12 hours between loads no matter what our temps have been heating just under 2K.

 

[jeff_t]

That's good. A properly sized, insulated class A works better than a masonry chimney. New EPA stoves are pretty sensitive to draft. The Blaze King even more so, since it runs some pretty cool flue temps.

I'd vote for the Blaze King, but I'm partial . There are a lot of stoves out there that will do a good job heating a house of that size. Given the choice between those two, get the Princess if you don't mind spending the extra coin. You won't be disappointed.

 

[rdust]

You won't be disappointed.

As long as the chimney/flue and wood supply is up to par.

Deadspider, what is the total height of the chimney?

 

[Woody Stover]

I also find it humorous that it tells you pine makes more creosote

I wonder, now that I've seen the black smoke that comes off that stuff. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, but they are probably technically correct. I've never burned an appreciable amount of Pine, and never heard anyone who has burned lots of both compare the amounts of creo, so all I can do is speculate...

I have a Buck 74 in an old brick farmhouse (1850). I try to get the most heat I can. In MY case, 6-7 hours of good good heat is not realistic. More like 3-4 hours with mainly cherry wood.

Cherry isn't a long-burn contender by any stretch. Get some higher-output wood in there when you can and it sounds like it'll go the distance.

 

[begreen]

6-10 hour burn time isn't bad at all. I just want something that will keep the house from getting too cold overnight.

BBar is correct, I meant the F50 Rangeley. If you want a less expensive 2 cu ft PE stove that will still provide good, long burn times you could go with the Super27 instead of the Spectrum or the T5. They all have the same innards. Folks here regularly get 8-10 hr winter burntimes in them and 12-14 hr burns during shoulder season when the heating demands are not as high.

 

[Deadspider187]

As long as the chimney/flue and wood supply is up to par.

Deadspider, what is the total height of the chimney?

I would guess twenty feet. Goes from about three and a half feet on the first floor to above the roof on the second.

 

[Ashful]

Like claybe, I'm confused by the comparison of the Princess to a non-cat Buck. You'd do better comparing it to a catalytic Buck, as they're one of the few manufacturers making both technologies. Decide on whether you want cat or non-cat, then determine your required size, and then start comparing manufacturers and pricing.

 

[Deadspider187]

Like claybe, I'm confused by the comparison of the Princess to a non-cat Buck. You'd do better comparing it to a catalytic Buck, as they're one of the few manufacturers making both technologies. Decide on whether you want cat or non-cat, then determine your required size, and then start comparing manufacturers and pricing.

The Buck 80 requires a 8" flue, which puts us in the same price range as the princess. From searching around on here I thought for the same price the princess would be an easy choice over the 80. As far as cat vs. non cat, I think that's the question I really need answered, but thought it best to ask about these two specific models we were looking at. What benefits would the extra $1050 go to that aren't as obvious as burn times and efficiency?

 

[claybe]

Long Burn times = less wood = less money over time. Not to mention less hassle. Not to mention less stress. I don't know about you but I really don't like waking in the middle of the night to refill the stove. Been there done that and I will take the 12 hour burn times in the cold. I wake up in a better mood and warmer and less annoyed Cat stove wins...can't even imagine what it will do during shoulder season.

 

[Ashful]

Everything claybe said. When it's real cold, and you're running the stove harder, both technologies should provide similar performance. However, when it's a little warmer out, and you don't need maximum heat, the cat stoves really excel. With a non-cat stove, you need to maintain a higher minimum temperature, for the reburn system to work, and maintain a clean burn. A cat stove can maintain a clean burn at roughly half the temperature, so it's possible to set them up to cruise low and slow, putting out minimum heat for a much longer period.

That's not to say you can't heat with a non-cat in warmer weather, but it does mean a more cyclical technique. Wait for the room to get cool, then light a hot but quick fire to put a desired number of BTU's into the mass of the stove and the house. Maybe get a few degrees warmer than you want, and let things coast back down, before repeating. It does not seem to be a big problem for most.

Somewhat tied to this, a non-cat stove cannot be shut down as tight. The "run-away" situation, which has been retold here many times, seems to be an issue only with non-cats. The flip side to this is that if you take your cat stove and shut it down too tight too early, you may experience back-puffing, which ain't exactly fun either.

 

[ddddddden]

I think I'm out of my expertise as far as chimneys go. It's a metallic silver insulated pipe that goes stright up out of the stove, makes a 90 degree turn to the outside, then heads straight up through the porch roof.

I didn't really want to go with 8" because of the cost associated with it, although we were thinking that and a Buck 80 at one point. That's why we started looking at the Princess was for the cat and chimney size.

Yeah, if that's class-A insulated pipe($$$), properly installed, I see no good reason to mess with it. . .unless you absolutely need one of the half-dozen or so stoves that uses an 8" flue(except the Buck 80, all bigguns like the Buck 91) which you should not need for ~1550 sq ft, especially with the weatherizing you've done to the house. Even if you did need that kind of heat output, there are large 6" stoves that will get it done, like the Englander 30 mentioned.

. . .There are a lot of stoves out there that will do a good job heating a house of that size. Given the choice between those two, get the Princess if you don't mind spending the extra coin. . .

+1 for the BK, if you want to spend $3k.
If you want to spend closer $2k, there are many many good stoves from which to choose, perhaps one of the the new smaller 2-cu-ft BK's (not sure on the price of those.) If you decide that you want a cat stove, Woodstock is worth a look too.

I would tough it out with the current stove for another month or so. Many stoves will be available somewhat cheaper by March. Also, I would clarify with your vendor just what "installation" covers. If you already have the chimney, installation could be as simple as plopping the new stove down in place of the old one and connecting the pipe. New stove might need a hearth pad or greater clearance to a wall, which might require moving the stove a bit and adding an elbow or something to the indoor pipe. . .