Blaze King Ashford 30 best stove I've ever owned.

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here

BURNard

Member
Oct 20, 2018
60
North East Pennsylvania
This is a long over do review of my Blaze King Ashford 30. Absolutely the most amazing stove I have ever had the pleasure of using. Long consistent, even burns. Long periods of even consistent heat. Accept for smoking during initial start up and short periods during reloading, this stove burns absolutely smokeless. Just beautiful heat waves rising out of the chimney. This is my third winter burning and I have fed about five cords through it since purchased in 2018. I burned mostly two year old dead standing maple oak and ash. Don't let the ash pan and plug on the bottom of the burn chamber discourage you to think the stove needs to burn out to empty ashes. It does not, and don't think you'll be constantly emptying this bad boy. You won't, the stove burns so effectively, ash purges are minimal. I'll go through about two cords and probably empty the pan about 6 to eight times all winter. I start burning around October/November as needed, increasing as the winter gets colder to 24/7 burning, reloading the stove with 10 to 12 logs twice daily every 12 hours, morning/evening. I live in north eastern PA, where winters are often cool to very cold, and always damp and snowy. As I'm writing this we are expecting up to 20in. of snow and it's 19 degrees. (Ashford is purring away at 1 3/4 throttle, it's 75 degrees on the first floor, 69 on the second and oil furnace is snoring) My home is about 1700 square feet, with a semi open floor plan on the first floor and the stove cadi cornered in the living room. The stairs for the second floor are also in the living room, which lends to a great convection situation in the home. That and a couple of ceiling fans add to a generous circulation of heat. So I highly recommend this stove to all.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Hearthstone 99
You’ve already burned 5 cords of hardwoods this year? I guess reloading on 12 hour cycles will do that. Must need a lot of heat!

We all love pictures.
 
I've owned a Waterford Leprechaun, a Harman Oakwood and a Vermont Casting coal stove.
The waterford is a good stove for what it is. The harman's are utter garbage. So yes huge step up in quality
 
In regards to the Harman, I must say I didn't have ant trouble with it, accept that the ash grate would warp if I let the ash in the pan billed up to high.
I just hate the combustion system. It is overly complicated and expensive to maintain
 
Harman used to be made in Halifax, PA. But I believe they have been bought out and don't even make wood stoves anymore, only insert and pellet.
Yes they were bought by hht a while ago. Vermont castings are now assembled there.
 
Yes that is true the ceramics looked really cool, but pricey to replace. Thankfully I never had a problem with mine.
Really? Most of our customers need the combustion chamber every 3 to 5 years.
 
Yes, I read that hht has bought out other stove company's as well.
They have owned heatilator and quadrafire for a long time just bought vermont castings a few years ago a couple years after getting harman. Hopefully they turn vc around
 
Wow, well thank goodness I got rid of mine. I had no clue.
Now you will be doing combustors every few years but they cost less and are easy to swap out.
 
They have owned heatilator and quadrafire for a long time just bought vermont castings a few years ago a couple years after getting harman. Hopefully they turn vc around
Yes, I did read that VC was in trouble. But I still enjoyed the VC coal stove I had. Just to dusty for the home, so changed to Blaze King for the long burn times.
 
I do have a ten year warranty on the combustor and I'm handy when it does come time to change it.
Yeah that warranty just means you will get your first replacement for free. If you are burning full time it will be 2 or 3 years
 
Yeah that warranty just means you will get your first replacement for free. If you are burning full time it will be 2 or 3 years
Well, I'm on my third winter burn right now so we'll see. I know Blaze King is very customer service oriented and I would hope they would honor their warranty as it is a big selling point for them.
 
Well, I'm on my third winter burn right now so we'll see. I know Blaze King is very customer service oriented and I would hope they would honor their warranty as it is a big selling point for them.
They will on the first one yes.
 
It’s good to hear about your ashford 30. I’m enjoying my princess model. Jealous of your cold weather! I let mine go out today and still waiting for the house to cool down. I checked my chimney , figured I’d have a bunch of creosote again in my 90’s but it was good! Definitely helping to do the bake before shut down. I get my wood for free so the catalytic isn’t really a big deal considering how much I’m saving on the power bill. I was just going to stick a new one in every couple years but evidently that would just make the stove very boring and there seems to be quite a bit of prestige behind proper operation for cat life ha ha!
 
  • Like
Reactions: BURNard
Well I am burning high quality seasoned wood, and if I get three to five years out of my first cat, and three to five out of the warranty cat, I'll be fine with that.
Most people get 3 years. I am on my 3rd year and don't think the cat will make it through