Buck 74 vs Blaze King Princess insert

[rwm001]

I currently have a Buck 74 insert and considering replacing it with a Princess insert. Was wondering if anyone had
experience or any thoughts on a comparison of these two? I am interested in more heat and prolonged heat. Was
talking to a dealer who sells both and he said thr Princess puts out alot more heat. So was dealer trying sell a unit
or does it really put out that much more heat? Thanks

 

[wood4free]

As someone who is thinking of moving up to a larger stove, I am very interested to know why you are not satisfied with the Buck 74? I am considering the Buck 74 but if it does not produce enough heat for you I would like to know more details. My small insert does not produce enough heat for my house and I certainly do not want to upgrade to a larger unit and have the same problem.

 

[hotprinter]

I just installed a blaze king ultra and it is the most amazing heater ever! We burn 24/7 in Alaska and I am only loading it 2 times a day and it just keep cranking. The best part is the thermostat. I would get the king over the princess any day. There is something to be said for not having to load very often.

 

[bogydave]

Couldn't find the btu rating for the Buck 74 insert, said 40,900 btu for Buck 74 stove, which is higher than the BK - P insert. of 40,000

(broken link removed to http://blazeking.com/Brochures-En/WoodProductPDF/PI1010ATaxCredit.pdf)

says 82% efficiency rating (burn less firewood) , Catalytic (cleaner burning), Variable speed Fans (which are key to moving the heat) & 10 to 20 hour burn times.


(broken link removed to http://www.buckstove.com/wood/model74.html)

Is the cost worth it & is it a huge upgrade? Do you have a fan on your Buck now?
Efficiency ratings, cleaner burning & burn times are the only upgrade I see between the two. Over time the wood saved will help offset the $$.
But BTU ratings so close, not sure you'll get that much more heat. (Salesman will sell you a steering wheel to drive it to work too )

Good what you are doing, "Your own research" ****Smart!

 

[weatherguy]

How much space are you trying to heat? I have the princess and am very happy with it but I hear good things about Buck.

 

[rwm001]

The Buck 74 does produce heat- just not enough for a brick home built in 1850. The house is about 2000 sf.
The dealer I went sells both Buck and BK. He contends real world BTUs are significantly higher for the Princess and
his Buck sales have declined rapidly since taking on the Blaze King. As mentioned above, he is being a salesman (
steering wheel). This would be a large amount of money if there is little to no BTU improvement.

 

[EJL923]

Hmm ill be keeping an eye on this thread. I love my jotul rockland, but it is a little undersized for my house.

 

[blujacket]

How much attic insulation do you have? Make sure it's r30 or better. Makes a huge difference in heating a house. My 74 heats my 2,400 sf split no problem.

 

[rwm001]

The attic is the only insulated area. I have had 4 isulation companies out and all state that they could not insulate the house.
The windows have all been replaced.

 

[weezer4117]

Do you have a blower on your Buck? Currently 9* and windy, thermostat is at 74* with a good load of hickory!!

 

[jeff_t]

I don't think you'll notice much difference between the two, as far as heat output. Heating 2000 uninsulated sq ft is a lot to ask from a 2.6 cu ft firebox. Sounds like you need a second stove, not a different one.

 

[PLAYS WITH FIRE]

My house is about a 1600sqft ranch. The stove is a basement exterior insert install. My house was built in the disco 70's with r-12 insulation in the walls. The attic is about an r45+ (I am blowing in more). When I burn 24/7, no problem heating to 71-73 in very cold weather. During the weak I burn from 5:30pm to 11pm (last load). I can keep house at a 69-70 very cold weather.

I wake up check the coal bed at 7am. I get home at 5:30 and the stove is nice and warm, not enough to warm the house but my masonry chimney/wall helps hold heat. I put some small kindling and a few small splits and we are rolling!

And then we start over. When burning 24/7 I use very little wood..It is a pretty heavy stove at 468lbs and hold heat pretty well. My surface temps just above and to the right of the door are about 600 to a smidge under 650 F.

If this house was not insulated and with out ripping down the walls to really inspect how well it is, I think this stove would struggle with out burning 24/7 and very hot at that.

 

[rwm001]

My temps at about 2/3 up on the left hand side of the door never get hotter than 525. Maybe I sould burn with the air source
a little more open. At 525 I felt the stove was hot due to the tubes starting to glow.
One dealer in Salem, OH, told me he has seen 900 on this stove!! I hope this never occurs at my house!!

 

[PLAYS WITH FIRE]

What are you using to measure you temp? If you use a magnetic rutland or other double check it! Mine was reading about 88 degrees high. I dipped mine in boilg water, not rested but dipped so not to get the pot temperature but the water temperature. I let the water get to just bubbling and then put the meter in and took measure ment from a "rolling" boil and this is what I used for my reference point.

On start up I let her roll till about 650 and back her down to 600 and let it cruise. I just figured this myself a little while ago. Burns real nice and hot and strangely does not use a ton of wood at this "setting". It just cruises... But when nearing 620ish I cut the air back almost closed and let the light show begin!

I would work your way up to this and make sure to not let is cruise into the overfire range... Ultimately your measuring device is what determines your burning range. If what I said does not make any sense I can elaborate.......

 

[rwm001]

I am using a magnetic gauge but have double checked with a Harbour Freight "laser thermometer".

 

[pgmr]

The attic is the only insulated area. I have had 4 isulation companies out and all state that they could not insulate the house.
The windows have all been replaced.

I've not used this product and have no affiliation. It does look intriguing. You might take a look at the videos on their website and if interested, see if there is an installer in your area. If not, it might be a good business opportunity.

(broken link removed)

 

[jghall]

buck 74 insert in the downstairs living room, 2400sq' 2 story cape cod, 34 outside, 71 in my daughters upstairs bedroom with the furnace off, nice load of white oak...

 

[Lanningjw]

I got the princess insert. It heats my house evan when its 20 below 0. There is reason the guys in Alaska use this machine.

I am not burning high BTU wood, I am burning crap wood and can always get a 8 hour burn. This is my house. JL

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_GKplugI78wg/Rg-nFz7XOfI/AAAAAAAAB8A/61H2Kzzl3g4/s640/DSC_0001.JPG

 

[rwm001]

JL----Thanks for posting the pictures. Really shows what the insert looks like.

 

[BigBlockChevy]

I have spent the last few months looking into the efficiency issue, so I wish to share it. There is a comparison in this thread about the Buck versus the BK insert and the Btu's and efficiency ratings.

The guys that produce the brochures are all the same...mostly. When the manufacturers test the stoves in the EPA approved labs they get all sorts of data or test results. More often than not, they only burn test fuel and not what we burn in our stoves...cordwood.

The results they get are NOT in any manner what we get in home usage. During their tests (again on test fuel) they may see a spike of 47,000 Btu's...so they take that number and use it in the brochures! Watch for wording such as "Up to" or "As High As". These should raise the red flag. I notice BK uses both the results from tests and what they call "Real World".

As for efficiency, in order to get all their stoves qualified for the 2009-2010 tax credit, they used a method called Lower Heating Value. Hell, the number is vastly better than the number they had on the brochures in 2008 for the exact same stove If I understand it correctly, and I have been wrong plenty of times just ask my wife, the Lower Heating Value efficiency excludes the weight of the fuel load that was water. So if they put 40 pounds of wood at 20% mositure content, they exclude from the calculation 8lbs of fuel (as water).

I don't get to do that in my stove! So I much prefer to see the efficiency number that is the average from their prior to tax credit BS calculations. Look for the overall efficiency and according to a friend, he says it was called the higher heating value. Almost always the higher heating value is much lower than the lower heating value. So when you look at brochures and speak with the dealer, make certain they are showing you apples to apples comparisons.

Also, I hear Buck stoves are pretty bullet proof, just like my Blaze King. Go with your gut and buy the one that makes you happy!! (And your wife happy or you'll be sorry!)