First post but not sure I am in the right spot for it though. I have a cottage/ cabin in central Ontario. It is 2000 sf. It is built on a perimeter block wall that sits on granite. The crawl space is insulated and is heated by an oil furnace. I have been reading about wood stoves and have narrowed my choice to two very different stoves. The first is the BK princess. The other is the Drolet PT2000. One cat and one non cat. I want an 8 to 10 hour minimum burn time.I will burn maple and have straight 14’ run for the chimney pipe. I am at the lake almost every weekend and plan to retire there in a few years. I like the fact that the Pt2000 has a 3.4 cf fire box. I also like the cost of the pt2000 compared to the BK but price really isn’t an issue as I look at this as a long term purchase. The BK seems to be the class of the field but I am wondering if it is overkill for what I am looking for . When I am not at the lake I leave the heat set at 50 degrees f but I want to be able to bring the temp in the building up quickly when I arrive. Any thoughts and comments would be approevuated.
Drolet or BK?
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If you are pushing the stove hard to bring the cabin and its content up to temperature then the advantages of a cat stove are diminished. The Drolet will do the job and will save a lot up front. For a weekend cabin I would choose this less expensive option. You might also look at the Drolet Baltic II. It would also work.
PS: I haven't heard of a PT 2000, so I am assuming this is the HT2000.
PS: I haven't heard of a PT 2000, so I am assuming this is the HT2000.
SCOTT S.
Burning Hunk
I would agree with Begreen the princess probably wouldn’t make sense for a weekend heater. But if you’re fairly sure you will be retiring there the princess would be my choice.
Nigel459
Feeling the Heat
I agree with this.
The Princess is a more versatile heater. In shoulder seasons, and in fact more and more during warmups in winter in Ontario, there are times when you just want a low, even heat to maintain a comfortable temperature in the house. The Princess wins hands down then. In the shoulder seasons with a non-cat you're doing the pump-and-glide game, watching the inside temp all the time, opening a window when it gets too hot inside, waiting for it to cool down enough to light a fire for overnight, etc... which naturally means many more cold starts. Now, to each his own for sure, and some folks like starting fires; if you're retired that might be an enjoyable routine... I do miss it sometimes while operating our BK at home!
When we recently used the cottage stove, a non-cat, I really enjoyed it at first, like for a few days, and then I started to miss the routine with the BK: just reload once a day, no kindling, no firestarter, no fuss no muss. Then I get talking to my wife about getting a BK for the cottage... eye rolling quickly ensues... and she's right, for the scant few weeks we run the stove all year up there!
I will retire in 3 to 5 years and will move to the cottage full time. Filling the stove once per day sounds great but I would be satisfied with a 10 hour burn time. I don't want a situation where I am feeding the stove every five or six hours. The stove will sit in a great room and I am a little concerned that the ht 2000 may cook me out of the room. Can it be controlled as well as the bk princess
SCOTT S.
Burning Hunk
Not a chance. This is where the bk beats everyone. Between the cat and thermostat Bk has even heat figured out.
Diabel
Minister of Fire
SCOTT S.
Burning Hunk
All I can tell you is my experience. We had a zc no cat fireplace our house was always either hot or cold, with the bk most people that visit our home don’t believe we heat with wood it’s always 70-73 degrees in here.
I dont know about that particular stove but many people heat perfectly fine with non cats. The bk guys will never admit it but it can be done without lighting tons of fires or opening windows.
Easy Livin’ 3000
Minister of Fire
I think this comes down to your willingness to spend the dough. I believe you'd do just fine with the Drolet. If you are a skinflint like me, you'd just get the Drolet, and be delighted with it. Just add less wood if you're building up too much heat. No problem.
If you don't care about the extra money, just get the BK.
It's like cars, TV's, computers, whatever.
Both will do the job, one might have better control, but it does cost more. How much do you care about spending twice as much?
I'm heating with wood to save money and clean up the yard waste. One day maybe I'll design a house around a $20k masonry heater that sips wood. That would be lovely.
Decide what is your priority, and your decision will be clear.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
Maybe not quite the same level of control from the stove itself...but you can control the temp of the cabin with a tube stove just fine. Its not quite as idiot proof as with the BK maybe...but still easy.
All you hafta do is load more or less often according to the weather...also, load the appropriate type and/or quantity of wood.
4 pine splits will make for a quick/hot fire. 10 Oak splits will make for an all night fire.
The size of the splits can help control the length of the burn too (overall BTU output) Oh, and how you stack the load matters too...stack in loose and log cabin style, its gonna burn hotter/faster. Stack 'em in the like Legos and it will be a longer burn.
Might sound like a lot to learn...but it doesn't take most people long to learn the in n outs of heating your house with your stove...and every house/stove combo is a lil different.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
SCOTT S.
Burning Hunk
This is why I said “all I can tell you is my experience” I was always chasing the heat curve with my zc. I have absolutely no experience with the ht 2000. But I can honestly say I’ve been around wood stoves my whole life and never seen anything else that heats as evenly as a bk.
And i agree bks heat more evenly easier but that doesnt mean that they are the only way to do it as many like to claim. But you comment was very clearly predicated on your experince which is perfectly fair.
Wow. This is not as easy as I thought it would be. I appreciate the feedback from everyone that has responded. Are there any other stoves I should consider? If it is a non cat I want a stove that will burn all night. Price is not an issue as I plan to have this stove a long time
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
Easy Livin’ 3000
Minister of Fire
If price is not an issue, you should check out the ED3000 Superheater 1 or 2. While they look similar to the stoves you are thinking about, they come in a variety of color packages, and industry standard warranties. One comes with a catalyst reburner with a pro-rated 10 year warranty, thermostaticcontrol burning, and an almost irrational community of users, all for just $10,000.
The #2 is a super efficient, clean burning model, exceeds the exacting, high standards of the American Environmental Protection Agency, with very special stainless steel alloy reburning tubes, for the special one time low price of only $6,000.
Both are space age technologies, both sure to meet your heating requirements.
But, you must act quickly, these very special offers will only be available to the first 10,000 callers!
SCOTT S.
Burning Hunk
When I was shopping it came down these companies.bk, pacific energy, Woodstock, and jotul. All are worth a look.
10k for a wood stove? Hold on now. I should have said prices is not much of an issue. I am ok with Bk prices (which I think are high) but anything more is too rich for my wallet
Easy Livin’ 3000
Minister of Fire
Well, if you change your mind, and decide that only the best will do...
lsucet
Minister of Fire
We, the BK idiots don't have to adjust the load according to if is cold or hot outside. We the idiots just go for an inside steady house temperature. We filled them up like idiots every 24 to 30 hrs, sometimes more
I love to be idiot
I love to be idiot
