Metal vs ceramic cats - latest pros and cons of each?

[Woodrow]

My FPX ceramic cat is 5 or 6 years old now and shows signs of deterioration. Several cracks and pieces have fallen out of it. I'm considering going with a metal cat this time for obvious reasons of additional long term durability.

But last time I asked about this subject, most people seemed to side with ceramic cats. Why is that? Or do they still say the ceramic cat is better? Before I didn't have an opinion because I didn't have expetience with cats one way or another. But now I do: ceramic honyecomb is a brittle material that crumbles over time, especially when used for such a brutal application as this.

Wouldn't a metal cat hold up better over time? Also, it would heat up faster and reach catalyzing temps sooner too wouldn't it? Also be easier to clean without damaging it like a brittle/crumbly ceramic unit? Isn't all of this true?

 

[Highbeam]

I’ve used both and am back to ceramic. My cats don’t break, crumble, or need “cleaning”. Maybe this is a stove specific issue? They do wear out though.

The new stoves seem to be coming with just metal cats so I suspect you’re right about the earlier light off reducing emissions for testing.

The metal cats cost a lot more and I didn’t get any benefits in life, performance, or durability so I’m back to the ceramic.

 

[Dataman]

I switched when my old one was worn out. Easier to light off Metal Cat. Not much price Difference I saw. $260 vs
$296 for metal one for same King Stove.

 

[webby3650]

I’ve used both and am back to ceramic. My cats don’t break, crumble, or need “cleaning”. Maybe this is a stove specific issue? They do wear out though.

The new stoves seem to be coming with just metal cats so I suspect you’re right about the earlier light off reducing emissions for testing.

The metal cats cost a lot more and I didn’t get any benefits in life, performance, or durability so I’m back to the ceramic.

I’m sure emissions have a lot to do with it.
Or does it?
I have been curious if it has anything to do with the government required warranty, and increasingly aggressive warranties that manufacturers are putting out. A steel cat could go bad and the average consumer would even know, a ceramic cat will crumble or crack usually, tipping off the consumer to the problem. It has to cut warranty claims way down. Woodstock doesn’t even offer a ceramic cat for the fireview anymore. It was tested with a ceramic cat, now the switch. I have also ran both ceramic and steel cats. I preferred the ceramic as well.

 

[Highbeam]

Good point, my steel cat looked great even after it was totally worn out and no longer working after the expected 10-12 thousand hours.

I thought the steel would perform better since it has many times more surface area coated with catalyst so it should effectively perform like a cat many times its size. The thinner walls also would heat up faster so that light off would occur sooner. The steel would obviously be less sensitive to thermal shock which supposedly causes the majority of premature cat failures.

That’s the sales pitch anyway. I didn’t notice any difference. New cats are always extra active so at first I liked seeing the thing turn orange so fast.

If I was getting cat physical failure before regular catalyst wear out then I would see value in the steel cat. As it is, in my stove, the ceramic substrate is durable enough to carry me through the life of the actual catalyst.

 

[jetsam]

I've tried both, and they both work fine in my BK.

I am on steel now. I like the lower light-off temp, but honestly it isn't a big enough benefit to make me pay a lot more for the cat. I will probably be going back to ceramic next time.

I also didn't have any issues with my ceramic cat having structural problems.

If they were the same price, I'd go steel every time. I've never had issues with them plugging, which some people here have.

The occasional burner might get more miles out of steel than Highbeam and I do, because they might have more thermal shock and a lot less hours per year.

 

[3fordasho]

I would get about 2.5 years out of a ceramic cat in my Fireview. They would crack and fall apart. Switched to the metal version and they never cracked, but also never seemed to get as high stove top temps as the ceramic did. When you engaged a ceramic cat you would see a noticeable increase in top temps, not so pronounced with the steel cats. Ceramic was never offered for my progress hybrid, and I'll get partial plugging with the steel cat. Ceramic never plugged up in the Fireview but I don't recall the steel cat plugging in the Fireview either, so perhaps that has more to do with the stove than cat type..