New Stove - Woodstock Progress Hybrid, BK Ashford 30 or Chinook 30

[begreen]

Manometer testing would help solve a lot of stove problems we see reported on Hearth.com.

 

[Sylv20]

The progress hybrid is a side loader and I didn't realize I was not going to like a side-loading stove...... The fire view on the progress I didn't care for either..... The burn times on the progress were pretty good about 12 hours....... The Ashford was a good stove but didn't get the longer burn times that I could get from the Chinook..... The Ashford also had the tendency to give off that sweet smoke smell unless you turned it up higher , which defeated the purpose.... Interestingly the Ashford and the progress both got about the same burn times...... The Chinook had much more control of burn times and output than the other two...... It also heated my house faster and better than the progress or the Ashford....... And I really like the north-south loading...... I also liked the look of the Chinook it's a very clean look and doesn't need a lot to make it look sharp in a house...... The only downside of the Chinook was when starting a fire you need to make sure that you've charred the wood well before you turn down the thermostat otherwise you get a pretty smoky output from your chimney......... Overall I would stick to a steel stove because I feel the cladding type that has soapstone or cast iron limits burn times and reduces the flexibility.

The Blaze King Ashford 30.2 and Chinook 30.2 share the same usable firebox volume of 2.84 cu ft (with an overall capacity of 2.9 cu ft). This identical sizing allows both models to support north-south (front-to-back) log loading, accommodating logs up to 19" long (recommended 16-18" for optimal airflow and burns). You cannot north-south loading with the Ashford 30.2?