Potential Green Mountain 80 Buyer - Cleaning?

[JPinnell]

Old Burner needing a bigger stove. Grew up with Ashley Convection type. Fisher Papa Bear and other smoker dragons. I've got a wood furnace in the workshop. I try to keep my supply 3yrs ahead as we mostly burn red oak.

Been running an Englander 13NC for the last 17yrs for 1400sqft in MidMo. House addition will double the space, but I really don't expect the heat to get everywhere. So needing something to cover 2200-2500sgft. High/vaulted ceilings in the Kitchen/Dining/Fam area which is approximately 1000sqft. This little guy has been reliable as a hammer, occasional gasket or baffle board. Easy to clean from the bottom up. I usually clean the flu at the start, mid Jan, then end of season and at worst see a gallon or so of flaky black creosote.

So we went stove shopping. Wife wants something nicer looking than a black steel box. CAT stoves were not on my radar, but she likes the looks of the GM80. My concerns are maintenance? Looks like a set of replacement Cats is $700. I've read about ash blocking them and needing dusted/vacuumed.

Is the GM80 handyman serviceable? Or a maintenance hog?
Can I run a soot eater easily up from the bottom and it is a 30 minute job? Or is it a 4hr stove gets half disassembled?
Expected service life on the cats?

Thanks everyone!!

 

[Dajolu]

I have the 60, I need to take my stove pipe off to clean because it has a 90 deg. bend. I think if with the baffle boards out you may be able to run the soot eater up through the bypass? I don't burn much, usually just for some ambiance at night on the weekend. Maybe burned 1/3 of a cord last year and one of the two cats was half clogged with ash. Not clogged bad though, came out easy with the vacuum. I plan to check and clean the cats monthly this year. I have enjoyed my Hearthstone so far.