Quadra Fire 5700 vs Alaska Channing III

[robhd41]

So I am new to this forum and this is my first post....
I have a Alaska stoker Channing III coal stove. It heats very well. That being said I have had it for three seasons now and im not happy about its reliability. Im on my thrid feed controller I need a new hopper because the coal has rotted out the steel. Plus its loud and gobbles electricity with its three motors .
I have been looking at the Quad 5700 and I would love to know what the opions are of the idea.
I have a 1600 sq foot farm house not that is not very tight. Any input would be awesome

 

[JA600L]

If I had to guess, I would say that the Quad will chew through wood faster than what you like. There is no comparison between the Quad and your old coal stove for burn time. I would look into Blaze King, Woodstock Soapstone, Kuma, etc.. a stove with a cat in it will mellow out the heat and extend the burn time.

 

[bholler]

I have been looking at the Quad 5700 and I would love to know what the opions are of the idea.

What exactly are you looking to find out? They are good reliable stoves with 8 to 10 hour burn times with good hardwood. But you will need good dry wood which means you should already have it drying.

Also those Alaskas are very reliable we work on many that go 10 years easily needing no parts. The problems you are having are most commonly associated with wet coal. Is your coal wet?

There is no comparison between the Quad and your old coal stove for burn time.

He has a stoker which is totally different it self loads

 

[robhd41]

The problems you are having are most commonly associated with wet coal. Is your coal wet?

I buy my coal by the bag and yes it is wet... I haven't found a band up my way that doesn't come wet. I understand that I will have a lot more work to do in feeding the quad and working the wood. What I'm wondering is how the quad compares heat output wise to the Alaska...I know its kind of apples and oranges.

Also those Alaskas are very reliable we work on many that go 10 years easily needing no parts.

I know how to work on these things and I know that they aren't to bad to work on, but it seems like when ever I have issues with it I at work and my wife call me in a panic. I'm not saying that I think that wood stoves don't come with there problems and headaches. I just like the idea that it doesn't need electricity and doesn't have a lot of moving parts.

 

[JA600L]

I think the Quad will do the job fine. Just keep in mind these stoves run hot for a couple of hours and then the heat really tapers off. There are stoves out there with a lot better low end control and more even heat output. The quads make awesome flames to look at.

 

[bholler]

I buy my coal by the bag and yes it is wet... I haven't found a band up my way that doesn't come wet.

yes most of our customers who buy bagged coal dump the bags into buckets with holes drilled in them to allow the coal to dry. If they dont they have the issues you are having.

I know how to work on these things and I know that they aren't to bad to work on, but it seems like when ever I have issues with it I at work and my wife call me in a panic. I'm not saying that I think that wood stoves don't come with there problems and headaches. I just like the idea that it doesn't need electricity and doesn't have a lot of moving parts.

I am by no means telling you not to switch to wood just pointing out why I think you are having issues.

But yes the quad should heat your house fine but it will not be an even constant heat like you get from a stoker. It can still work just fine but it will be very different.

 

[drstorm]

This is my first year switching from a stoker stove to wood.
There is much less ash to deal with compared to anthracite.Its true about the needing truly seasoned wood to make things as easy as possible for youself.An alternative would be compressed sawdust logs/bricks.I source mine at Tractor Supply Stores.Given your location away from the heart of coal country I'm willing to bet they would be comparable,if not just cheaper per btu than the bagged coal.
More attention needs to be paid to the chimney burning wood also with the potential for creosote accumulation.

 

[robhd41]

Drstorm
What stoker were you running and what kind of wood stove are you running?

 

[drstorm]

Drstorm
What stoker were you running and what kind of wood stove are you running?

I ran a Keystoker 90.
I bought a Blaze King Chinook 30.
Coal stove was in the basement using the fan and plumbed vent/flex duct upstairs.
The Blaze King I moved to the living room.
I did buy the optional fan kit for the wood stove and believe it helps to have when it gets real cold.
I got sick of replacing fans,auger feeder motors etc on the coal stove too.
Thought my problem was running it from a damp basement.

 

[robhd41]

My Stoker is in my living roo and I plan on putting the new stove were it was.

Are you happy with the heat the blaze puts put compared to the key?

 

[bholler]

Are you happy with the heat the blaze puts put compared to the key?

A blaze king will be the closest you will get from a wood stove to the same type of heating you get from your stoker. They put out very consistent lower level heat unlike non cats that have high heat spikes that taper off

 

[drstorm]

Yes.I like the Blaze Kings heat.However,
I think the coal stove would have the edge if I had it in the living area.The BK is much nicer looking though and not quite as messy.
So while the higher BTU coal stoker stove may have an edge in max heating power,weighing all options I prefer the wood.
And unless you were running the coal stove at close to 100% to stay warm I think the right wood stove would do the job.

 

[robhd41]

They put out very consistent lower level heat unlike non cats that have high heat spikes that taper off

Cat stove scare me...A few guys I work with had them in the early days of Cat stoves and they complained about how they would plug up and how expensive they were to replace. I'm sure thing have come a long way. I just keep thinkinh about what they same when i think about thay type of stove

 

[robhd41]

Yes.I like the Blaze Kings heat.However,
I think the coal stove would have the edge if I had it in the living area.The BK is much nicer looking though and not quite as messy.
So while the higher BTU coal stoker stove may have an edge in max heating power,weighing all options I prefer the wood.
And unless you were running the coal stove at close to 100% to stay warm I think the right wood stove would do the job.

I only run my stove a 2 sometimes 3 when its very cold. I dont think i have ever cranked it up to the max

 

[bholler]

Cat stove scare me...A few guys I work with had them in the early days of Cat stoves and they complained about how they would plug up and how expensive they were to replace. I'm sure thing have come a long way. I just keep thinkinh about what they same when i think about thay type of stove

yes they have come a long way. Non cats will work just fine as well you just have to get used to the temp swings especially if it is in your living room. I heat from the basement so the swings are not bad at all for me.

 

[drstorm]

I only run my stove a 2 sometimes 3 when its very cold. I dont think i have ever cranked it up to the max

Then you'll be fine.
I love my cat stove but do your research and ask lots of questions.
There is a great number of folks on this forum with experience in all stoves.

 

[Tyson]

The 5700 should do well for you if you decide to go non-cat. We installed a 3100 last week (<900sq.ft.) and it's been very comfortable around our place lately! We went non-cat because my wife wanted a nice view of the flames. I was ready to buy a BK Ashford 20 or 30 right off the hop until she made this very clear. Seems, though, once the stove is warmed up and turned down for the long haul, there's not much to look at anyway, so not sure what exactly I've gained that way... Be that as it may, burn time is as mentioned and dry wood is certainly key. I find that we get about a 10 deg F temp swing in our living space close to the stove over the length of the burn , depending on the weather. The heat produced has been very pleasant and even.