Recommendation for freestanding wood stove?

[omnom]

Hey all! I have an old Buck 27000 that I'm thinking about replacing considering the 26% tax refund. I'd prefer to have a drop-in, freestanding replacement and not have a ton of extra work/cost swapping it out. I have 8 inch single wall flue up through the first floor, and then insulated 8 inch stainless steel up through the house. ~25ft from oven to roof cap. Trying to mind a budget too. Ideally, heat the house through the winter (2300sqft, 2 story) with a few chords of wood. Cold winters up in Michigan.

Saw the Blaze King 40 around $3k that seems to fit. The Buck 91 works as well, though I've seen it as costly as $7k (which is out of my price range). Just something that's reliable, durable, and efficient.

I'd greatly appreciate any recommendations! Thanks in advance!

(Unrelated question- looking at the 2020 EPA database, it states Crib and Corded wood. Does that matter when picking out a wood stove?)

 

[stoveliker]

The King 40 is a good stove. 25 ft may be a bit much, but it depends. You could always add a flue damper. Otherwise the straight up flue is ideal. Hence I don't think you can go wrong wit the BK.
I can't speak for the Buck (others will) - it is very well possible this is a good stove too.

They have about the same firebox size, suggesting that it won't make a big difference in burn time. From what I read, the BTU output is within 10% of each other on both high and low burn rates (and yes, this will always result in debates, but your specific install, wood loading (how stuffed the firebox is), wood dryness, and wood type and size etc will likely result in larger differences with some testing number than the rated difference between these stoves.

The one thing I like about the BK stoves is their thermostat - a bimetal valve that regulates the air input (and thus heat output), keeping it constant at a setting you set. It's a non-electric (power out, still working) way to get a really even heat output. Even when running low.

Regarding cord and cribwood, my understanding is that comparing output between different stoves is "better" with crib wood - because the fuel loading is more uniform (less variables in this more strictly controlled testing). Cord wood has variations, a lot. So comparing outputs between stoves with cord wood is not that ideal. Even if it may be more realistic for a user like you and me.
Any such testing is fraught with issues though.

 

[omnom]

Hmm, hadn't thought about a flue damper. The buck 27000 has a built in damper.

The flue is mostly straight up. There's a 45 degree bend in the middle on the second floor. Aside from that, it's vertical

 

[logfarmer]

$3k for a new BK is a hell of a deal, for me was $4300 but I found a good used one. Buck is a good stove, BK are good, Woodstock stoves are good, PE stoves are good I heard. How many sq ft are you heating?

 

[begreen]

Yes, the BK 40 sells for over $4K and it is a tax credit (not a refund). If cost is a consideration, also look at the Woodstock Ideal Steel. In non-cats a big Drolet will do the job and may come out costing less without the credit.