which catalytic steel stove ?

[RustyShackleford]

Ok, I think I want to replace my 20 year-old Dutchwest large catalytic.
It is leaky and cracked. I'm pretty convinced I don't want a new one,
after reading about VC here.

Check me here, but I think I want to limit my search to steel and catalytic.
Steel because my house has a modern contemporary look, and I think steel
will look as good or better than cast-iron. More importantly, I have a tendency
to over-fire my stove (that's probably why my Dutchwest is in the shape it's in)
and I gather that steel is more forgiving of this behavior.

I want catalytic because I've lived with it for 20 years, and I do NOT find it
difficult and complicated to use; I don't mind spending $100-200 every 5-10
years to replace the element. Meanwhile, I believe it is easier to get
efficient burns. Especially low-level efficient burns, important because I
live in a relatively-warm southeastern clime and because I like to have hot
coals in the AM.

So, if I am off-base with any of my rationale for limiting to catalytic and
steel, please let me know. Otherwise, which stoves should I be considering ?
My house is 1400 sq-ft. My "great room" is about half of that, and has 16ft
cathedral ceilings. This room has lots of glass (double-pane); otherwise,
the house is well-insulated. The climate is warm, with winter lows typically
in the 20s, occasionally in the teens, almost never single-digit. But, I like to
keep the house WARM ! I'm thinking that all this means I want a stove
where 1400 sq-ft is at the lower end of the range.

Thanks !

 

[branchburner]

Lots of nice talk here about BlazeKing recently.
Has anybody actually experienced those 40-hour burn times they mention?

 

[summit]

i would think that for a steel cat stove, a BK would be the way to go.. i have never burned one, but they seem pretty solid.. that being said i have never been a fan of catalytic stoves, and i find that i still have plenty of hot coals 8 - 10 hrs later in the morning buring my summit (and previously my jotul firelight) after an overnight load without a catalyst. Sierra and Buck also make some steel cats, and they also appear to be a pretty rugged design.... staying away from a rear firechamber and the special cast refractory parts would be key for longevity in any stove IMHO

 

[BrotherBart]

I would look at a Buck Stove Model 80. I think they are made in Spruce Pine, NC. And you should already have the 8" chimney from the Dutchwest.

(broken link removed to http://www.buckstove.com/wood/model80.html)

 

[firefighterjake]

If it wasn't for the fact that I love my Oslo I would seriously consider the Blaze King line-up . . . even though I get a little hung up on the looks . . . it's just those fantastically long burn times and glowing reports from owners is hard to ignore. Ditto on the Woodstock line up . . . I don't particularly care for the look of their stoves (vs. the Hearthstone models), but the legendary long burn times (not to mention great customer service) is tempting.

 

[Wet1]

I would think the BK Princess would be an excellent fit for you. The Princess would have no problem heating 1400 sq ft in NC and still have a fire going in the AM. If you want longer burn times and a little more heat, the King will do the job. The Parlor models are the most attractive.

 

[daleeper]

The Parlor models are the most attractive.

In your opinion, maybe. I like the looks of the ultra best myself.

The parlor reminds me of the characters from the castle in "Beauty and the Beast" animated Disney movie.

I will say, that if I found a parlor at the right price, it would burn just fine in my home.

 

[Wet1]

The Parlor models are the most attractive.

In your opinion, maybe. I like the looks of the ultra best myself.

The parlor reminds me of the characters from the castle in "Beauty and the Beast" animated Disney movie.

I will say, that if I found a parlor at the right price, it would burn just fine in my home.

Sorry, you're right. I definitely should have said "IMO, the Parlor models are the most attractive."

I initially wanted the Ultra model, but the guys I talked to at BK suggested I go with the traditional stove unless I needed the closer clearances offered in the Ultra model. His logic was that the double walled construction used in the Ultra gives up a significant amount of radiant heating having the sides shielded. He said it's still a very capable heater, and it would have more than met my needs, but he said the traditional design just gives off more radiant heat... meaning I wouldn't have to rely on the blowers as much. I've never seen the Ultra in operation, so I don't know how significantly the built in side shielding impacts the radiant heating in actual use... I'm just going by what the guys at the factory told me.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Thanks for the responses, folks. Seems like a consensus that
Blaze King is the way I should go. Too bad they're no dealers near me,
but I guess that's what freight services are for !

Do folks more or less agree with my rationale for limiting my
choices to steel and catalytic ? I feel more firm in the catalytic choice,
but the Woodstock Fireview sure seems highly-regarded and makes
me question the "steel" decision ...

 

[Wet1]

The Fireview would probably be a great fit as well, and it always gets rave reviews. But, you mentioned one thing that makes me want to suggest that you avoid soapstone... over-firing. Soapstone will crack if over-fired. If you've eaten up cast stoves from over-firing, I'd suggest you stay away from soapstone as well. A BK Princess sounds like it might be your best choice given the info listed.

 

[daleeper]

I personally would favor steel for two of your objectives. In my opinion the blaze king stoves will fit with your more modern look. If you have a tendency to overfire a stove, the plate steel will be most forgiving, and repairs easiest/cheapest. I do like the looks of the Fireview, but the Blaze king would be my choice.

 

[Todd]

Just thought I'd throw this stove out there since they build them 2 miles from my house. The pictures don't do it justice, it's very well built, catalytic and has a 2 cu ft firebox. One of the few stove manufactures that actually went back to a cat stove. I use to own their old noncat.

(broken link removed to http://www.energyking.com/woodstoves.htm)

 

[Slow1]

Whatever stove you go for, just be sure it is large enough that you don't need to overfire in order to get enough heat. Seems to me that buying a stove planning to overfire is generally a bad idea... I know things happen sometimes - everyone makes mistakes. However, if my understanding is correct the majority of chronic overfiring situations is a result of either a) too small a stove for the situation or b) poorly seasoned wood resulting in bad burning habits. You certainly can control both of these at this point.

With that said - living in 1400 sqft you should not need a BKK in order to heat it well - unless you have a REALLY poorly insulated and drafty home.

I burned last year with a cast stove and was able to heat over 2000 sq ft with a stove rated quite a bit below that - but then again the sqft ratings on stoves are misleading to say the least. Although I too had some overfire issues, it was more due to the the stove design and some marginal wood (at beginning of the season at least!). I do have a fairly tight house and don't require 75*+ inside to be happy either though... it's all personal preference there.

I decided on the fireview for the long burn times and ease of use compared to the non-cat VC I had last year. The looks of it helped my case with my wife too. The reputation and customer service once I talked to them sealed the deal.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Thanks for the add'l thoughts.

My house is well-insulated and tight, and NC isn't the coldest place.
Balancing that is the fact that the great room has 16ft ceilings, the
south wall of that room is mostly glass (double-pane), and I like the
place WARM (75-80 degrees).

Also, I should've mentioned, I have an existing 6" metal chimney and
am not interested in replacing it. It is a straight shot about 20+ ft tall
and seems to draw VERY well indeed, so I don't know if using an 8" stove
with a reducer is an option at all. So the BK King is probably a no-go.

I am not excited about the 16" firewood length of the BK Princess, esp.
with a good bit of longer wood lying around. This is a little odd, given
the much larger fire box - 2.8 ft^3 versus 1.8 ft^3 for the current
model of my Dutchwest, which allows 22" logs. Just a different shape
I reckon ...

 

[North of 60]

Shorter the rounds= lighter to move = easier to split & possibly faster to dry.
My 2 cents.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Thanks for the add'l thoughts.

My house is well-insulated and tight, and NC isn't the coldest place.
Balancing that is the fact that the great room has 16ft ceilings, the
south wall of that room is mostly glass (double-pane), and I like the
place WARM (75-80 degrees).

Also, I should've mentioned, I have an existing 6" metal chimney and
am not interested in replacing it. It is a straight shot about 20+ ft tall
and seems to draw VERY well indeed, so I don't know if using an 8" stove
with a reducer is an option at all. So the BK King is probably a no-go.

I am not excited about the 16" firewood length of the BK Princess, esp.
with a good bit of longer wood lying around. This is a little odd, given
the much larger fire box - 2.8 ft^3 versus 1.8 ft^3 for the current
model of my Dutchwest, which allows 22" logs. Just a different shape
I reckon ...

16" deep, 20" wide. It'll burn either way.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Shorter the rounds= lighter to move = easier to split & possibly faster to dry.
My 2 cents.

Do you have an opinion on whether EW/NS makes a difference in the BKs?

EDIT - saw your post in the hole in the market thread

 

[Patapsco Mike]

Do you have an opinion on whether EW/NS makes a difference in the BKs?

EDIT - saw your post in the hole in the market thread

I just asked him this in a PM. I'm in the same boat as you...

Having burned in four different stoves over the years, both cat and non-cat, I'm 95% sure the answer is that you can burn either way. It's not like the wood is going to sit in there and refuse to burn. Wood burns. But I'm also sure that the fire will burn very differently E/W vs. N/S. It's been true in my other stoves as well. But it probably makes a difference mostly as to how easy the stove is to light and how completely it burns.

Either way, you can fit 20" log in the BK Princess, which means I can burn the wood in my woodpile. Which means I'm going to be poking around in Auto-Rain's horribly formatted website trying to figure out which stove is best for me.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Sounds like a good plan Mike. I am impressed with the BK, definitely built as a no apologies appliance as opposed to a piece of furniture. My wife and I are both fine with the aesthetics others find objectionable. Since I have been producing all the wood we consume, I am much more interested in making sure we get the most out of it.

 

[BrotherBart]

Sounds like a good plan Mike. I am impressed with the BK, definitely built as a no apologies appliance as opposed to a piece of furniture. My wife and I are both fine with the aesthetics others find objectionable. Since I have been producing all the wood we consume, I am much more interested in making sure we get the most out of it.

It ain't furniture, it's heat.

 

[SolarAndWood]

With ya BB. Cost of ownership and the way it operates were my only considerations this time around. No pre buy committee voting either. Once it arrived, my wife liked the appearance especially when she concluded it would keep the house warmer, require fewer loadings and last a lot longer.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Yes, I see that 16/20" thing and called the main office in WA.
They said it'll take 20" logs sideways, the 16" is only if you put
a lo straight in from the front. She said it'll probably take a llttle
longer than 20" if you turn it sideways.

Unfortunately, they're making it as big a pain in the neck as possible
to actually buy one. The website lists no dealer near me. Then it
turns out there's a distributor in Raleigh NC, not too far away. I call
them, but they cannot sell to me; futhermore, they cannot let me
visit their showroom ! So they give me a dealer in another town
not too far away - but he's just some random schmuck, with a
voicemail service - not really what I'd realistically call a dealer.
Oh well, time to search the web ...

 

[SolarAndWood]

from another thread:

(broken link removed)

 

[Slow1]

How can a dealer not let you visit their showroom? They going to lock the door when you show up or something? Is it a private club of some sort? If it is a normal retail establishment with posted business hours and you want to see the stoves then I'd just show up and have a look around. So they may have some sort of agreement (I'll preserve my editorial comments for the ash can) that prevents them from selling to you, but somehow I can't imagine a shop open to the public blocking the door to keep you out.

Then make your decision on what stove/features you want and if they still won't sell to you, order it online or from a dealer willing to ship direct and either install yourself or find a sweep willing to do it. Their loss for turning away business.

 

[daleeper]

I believe he was referring to the distributor who was not allowing him in, probably wholesale only, and probably does not have a showroom as such.

I don't care for Blaze King's new dealer web page either. I would rather view all dealers for the state as they used to have. You also need to know their dealer network is not always wood stove dealers. Here in the midwest there are very few dealers that carry wood stoves only, and may not have many stoves in stock or on display. Many are either hardware stores or heating/cooling businesses that like the stove and took on the dealership. I would encourage you to check them out, as they will probably use that stove first-hand, and be able to answer questions specifically, whereas a dealer handling multiple stove brands will not have first hand experience with the Blaze King and other stoves they are selling.