Wife approves of a Blaze King!!!

[Newburnerwisconsin]

We had -33 here last night and -31 again tonight. This weather has been brutal. My wife shocked me today when she gave her approval of a Blaze King Princess. Anyone out there have one of these? Any problems with the stove? I need a big stove for this Wisconsin weather. Thanks

 

[Dataman]

I had BK King, great stove. When it was that cold I had to throw the wood at it and run it hard. It did the job. I switched to Pellet stove because of damage (to me tripping over bucked up wood). I like the Pellet stove lots better. I got Harmon XXV and would recommend P68. Bigger is always better. All we have up where I live is Pine. Had to load it up at 10pm and middle of night if really cold (-20). But great heat.

 

[showrguy]

We had -33 here last night and -31 again tonight. This weather has been brutal. My wife shocked me today when she gave her approval of a Blaze King Princess. Anyone out there have one of these? Any problems with the stove? I need a big stove for this Wisconsin weather. Thanks

Smart woman..
I have a King in the house, and a Princess in the garage, both work great but I kinda am spoiled by the size of the king's fueltank...

 

[jetsam]

Lots of princess owners here, and it's one of the best-liked stoves on the forum.

I think most of those happy princess owners would be wishing for a King at -33 though!

 

[MTY]

I have the King in this house, and am putting one in the house we are building. The only negative I can mention is that the noise of the blower drives me nuts. I often put a box fan next to the stove as it is quite a bit quieter.

Sometime in the early 90's I put a pellet stove in the family room of a house I owned. It lasted about a month before I moved it to the shop. Every few minutes the auger would turn, and it was loud enough to drown out the tv. It went to the shop and was replaced with a gas stove.

I have no idea if the new ones are quieter. I would listen to any pellet stove prior to purchase. I would not be adverse to purchasing another pellet stove if it was quiet.

 

[kennyp2339]

I've had my ups and downs with the princess - all self inflicted and now that I have things straightened out the stove is a great performer, we're sitting at 3 with 30mph wind gusts, suppose to drop to -5 tonight. I might turn it up a little higher, she sure is holding her own though, still 68 upstairs, stove is in the basement. approx. 12hr load times in this weather

 

[Woody Stover]

wife shocked me today when she gave her approval of a Blaze King Princess. Anyone out there have one of these? Any problems with the stove? I need a big stove for this Wisconsin weather. Thanks

Princess may not cut it if you are heating 2000 sq.ft. from the basement, in WI (is that 2000 both up and down, or 2000 each level?) At least go with a King. I would look at other stoves with more power than the BKs, but that's just me, YMMV. A lot depends on the layout, air-sealing, insulation etc, but I don't have time to read your other threads right now..

 

[Woody Stover]

I might turn it up a little higher, she sure is holding her own though, still 68 upstairs

"Senator, I served with Wisconsin, I knew Wisconsin — Wisconsin was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no WIsconsin."

 

[Wildbilljp]

We had -33 here last night and -31 again tonight. This weather has been brutal. My wife shocked me today when she gave her approval of a Blaze King Princess. Anyone out there have one of these? Any problems with the stove? I need a big stove for this Wisconsin weather. Thanks

Hey, I don't know about -33 weather and how it will do but I just picked my Princess up for her first dance. Forecast here is -4 tomorrow and that is a rare extreme around here except for the -14 two years ago. We're talking one day a year in the minus maybe? Forecast for next week around here is 60 toward the end of next week so???
Anyway, LOOK..... Guys don't make fun of me. I can't wait to get her dancing.

 

[Woody Stover]

We're talking one day a year in the minus maybe?

I've been here from WI for more than 30 yrs. I can remember winters here where it never got to single digits. Not many, but a few..

 

[Tar12]

I run a Princess and we just had the coldest weather I have ever experienced here in Indiana....it hit -14 last night with a -45 windchill this am...I had no trouble maintaining 80-83 degrees in the stove room and 70 in the bedrooms...I am heating 2000 sq ft...this was on 8 hour reloads as I didnt want the house temp to drop...."normal" weather in 30s in the daytime and low 20s to teens at night I am running 12 hour reloads....having said that if I lived in your neck of the country I would go with the King for the much larger fuel tank...

 

[Newburnerwisconsin]

Princess may not cut it if you are heating 2000 sq.ft. from the basement, in WI (is that 2000 both up and down, or 2000 each level?) At least go with a King. I would look at other stoves with more power than the BKs, but that's just me, YMMV. A lot depends on the layout, air-sealing, insulation etc, but I don't have time to read your other threads right now..

Well the other two I am looking at is the Jotul F55 and possibly the 500 or 600.

 

[Tar12]

Well the other two I am looking at is the Jotul F55 and possibly the 500 or 600.

The 600 has a 2.97 cu ft. box...The BK King has a 4.32 cu ft. box...no brainer for me.

 

[Ashful]

Well the other two I am looking at is the Jotul F55 and possibly the 500 or 600.

The Jotuls are pretty, but there's no comparing to a BK, if you're buying it as a full-time heater. The Jotul 600 can crank out some serious heat, but the cemented cast is a higher maintenance ordeal when it gets older.

The Jotul probably has the advantage on absolute maximum top end, but the BK has a huge advantage in that it can be left burning wide-open, with no danger of overfire. The BK has the advantage on burn time at low burn rates, for when it ain't -33 out.

 

[Woody Stover]

The Jotuls are pretty, but there's no comparing to a BK, if you're buying it as a full-time heater. The Jotul 600 can crank out some serious heat, but the cemented cast is a higher maintenance ordeal when it gets older.

I think the majority of seams on the Jotuls are gasketed rather than cemented. If so, maybe those would hold up longer? At any rate, it might be 20 years before that kind of tear-down would be needed. Is a BK going to last that long?
But the King would heat more air instead of radiating, which is what he will need if trying to heat from the basement. He hasn't yet answered my questions about that, insulation, etc. and probably won't.

 

[Newburnerwisconsin]

I think the majority of seams on the Jotuls are gasketed rather than cemented. If so, maybe those would hold up longer? At any rate, it might be 20 years before that kind of tear-down would be needed. Is a BK going to last that long?
But the King would heat more air instead of radiating, which is what he will need if trying to heat from the basement. He hasn't yet answered my questions about that, insulation, etc. and probably won't.

2000 sq. ft. Bi level. Build on 2008. Well insulated with modern windows. I can't buy a king as I already have a Dura-tech chimney with a six-inch flew. What else do you want to know while bashing me?

 

[Woody Stover]

2000 sq. ft. Bi level. Build on 2008. Well insulated with modern windows. I can't buy a king as I already have a Dura-tech chimney with a six-inch flew. What else do you want to know while bashing me?

OK, I apologize for that..I thought I remembered that some questions went unanswered in other threads. Maybe my memory fails me, again? Darn Old-Timer's disease. I'll have to go back and look..
Anyway, I guess the lower level isn't sunk all the way into the ground and you have a pretty big opening from the lower stove level to the next level? If so, that should allow heat to move easily and heating from down there will be accomplished without some of the problems we read about with a true basement, narrow door etc. What is the sq. footage on each level?

 

[jetsam]

In this weather, a big Jotul would be just as good because you're burning both stoves pretty high anyway.

Most of the year the BK has the low-burn and efficiency advantage.

 

[kennyp2339]

To the OP - -9 this morning, 64 inside (warmer here the heat comes up in the kitchen & stairs), princess is in the basement - block wall non insulated, I did stuff some insulation in the sill plate a few years ago, upstairs is approx. 1,100 sq ft 2x4 cons, attic has approx. 18" fiber glass insulation. Stove had the blower on high, loaded it up around 9pm - still have 1/4 of the load (charred wood, not coals) In my book you cant beat it, if the stove was installed in an insulated portion of the house there's no doubt the blower would be running lower and the inside temp would be in the 70's.

 

[Ashful]

I think the majority of seams on the Jotuls are gasketed rather than cemented. If so, maybe those would hold up longer? At any rate, it might be 20 years before that kind of tear-down would be needed. Is a BK going to last that long?
But the King would heat more air instead of radiating, which is what he will need if trying to heat from the basement. He hasn't yet answered my questions about that, insulation, etc. and probably won't.

I only know the Firelight, but I believe the Oslo and Castine have the same construction, scaled smaller. I owned the old Firelight 12, but all of the primary castings and assembly were identical to the F600, just modified for required interior differences. Everything was cemented, with the exception of the lid and inside rear burn plate, which were gasketed for easy removal. Base and sides were all cemented. You’re right, it is likely several years before it needs attention, unless overfired.

Agreed on convective designs, if heating from a basement. My Jotuls could crank out massive heat, but the stone fireplaces into which I had stuffed them just soaked it all up, and spit it outside. That is what had me checking the PE Alderlea, before the Ashford was released.

 

[Dataman]

BK King I had lasted from 1991 to 2018. Except for Gaskets and Glass (getting pebble and thin), plus catalyst it held up fine. I sold it to guy for $400 he got great deal. 2 years left on catalyst and spare gasket and wood hoop. Don't miss the mess wood has. Pellets cleaner for me.

Downside with Bk is $$$$. Unless you can find used one

 

[Dieselhead]

BK King I had lasted from 1991 to 2018. Except for Gaskets and Glass (getting pebble and thin), plus catalyst it held up fine. I sold it to guy for $400 he got great deal. 2 years left on catalyst and spare gasket and wood hoop. Don't miss the mess wood has. Pellets cleaner for me.

Downside with Bk is $$$$. Unless you can find used one

Buy once, cry once.

 

[jetsam]

Smart woman..
I have a King in the house, and a Princess in the garage, both work great but I kinda am spoiled by the size of the king's fueltank...

How much higher is the King's lowest burn vs the Princess's? Is it kinda close?

 

[showrguy]

How much higher is the King's lowest burn vs the Princess's? Is it kinda close?

I'd say there's no difference at all, that I can tell anyway..
Both stoves have totally different t-stat settings for the same burn though.. Weird, huh ??
The t-stats seem totally different, if that makes sence ??

 

[Newburnerwisconsin]

OK, I apologize for that..I thought I remembered that some questions went unanswered in other threads. Maybe my memory fails me, again? Darn Old-Timer's disease. I'll have to go back and look..
Anyway, I guess the lower level isn't sunk all the way into the ground and you have a pretty big opening from the lower stove level to the next level? If so, that should allow heat to move easily and heating from down there will be accomplished without some of the problems we read about with a true basement, narrow door etc. What is the sq. footage on each level?

The house is 1000 sq. ft on each level. There is a open staircase joining the two levels. Basement in finished and insulated. Does this help?