I have been meaning to get around to posting an update now that we are back to full time burning weather.
Past story was that we had an Ashford 30 for 3 seasons and swapped it out at the start of the 4th.
The Blaze King is a phenomenal stove but we just got fed up with fighting the smoke smell. Blaze King gave us many things to try and we tried them all. Each thing seemed to work but for whatever reason, the smell would always return. I honestly have no idea if it was the stove, the operator or just the stove in this setup. I would probably still have the stove and be trying different things every year if the wife hadn't said enough.
I actually reached out mid-season to the person that bought the stove from me but never heard back. I am hoping that they are not having the same issue as my setup had. I informed them of all we went through and they were confident that their setup would be fine.
Ok, on to the T5
Absolutely love our replacement choice. We have had zero issues with this stove. It is a treat to operate. I hope that this is the last stove I ever have to buy.
There are obvious operating changes between the two in loading but we knew it was going to be very different going into this. I would say it took at least 3 full months for me to learn how to make it operate efficiently for us. It took me a long time to learn that less is more. there were a few really hot nights before I finally realized that the house was still warm in the morning on half loads. It's very different from the Ashford where the goal is to fill every sq inch. I guess I needed deprogrammed.
The T5 holds coals for a long time and much like the Ashford the stove radiates for a long time once it's up to temp. Obviously, nothing can compare to loading the Blaze King once every 24hrs or so but it's just a different philosophy running the T5. I put wood in 3 to 4 times a day now but the difference is just that. I put wood in. I don't stuff to the gills. I only put in what the weather dictates and usually that is 3 to 4 smaller pieces in the morning, 2 or 3 smaller pieces late afternoon and then 3 or 4 before bed. I have found that rounds are perfect for overnight burns. Burning this way for us there are always coals to light off of. I was really worried I would be starting a lot of fires but it wasn't the case.
To sum everything up I would say that we made the right choice for us and our setup.
Both stoves have 1 big positive and 1 negative. For the Ashford the good is only loading once a day and the negative is staring at a black box. The T5 negative is the more frequent load cycle but the positive is almost constant clean glass and beautiful flame show. I underestimated how much I would enjoy watching the fire. It is awesome. There are several nights where we sit around with only the glow of the fire lighting our living room.
I think that about sums it up. As for wood consumption. I was about a third more used with the T5. We didn't have our extended cold snaps as usual but I also used up way more than I should have, learning that less is more. I should have a more accurate consumption comparison after this season.
Please feel free to ask any questions.
Past story was that we had an Ashford 30 for 3 seasons and swapped it out at the start of the 4th.
The Blaze King is a phenomenal stove but we just got fed up with fighting the smoke smell. Blaze King gave us many things to try and we tried them all. Each thing seemed to work but for whatever reason, the smell would always return. I honestly have no idea if it was the stove, the operator or just the stove in this setup. I would probably still have the stove and be trying different things every year if the wife hadn't said enough.
I actually reached out mid-season to the person that bought the stove from me but never heard back. I am hoping that they are not having the same issue as my setup had. I informed them of all we went through and they were confident that their setup would be fine.
Ok, on to the T5
Absolutely love our replacement choice. We have had zero issues with this stove. It is a treat to operate. I hope that this is the last stove I ever have to buy.
There are obvious operating changes between the two in loading but we knew it was going to be very different going into this. I would say it took at least 3 full months for me to learn how to make it operate efficiently for us. It took me a long time to learn that less is more. there were a few really hot nights before I finally realized that the house was still warm in the morning on half loads. It's very different from the Ashford where the goal is to fill every sq inch. I guess I needed deprogrammed.
The T5 holds coals for a long time and much like the Ashford the stove radiates for a long time once it's up to temp. Obviously, nothing can compare to loading the Blaze King once every 24hrs or so but it's just a different philosophy running the T5. I put wood in 3 to 4 times a day now but the difference is just that. I put wood in. I don't stuff to the gills. I only put in what the weather dictates and usually that is 3 to 4 smaller pieces in the morning, 2 or 3 smaller pieces late afternoon and then 3 or 4 before bed. I have found that rounds are perfect for overnight burns. Burning this way for us there are always coals to light off of. I was really worried I would be starting a lot of fires but it wasn't the case.
To sum everything up I would say that we made the right choice for us and our setup.
Both stoves have 1 big positive and 1 negative. For the Ashford the good is only loading once a day and the negative is staring at a black box. The T5 negative is the more frequent load cycle but the positive is almost constant clean glass and beautiful flame show. I underestimated how much I would enjoy watching the fire. It is awesome. There are several nights where we sit around with only the glow of the fire lighting our living room.
I think that about sums it up. As for wood consumption. I was about a third more used with the T5. We didn't have our extended cold snaps as usual but I also used up way more than I should have, learning that less is more. I should have a more accurate consumption comparison after this season.
Please feel free to ask any questions.
