2017-18 Blaze King Performance Thread PART 2 (Everything BK)
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The BTUs out on the Ashford is down by only %5 that of the Princess and she is a wife pleaser.
After having both, I find that really hard to believe. Published number, not real life...
I’ve gone through the pretty for the wife phase. A few pretty Lopis, then the Ashford, now the Princess. We heat with wood primarily, Princess gets the wife vote in my house! She’s warmer than ever!
If you are trying to truly heat your home with a woodstove, then it really will come down to performance, not looks. A lot of wives want a good looking stove, but take no consideration for the performance and/or the amount of work involved with keeping the house warm. Ultimately it’s the husbands job to not only cut the wood, but then split, stack, and then bring it in to feed the stove... there are exceptions obviously. All too often though, it’s all on the guy who is making the exception on performance for the looks.. Not at my house!
We are warm!
We are warm!
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Meh... I’m the one who wanted the good looking stove. Im not sure if my wife would know it if I swapped the stoves out tomorrow, unless she saw me in the act.
I’m still warm, and still burning a little oil in the process, but a Princess wouldn’t change that. Heck, I’m not sure a King would.
Point is, we all have different heating goals, and reasons for doing this. My Ashfords put a bigger smile on my face, than a plain steel box ever could, even if it is 7% bigger and hotter.
jetsam
Minister of Fire
7%? Hardly...
Glad you are happy. Nothing would heat your place adequately from what I can see. When I talk about heating my house, it’s the whole house, not just one wing!
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BKVP
Minister of Fire
jetsam
Minister of Fire
Here's a real time Dingo Update (you may be shocked to see what she's up to). Photo taken less than a minute ago.
Well, I guess the ashford is in for a workout tonight as it is certain to go below freezing and might even dip into the 20s for a few hours. This global warming stuff is ok by me, especially as I get older. Barely touched the wood pile this year but I do miss the snow. This year the stove has been on low and very low the whole time.
For my situation, and I suspect many others, the max BTU out number simply does not matter. It is the turndown that matters.
For my situation, and I suspect many others, the max BTU out number simply does not matter. It is the turndown that matters.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
I might have to run a family/pet by the fire contest....Here's a real time Dingo Update (you may be shocked to see what she's up to). Photo taken less than a minute ago.
View attachment 221198
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Please exclude goldfish. It could get ugly.
@webby3650, I know you've claimed a few times that the Princess is a substantially better heater than the Ashford 30, but I suspect that might be installation-specific. I mean, they're almost the same size, and have almost the same LHV and HHV efficiency. The big difference is that the Princess puts off more of its heat via radiation, and the Ashford puts off more of its heat via convection. You've said yourself, there is no magic here. The're both a metal box into which you place wood, and then release BTUs, with identical efficiencies
In my house, I can tell you for sure the Princess would fall flat, even larger Jotul Firelights couldn't do half the job of the Ashfords. That's because radiant heat is just wasted, in a house of uninsulated masonry construction. Perhaps the Princess just works better in your situation, or you find the higher fraction of radiation vs convection more pleasing (it is), but what's the numeric basis for it being a better heater?
AlbergSteve
Minister of Fire
I agree. We weren't putting another ugly firebox in our newly reno'd farmhouse style house. Damn, I'm not sure I could put a Princess in my shop...unless someone gave me one...
My wife says they're "cute, but NOT in our house".
We've been burning the Ashford for over a month now, 24/7, and that gentle convective heat has managed to keep the whole 2400 square feet of house at or above 20C - even with outside temps dipping to -10C. And the room that it's in rarely gets over 23.5C. We simply couldn't be happier with that kind of performance.
And @Ashful , I couldn't imagine a prettier stove to suit your house.
lsucet
Minister of Fire
The place where I bought my princesses, when I gave him information of my house and lay out, he recommended me the princess. I did want the king but he told me NO, NO. Based on the size of the room that I will be installed it. I saw the Ashford and he had all of them in stock at the warehouse. He also told me that the Ashford can work on my situation but he will not recommended cause of the soft heat including when I ask for more heat compare to the princess. Maybe he was wrong, I don't know.
Now, a family member crossing the street from me has a modular home real tight and the Ashford was recommended and they're super happy with it. I just went for his recommendation cause he is doing this for many, many years and is just him at that store plus was highly recommended for a friend of mine to deal better with him that going to the big stores in town.
I don't know the differences cause I never burn an Ashford at my house, but that is what I was told. I am a happy owner of two Princess
Now, a family member crossing the street from me has a modular home real tight and the Ashford was recommended and they're super happy with it. I just went for his recommendation cause he is doing this for many, many years and is just him at that store plus was highly recommended for a friend of mine to deal better with him that going to the big stores in town.
I don't know the differences cause I never burn an Ashford at my house, but that is what I was told. I am a happy owner of two Princess
lsucet
Minister of Fire
![[Hearth.com] 2017-18 Blaze King Performance Thread PART 2 (Everything BK)](/talk/data/attachments/221/221234-72c9fb93af997b105b865d484aa42cd5.jpg?hash=oMIlo90dxK)
Let me participate in the contest. My three leggy pug.
And please cause there is nobody with non cat or different stove posting here now, we should not get to each other. Remember they all BK.
Is he missing a front leg? I’m sitting with my black pug in front of my ugly princess right now. He has four wheel drive.
lsucet
Minister of Fire
lsucet
Minister of Fire
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder..the simplicity of my Princess is a beautiful thing...the incredible burns times are a beautiful thing...staying as warm as we want is a beautiful thing...not buying propane is a beautiful thing...I find nothing ugly about my little Princess...
I’m sure it is install specific, not many people are heating a solid stone wall mansion. Most people have an insulated structure they are trying to heat.
You are correct, I prefer the radiant heat from a steel stove. The iron jacket “softened” the heat a bit much for my liking. That’s one reason I didn’t like the soapstone stove, just one of the reasons...
I didn’t mean to insinuate the princess was necessarily a better heater all around, but rather I have found it to be better. Based on my own experience. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked the Ashford, it did well. It’s currently heating my Brother in laws nearly uninsulated farmhouse.
With the convection deck and blowers the princess is a respectable convection heater, I doubt it would fall flat. The Ashfords really look good in your place though!
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