2017-18 Blaze King Performance Thread PART 3 (Everything BK)

[tarzan]

After having both, I'm sticking with ceramic.

I agree with Webby that I have asked my stove to ingest rain wet wood on several occasions without cracking the ceramic cat.

The steelcat cloggs up a few times a season in my setup. And I believe the faster light off time of the steelcat, while true, is just not very significant since most reloads in winter are done on an already active cat and the ones that aren't, the majority of time spent getting to active is going from red embers to fully engulfed. After that, things heat up proportionaly quicker.

 

[Highbeam]

After having both, I'm sticking with ceramic.

I agree with Webby that I have asked my stove to ingest rain wet wood on several occasions without cracking the ceramic cat.

The steelcat cloggs up a few times a season in my setup. And I believe the faster light off time of the steelcat, while true, is just not very significant since most reloads in winter are done on an already active cat and the ones that aren't, the majority of time spent getting to active is going from red embers to fully engulfed. After that, things heat up proportionaly quicker.

I too have run both types completely into the ground and have chosen ceramic. Larger cell size for less clogging, better draft, and the ceramic is much cheaper! Even cracked or chipped ceramic cats work fine. We very rarely see the cracks lead to actual physical failure.

 

[AlbergSteve]

My parents finally bought one! Princess Ultra. it will go in the house replacing the Wood Pro ts2000. the Wood Pro will go in the shop replacing the barrel stove out there. I'm excited.

The wood pro is a decent stove but it has two serious knocks against it. The firebox is only 1.1 cu ft and the stove is notorious for smoke spillage.

Nice! They won't be unhappy!
Yeah, the small box is a pain. The house we're in came with a PE Vista, 1.5 cu ft box and for the few months we ran it during the reno it was awful. Smoked like a dragon everytime you opened the door. And the previous owner left behind a few cords of wood ALL cut to 11 inches so he could load the Vista N-S! That's what I've been burning in my "cavernous" Ashford 30 this winter.

I've got a 1300 sq ft shop that I thought about putting the Vista in but I don't think it's worth the hassle. If I spend more time in the shop during the winters building boats or birdhouses, I'll probably buy a cheap BK to put in there.

 

[Cast Iron]

. I'll probably buy a cheap BK to put in there.

Now there is an oxymoron .
Apologies to BKVP.

 

[webby3650]

Now there is an oxymoron .
Apologies to BKVP.

I’ve seen used King ultras go for under $1K on Craigslist. Or, approximately the same cost of replacement parts for a VC.

 

[Diabel]

I’ve seen used King ultras go for under $1K on Craigslist. Or, approximately the same cost of replacement parts for a VC.

That is funny and true.

At one point I wanted to rebuild my old 0028 (I liked that stove), after tax it was over 900 in parts.

 

[webby3650]

That is funny and true.

At one point I wanted to rebuild my old 0028 (I liked that stove), after tax it was over 900 in parts.

I’ve got one sitting in my garage too. Not sure if I’ll bother with it or not.

 

[AlbergSteve]

Now there is an oxymoron .
Apologies to BKVP.

Well, I won't be putting an Ashford in the shop.

 

[Ashful]

I too have run both types completely into the ground and have chosen ceramic. Larger cell size for less clogging, better draft, and the ceramic is much cheaper! Even cracked or chipped ceramic cats work fine. We very rarely see the cracks lead to actual physical failure.

I also have a ceramic cat sitting next to my main stove, waiting to replace the SteelCat, when I pull it to clean the chimney. I’ve had more clogging issues, than I see other people reporting, on that stove. Tall pipe and a tendency to run at WOT on weekends may be to blame.

 

[snojetter]

I Tall pipe and a tendency to run at WOT on weekends may be to blame.

I'm curious why? I thought those factors would contribute to a cleaner cat...

 

[kf6hap]

Tall pipe and a tendency to run at WOT on weekends may be to blame.

I suppose this is why mine just barely fuzzes after a full winter. Rarely do I run wide open. Smaller house, big stove. It makes sense, high velocity air entrains the fly-ash and it gets deposited in and on the cat. Slow moving air permits the ash to drop out of the airstream by gravity. So once again we can blame the thermostat!

 

[rdust]

Now there is an oxymoron .
Apologies to BKVP.

When I bought my princess ultra it was a new floor model, I paid 1200 for it. Deals can be found. Stove shop was changing the floor and wanted to move the stove. This was before the BK hearth.com cult was formed.

 

[Diabel]

When I bought my princess ultra it was a new floor model, I paid 1200 for it. Deals can be found. Stove shop was changing the floor and wanted to move the stove. This was before the BK hearth.com cult was formed.

And then you woke up!

Unless you work for BK.....

 

[rdust]

And then you woke up!

Unless you work for BK.....

True story, can probably find the invoice somewhere. I sold my 2 year old Lopi for 1000 and bought the Bk for 1200. On my 7th season with it, it was a 2006 build.

When I tried to talk the lady down to 1000 she basically laughed and said I was already getting 21xx off.

 

[Diabel]

True story, can probably find the invoice somewhere. I sold my 2 year old Lopi for 1000 and bought the Bk for 1200. On my 7th season with it, it was a 2006 build.

When I tried to talk the lady down to 1000 she basically laughed and said I was already getting 21xx off.

I believe you.
The rest of us have to pay a competitive price. For me 3500 plus 13% tax so just shy of 4k CAD. And my contractor thinks he is getting me a deal. I have to believe him.

 

[tarzan]

I suppose this is why mine just barely fuzzes after a full winter. Rarely do I run wide open. Smaller house, big stove. It makes sense, high velocity air entrains the fly-ash and it gets deposited in and on the cat. Slow moving air permits the ash to drop out of the airstream by gravity. So once again we can blame the thermostat!

So, maybe you can tell me why my steelcat clogs? 1,600sq ft house- BK Princess rarely ran above mid point.

 

[Cast Iron]

Now wait ! You mean that a BK stove has problems ? ( Apologies to BKVP )

 

[kf6hap]

So, maybe you can tell me why my steelcat clogs? 1,600sq ft house- BK Princess rarely ran above mid point.

During the cold months, I shut doors to shrink the the house to 960 sqft. If the lowest allowable thermostat setting is still too many BTUs, I crack doors open to other parts of the house. My stove spends most of it's time well below medium, most of the time on low or "riding the EPA hole". We have had no significant snow here for the past 8 years. The climate has changed, it is a lot warmer. We used to get 12-20 inches of snow every year. I live near Nevada City. The word "Nevada" means "snow covered" in Spanish.
I burn a lot of pine, some cedar, oak and madrone all below 18%MC. 17' straight stack. I suppose having to brush the cat off 2-3 times a season might be considered normal. (?)

 

[Ashful]

I'm curious why? I thought those factors would contribute to a cleaner cat...

I think BK put a lot of extra effort into maximizing the performance of the air wash system in the Ashfords, to combat creo glazing on the glass at their famous ultra-low burn rates. It worked, but it appears to me a potential side-effect of this is more ash turbulence in the firebox at very high burn rates. Put that stove on a pipe that exceeds their maximum allowable draft (mine measures 0.18” water column), and you may have these issues.

For full disclosure, I seem to have mitigated the problem to a large degree, with the installation of a pipe damper. It’s one extra thing to fiddle with, but it has proven useful.

 

[jetsam]

When I bought my princess ultra it was a new floor model, I paid 1200 for it. Deals can be found. Stove shop was changing the floor and wanted to move the stove. This was before the BK hearth.com cult was formed.

There is no "cult". Almost everyone in this thread works for BK in their secret mining operation, mining unobtainium for thermostat production.

If we make a good post, we get an air tank from the pile of tanks that were filled up with nice fresh air compressor air.

If our post doesn't please the censors, we get an air tank from the other pile. We don't talk about the people who got an air tank from the other pile.

 

[jetsam]

This stove is nuts. I put 2 big splits in ~34 hours ago and set it to minimum. I thought I was letting it go out completely since it was supposed to be near 70 today.

It's not anywhere near burning by my standard (which is 'cat active'), but I won't need a match either.

/Good tank, please.

 

[kf6hap]

This stove is nuts. I put 2 big splits in ~34 hours ago and set it to minimum. I thought I was letting it go out completely since it was supposed to be near 70 today.

And disbelievers will still have doubts about the burn times. When I was a VC owner, I had my doubts too but took the plunge of faith. It took a lot of "discussion" to convince my wife our multi kilobuck year old stove sucked and that the BK wouldn't. It did, however, pan out to be a real nugget.

 

[allan5oh]

Installing this Princess Ultra, any tips for initial setup? Cat temp indicator looks correct. The flame shield is warped, nothing a little love can't fix.

 

[allan5oh]

They didn't get the OAK plate either but one can be made I'm sure. No convection deck but that can change.

 

[kf6hap]

The flame shield can easily be pounded flat again so flames don't sneak by and lick the cat.