Blaze king or regency

[logfarmer]

Once again this turns into an argument! People have gotten off track of the question, BK or cat stoves work for some people, tube burners work for others. They are both great stoves. It’s the OP choice.

 

[Highbeam]

Once again this turns into an argument! People have gotten off track of the question, BK or cat stoves work for some people, tube burners work for others. They are both great stoves. It’s the OP choice.

That wasn’t the question. People can offer different viewpoints without it being an “argument”.

Bholler is correct that the 5200 and king are actually very similar appliances. King a bit better suited for low burns and 5200 a bit more suited for high. Lots and lots of overlap. The 5200 is a hybrid but I would say it is more of a cat stove with a bit of added secondary air since it is quite efficient and actually had a cat before the 2020 regs. It’s actually a pretty good stove in paper.

I believe, and the statistics agree, that the huge majority of stoves spend the huge majority of their burning time burning on lower settings.

 

[bholler]

That wasn’t the question. People can offer different viewpoints without it being an “argument”.

Bholler is correct that the 5200 and king are actually very similar appliances. King a bit better suited for low burns and 5200 a bit more suited for high. Lots and lots of overlap. The 5200 is a hybrid but I would say it is more of a cat stove with a bit of added secondary air since it is quite efficient and actually had a cat before the 2020 regs. It’s actually a pretty good stove in paper.

I believe, and the statistics agree, that the huge majority of stoves spend the huge majority of their burning time burning on lower settings.

I agree with everything you say. But the statistics showing that most stoves run on low most of the time just happens to be provided by the company who's stove are better than anyone else at running low and slow. Not saying they are lying at all I don't think they are but we all know statistics can be misleading

 

[Highbeam]

I agree with everything you say. But the statistics showing that most stoves run on low most of the time just happens to be provided by the company who's stove are better than anyone else at running low and slow. Not saying they are lying at all I don't think they are but we all know statistics can be misleading

Maybe the OP can tell us more about their actual situation so that we can help without depending on that statistic. You are correct, it came from BKVP and he is far better connected to these unbiased sources of data than either of us. I recall that he stated his source if you're really interested.

That 5200 looks purpose built to compete with the king. It's pretty much equally as ugly, same 8" pipe, same firebox volume, and same efficiency, just no thermostat which really is a nice feature. I haven't priced replacement cats either, that can be a frequent and significant cost if the owner plans to burn full time which again, according to statistics, few actually do.

 

[Nealm66]

I know bholler is soured because his princess is undersized for his situation but there is a lot to be said about the ability for the wife to simply turn the swoosh up if she feels cold at 69.8 degrees ( yes, this just happened) and not be concerned in the least about coming home to a cold stove or worse, an over fire. I believe there’s some legit reasons for blaze king fanboys that go well beyond just low and slow.

 

[Sailrmike]

I know bholler is soured because his princess is undersized for his situation but there is a lot to be said about the ability for the wife to simply turn the swoosh up if she feels cold at 69.8 degrees ( yes, this just happened) and not be concerned in the least about coming home to a cold stove or worse, an over fire. I believe there’s some legit reasons for blaze king fanboys that go well beyond just low and slow.

If ya had a tube stove, she wouldn't have been cold, house would have been above 70, no need to adjust "swoosh"

 

[bholler]

I know bholler is soured because his princess is undersized for his situation but there is a lot to be said about the ability for the wife to simply turn the swoosh up if she feels cold at 69.8 degrees ( yes, this just happened) and not be concerned in the least about coming home to a cold stove or worse, an over fire. I believe there’s some legit reasons for blaze king fanboys that go well beyond just low and slow.

How is the princess undersized when a regency that is almost exactly the same size as the bk heated the house easily with 8 hour burns on all but the worst days.

And my wife and kids know how to run stoves better than many here. I taught them and set up my system properly so I am not worried about those things.

To be clear I am not soured on bks at all. They are very well engineered and built stoves that do some things better than any other stove. If that is the thing you need from your stove they will be a great fit. If you don't need low and slow they may still work fine if they put out enough btus but you won't be gaining much by switching to a bk at that point.

 

[Woody Stover]

my wife and kids know how to run stoves better than many here. I taught them and set up my system properly so I am not worried about those things.
To be clear I am not soured on bks at all. They are very well engineered and built stoves
....If you don't need low and slow they may still work fine if they put out enough btus but you won't be gaining much by switching to a bk at that point.

Yep, about all my dear significant other has to do is to open the air a little when she gets up; That revs up the coal burn and gets her a bit more heat. But she also knows how to reload, burn in and cruise the stove, when necessary. Some other folks, maybe not as much. "Ya can't teach 'em if they don't wanna learn."
Now, as far as your "well engineered and built stoves" comment, we'll just agree to disagree. Smoke smells, cracked bypass retainers, rust-throughs, etc. ...Thanks, but no thanks.
Right, rojjah; If you don't need low-and-slow, i.e. if your house has decent insulation and air-sealing and doesn't lose heat too fast, the house itself serves as the thermostatic control, and you don't necessarily need a BK.

 

[bholler]

Yep, about all my dear significant other has to do is open the air a little when she gets up, to rev up the coal burn and get a bit more heat. But she also knows how to reload, burn in and cruise the stove, if necessary. Some other folks, maybe not as much. "Ya can't teach 'em if they don't wanna learn."
Now, as far as your "well engineered and built stoves" comment, we'll just agree to disagree. Smoke smells, cracked bypass retainers, rust-throughs, etc. ...Thanks, but no thanks.
Right, rojjah; If you don't need low-and-slow, i.e. if your house has decent insulation and air-sealing and doesn't lose heat too fast, the house itself serves as the thermostatic control, and you don't necessarily need a BK.

The bypass retainers are only a problem if you don't run the stove properly. Yes there have been some with smoke smell which generally has been addressed with a new gasket. Rust through is just an issue in your mind not a real problem. They are absolutely well built and well engineered. Yes of course there have been some issues but there have been with every stove brand.

 

[Woody Stover]

The bypass retainers are only a problem if you don't run the stove properly.

How many non-hearth folks know that...none.

Yes there have been some with smoke smell which generally has been addressed with a new gasket.

Sure, you and I know that. We're nerds, and mechanically-inclined...able to work our way through design problems.

Rust through is just an issue in your mind not a real problem.

Not heard it happening in other stoves, except for you saying that it does. How many rust-throughs in the stoves you see are due to condensation of warm, humid summer air in the chimney, resulting in moisture running down into the stove, year after year?

there have been some issues but there have been with every stove brand.

I'm well aware of that..my stove has seams.

 

[Nealm66]

I remember being happy with 8 hour burns. Now I struggle with 12 hour reloads not being burned down enough. It’s

How is the princess undersized when a regency that is almost exactly the same size as the bk heated the house easily with 8 hour burns on all but the worst days.

And my wife and kids know how to run stoves better than many here. I taught them and set up my system properly so I am not worried about those things.

To be clear I am not soured on bks at all. They are very well engineered and built stoves that do some things better than any other stove. If that is the thing you need from your stove they will be a great fit. If you don't need low and slow they may still work fine if they put out enough btus but you won't be gaining much by switching to a bk at that point.

Man, I totally respect you and appreciate your knowledge but I can’t imagine 8 hour burns. I struggle with 12 hour reloads not being burned down enough to get hardly any wood in. I’m just thinking if you aren’t able to let the princess run as it was intended, a bigger cat stove or an additional cat stove would be the answer if possible. I know this isn’t your case but I can’t remember the last time I built a fire or worried about it. 30% less wood use is probably a pretty good estimate and unless someone is delivering wood for free that’s pretty substantial. The regency is probably a fine stove and maybe a great stove but I can say for sure that the blaze king works as advertised

 

[bholler]

How many non-hearth folks know that...none.

Know what? That if you don't operate something properly you can damage it? I thought that was pretty common knowledge

Sure, you and I know that. We're nerds, and mechanically-inclined...able to work our way through design problems.

If they bring the problem to their dealer there is a known fix what more do you want?

Not heard it happening in other stoves, except for you saying that it does. How many rust-throughs in the stoves you see are due to condensation of warm, humid summer air in the chimney, resulting in moisture running down into the stove, year after year?

I havnt heard of it being a bk specific problem from anyone but you? Most rusted out stoves are due to a damp basement no cap and or horrible maintenance.

 

[bholler]

I remember being happy with 8 hour burns. Now I struggle with 12 hour reloads not being burned down enough. It’s

Man, I totally respect you and appreciate your knowledge but I can’t imagine 8 hour burns. I struggle with 12 hour reloads not being burned down enough to get hardly any wood in. I’m just thinking if you aren’t able to let the princess run as it was intended, a bigger cat stove or an additional cat stove would be the answer if possible. I know this isn’t your case but I can’t remember the last time I built a fire or worried about it. 30% less wood use is probably a pretty good estimate and unless someone is delivering wood for free that’s pretty substantial. The regency is probably a fine stove and maybe a great stove but I can say for sure that the blaze king works as advertised

You are missing the point. I burned the regency on 8 hour cycles generally and it heated my house on its own 95% of the time or so. I burn the princess on 8 hour burn cycles most of the time and it can't do it on its own roughly 20% of the time.

You really think it makes sense for me to abandon my perfectly good 6" chimney to install an 8" one to get a bigger cat stove? Or install a second 6" chimney which would make 4 chimneys in a 2000 square foot ranch including the finished basement? All of this when I know the house can be heated fine with a large 6" tube stove.

How am I going to save 30% wood by installing a bigger stove or a second one? I need a certain ammout of btus. There is a given ammout of btus available in wood how exactly is running a larger one or a second one going to increase my efficiency by 30%? It just doesn't make any sense at all.

And yeah I can get 12 hour burns if it is upper 40s. But those temps don't last long here. And at those temps I was reloading the regency at 12 hours and relighting from coals as well. It was putting out no heat at that point but it worked fine.

I have run many other stoves as well but only those 2 in this house on this chimney so they are the only 2 I can compare directly.

 

[Woody Stover]

Know what? That if you don't operate something properly you can damage it? I thought that was pretty common knowledge

This is America...Lotta clueless people looming out there..

If they bring the problem to their dealer there is a known fix what more do you want?

Dealers...are you serious?

Most rusted out stoves are due to a damp basement no cap and or horrible maintenance.

Damp basement..how so? Stoves down there shouldn't pull humid air in at all, in the summer.
What "horrible maintenance?" Like I've said, creo condenses behind firebricks; It's an issue in cat stoves. If you got thin steel, it's gonna be a problem sooner.

 

[bholler]

This is America...Lotta clueless people looming out there..

Ok so are blaze kings the only stoves that can be damaged if not used properly???

Dealers...are you serious?

Well yeah or you can call bk direct they had an issue with some stoves and addressed it. What more can you expect?

Damp basement..how so? Stoves down there shouldn't pull humid air in at all, in the summer.
What "horrible maintenance?" Like I've said, creo condenses behind firebricks; It's an issue in cat stoves. If you got thin steel, it's gonna be a problem sooner.

Yes damp basement it happens allot and many people including me prefer to heat from the basement.

Can you please provide us with some info to back up your claims of widespread failures of bks due to rusted out boxes???

 

[Nealm66]

You are missing the point. I burned the regency on 8 hour cycles generally and it heated my house on its own 95% of the time or so. I burn the princess on 8 hour burn cycles most of the time and it can't do it on its own roughly 20% of the time.

You really think it makes sense for me to abandon my perfectly good 6" chimney to install an 8" one to get a bigger cat stove? Or install a second 6" chimney which would make 4 chimneys in a 2000 square foot ranch including the finished basement? All of this when I know the house can be heated fine with a large 6" tube stove.

How am I going to save 30% wood by installing a bigger stove or a second one? I need a certain ammout of btus. There is a given ammout of btus available in wood how exactly is running a larger one or a second one going to increase my efficiency by 30%? It just doesn't make any sense at all.

And yeah I can get 12 hour burns if it is upper 40s. But those temps don't last long here. And at those temps I was reloading the regency at 12 hours and relighting from coals as well. It was putting out no heat at that point but it worked fine.

I have run many other stoves as well but only those 2 in this house on this chimney so they are the only 2 I can compare directly.

No disrespect but yes, I would abandon an 8-12 hour stove for a 24-40 hour stove in a heartbeat but the bigger stove would make my house too warm I’m afraid.

 

[BKVP]

I agree with everything you say. But the statistics showing that most stoves run on low most of the time just happens to be provided by the company who's stove are better than anyone else at running low and slow. Not saying they are lying at all I don't think they are but we all know statistics can be misleading

And EPA and industry...no brochure (other than ours) posts high burn times. They all only list low burn times. 80% of weighted average in test methods comes from low and medium low runs. It's definitely not only our point of view, but the view of all other manufacturers and regulators based upon their data.

 

[Woody Stover]

Ok so are blaze kings the only stoves that can be damaged if not used properly???

No, any stove can be damaged, if not used properly.

Can you please provide us with some info to back up your claims of widespread failures of bks due to rusted out boxes???

I never said that the BK failures were widespread. I just wouldn't take a chance on it, or their spotty engineering. Your, and many other folks mileage may vary, and that's fine.

 

[bholler]

No disrespect but yes, I would abandon an 8-12 hour stove for a 24-40 hour stove in a heartbeat but the bigger stove would make my house too warm I’m afraid.

So I should abandon the chimney I lined 4 years ago and dump a grand into the chimney and another 3 grand on a stove that only puts out 57000 btus when the stove putting out 51000 btus can't heat my house a fair ammout of the time???

So $4000 or so plus another chimney I would have to fit somewhere for an extra 7000 btus when I have a stove I can plug in and heat my house? Why? If I am almost always running the princess on 8 hour cycles what makes you think the king would heat my house for 40 hours?

 

[BKVP]

The OP is or has disappeared. He can buy either unit and will be happy with his investment.

Meanwhile, I just arrived in Homer.

 

[bholler]

And EPA and industry...no brochure (other than ours) posts high burn times. They all only list low burn times. 80% of weighted average in test methods comes from low and medium low runs. It's definitely not only our point of view, but the view of all other manufacturers and regulators based upon their data.

Or they just give you the max burn times because that is what makes sense from a marketing standpoint.

 

[Nealm66]

The OP is or has disappeared. Let's wrap this up. He can buy either unit and will be happy with his investment.

Meanwhile, I just arrived in Homer.View attachment 276098

Brrr

 

[Woody Stover]

The OP is or has disappeared. He can buy either unit and will be happy with his investment.

He's still here; He's thinking.

Meanwhile, I just arrived in Homer.

The homer is in Homer.

Or they just give you the max burn times because that is what makes sense from a marketing standpoint.

Nice get.

Brrr

Don't even make me go there.

 

[bholler]

never said that the BK failures were widespread. I just wouldn't take a chance on it, or their spotty engineering. Your, and many other folks mileage may vary, and that's fine.

So you don't have examples of this "problem"???
How about examples of their spotty engineering?

I don't let the bk guys get away with nonstop brand plugging and I won't let baseless brand bashing stand either. Back up your claims or let it go.

 

[BKVP]

P

Or they just give you the max burn times because that is what makes sense from a marketing standpoint.

Precisely. Consumers ask about burn times.