Buying a new stove.. BlazeKing princess or Hearthstone GM 60?

[MattA311]

I will be placing a new stove in the corner of a 14x20 foot room that opens up to 1300sq feet of first floor space and an additional 900 sq feet of second floor bedroom space. I was interested in the Hearthstone GM 60 or 80 but I’ve been reading about a lot of problems. The Blaze King seems more stable and user friendly. Which do you all recommend? I’m interested in the stable consistent heat and long burn times. I live in southern Wisconsin where it can get down below zero but average winter temps are in the 30s and 20s.

The pipe will be double walled going straight up off the stove 18 feet or so .

 

[stoveliker]

I have no experience with the GMs.

The BK will give consistent heat, but the long burns are (necessarily) at a lower heat output than the shorter burns. Whether that is enough, and thus whether you would be able to use the long burn times of a BK depends on the heat losses in your home.

Do (now) start to put up (split, stacked off the ground top covered) softwood like pine or fir to get ready for next season. And wood for the season after. Most other wood may need two or more (think oak) years to be dry enough to burn in a modern stove.

 

[Woody Stover]

I was interested in the Hearthstone GM 60 or 80 but I’ve been reading about a lot of problems....I live in southern Wisconsin

What kinds of problems?
Franksville, huh? That sounds like it's gotta be close to Johnsonville. 🌭

 

[begreen]

These two stoves have different stove technologies.

The GM60 is a new design as a hybrid with both tube secondary combustion and a cat for the final cleanup. The stove is cast iron with cemented seams. It seems to like a good strong draft. It has manual air control for a higher top end than the Princess and is better looking.

The Princess is a well-developed older design and a true catalytic stove. It has welded steel construction and a deep belly for less frequent ash cleanouts. A main feature is the thermostatic air control which allows the stove to heat at a uniform continuous level. This is good for shoulder season heating at low output levels and provides a longer burn time under those conditions.

 

[stoveliker]

Better looking... That depends on the taste of the person...

I do note that there is a very similar (specs) BK model with the very same tech that looks more classical, in case the OP likes that: the BK Ashford.

 

[begreen]

Yes, not to pick on it, but the Princess has been known as the ugly duckling of the stove world. However, some do see the beauty of its function before its form. The Chinook, Sirocco, and Ashford share the same firebox with different jacketing.

 

[MattA311]

I have no experience with the GMs.

The BK will give consistent heat, but the long burns are (necessarily) at a lower heat output than the shorter burns. Whether that is enough, and thus whether you would be able to use the long burn times of a BK depends on the heat losses in your home.

Do (now) start to put up (split, stacked off the ground top covered) softwood like pine or fir to get ready for next season. And wood for the season after. Most other wood may need two or more (think oak) years to be dry enough to burn in a modern stove.

I have about 6 cords total. Mostly red and silver maple but some oak and pine also. The silver maple was cut in August of 2022 and that’s the oldest of it all. I should be fine, it’s stacked accordingly.

 

[MattA311]

These two stoves have different stove technologies.

The GM60 is a new design as a hybrid with both tube secondary combustion and a cat for the final cleanup. The stove is cast iron with cemented seams. It seems to like a good strong draft. It has manual air control for a higher top end than the Princess and is better looking.

The Princess is a well-developed older design and a true catalytic stove. It has welded steel construction and a deep belly for less frequent ash cleanouts. A main feature is the thermostatic air control which allows the stove to heat at a uniform continuous level. This is good for shoulder season heating at low output levels and provides a longer burn time under those conditions.

If you were to buy a new cat stove tomorrow which one you buy?

 

[stoveliker]

You'll be great; avoiding problems that most others run into! Good job!

 

[MattA311]

What kinds of problems?
Franksville, huh? That sounds like it's gotta be close to Johnsonville. 🌭

Johnsonville Brats are out of Sheboygan, WI.

 

[Highbeam]

Yes, not to pick on it, but the Princess has been known as the ugly duckling of the stove world. However, some do see the beauty of its function before its form. The Chinook, Sirocco, and Ashford share the same firebox with different jacketing.

To clarify your last sentence, the princess firebox is not the same as the chinook/scirocco/ashford. It’s better.

I own the ugly princess and it’s a great performer. The hearthstone GM stoves look great but the catalytic system is not great.

 

[begreen]

To clarify your last sentence, the princess firebox is not the same as the chinook/scirocco/ashford. It’s better.

I own the ugly princess and it’s a great performer. The hearthstone GM stoves look great but the catalytic system is not gre

If you were to buy a new cat stove tomorrow which one you buy?

Well, that is most unlikely unless for someone else. In that size for a pure catalytic stove, it would be either a BK or the Regency 3500.

 

[MattA311]

Well, that is most unlikely unless for someone else. In that size for a pure catalytic stove, it would be either a BK or the Regency 3500.

Thanks. Both of these stoves seem great. I’ll probably go with the Blaze King

 

[begreen]

That should work out fine Matt, especially if you have a good dealer.

 

[Prometeo]

personally I would also evaluate which of these stoves (perhaps all?) they can channel the combustion air towards the outside

 

[begreen]

personally I would also evaluate which of these stoves (perhaps all?) they can channel the combustion air towards the outside

Yes, most US sold freestanding stoves these days have an outside-air option. It's required for mobile home installation, and for new stove installations in some states.

 

[JamesGuido]

Franksville, huh? That sounds like it's gotta be close to Johnsonville. 🌭

Johnsonville Brats are out of Sheboygan, WI.

Welcome neighbor!
Matt, are you actually in Franksville? Or in the Franksville postal code?
I'm in Raymond but in Caledonia's post office area.

 

[Prometeo]

Yes, most US sold freestanding stoves these days have an outside-air option. It's required for mobile home installation, and for new stove installations in some states.

in addition to this, I consider fresh air intake very important to avoid depression inside the house, not everyone knows that this can lead to bad problems: loss of draft, monoxide leakage

 

[begreen]

in addition to this, I consider fresh air intake very important to avoid depression inside the house, not everyone knows that this can lead to bad problems: loss of draft, monoxide leakage

It depends on the house and the stove location. For modern tight construction yes, especially if the fresh air makeup is poor. In our old house, not an issue or even a worry. Our CO monitor had never moved off of a zero reading and the stove drafts identically with a window open or closed.

 

[Prometeo]

It depends on the house and the stove location. For modern tight construction yes, especially if the fresh air makeup is poor. In our old house, not an issue or even a worry. Our CO monitor had never moved off of a zero reading and the stove drafts identically with a window open or closed.

yes, that's for sure. My house is old, I didn't have this problem but I decided to get fresh air to the stove also to avoid drawing hot air in it and letting the cold air into the house, I guess this does little to improve the performance of the stove, maybe sometimes it's more of a psychological thing but..

 

[Woody Stover]

I have about 6 cords total. Mostly red and silver maple but some oak and pine also. The silver maple was cut in August of 2022 and that’s the oldest of it all. I should be fine, it’s stacked accordingly.

Nice, sounds like you are set. Red Maple has gotten me through several times when I was behind on dry wood for my two SILs. It will get pretty dry over one summer if it's not split real big.

To clarify your last sentence, the princess firebox is not the same as the chinook/scirocco/ashford. It’s better.
The hearthstone GM stoves look great but the catalytic system is not great.

I think he said only those three were the same box, not also the Pea-sleeper. 😏
Agreed though, you don't want to settle for a cat system that leaves a lot of room for error. Experienced cat operators could probably do fine with it, but it might require more attention that most new burners are willing or able to give.

Well, that is most unlikely unless for someone else. In that size for a pure catalytic stove, it would be either a BK or the Regency 3500.

C'mon, man, with the big money they pay you, you could be testing five stoves at a time, cat, non, hybrids, including the new AI-controlled electro-plasma gasifiers! 😀
You'd have them mounted on a rotating table capable of horizontal and vertical movement, to match the stove to your chimney system. You could even have a series of telescoping sections to easily test different chimney heights on each stove. 👍😏
Looking at the manual, it's nice that the Regency F3500 minimum chimney requirement is just 12', but it looks like it's a hybrid, not a straight cat..

 

[MattA311]

Welcome neighbor!
Matt, are you actually in Franksville? Or in the Franksville postal code?
I'm in Raymond but in Caledonia's post office area.

Postal code.. I’m on the north end of Yorkville, north of 20. Probably not very far from you.

 

[MattA311]

in addition to this, I consider fresh air intake very important to avoid depression inside the house, not everyone knows that this can lead to bad problems: loss of draft, monoxide leakage

I’ll be adding a fresh air intake for sure. My dad has one and I like how it operates.