First post introduction.

[Hydrant]

Hello. While I’m not new to the forum I’ve never posted so I thought I’d introduce myself before I ask a few questions I’ve got. I own a regency F3500 cat stove Installed downstairs and have recently purchased a jotul f500 for upstairs. We wanted to have a small ornate old school tube stove (before you can’t get them) for upstairs and got carried away in the store!

About 10 years ago I installed a osburn 2200 in my house in the city a fell in love with everything wood stove. Wehad a dream to move out of the city and 3 years ago when we made the
Move, a wood stove was the first purchase for our new rural home.
One of my friends has a blaze king and after seeing his stoves burn time, we chose the regency For the combination of the cat technology, and large viewing window.
Our regency does a great job of heating our 1500sft walkout bungalow, but after using a cat stove, and having to replace the cat after only 3 seasons (see pic)I was thinking it would be nice to Have a back up tube stove. I have a real good theory as to why my cat bit the dust so quick, so we’ll see if this new one lasts any longer.

I live in southern Alberta, Canada about 40 minutes from a large city where my firewood comes from. A friend owns a excavation outfit that does house demos for Infills so we’ve got this thing going where he Let’s me clear the trees off the lots before he demolishes the old homes. Works great for both of us. I get to harvest Lots of spruce, ornamental cherry, elm, Apple, green ash, manitoba maple and birch and he doesn’t have to take the time and money to cut it and truck it to throw away. It’s a lot of work but I love it and have gotten pretty good at it. It also has evolved into a bit of a saw obsession/collection too! Mostly stihl, an 044, ms361, ms261, ms250, a husky 51 and a little homelight are in the fleet right now. All of my wood has been processed by a 15t speeco hydraulic splitter. I’ve been very happy with it, but it’s really showing it’s age after using it as much as I have over 6 years of ownership. I’m in the process of building a new homemade splitter with a 16 hp onan, 6”x24” cylinder that’s can be run both vertical and horizontally. I’ve got great plans for this including a hydraulic driven conveyor, that will stack windrows of firewood for me! Over the years I’ve accumulated more wood than I can burn in the one stove for sure. I guess we’ll see if two stoves can put a dent in my pile!

 

[Sailrmike]

Welcome! Nice wood piles and stoves! Three years is actually pretty good for a cat when burning full time. Looks like yours is crumblimg due to flames/ thermal shock. What's your theory on why it bit the dust?

 

[Highbeam]

I wish I could get 3 years from each cat. I can only get 2 but when mine die they look perfect, not all buggered up like yours.

 

[Hydrant]

Thanks for the replies. Funny thermal shock is exactly my theory. I think I’m opening the stove when cat is active too much. I just can’t resist screwing around with the fire, adding more wood, or Generally just jacking around with it! For the same
Reason my Yorkshire’s are always flat! I don’t like hearing they don’t last long as obviously that’s a large expense. Which is exactly a question I was hoping to get answered here. The only place I’ve been able to
Source a replacement cat for my regency has been the dealer that I got
My stove from to the tune of $600! I heard that condar sells/makes cats so I called them. Reply was that that don’t make any regency cats. Does anyone know where I can price out a cat other than my dealer that seems to be
Too expensive? Or is the dealer price out of line?

 

[moresnow]

Thanks for the replies. Funny thermal shock is exactly my theory. I think I’m opening the stove when cat is active too much. I just can’t resist screwing around with the fire, adding more wood, or Generally just jacking around with it! For the same
Reason my Yorkshire’s are always flat! I don’t like hearing they don’t last long as obviously that’s a large expense. Which is exactly a question I was hoping to get answered here. The only place I’ve been able to
Source a replacement cat for my regency has been the dealer that I got
My stove from to the tune of $600! I heard that condar sells/makes cats so I called them. Reply was that that don’t make any regency cats. Does anyone know where I can price out a cat other than my dealer that seems to be
Too expensive? Or is the dealer price out of line?

To funny! Gotta ask. Why would you be opening the loading door on a cat stove between reloads I think you may have possibly answered the Cat failure question. Maybe? It sure did it zero good! Live and learn. $600 is rather salty. Ouch. Good luck in the future.

 

[Hydrant]

Ya my friend with the BK asked the same question. But with an F bomb! Just thinking he’s been burning his Bk with the same cat for 5 years. Are BK cats lasting longer?

 

[moresnow]

Bwaaahaaaa! Sorry.....
Anyway. I am not sure on the durability/lifespan comparison between the two makes. The cat in my stove has 4 or 5 seasons of 24/7 use on it. It's not what it once was. It still works well enough. I have a new spare waiting to go in. Hate to use it! Hoarding it for now.....

 

[Highbeam]

Cats are rated by the manufacturer to last 10-12000 hours. Some people do this in two years and some people will never reach this so their cat lasts 100 years. Then, stove design can help protect the cat from some bad things like overheating and flame impingement. BK is one brand that has been doing this a long time and has really gotten their stove design tuned well.

Regency doesn’t make cats. They buy them. Most likely from applied ceramics. You can also buy from them at much lower cost. To see if they have your cat available you can either look at their website firecat combustors or their amazon store called Midwest hearth. My princess cat is 200$ shipped.

I think we’re going to see a whole lot of upset stove buyers that believed the 10-20 year marketing crap about cat life. It’s 12000 hours, however long that takes you.

 

[Hydrant]

Awesome information Highbeam! Thanks so much. At this rate my plan is it have a spare cat on hand and being able to source it from the manufacturer at a lower price is key.