MishMouse said:
Myself I would not have the draft at 50% I would have brought it down to the 1st or 2nd notch.
Agreed, but step it down gradually. If it is very cold out, or wood is sub-par, I may burn a few notches higher, but never at 50% or more except for a short time when reloading. I am amazed at how much faster the stove burns through the wood with only an increase of a notch or two.
It's worth saying again, these stove need dry wood and a good, really hot coal bed to run their best. They are draft sensitive: too little draft and it is hard to maintain the AB, too much draft and the wood burns too quickly. Since every flue setup will differ, each user will need some trial and error with different air settings, stove temps, size of wood, how much wood, etc. in order to perfect the technique that works best for that particular setup.
One thing I can say with certainty: if I tried burning the same way from day one, and never experimented and changed up the variables to some degree (many times and in many ways) I would not be very happy with this stove. After a few years, I know it pretty well now, but after only a few weeks (even months) I knew very little. But I'm obsessed with perfection and efficiency, getting the most heat out of the least wood, and all that.
My wife, on the other hand, has used the stove a handful of times when I've been away and has had long, hot burns with no problems at all. She hasn't burned the house down or ruined the stove. Just fills it up, forgets about it, then remembers to shut it down, then forgets about it again, until she feels chilly. She has the touch.