PE Alderlea T6 LE VS Blaze King Ashford 30.2 What do I choose?

[JKE28]

We have had the T5 same amount of time as Begreen the T6. Still love the stove, especially for it's ease of maintenance compared to most units. We cooked Christmas dinner for 6 people on that stove one year ( with help of a camp stove), when we were without power for 5 days. We do use the cooktop some for things like stews, beans, & soups. Ours has used about 5 cords /year, so has gone through a lot of wood over the years. We burn in the spring & fall with small, short fires more than most people seem to, otherwise with just winter burns, we'd be down to 3-4 cords / yr. All around a great stove, you won't find very many negative comments from owners.

Thank you for sharing your experience. It really gives me confidence that I am making the right choice. I think the T6 is a little big but it does not hurt to have that extra fire box space.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I’ve cooked and reheated on my T5. It’s helped to keep many thanksgiving sides at a good temperature.

I think the T5 would serve you fine.

 

[JKE28]

We have had the T5 same amount of time as Begreen the T6. Still love the stove, especially for it's ease of maintenance compared to most units. We cooked Christmas dinner for 6 people on that stove one year ( with help of a camp stove), when we were without power for 5 days. We do use the cooktop some for things like stews, beans, & soups. Ours has used about 5 cords /year, so has gone through a lot of wood over the years. We burn in the spring & fall with small, short fires more than most people seem to, otherwise with just winter burns, we'd be down to 3-4 cords / yr. All around a great stove, you won't find very many negative comments from owners.

Sharing your experience, really helped me make my decision. I finally just decided the T6 was for me. bought it today for a good price.

 

[JKE28]

I’ve cooked and reheated on my T5. It’s helped to keep many thanksgiving sides at a good temperature.

I think the T5 would serve you fine.

I had the same thing happen a couple years ago. Had to cook thanksgiving on my VC stove. What a nightmare, I wish I had the T6 then. I decided on the T6 today and bought it. A really good price too.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Excellent! I’m sure it’ll serve you well.

 

[JKE28]

Excellent! I’m sure it’ll serve you well.

Thanks! I really can't express how thankful I am for the comunity, helping guide my decision on this. Really made it easier for me. $3,800 for the T6 sealed the deal.

 

[begreen]

Sharing your experience, really helped me make my decision. I finally just decided the T6 was for me. bought it today for a good price.

I think you will like this big boy. It's well-behaved and provides lots of wiggle room for loading and a generous cooktop.

 

[JKE28]

I think you will like this big boy. It's well-behaved and provides lots of wiggle room for loading and a generous cooktop.

I am excited! I pick it up next week! We adjusted the design of the addition to accommodate this monster. Now to pick a hearth pad.

 

[tcassavaugh]

WOW 15 seasons and you still love it!?! That's something I wish I could say about my VC. It's been the worst stove I have ever had in my life. That's awesome that you cook on it, that's what really draws me to the Alderlea line of stoves.

It will be heating a 1,800sqft house. It will be located in a 1,000sqft room/area with high ceilings. Virginia winters are weird. We get shots of pretty cold weather teens to 20s at night and 30's and low 40's during the day. Normal is 35-45 at night 50s during the day. So I feel the T5 is border line.

I'm across the Potomac on the shore of the Chesapeake in Southern Maryland. I used to work in Springfield. Its hard to tell what the winter is going to bring. I have a PE Summit that is in the basement and will heat the whole house but takes a couple of days to come up to temp. I have a Jotul F3CB that i use upstairs. i have a ranch with about 1100 sq ft upstairs and the same in a partially finished basement. Last year was really mild and i only went through about 1.5 cord. normally i go through about 3. Then a few years ago we got dumped on.
the only thing i can say about the summit is that it does not like unseasoned wood. first season i had it it i had a few problems with it mostly because the "seasoned" wood was still a little green. since i started cutting my own and make sure its dry, it runs great.
I had a VC Adirondack with CAT and i hated it too......lol. either stove will probably serve you well. if i ever get another, it will be a BK.

 

[JKE28]

I'm across the Potomac on the shore of the Chesapeake in Southern Maryland. I used to work in Springfield. Its hard to tell what the winter is going to bring. I have a PE Summit that is in the basement and will heat the whole house but takes a couple of days to come up to temp. I have a Jotul F3CB that i use upstairs. i have a ranch with about 1100 sq ft upstairs and the same in a partially finished basement. Last year was really mild and i only went through about 1.5 cord. normally i go through about 3. Then a few years ago we got dumped on.
the only thing i can say about the summit is that it does not like unseasoned wood. first season i had it it i had a few problems with it mostly because the "seasoned" wood was still a little green. since i started cutting my own and make sure its dry, it runs great.
I had a VC Adirondack with CAT and i hated it too......lol. either stove will probably serve you well. if i ever get another, it will be a BK.

Yeah our winters in the mid Atlantic are always random with how it goes. I ended up with the PE Alderlea, still getting it installed but I have time before it gets cold enough to fire it up.

 

[JKE28]

Finally had the first and second fire with my new stove! The PE Alderlea 6T is performing very well. Very happy with it and all the information I got from here on the stove was spot on! Glad I got the bigger stove as well as building small fires in the stove is no problem at all. So far the new 13' chimney has a great draft for the stove. It's definitely an easy breather stove, and anyone looking to get away from a CAT stove should look at PE. Looking forward to a cold winter with this stove. Thank you to everyone who helped me here!

 

[Trevor Tahclep]

In a few months I will have operated my PE Spectrum Classic 25 years, purchased mine with porcelain enamel top and sides, gold plated door, trivet and feet, we burn from October to late April, stove still looks beautiful and in fantastic condition. PE stoves are simple to operate and so simple to maintain and clean as well. You will be pleased with yours I am sure.

 

[JKE28]

In a few months I will have operated my PE Spectrum Classic 25 years, purchased mine with porcelain enamel top and sides, gold plated door, trivet and feet, we burn from October to late April, stove still looks beautiful and in fantastic condition. PE stoves are simple to operate and so simple to maintain and clean as well. You will be pleased with yours I am sure.

So far I love it. it is also 10X more efficient with wood than my old stove. Glad to hear yours has lived a long life, I really hope this one does as well!

 

[ABMax24]

In a few months I will have operated my PE Spectrum Classic 25 years, purchased mine with porcelain enamel top and sides, gold plated door, trivet and feet, we burn from October to late April, stove still looks beautiful and in fantastic condition. PE stoves are simple to operate and so simple to maintain and clean as well. You will be pleased with yours I am sure.

While impressive, you're story certainly isn't unusual. My parents Super 27 turned 20 years old this fall. We figured it's burned 80 cords of wood over that period. The baffle was replaced 7 years ago, and the door gasket has been replaced twice. Firebrick has all been replaced as least twice as well (not the bottom bricks, they don't seem to wear out). The glass really should be replaced as you can't really see through it anymore, but it's still functional. We're probably talking an average of $25/year in parts.

I remember as a kid sitting in the store while dad picked it out, "it's a workhorse" the salesman said. He certainly wasn't wrong.

Honestly this is probably the biggest flaw in their business model, they last forever and are very minimal for maintenance and parts. Only real reason to buy a new one is if you move.

 

[rijim]

I think the chimney will be right at 15' possibly 13' haven't gotten that far yet. The old chimney was 14' that was knocked down.

I do have a cathedral ceiling so I figured go big, because I can always make a smaller fire, do you think I should be looking at the T5?

The heat pump is just easier day to day with the mild winters in VA I just can't see going all in on wood heat 24/7. At this point I think the Blaze king is out. It's a great stove and a good price but I just don't think it's the right fit. The PE sounds right for me. I wonder what I can expect on burn times with the PE. I never trust what the website says.

I have the Ashford 30.2 for 3 full seasons starting my 4th, great stove, easy to operate; I’m only heating 1100sq ft. low & slow works perfect for me and 24hr burns are great. I live 20’ above sea level (I can see it from end of street); 14-15’ of chimney works fine up to about 42-45 degrees then drafting gets a little questionable. If in your position where you may be at 14’ of total height and I expect quite a bit higher elevation than I am, I would go T6; many report easy breathing with this stove. You can always build a small fire in a big fire box, if you experience a long cold stretch and possibly a power outage you will appreciate the bigger stove. Good luck

 

[JKE28]

I have the Ashford 30.2 for 3 full seasons starting my 4th, great stove, easy to operate; I’m only heating 1100sq ft. low & slow works perfect for me and 24hr burns are great. I live 20’ above sea level (I can see it from end of street); 14-15’ of chimney works fine up to about 42-45 degrees then drafting gets a little questionable. If in your position where you may be at 14’ of total height and I expect quite a bit higher elevation than I am, I would go T6; many report easy breathing with this stove. You can always build a small fire in a big fire box, if you experience a long cold stretch and possibly a power outage you will appreciate the bigger stove. Good luck

Thanks! So I bought the T6 and everything is going well. Definitely an easy breather, and the chimney ended up only being 13' so I am very glad I got the T6. I think the BK would have been a great stove but the house just would look weird to have that 15-20' chimney outside. With the first few fires under my belt I think this will be a great stove for many years to come!

 

[JKE28]

While impressive, you're story certainly isn't unusual. My parents Super 27 turned 20 years old this fall. We figured it's burned 80 cords of wood over that period. The baffle was replaced 7 years ago, and the door gasket has been replaced twice. Firebrick has all been replaced as least twice as well (not the bottom bricks, they don't seem to wear out). The glass really should be replaced as you can't really see through it anymore, but it's still functional. We're probably talking an average of $25/year in parts.

I remember as a kid sitting in the store while dad picked it out, "it's a workhorse" the salesman said. He certainly wasn't wrong.

Honestly this is probably the biggest flaw in their business model, they last forever and are very minimal for maintenance and parts. Only real reason to buy a new one is if you move.

They seem to be very well built stoves.

 

[U235]

@EbS-P @begreen - can you expand a bit on why cat stoves like the BK might lose some of their appeal if the home has a heat pump? This isn’t the question the OP asked… I can start a new thread if that would be better.
Due to my house layout, and possibly also my inexperience with wood burning, I find my current wood stove can easily run us out of the stove room. I’ve really only been able to control stove room temps by limiting the amount of fuel I put in. I assume in this scenario, the high turndown of a BK would be desirable and maybe the PE would struggle (assuming non-cats don’t have much turndown capability).

 

[rijim]

@EbS-P @begreen - can you expand a bit on why cat stoves like the BK might lose some of their appeal if the home has a heat pump? This isn’t the question the OP asked… I can start a new thread if that would be better.
Due to my house layout, and possibly also my inexperience with wood burning, I find my current wood stove can easily run us out of the stove room. I’ve really only been able to control stove room temps by limiting the amount of fuel I put in. I assume in this scenario, the high turndown of a BK would be desirable and maybe the PE would struggle (assuming non-cats don’t have much turndown capability).

I have a heat pump, the CAT/BK is still a great option when below 40 degrees. Stove is on the upper level and the lower level is ok unless we have a real cold snap, then I turn the blower on for the main system occasionally and it is more than enough to offset the heat rising up.

 

[begreen]

- can you expand a bit on why cat stoves like the BK might lose some of their appeal if the home has a heat pump?

In some houses, the need for heat from a stove that burns low and slow may be easily covered with a heat pump. The better the heat pump, the lower the threshold ability for the heat pump to do the work of the stove.
This is just a general statement. There are many other factors that determine whether it's a good fit. If one lives in an area with very high electrical rates and has a cheap or free supply of firewood, then a good cat stove may make a lot of sense.

 

[JKE28]

@EbS-P @begreen - can you expand a bit on why cat stoves like the BK might lose some of their appeal if the home has a heat pump? This isn’t the question the OP asked… I can start a new thread if that would be better.
Due to my house layout, and possibly also my inexperience with wood burning, I find my current wood stove can easily run us out of the stove room. I’ve really only been able to control stove room temps by limiting the amount of fuel I put in. I assume in this scenario, the high turndown of a BK would be desirable and maybe the PE would struggle (assuming non-cats don’t have much turndown capability).

With my limited experience with the PE this month. I will say the heat pump has yet to kick on when the wood stove is going. My old VC acclaim would only be an assist to the heat pump. When we need heat in a cold snap it would not meet the demand. Now that could be because of the terrible stove design or the CAT. I chalk it up to both. With the PE its is heat on demand, and it can burn low an slow with the right tweaking I have found. So the CAT to me just seemed like more of a headache than a help. Also the chimney hight played. big factor for me not getting the BK. It only is 13' and I hear and read the BK stoves need a minimum of a 15' chimney.

 

[JKE28]

In some houses, the need for heat from a stove that burns low and slow may be easily covered with a heat pump. The better the heat pump, the lower the threshold ability for the heat pump to do the work of the stove.
This is just a general statement. There are many other factors that determine whether it's a good fit. If one lives in an area with very high electrical rates and has a cheap or free supply of firewood, then a good cat stove may make a lot of sense.

I have found this advice you gave on the stoves to be spot on. Extremely happy with the PE T6

 

[JKE28]

A mid winter update on the PE T6. I have been burning steady now sense mid November to end of January with a few breaks due to warm weather. I can say that the stove is meeting my expectations. I have burned about 1 cord of wood, which is average for me this time of year. However given the amount of burn time and length of burns the stove has doubled my efficiency. My wood bin typically lasted 3 days with the VC now lasts 6 days almost 7. Our first real cold snap last week was a true test for the stove, and I found it to be perfect,. Glad I got the T6 over the T5 because I needed the firebox space when it dipped into the single digits with windchill. I have been burning a beech and oak combo for the most part and it's working out great. The stove has been living up to its reputation of a work horse, and simple operation. Any one looking at one should definitely consider this stove.

 

[JKE28]

End of winter update. As the winter comes to an end it looks like I will have burned 2 cords of wood for the season. I typically burn 2 cords a winter, but this year we doubled the amount of days we used the wood stove because of how much we loved the heat, and it efficient burns. Getting way more bang for your buck with each split.

Those of you that find this thread comparing the BK to the PE all I have to say it your looking at two wonderful stoves. The PE Alderlea T6 is what I purchased and I have never been happier. The glass is almost always clean, and the reburn flames are really cool to watch.
I went with the simplicity and work horse of a stove because my wife is not a country girl (but she loves this stove) So explaining the CAT and how it operates was a headache I didn't want. This stove is very efficient for not having a CAT. Such an upgrade from the Vermont Castings. Go bigger on the stove you won't regret it, small fires in a big stove work just fine.

 

[begreen]

I'm happy to hear it's working out well for you. Have you tried cooking on it yet? A dutch oven on the trivet top makes for easy slow cooking meals and a big kettle on the stove top will be boiling in 15-20 minutes.