Upgrade 30-NC to Ideal Steel?

[Barnett]

woodstock has no ashe rakes for 24 months now a modified fireplace shovel wks great youd be foolish to not get an ash pan .. on progress there are no other options as far as running thee stove .. or cleaning . rest of it is knick knacks for thee other half trivets kettles etc .. i try n burn dry to but ive not had 3-4 yrs yet to dry the mess etc and wen ya buy wood like all else amerikan everyones woods the best dried the loongetst and they the only folk around who can git a full cord on their longbed p up trk.. Yea right worse than shopping with the wife at wal mart folk stand in your face talkin this crap do not expect much really dis honest folk in this buis.. really recent to ..

 

[pdxdave]

woodstock has no ashe rakes for 24 months now a modified fireplace shovel wks great youd be foolish to not get an ash pan .. on progress there are no other options as far as running thee stove .. or cleaning . rest of it is knick knacks for thee other half trivets kettles etc .. i try n burn dry to but ive not had 3-4 yrs yet to dry the mess etc and wen ya buy wood like all else amerikan everyones woods the best dried the loongetst and they the only folk around who can git a full cord on their longbed p up trk.. Yea right worse than shopping with the wife at wal mart folk stand in your face talkin this crap do not expect much really dis honest folk in this buis.. really recent to ..

I didn't get an ashpan on my woodstock
Never had one so don't know what I'm missing. For my stove you can't have it at the lowest leg setting with the pan. I checked distances, and it looked ok but I skipped the option anyways just in case. Turns out I did indeed need to have it at the lowest height!

 

[JA600L]

I didn't get an ashpan on my woodstock
Never had one so don't know what I'm missing. For my stove you can't have it at the lowest leg setting with the pan. I checked distances, and it looked ok but I skipped the option anyways just in case. Turns out I did indeed need to have it at the lowest height!

That's too bad. The ash pan is really nice.

 

[Smoked]

You guys that burn cat stoves, how long does the cat really last if not abused? I want a second stove for my basement for when it's really cold but don't want to have to baby sit it so from this thread, the long burn times seem really really good! I have always been a little scared of the cat maintenance though. I only burn well seasoned hardwoods but suspect my draft in this fireplace will be epic after I line it.

 

[BrotherBart]

When you downgrade, at least give the 30 to a good home.

 

[CO burner]

BrotherBart, your love for the 30 has no end and I understand exactly why.... best $650 I've ever spent when I replaced the VC Resolute. Your endorsement of the "best bang for the buck" woodburner is what saved me from an overpriced mediocre stove when I couldn't get exactly what I wanted when I needed it. I was pretty sure that the stove was borderline too big for our needs, but I went with the 30 over the 13 because it would work perfectly for my friend who is slowly remodeling a very cool 1800's train depot. He will be heating his place with the stove next year for $500 and I will be delivering it and helping with the install. He will also be getting a crash course in top down fires, clean burning practices, and all the burning knowledge I have gleaned about the intimacies of the "black beast" in my winter spent mostly at tropical temps while in my finest beach wear, while I do my best to drain his kegorator! I would truly like to extend a heartfelt thanks for your active participation in these forums so schlubs like me can make better edu-ma-cated decisions.

Tonight I am looking at a low of 25. It's 10:45 and I have a 2/3 full top down load of mostly fir with some oak around the outside edges just getting into the coaling stages. Stove top temps are 575, inside temps are 75 headed up to 80, the heat pump will wake me up at 6:15 and I'll have mostly clean glass and just enough coals for a matchless relight ... I'm not complaining about that! I just have to scratch the itch and find out if these catalytic stoves are really all that they're cracked up to be. If it doesn't work out, I'll be the first guy back at HD when Englanders go on sale.

 

[CO burner]

woodstock has no ashe rakes for 24 months now a modified fireplace shovel wks great youd be foolish to not get an ash pan .. on progress there are no other options as far as running thee stove .. or cleaning . rest of it is knick knacks for thee other half trivets kettles etc .. i try n burn dry to but ive not had 3-4 yrs yet to dry the mess etc and wen ya buy wood like all else amerikan everyones woods the best dried the loongetst and they the only folk around who can git a full cord on their longbed p up trk.. Yea right worse than shopping with the wife at wal mart folk stand in your face talkin this crap do not expect much really dis honest folk in this buis.. really recent to ..

BarnEtt- having much trouble interpreting your post. Read multiple times, no success. Brought over redneck neighbor for help with translating, no success. Drank 1\2 bottle of whiskey with redneck neighbor ... Understood everything. Now sober, can't remember anything. Please resend in amerikan English.

 

[Barnett]

they sell thee 30 at home depot?

 

[LocustBurner]

You guys that burn cat stoves, how long does the cat really last if not abused? I want a second stove for my basement for when it's really cold but don't want to have to baby sit it so from this thread, the long burn times seem really really good! I have always been a little scared of the cat maintenance though. I only burn well seasoned hardwoods but suspect my draft in this fireplace will be epic after I line it.

The rep @ Woodstock told me to expect 4 to 8 yrs. on a cat depending on useage and that it is simple to change out. They cost $150.
From what I've read about the VC units in some cases they are more difficult to swap out and cost about $200.

 

[JA600L]

The rep @ Woodstock told me to expect 4 to 8 yrs. on a cat depending on useage and that it is simple to change out. They cost $150.
From what I've read about the VC units in some cases they are more difficult to swap out and cost about $200.

Keep in mind that in hybrid stoves the cats are usually a little smaller in size as the secondaries burn some of the smoke. That might be part of the reason it cheaper. Access is 100% awesome on the Ideal Steel.

 

[Jo191145]

BK dealer in Monte Vista doesn't really want to mess with delivery and service 2 hours away. The March IS deal will keep $1500+ in my pocket. New stove will be ordered Monday. I'll report back in the fall with a direct comparison of the two. Thanks for the help and advice.

I think both you and the missus will be very happy. I just installed an IS in my moms house. I don't get to play with it as much as I'd want but from what I've seen it'll run all day and night at 350 degrees and an awesome flame show if you give it just a bit more air. You'll find your happy spot.
My moms only complaint so far is that it she isn't burning as much wood. Damn that makes me happy.

Appreciate your humor

 

[Barnett]

welll i dont feel so bad about a progress running similarly then .. i can get in to the 400 area . with that thinner sheet metal id think really fassst to. i can get ribbon cats for my progress about 66 bux not an issue i keep two here for quik change they do clog fast . and clean well and easily you just have to when ness.

 

[unhdsm]

Burn time is relative. Everyone is burning in different stoves, different wood, different chimneys, loading it differently, in different houses, different climates, different age stoves and catalysts, etc..

Saw this IS beta tester quote on Woodstock's site today:
4/7/14
"Loaded the stove 75% full as we were headed out the door for the hospital. Sydney was born that morning. We came home 3 days later and still had enough coals in the IS to start a fire, easily. 56 hours later!!"
Doug K.
Newbury, VT

This has more to do with the insulating power of ash than burn time.

I totally admit this was more of a parlor trick. I have no idea how many hours the stove put out actual heat. I was sending weekly updates to WS at that point so I threw that in. If there *is* a point there, it is that the IS holds heat much longer than my previous, high end EPA secondary stove. I think Blaze Kings stoves are cool too.

 

[begreen]

Was this you Doug? I notice their marketing can sometimes tend to cherry-pick information. It's ok to market proudly but hype is not needed or helpful, from any stove company.

PS: How's the baby doing?

 

[unhdsm]

Was this you Doug? I notice their marketing can sometimes tend to cherry-pick information. It's ok to market proudly but hype is not needed or helpful, from any stove company.

PS: How's the baby doing?

I think they just tossed it up informally on their blog? Thing is with WS you quickly become part of the family and we had been down to the office many times by that point.

I will say with certainty that I never had a stove that would do that and it IS a big convenience to never have to start a fire from scratch if we leave the house for 3-4 days.

Sydney is good. Loud and good.

 

[begreen]

I think they just tossed it up informally on their blog? Thing is with WS you quickly become part of the family and we had been down to the office many times by that point.

It comes off differently depending on the audience. A new burner could certainly be misled.

Sydney is good. Loud and good.

 

[CO burner]

The what now?

And looking forward to your review comparing the two

After sitting in the garage all summer the IS got installed day before yesterday, burned the shipping crate for 2 smallish break-in fires, first significant storm cycle hits tomorrow afternoon, lows in the teens day after tomorrow .... anxious to stretch the legs and see what this fancy new fangled wood-burner can do!

Side notes of interest: 30-NC got installed in my buddy's drafty and poorly insulated train depot remodel-in-constant- progress replacing a high school shop class built smoke dragon, his keg-erator was emptied, top down fires were discussed at length and the mini who just turned 1 now says "hot" and points at the IS. All is good! Extensive real world comparative Ideal Steel vs 30-NC reviews to follow.

 

[JA600L]

After sitting in the garage all summer the IS got installed day before yesterday, burned the shipping crate for 2 smallish break-in fires, first significant storm cycle hits tomorrow afternoon, lows in the teens day after tomorrow .... anxious to stretch the legs and see what this fancy new fangled wood-burner can do!

Side notes of interest: 30-NC got installed in my buddy's drafty and poorly insulated train depot remodel-in-constant- progress replacing a high school shop class built smoke dragon, his keg-erator was emptied, top down fires were discussed at length and the mini who just turned 1 now says "hot" and points at the IS. All is good! Extensive real world comparative Ideal Steel vs 30-NC reviews to follow.

I think many people will be interested to hear the results. Many of us have found that running the stove in the 3-5 notch range gives the best burn times. On a cold start, get the stove good and hot before engaging the cat.

 

[kennyp2339]

Extensive real world comparative Ideal Steel vs 30-NC reviews to follow.

Can we get some pics with the reviews - show us a fully loaded stove!

 

[CO burner]

It is going to be a boring winter. Open the draft, wait 30 seconds, stir the coals, load the stove, let it flame up, turn to 1/4 air, engage cat, repeat every 12ish hours. It will cruise at 350-400 for the duration, the house stays at 72 and the heat never kicks on. What am I going to do with all my spare time?

I've only loaded it partially full of spruce and fir a couple times and am getting 10+ hours of heat and matchless relights after 12+ hours. Color me impressed with the stove so far. I have 2 cords of oak that will be reserved for the dead of winter when I need more BTUs per load.

Lows in the high 20's last night, high today of 38. I filled it just less than 1/2 full at 7:30 last night and had it damped down and cruising at 400 before 8:00. Got up this morning at 7:00 to a small bed of coals a 70 house and a 300 stove top temp. Stirred the coals, threw on a handful of small diameter scraps underneath 5 good size splits (1/3 full), made coffee and breakfast, turned the stove down to 1/4 air and engaged the cat. It's now 3:00, stove is at 350, house is at 74, outside is 38, and I have hours left before it needs any attention. (see photo) Once the cat is engaged, there is very little evidence that there is even a fire burning.

I ended up with a soapstone lined firebox, side panels and an ash pan delivered to SW Colorado for around $2400. More to come once real winter hits.

 

[JA600L]

Congrats on a successful setup. Many people think this hybrid won't burn full cat, but I see it all the time. It gives awesome burn times without the flames. Did you adjust the air at all in the burn or let it cruise?

Think about all the wood you will save .

 

[Hoozie]

Thanks for the update! Sounds like just the stove I could really use. 12 hour loading cycles would be awesome. Don't get me wrong, the 30 is nice, but long load times may be nicer

But, it would appear that I may be getting a new job soon that would require moving, and selling all of my 10 cords of (truly) seasoned wood

 

[JA600L]

Thanks for the update! Sounds like just the stove I could really use. 12 hour loading cycles would be awesome. Don't get me wrong, the 30 is nice, but long load times may be nicer

But, it would appear that I may be getting a new job soon that would require moving, and selling all of my 10 cords of (truly) seasoned wood

Just curious, how far can the 30NC go before it takes a match to start it? It always seemed like my Quad was cold after 11 hours. It was a slightly smaller box, but still. I've had a similar experience with the IS where I left for a 3 day weekend and came home to just enough coals to liven it up again.

My theory is the cat extracts smoke from the wood but leaves the charcoal bodies behind and they stay insulated for a long time. I usually get some flames again when I open the draft in the morning.

 

[Hoozie]

Just curious, how far can the 30NC go before it takes a match to start it? It always seemed like my Quad was cold after 11 hours. It was a slightly smaller box, but still. I've had a similar experience with the IS where I left for a 3 day weekend and came home to just enough coals to liven it up again.

My theory is the cat extracts smoke from the wood but leaves the charcoal bodies behind and they stay insulated for a long time. I usually get some flames again when I open the draft in the morning.

Last night I put a 5 or 6 splits of softwood (maybe one was hardwood?) in around 11pm, and had burning coals this morning at 7am, with stove top temps of 200°F. New splits flamed over in just a few minutes. Which really isn't bad at all. Once it gets colder though I will be on a ~5-7 hour reload cycle. (Inside temps will peak around 78, then I wait until it drops to the high 60s before reloading again). If I can average that to the low/mid 70s for 12 hours though...

As for needing a match... probably 12 hours, depending on the last load, and how many ashes are in the box.

I think your theory is probably mostly correct. I do have times towards the end of the burn where I'm getting visible smoke outside with just coals remaining. Not exactly sure what's going on there. It would be nice to reclaim that into heat, which I presume the cat would be able to do.

 

[droppinloads]

Thanks for the update on the IS. I have one on order, will be picking it up (i think) on 11/21- can't wait to get it cranking