which catalytic steel stove ?

[RustyShackleford]

I agree the BK Princess is the way to go for your size home. look online, we got ours for $1300 less then they wanted around here that was with shipping.

Yeah, definitely leaning this way. I think maybe I'm looking at this price differential
BEFORE paying for shipping - still a HECK of a lot cheaper.

Something in you signature caught my eye (it didn't get quoted here), "the smoking
beast 30 year-old BK King". Why is it smoking ? I thought a big advantage of
steel stove was the absence of seams to start leaking. And if I understand
correctly, the thing just has one gasket, in the big front door.

 

[North of 60]

I agree the BK Princess is the way to go for your size home. look online, we got ours for $1300 less then they wanted around here that was with shipping.

Yeah, definitely leaning this way. I think maybe I'm looking at this price differential
BEFORE paying for shipping - still a HECK of a lot cheaper.

Something in you signature caught my eye (it didn't get quoted here), "the smoking
beast 30 year-old BK King". Why is it smoking ? I thought a big advantage of
steel stove was the absence of seams to start leaking. And if I understand
correctly, the thing just has one gasket, in the big front door.

I tink he is talking about it being a smoke dragon. Smoke outa da chimney. They didn't have a secondary burn in em back then. ;-)

 

[RustyShackleford]

With reference to the Blaze King Princess ... I strongly prefer the look of the
Ultra, but I don't like what I've read about the side shields blocking radiant
heat.

So what I want to know is, can I remove the side shields ? I mean, of course
I can, they are evidently just screwed into the flanges sticking out the sides
of the stove. But more to the point, is this a reasonable thing to do ? Would
the Ultra look "funny" if I did this, with the mounting points for the side shields
exposed ?

 

[North of 60]

You will get convection out the sides and radiant out the top and front. The best of both.

 

[RustyShackleford]

You will get convection out the sides and radiant out the top and front. The best of both.

Ok, I'll take that under advisement.

Meanwhile, could I get you to remove your side shields right quick, and
tell me how hard it was to do, and if it looks "funny" ?

 

[Rob From Wisconsin]

It was mentioned earlier about the Buck Stove line.
Perhaps the model 90 would work for you.....it's a monster of a stove.
Checkout the link below...

http://www.buckstove.com/

 

[wolfkiller]

Lots of nice talk here about BlazeKing recently.
Has anybody actually experienced those 40-hour burn times they mention?

I have one. It might do 40 hrs dampered all the way down with a stuffed box of very hard wood. I get 12-14 hr burn times with birch heating a 1500 sq ft house and sort of heating a 1000 sq ft garage in -20 to -60 temps. I keep the living room about 75 the bed rooms 65 and the garage 45-50 with it in the winter. It is still hot with a big bed of coals when I reload. I have had a 24hr burn but it was only about 45-50 outside.

 

[Hiram Maxim]

Lots of nice talk here about BlazeKing recently.
Has anybody actually experienced those 40-hour burn times they mention?

I have one. It might do 40 hrs dampered all the way down with a stuffed box of very hard wood. I get 12-14 hr burn times with birch heating a 1500 sq ft house and sort of heating a 1000 sq ft garage in -20 to -60 temps. I keep the living room about 75 the bed rooms 65 and the garage 45-50 with it in the winter. It is still hot with a big bed of coals when I reload. I have had a 24hr burn but it was only about 45-50 outside.

So the companies 40 hr. burn time is fairly misleading?

Is it safe to say that birch wood is more of a medium wood and not a hard wood? :question:

I'm really entertaining the King Ultra for next purchase!

Might not be this season but before the "Obamanation Tax" sunsets. :long:

 

[Wet1]

Lots of nice talk here about BlazeKing recently.
Has anybody actually experienced those 40-hour burn times they mention?

I have one. It might do 40 hrs dampered all the way down with a stuffed box of very hard wood. I get 12-14 hr burn times with birch heating a 1500 sq ft house and sort of heating a 1000 sq ft garage in -20 to -60 temps. I keep the living room about 75 the bed rooms 65 and the garage 45-50 with it in the winter. It is still hot with a big bed of coals when I reload. I have had a 24hr burn but it was only about 45-50 outside.

So the companies 40 hr. burn time is fairly misleading?

I don't know that I'd say it's completely misleading, and certainly no more so than any other stoves manufacturers claims, just because I suspect the stove would be capable of doing it under the right conditions. Then again, we don't live in a lab. So no, don't expect to heat your home in the middle of Feb. and only have to reload it every other day.

OTOH, with a full load of good hardwood (oak, beech, etc.) set at a low burn in somewhat mild conditions, it's very realistic to get 24+ hour burns out of the BKK.

 

[Wet1]

You will get convection out the sides and radiant out the top and front. The best of both.

I don't know that either is a superior design, they are just two different stoves, each with a different intended purpose. If side clearances are an issue, or if you just really liked the looks of the Ultra better, then the Ultra is probably your best bet. If you want better passive performance and don't need the tighter side clearances, or just prefer the styling of the old Big Mac container, then the traditional model is probably a better choice.

I just don't like listening to blowers all that much, so I was looking for more of a passive heater. I will say I too was not all that thrilled with the appearance of the BKK BM (Big Mac) based on the pictures, but after seeing the BKK with the legs (rather than sitting on the little pedestal), I can honestly say it's not a bad looking stove in person. But it is big!

 

[RustyShackleford]

Just talked to the horse's mouth - Blaze King in WA - and they said I can
easily remove the side shields (from BK Princess Ultra) and that the
mounting points would be "minimally noticeable". So I guess I can
get the Ultra and decide if I like the shields or not.

Intriguingly, I asked about the brown color I've seen mentioned (at
autorain ?) He said that dealers that display the brown tend to sell
the brown. He sent me to:

http://forrestpaint.com/index.php?page=hi-temp-paints

... although I forget WHICH brown he said they used. BUT, he said
I could order the stove in ANY of the colors shown there. He said
there would be a fee - he wasn't real definite about the amount but
said about $150 - and an add'l lead-time of "3-4 weeks". He said
I could just paint it myself, but it seems like they would do a
better job - but who knows.

 

[Wet1]

Good to know about the side shields.

Regarding the paint, I'd be pretty hesitant about ordering anything other than black. As paint burns in it tends to discolor. With black it's no big deal and is very easy to touch up and respray... I don't know that I'd want to spin the wheel by going with another color... Now enamel is a different story.

So when does the new stove arrive? BK turns most orders the same day or within 24 hours.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Good to know about the side shields.

Regarding the paint, I'd be pretty hesitant about ordering anything other than black. As paint burns in it tends to discolor. With black it's no big deal and is very easy to touch up and respray... I don't know that I'd want to spin the wheel by going with another color... .

Good point. I'd certainly only go with another very dark color - a red or a blue perhaps.

So when does the new stove arrive? BK turns most orders the same day or within 24 hours.

Surely you've realized by now that I'm a guy who agonizes ad-infinitum over ANY little
decision. I wouldn't hold your breath. And heating season is still a long way off in these
parts ...

 

[RustyShackleford]

Reading this thread:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/41182/

... has made me start to wonder if the BK Princess is just too damn much stove for my place.

Details on my needs are in posts #0 and #13 of this thread: well-insulated 1400 sq-ft house
in the south, but with cathedral ceilings and lotsa glass in the main room, and I like it warm.

So the question is, will I have difficulty not cooking myself with the Princess, or will it
simply mean that I'll be able to turn the thermostat down and have fires last longer ?

 

[RustyShackleford]

Reading this thread:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/41182/

... has made me start to wonder if the BK Princess is just too damn much stove for my place.

Details on my needs are in posts #0 and #13 of this thread: well-insulated 1400 sq-ft house
in the south, but with cathedral ceilings and lotsa glass in the main room, and I like it warm.

So the question is, will I have difficulty not cooking myself with the Princess, or will it
simply mean that I'll be able to turn the thermostat down and have fires last longer ?

Bump, for opinions ?

 

[Wet1]

The BKK can be turned down to a very low burn, so I assume the Princess will go as low or lower. So no, I don't think you'll have any issues at all with 1400 sq ft.

 

[learnin to burn]

The Princes can be turned down all the way just like the BKK. It uses the same thermostat and settings.

 

[RustyShackleford]

The Princes can be turned down all the way just like the BKK. It uses the same thermostat and settings.

I understand that, thanks. But what I'm wondering is, if I turn it down low
enough to not cook myself, will it be so low that I have trouble keeping the
fire going, or at least keeping the catalytic burn going ? Wet1 seems to
say "yes".

 

[learnin to burn]

Based on the what the manual states I think BK has it adjusted to a point where it shouldn't go out.

(The thermostat is adjusted at the factory and should not be tampered with. if the thermostat breaks, the
damper will close automatically.)

(Any thermostat position between 1 and 3 will produce the desired clean burning characteristics.)


I would also add it would be good to download the manuals for any of the stoves you are considering and get familiar with there installation requirements as well as operating procedures. The more research you do the happier you will be with your future purchase.

 

[Wet1]

Learning to burn is correct, you can turn the stove all the way down and it will still burn properly. You just have to make sure the stove/cat is hot enough so the cat is active before it's turned down.