Thread: King wood and coal stove

I have been using King W/C stoves for years! It's a great stove! I'm looking for another one! I think they stopped making them. Any thoughts or anybody got one tucked away?! Thanks!

Originally Posted by Lumberzack

I have been using King W/C stoves for years! It's a great stove! I'm looking for another one! I think they stopped making them. Any thoughts or anybody got one tucked away?! Thanks!

I didn't think anyone but me had one! I assume yours is the cabinet heater with grates, an Ashley knockoff. Mine is at least 25 years old. I have replaced the firebrick once, and one part of the grates. Still have enough parts to replace 1/2 the grate again. I lucked out and found a stove dealer that had parts sources for orphaned stoves.

Harry K

I have one of these type stoves but mine is an Atlanta Homesteader wood circulator. Instead of firebricks it has metal plates. They no longer make this brand either, I have found a place where I can get parts but the selection is very limited. I was in the local Aubuchon hardware the other day and they sell the Ashley like this with fire bricks for $750. I bought mine from a guy I work with for $75. I put it in the cellar and hooked a plenum over it, ran a couple of heat ducts and it has heated my whole house for 3 years. I would buy another one like it in a heart beat. I have a friend whose son in law put in a wonder wood last year (actually think it is the same outfit as Ashley, US Stove Company) I guess he has very good luck with it and heats his whole house.

Is the ashley close to the King stove? I need to find a rear flue stove. Most of the stoves out there have the flue out the top. I've seen the one at TSC and don't think much of it. Any thoughts?

http://www.usstove.com/cgi-bin/csvse...ivid.pl?ID=144

Is this the unit your thinking of? I have had on in my workshop for 20 years and its an incredible heating unit.

Thats the Ashley circulator.
Here is the wonderwood also by US Stove.
http://www.usstove.com/cgi-bin/csvse...ivid.pl?ID=142
The Atlanta Homesteader I heat my house with is very similar to both of these.

Originally Posted by Lumberzack

Is the ashley close to the King stove? I need to find a rear flue stove. Most of the stoves out there have the flue out the top. I've seen the one at TSC and don't think much of it. Any thoughts?

Ashley was (?is?) the king of circulator type stoves. The "King" was a direct copy. There were several others that started up on the same design back in the 60s/70s. These type stoves have a few advantages over the others;

a. An ash pan. No hassle digging ashes out of the fire box. Due to the ash pan, the draft comes up from under the fuel, not on top.

b. Has a sheetmetal cover that prevents burns in case kids or pets rubs against them.

c. Supposed to improve circulation (due to the metal cover). I'm not sure about that one.

Appearance is something else. They don't even come close to being a nice piece of furniture as some of the other stoves do.

Harry K

Originally Posted by NORTHERN NYer

I have one of these type stoves but mine is an Atlanta Homesteader wood circulator. Instead of firebricks it has metal plates. They no longer make this brand either, I have found a place where I can get parts but the selection is very limited. I was in the local Aubuchon hardware the other day and they sell the Ashley like this with fire bricks for $750. I bought mine from a guy I work with for $75. I put it in the cellar and hooked a plenum over it, ran a couple of heat ducts and it has heated my whole house for 3 years. I would buy another one like it in a heart beat. I have a friend whose son in law put in a wonder wood last year (actually think it is the same outfit as Ashley, US Stove Company) I guess he has very good luck with it and heats his whole house.

I've done essentially the same thing but I put a snapdisc on the back and tied it into the intake of my oil forced air system. they say it is not good to do this because of smoke but it has done one hell of a job for the 34 dollars I bought it for.

buck

I don't think its the smoke to worry about, its the heat the furnace will take. Most of the components in a furnace will take some heat, but alot of heat can cause premature wear. The only worries of smoke would be if the heat exchanger got a hole in it, then the carbon monoxide would go through the house. Some say running the heat into the coldair return is fine, maybe on an older furnace. But if it works, then great.

I have the King Wood/Coal circulator. It has never burned coal well for me. It just never developed any heat to speak of. I have been burning wood in it for about 22 years and it works well. I like the ash pan and use the shaker grates to keep the draft going. I have patched the fire brick many times with furnace cement and the angle iron retainer bars are a little warped, but all in all it is still in pretty good shape. Because it is in the basement the drab appearance is not a problem. I like the fact that it take some pretty long logs too because when I cut I just eyeball and don't have to worry too much about length. I was a little skeptical when I got it on sale for $300 back in 1985, but it has really been a good stove.

Chris

Originally Posted by SwampYankee

I have the King Wood/Coal circulator. It has never burned coal well for me. It just never developed any heat to speak of. I have been burning wood in it for about 22 years and it works well. I like the ash pan and use the shaker grates to keep the draft going. I have patched the fire brick many times with furnace cement and the angle iron retainer bars are a little warped, but all in all it is still in pretty good shape. Because it is in the basement the drab appearance is not a problem. I like the fact that it take some pretty long logs too because when I cut I just eyeball and don't have to worry too much about length. I was a little skeptical when I got it on sale for $300 back in 1985, but it has really been a good stove.

Chris

Didn't think of patching the firebrick. I just bought new ones and they are pricey. They replace by just lifting up and pulling the bottom end out of the bracket. I discovered that only after I had dismantled the entire shroud so I could unbolt the top bracket. Just anohter episode of 'flat forehead'.

Harry K

have a king wood stove here model ckw came with the house to bad I saw this thread so much later just pulled it out of garage and was looking to get rid of it