Catalytic vs Secondary Burn Technology Advantages?

[Idahonative]

Idahonative how many full cords(4X4X8)of wood are you burning in a season now?I burn about 5 but sometimes more when I run 2 stoves like I have to do when it gets colder.

I think we have burned just over one cord so far this season & we've been burning since the end of October. I will get some pics when I get time and then edit this post.

 

[JA600L]

Well that's awesome bud. Too bad Wampum didn't have the same experience with his ongoing warping issues.

Do we know all the details? No. Of course not. I'm sure there are all kinds of posts about Blaze King problems but who cares? Both are reputable companies that try their best in an imperfect world. Blaze King is only as good as the dealer you bought it from. Woodstock is a small business. Please stop singling out and harassing one company. It is not fair.

As a consumer, you have the responsibility of researching a product and asking questions. If a 1 year warranty is not satisfactory for you then walk away.

 

[Idahonative]

Do we know all the details? No. Of course not. I'm sure there are all kinds of posts about Blaze King problems but who cares? Both are reputable companies that try their best in an imperfect world. Blaze King is only as good as the dealer you bought it from. Woodstock is a small business. Please stop singling out and harassing one company. It is not fair.

Dude, grow up. You sound like a 3rd grader who was just mugged by a little girl on the playground. If you can't handle getting on here and discussing issues then go back to H---th where the other three Woodstock cheerleaders can stroke your fetish. Do you have anything else to add besides, "it's not fair"?

 

[JA600L]

I just don't think it's fair for somebody with no real experience with a product to so unashamedly bash it on a forum where people are looking for real reviews from owners.

If the owners of these stoves have something to say then let them speak. If you run a Blaze King then post about Blaze King.

 

[Deleted member 83629]

were is white spider when you need him.

 

[laynes69]

I just don't think it's fair for somebody with no real experience with a product to so unashamedly bash it on a forum where people are looking for real reviews from owners.

Don't worry, Many people can see thru the BS in threads like these. I for sure wouldn't make a decision based on a single thread. For us either way, neither stove would give us the posted claims with our home. Many times posted here, you see the words "room temps." I enjoy having our home a comfortable temperature throughout, something a stove could not do for us.

 

[wampum]

I want to make this perfectly clear.I own a Woodstock Fireview stove and have used it for years. I only can attest to what my stove has done.I have no experience with the IS or Blaze King.Both of these stove may be terrific and may be the best thing since sliced bread.The model stove I have was made before as a non Cat stove.You could load it either from the top or side.Because it was retrofitted with a Cat you can now only load it from the side.My experience is that the items involve in the Cat conversion have warped and degraded in my stove.

My point in bringing this up was to have any potential buyer to be aware that ANY stove Made ANY where from ANY manufacturer that adds internal parts inside a fire box may be a problem.Look at it and examine how it is built,use common sense and decide if that stove down the road will have problems.

My experience with Woodstock is that they are good people.I have never had trouble with them.But when these parts go bad,which I believe is going to happen for as long as I own this stove I will have to order new parts every few years.Pretty simple really.I also believe that any stove made that puts parts in the firebox that can be warped can and will be warped.That is just that nature of the beast.I do not blame Woodstock,I blame the goofs at the EPA.

 

[Idahonative]

I just don't think it's fair for somebody with no real experience with a product to so unashamedly bash it on a forum where people are looking for real reviews from owners.

If the owners of these stoves have something to say then let them speak. If you run a Blaze King then post about Blaze King.

Uhh, that's not really how these forums work. I've said it before, these forums are about information even if it's information you don't like or agree with. Maybe I don't agree with you joining this forum just to defend Woodstock and their Ideal Steel. Well tough for me. You have just as much right to post on here as I do. And that's the beauty of these forums...everyone has a voice and the people reading can sift through it and decide what they want to believe. By the way, complaining that something is not fair just reeks of "entitlement baby" to me and there's nothing that turns my stomach quicker.

 

[Flamestead]

I won't be following this too closely any more, but if the OP or anyone else would like to ask questions about my firsthand experiences with the PH or IS, which were my first cat stoves, or about Woodstock's customer service and commitment to customer satisfaction, please feel free to PM me or start a thread and PM me to get me back here.

Good luck,
Sam.

 

[Idahonative]

Idahonative how many full cords(4X4X8)of wood are you burning in a season now?I burn about 5 but sometimes more when I run 2 stoves like I have to do when it gets colder.

Our winters wood has always consisted of two stacks across our back porch. It is 174" wide x 81" tall and I cut our wood about 17.5" in length. So by my calculations, each stack on our back porch is 1.12 cord.

Before we bought this stove we would consistently burn all but a small pile, so just over 2 full cord per winter. As of right now, we are almost through one entire stack so we have burned just over one cord. We normally have some cold weather between now and March so we aren't done burning yet.

We have been burning since the end of October although lately, it has been warmer than normal so we are not using much wood. Our living room, dining room, and kitchen are all open together with vaulted ceilings and we like to keep that area about 73-74 degrees. We like our bedroom cooler than that so, unless it's real cold, we will close our door part way to cool it off some.

 

[showrguy]

Our winters wood has always consisted of two stacks across our back porch. It is 174" wide x 81" tall and I cut our wood about 17.5" in length. So by my calculations, each stack on our back porch is 1.12 cord.

Before we bought this stove we would consistently burn all but a small pile, so just over 2 full cord per winter. As of right now, we are almost through one entire stack so we have burned just over one cord. We normally have some cold weather between now and March so we aren't done burning yet.

We have been burning since the end of October although lately, it has been warmer than normal so we are not using much wood. Our living room, dining room, and kitchen are all open together with vaulted ceilings and we like to keep that area about 73-74 degrees. We like our bedroom cooler than that so, unless it's real cold, we will close our door part way to cool it off some.

Is that a goat in the 2nd picture ??

 

[Ambull01]

I won't be following this too closely any more, but if the OP or anyone else would like to ask questions about my firsthand experiences with the PH or IS, which were my first cat stoves, or about Woodstock's customer service and commitment to customer satisfaction, please feel free to PM me or start a thread and PM me to get me back here.

Good luck,
Sam.

Damn, y'all are scaring away dudes that have used cat and secondary stoves. With some people, there is no use in discussions. I learned that from my ex-wife. Just use the freaking ignore option!

Anyway, PM inbound

 

[JA600L]

Damn, y'all are scaring away dudes that have used cat and secondary stoves. With some people, there is no use in discussions. I learned that from my ex-wife. Just use the freaking ignore option!

Anyway, PM inbound

How is your stove search going? Have you decided what to do yet?

 

[Ambull01]

How is your stove search going? Have you decided what to do yet?

Well hello there! How did you find this site? I'm about 80-90% sure I'll go with the IS. Only thing holding me back is the price of a Englander 30-NCH and the periodic cat replacement requirement.

 

[JA600L]

Do what works best for you. I came from a Quadra-fire Fire 4300 non cat. This had a slightly smaller firebox but I'm sure it has similar performance as the Englander. That stove did very well for me, but the Ideal Steel has done much better. The Englander has great reviews.

Let's say the cat would fail in the IS, the secondary burn function would still carry you through till the cat could be replaced. Cat only stoves would become smoke dragons.

Of course operating it in this way is "illegal" and probably not recommended but we all do what we have to to stay warm. I'm sure this would work with the bypass closed and the cat removed. It would then function as a normal non cat stove with less efficiency.

 

[Ambull01]

Do what works best for you. I came from a Quadra-fire Fire 4300 non cat. This had a slightly smaller firebox but I'm sure it has similar performance as the Englander. That stove did very well for me, but the Ideal Steel has done much better. The Englander has great reviews.

Let's say the cat would fail in the IS, the secondary burn function would still carry you through till the cat could be replaced. Cat only stoves would become smoke dragons.

Of course operating it in this way is "illegal" and probably not recommended but we all do what we have to to stay warm. I'm sure this would work with the bypass closed and the cat removed. It would then function as a normal non cat stove with less efficiency.

True, forgot the IS uses both cat and secondaries. I'll just print out both stoves with the prices listed and have my wife pick one. This way if it doesn't meet expectations it will be her fault.

 

[Chris-PA]

I'll just print out both stoves with the prices listed and have my wife pick one. This way if it doesn't meet expectations it will be her fault.

A man who knows how to think ahead!

 

[al-k]

I have had a woodstock Fireview for more than fifteen years never had any parts fail other than the cat, cost around 150. first cat failed because i over fired it, my fault.

 

[JA600L]

True, forgot the IS uses both cat and secondaries. I'll just print out both stoves with the prices listed and have my wife pick one. This way if it doesn't meet expectations it will be her fault.

Just curious. How does Englanders warranty work if say you buy it from a big store like Home Depot. Does Home Depot handle any of the warranty or is it manufacturer direct?

 

[Ambull01]

A man who knows how to think ahead!

Yes sir lol. Made that mistake with her car. Wife told me she didn't have a preference so I bought her a Pontiac Vibe. It's basically the same thing as a Toyota Matrix, one of the most reliable cars on the road and sips fuel. Two years later the daggone timing chain is thrown off during throttle and somehow causes some engine damage. Cost us $2,200 to fix it. I read timing chains are supposed to last basically the life of the vehicle. Now she always mentions to people I picked that model for its historical reliability ratings.

I have had a woodstock Fireview for more than fifteen years never had any parts fail other than the cat, cost around 150. first cat failed because i over fired it, my fault.

I saw the Fireview on their website, great looking stove. Nice to hear good and bad stories on stoves.