Found this stove for $350 and I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with it. It's only 2 cu. ft., so I'm concerned it may not be big enough. My stove is at least 2.3, and I've been looking for bigger, but mostly because mine won't hold at least 5-600 for more than a couple hours. If this would hold that temp for a longer time period, might be a good alternative this winter. Opinions welcome.
No. You would hate it as it will not keep you warm. You need to go larger or do a lot of insulating. A smaller, modern stove will hold temp longer, but it will be a temp that is not meeting your needs.
Well, thanks for verifying what I thought BBar. I was hoping............ "When something seems too good to be true, it usually is." The search continues.
An example is when I went from the Intrepid to the Encore. The Intrepid would hold temps for about 4 hours. But, since the stove was fighting so much draft, it provided little relief at those temps. It probably is an extreme example, but you would suffer from this to an extent. You would need to run the stove hard and reload at a higher temp. This will result in short burn times and frustration.
I'm concerned that when I have a big stove after I've gotten the insulation done, I'll fry in the SS. Short burn times and inability to keep the stove below 6-650 on a good burn has, and will continue to be a big hurdle with this stove. There really isn't a "low and slow mode" after it gets going. I'm sure you're aware.
I can deal with anything if I have to, but my wife prefers it cooler than I. She'd be somewhat happy with mid to upper 60's, where I prefer 70. I know this is for nothing, because really only the usable portion of the firebox matters, but my firebox size w/o bricks is 2.75, but usable around 2.3-2.4. I really do need bigger, and if I can control the burn better, that won't matter. Just thinking out loud.
I think you need to see an Ashford in person to give you an idea as to what a 2.75 cu ft firebox looks like. Then go to a home depot or lows and check out an 30nc 3.5 cu ft firebox. It will give you a better idea of how it compares to your current stove.
I've actually put a tape inside the NC30, and although I don't remember the exact dimensions, the usable size came out around 3, if my memory still works. Can you verify? That's a nice bump from what I've got, but it doesn't look a whole lot bigger. My firebox is 23"W x 18" D x approx. 10" H. I need to find a dealer within a decent distance who has these BK's in stock. The guy 20 minutes from me would be happy to order one, but I don't like the idea of buying sight unseen. The Ashford may be an exception.
If you are going to buy a $3,000 stove, I would spend another $500-$1000 on a ton of insulation. It would suck if you by a new stove and the lack of insulation prevents you from getting the most out of it. My situation was a little different. I knew I needed insulation, but I also needed a lot of heat whether I had the insulation or not. After all is said and done, all six stoves bought, sold, and otherwise, cost me $1,850.
Yep, insulation is in the works already. Started a few years ago in the back porch that we turned into the master BR. Took it down to studs. I've got most of the cedar paneling pulled in the stove room and have begun the pulling of old insulation and installing new, thicker stuff. Also going to do some more sealing. I'll then go up in the attic and do another layer perpendicular to the first in the end of the house where we spend most of our time, then work my way to the other end. It'll be a long process (since my wife has a bunch of bins up there), but if I'm nothing else, I am persistent. I may find I can do with a smaller stove, but that wouldn't be such an issue with an Ashford 30.
There was a time when I was interested in BK until I found out how scarce dealers were in my area and that the prices were tad higher than I expected for a big black steel box.
But...but, what about the alien tech? Had a small fire this am, and around 10 a.m., it got a little sluggish. The outside temp had gone up to almost 55, so no surprise. The stove ran about 250-300 for quite a while and I was gone for 3 hours (cutting wood), and house was still 70 when I got home. Low and slow would be great here, but I don't want to look at the flue....even with very dry wood, unless I've got alien tech or a cat.
