Very good experience with a great company

I just had to ring their bell to the crowd that will appreciate this. I pulled the cat out of my Buck early last week to have a look after the 2nd winter (little more cumbersome to pull than some other stoves I believe). I had bought a new cat housing gasket and gasket wrap quite awhile back knowing that I would pull it and those would be needed to reinstall. Well when I got it out it looked pretty good still but had a couple small areas with some distortion, probably from a new rookie to cats from the first winter as I think I had everything down pat this past winter. I decided rather than even trying to present a warranty claim knowing that it was still very useable I would just purchase another one and keep this one for a back up.
Fast forward 1 week and my new cat arrived from Applied Ceramics (firecat combusters). I opened it up and when I unwrapped the foam from around it I saw a few areas on it that I didn't think was quite up to snuff for a $300 purchase. Next morning I took a few pictures so when I called them I could e-mail just to show my concerns. Left a message for the gentleman in charge of the wood stove cat sales and he called me back a couple hours later. I proceeded to explain that I had recieved my new cat that I purchased online at their sight and was not completely pleased with what I saw and explained the couple shortcomings along with the fact that I could e-mail some pictures. His response " I'll ship you out another one tomorrow" no questions ask. It was so surprizing and I guess it took me off guard in a good way that I felt compelled to further explain that I didn't even try to present a warranty claim because it was still useable so I would keep it for a backup and was likely my learning that had caused issues with the original one. His response "Just keep the first one we sent for a backup, sounds like it is very useable too" I guess their business statement that I found on their sight is correct when they say they are a family owned business that operates on biblical principles and strive to glorify Jesus Christ.

 

That's what I thought too Sav but wanted to blow their horn in case anyone is in the market for a new cat this year.

 

The cat for my sister's BK arrived damaged, and it was most definitely damaged before it was packaged for shipping. The was no damage anywhere to any of the packing materials, yet one edge was just crumbled. I was expecting a bit of a hard time, but they overnighted a replacement immediately, and sent a return label for the damaged one.

Super easy, no questions. Surprising with something as fragile as a ceramic combustor. They could have easily said tough chit, you musta dropped it, but they came through like a truly customer oriented company would.

 

What didn't you like about the new one? This is what I saw when I got an AC cat for the 91 a couple years ago. I thought the cat coating looked a bit sparse but it's been working fine. I kept the one that came with the stove for a backup. It looked good but I was unsure about how long it had been in there. Being new to the stove, I didn't realize until later that you can't rush the light-off, stove innards have to be up to temp. It would be great to be able to get a DuraFoil steelie for the 91...maybe soon.

 

Coating looked fine but the insulation on the one end of the can was not full so would have let smoke/air through without going through the cat and a small corner was chipped off one section.
Hey Woody since your on this one, question because I do not remember. Does those stainless straps across the middle of the cat go down or up when you put the cat back in the housing ? In other words should I see those straps when I look at the cat in the stove or not.

 

You know, I don't remember but I assume I put it in straps down, so the sections couldn't move downward with expansion and contraction. But the mixing screen would keep them from moving down too much, I guess. I'll have a look next time I'm there.

 

I won't be putting it back together for a few days.....if you get over to your MIL's stick your head in and see if you can see the straps on the bottom or not. If I don't hear from you I will call Buck and ask. Thanks Woody.

 

The cat in the housing was a tight fit. Seemed like the housing tapered in the further down you went, and the gasket doesn't slide well against the rough cast surface. I wrapped and taped the interam gasket onto the can real tight, and I think I shoehorned the gasket with a thin putty knife as I worked the cat down in. I guess you could tape all the way around since the tape just burns away. Tape would slide in better than that gasket did. Can't remember if I checked if there would be interference if the cat wasn't fully down in the housing, but I'm assuming not. Maybe the cat didn't need to be down as far as I thought it did...

 

I'll make it a point to check in the next day or two. Makes sense that the straps should be down, though. What other purpose would they serve than to hold the sections in place? I don't see those sections ever moving upward, unless you're running a lot more air than I ever did.

 

I knew it was pretty snug coming out so I had thought about some of this already Woody. I report how it goes on reinstall and I just sent an e-mail to Buck just in case you don't make it to your MIL's.

 

I thought the same thing about the straps being down but I just really don't think I remember them being down when I had taken a small artist brush a few times and brushed the fly ash off the bottom of the cat through the screen. BUT I'm not sure.

 

Here's the original, before I simmered it out in the distilled water/white vinegar. Looked real good after that, no cracks or loss to speak of.

 

I checked today, and had the straps down but I can't remember if the old one was like that. The above pic was the first time I took it off...maybe.

 

Buck e-mailed back and confirmed also that the straps go down Woody.

 

new one arrived today and it looks better.......I'll get the stove back together sometime soon then I'll be gooder to go for burn season......stove is all cleaned out with a can of damp rid sitting inside, I ran a brush down the chimney but got virtually nothing out of the chimney and only a few flakes off the cap. Have I said how much I like this cat stove, of course 3+ year old wood contributes to the outcome as is well known.

 

Locust Post. What a great mission statement for a company. I recall s

eeing something like it on some ice fishing tip ups purchased many years ago - still using them and once in while - actually catching a big trout on them.

What a great 'company mission statement.'

 

Resurrected an old thread here I see that I had forgotten about Ranger Bob......that new cat is working like a dream.....by the way welcome aboard......hang on for "a 3hr cruise" ...