Transition from wood to coal
- warminmn
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- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Junior, Riteway 37
- Coal Size/Type: nut ant, lignite
- Other Heating: Wood, wear a wool shirt and sleep under a Hudson Bay Wool Blanket when out of coal
I'd have that much wood burned in early December, LOL
I agree with about 1 1/4 cords of good wood or slightly more to a ton of coal. It doesnt match up to the fuel calculator but its just been my experience with stoves that are probably about the same efficiency, which neither is real good. My wood stove would maybe be a little better efficiency.
At some point I'll have to read more into the Blaze kings for people in my climate, and not warmer climates. I'd never get by 24 hrs with one load of wood on many cold days as there just isnt enough BTU's in the wood to do it. But for someone only using a cord and a half a year I know it would work great and Im jealous of that amount.
I averaged 28 pounds of coal a day over the last 3 months and it was the warmest winter in my lifetime. I also burned wood 5 days of that time in that one cold spell I had to supplement it. Thats still a lot of wood to replace that 28 pounds over 3 months. I usually need heat until about Memorial Day. I burned a little under 2 cords, about 1.7 cords, of wood before I switched to coal December 28th, so over 3 months of heating with wood first.
I agree with about 1 1/4 cords of good wood or slightly more to a ton of coal. It doesnt match up to the fuel calculator but its just been my experience with stoves that are probably about the same efficiency, which neither is real good. My wood stove would maybe be a little better efficiency.
At some point I'll have to read more into the Blaze kings for people in my climate, and not warmer climates. I'd never get by 24 hrs with one load of wood on many cold days as there just isnt enough BTU's in the wood to do it. But for someone only using a cord and a half a year I know it would work great and Im jealous of that amount.
I averaged 28 pounds of coal a day over the last 3 months and it was the warmest winter in my lifetime. I also burned wood 5 days of that time in that one cold spell I had to supplement it. Thats still a lot of wood to replace that 28 pounds over 3 months. I usually need heat until about Memorial Day. I burned a little under 2 cords, about 1.7 cords, of wood before I switched to coal December 28th, so over 3 months of heating with wood first.
The Blaze Kings look interesting, but how much of that claimed "effeciency" is legit? The claims by stove companies are often overblown even under the best conditions. My Jotul will still have coals after 8 hours, but the 10 hour burn time that they claim is a stretch - and it is a great stove.
I have a total of about 12 feet of ss insulated pipe. I haven't priced it lately (it's probably far more expensive than when I installed it 20 years ago) but even if I had to replace it every 10 years or so it wouldn't be that big of a deal. From what I'm reading it seems unlikely that I would have to that often. I guess I'll have to check the caps frequently though....
In your collective experiences, does the price of coal fluctuate greatly? Should we expect a drop in its price or will the current price be the new floor? If I need more than a few tons of coal, it will become much more expensive than wood, not factoring my labor with wood. I can get about ~7 cord in log lengths delivered for ~ $850. That'll heat for 1.5 seasons. I'll pay more than that for coal but, then again, I won't be cutting, splitting, stacking.... You guys are making me think too much.
I have a total of about 12 feet of ss insulated pipe. I haven't priced it lately (it's probably far more expensive than when I installed it 20 years ago) but even if I had to replace it every 10 years or so it wouldn't be that big of a deal. From what I'm reading it seems unlikely that I would have to that often. I guess I'll have to check the caps frequently though....
In your collective experiences, does the price of coal fluctuate greatly? Should we expect a drop in its price or will the current price be the new floor? If I need more than a few tons of coal, it will become much more expensive than wood, not factoring my labor with wood. I can get about ~7 cord in log lengths delivered for ~ $850. That'll heat for 1.5 seasons. I'll pay more than that for coal but, then again, I won't be cutting, splitting, stacking.... You guys are making me think too much.
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Steve, if you reread my post I talk anout the advertised efficiency rates of wood stove manufacturers, specifically to Blaze King. Notice what I wrote about the burn times…and notice I gathered information from a friend as well. Give me a second to find a picture for you from that same friend and we’ll talk about the burn times…
What you see below was my friends hand covering the amount of wood he loaded into the stop on top of nearly a full bed of ash (9” deep). I believe he said there was 5 or 6 small splits of wood. Here is what is left after a 24 hour burn of those splits. Notice that some aren’t yet even fully charred.
Just imagine only an 1” or 2” of ash in the bottom of the stove and a full load of wood.
He sent me these pictures the first year he burned this stove after selling his coal stove. He was highly surprised himself which is why he wanted to share the pictures with me. I believe he’s used the stove 3 years now.
I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat it here…the Blaze King wood stoves ate as close to using a modern coal stove as you can get. I attribute this to the catalyst combined with using a thermostat on the stove to maintain the burn and set stove temperature…which allows to hold and maintain a house to a temperature you want, within +/-2*F for 24 hours a day for as many days as you want.
What you see below was my friends hand covering the amount of wood he loaded into the stop on top of nearly a full bed of ash (9” deep). I believe he said there was 5 or 6 small splits of wood. Here is what is left after a 24 hour burn of those splits. Notice that some aren’t yet even fully charred.
Just imagine only an 1” or 2” of ash in the bottom of the stove and a full load of wood.
He sent me these pictures the first year he burned this stove after selling his coal stove. He was highly surprised himself which is why he wanted to share the pictures with me. I believe he’s used the stove 3 years now.
I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat it here…the Blaze King wood stoves ate as close to using a modern coal stove as you can get. I attribute this to the catalyst combined with using a thermostat on the stove to maintain the burn and set stove temperature…which allows to hold and maintain a house to a temperature you want, within +/-2*F for 24 hours a day for as many days as you want.
Last edited by Hoytman on Mon. Apr. 01, 2024 11:55 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Correct.
As such, having multi-fuel stoves are a good thing. Better yet, being versatile by having a way to use/burn multiple fuels on hand allows us to change what we use to heat with as the markets go up and down.
Having a good coal stove and a good wood stove…I will always have one of each on hand, plus my furnace, kerosene heaters, electric back up heaters…I keep these around at all times.
If I could burn significantly less wood as that claims, it would be a no brainer, but I am a die hard skeptic. I currently burn anywhere from 3 to 6 cord depending upon the length and severity of winter. If I could get that to 2 to 3, I'm sold. I just doubt it. I'll look at these stoves closer.Hoytman wrote: ↑Mon. Apr. 01, 2024 11:37 am Steve, if you reread my post I talk anout the advertised efficiency rates of wood stove manufacturers, specifically to Blaze King. Notice what I wrote about the burn times…and notice I gathered information from a friend as well. Give me a second to find a picture for you from that same friend and we’ll talk about the burn times…
I still would want a coal stove as well though.
I at least need to warm my bones in my workshop.
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Steve, I do not yet own one of these stoves myself. So I have nothing to gain. I’m sharing information that was shared with me because I believe in helping people whenever and wherever I can.
While I’m waiting on a text from the same friend to find out how much wood he used to burn with his other wood stoves, I’ll tell you about my wood stoves.
A few years ago I bought a lightly used Lopi Liberty wood stove. It’s probably like your Jotul in that it uses secondary air tubes. These burn super hot in order to ignite the secondary burn and waste a lot of heat up the chimney. I bought this to have on hand and to replace a much older wood stove.
The Lopi new is $3800-$4500 … and the BK’s are nearly the same. My Lopi will burn 10-12 hours. The BK over double that (depending on model chosen) on the same load of wood for the same stove cost. Keep in mind there will be catalyst replacement costs every so often and that corresponds to how long and how well you season your wood. Drier the better and drier wood gives off more heat. The catalyst stove can burn slightly wetter wood to a point.
I feel pretty safe is saying my friend used to burn 4 cords of wood a year. Now only 1 1/2 cords or less.
I’ve not used my Lopi yet. It’s hard to when my coal stove works so well (Hitzer 354).
I’ve actually decided the Lopi is too big for my house and would need to burn far too hot for use just to ignite the secondary burn…and without secondary burn I might as well be burning my older wood stove.
I’ve been planning to use the Lopi wood stove in my shop, but I may decide to sell it and find a used Blaze King (2006 and newer) or two to have around.
While I’m waiting on a text from the same friend to find out how much wood he used to burn with his other wood stoves, I’ll tell you about my wood stoves.
A few years ago I bought a lightly used Lopi Liberty wood stove. It’s probably like your Jotul in that it uses secondary air tubes. These burn super hot in order to ignite the secondary burn and waste a lot of heat up the chimney. I bought this to have on hand and to replace a much older wood stove.
The Lopi new is $3800-$4500 … and the BK’s are nearly the same. My Lopi will burn 10-12 hours. The BK over double that (depending on model chosen) on the same load of wood for the same stove cost. Keep in mind there will be catalyst replacement costs every so often and that corresponds to how long and how well you season your wood. Drier the better and drier wood gives off more heat. The catalyst stove can burn slightly wetter wood to a point.
I feel pretty safe is saying my friend used to burn 4 cords of wood a year. Now only 1 1/2 cords or less.
I’ve not used my Lopi yet. It’s hard to when my coal stove works so well (Hitzer 354).
I’ve actually decided the Lopi is too big for my house and would need to burn far too hot for use just to ignite the secondary burn…and without secondary burn I might as well be burning my older wood stove.
I’ve been planning to use the Lopi wood stove in my shop, but I may decide to sell it and find a used Blaze King (2006 and newer) or two to have around.
Last edited by Hoytman on Mon. Apr. 01, 2024 12:37 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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My friend and I were both die-hard skeptics.
They truly are as close to a coal stove in efficiency and burn times as you can get with a wood stove. No other stoves come close…not even my high dollar Lopi stove.
The thermostat is where it’s at on any stove, in my opinion.
They truly are as close to a coal stove in efficiency and burn times as you can get with a wood stove. No other stoves come close…not even my high dollar Lopi stove.
The thermostat is where it’s at on any stove, in my opinion.
- ShawnLiNy
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I have no personal experience with Blaze King , with that being said even if the users are exaggerating the burn times by 3-4 hours these things still have an extremely long burn time actually producing heat for the length of the burn , this information is from unrelated users posting their own results. I believe the users experience, dry wood is absolutely critical for the operation of these newer reburn technology stoves .SteveT wrote: ↑Mon. Apr. 01, 2024 11:54 am If I could burn significantly less wood as that claims, it would be a no brainer, but I am a die hard skeptic. I currently burn anywhere from 3 to 6 cord depending upon the length and severity of winter. If I could get that to 2 to 3, I'm sold. I just doubt it. I'll look at these stoves closer.
I still would want a coal stove as well though.
I at least need to warm my bones in my workshop.
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- Missed and Always Remembered
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- Joined: Wed. Jan. 18, 2017 11:30 pm
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 354
- Coal Size/Type: nut coal
- Other Heating: electric, wood, oil
These Blaze King, Lopi and a few other stoves are far too expensive for my blood purchased new. Every stove I own is used. I’m patient and look for the best deal I can get.
I’m not paying more than $2500 for any stove. In fact, remove that 2 and they’re more to my liking.
I’m not paying more than $2500 for any stove. In fact, remove that 2 and they’re more to my liking.

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I hear you there. I think the OP would do well with a used coal stove of the non hopper hand fed style. Burn some wood in the shoulder seasons and go to coal when it stays cold.Hoytman wrote: ↑Mon. Apr. 01, 2024 12:42 pm These Blaze King, Lopi and a few other stoves are far too expensive for my blood purchased new. Every stove I own is used. I’m patient and look for the best deal I can get.
I’m not paying more than $2500 for any stove. In fact, remove that 2 and they’re more to my liking.![]()
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Well I'm sitting on a new Comfortmax 75 stove right now that I'm not sure I want to run it with wood or sell and get a blaze king. I'm finishing off rice coal with my stoker. I've had enough rice from when I purchased it 4 yrs ago that I'll finally have burned it all up mid May this year. The Cmax was my plan for after and I bought it before things went stupid. It's still under the box/crate it came in.
The blaze king has the fed rebates as well to offset. Basically a subsidy hence the price increases.
The blaze king has the fed rebates as well to offset. Basically a subsidy hence the price increases.
- warminmn
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- Posts: 9067
- Joined: Tue. Feb. 08, 2011 5:59 pm
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Junior, Riteway 37
- Coal Size/Type: nut ant, lignite
- Other Heating: Wood, wear a wool shirt and sleep under a Hudson Bay Wool Blanket when out of coal
Remove the two 0's and thats more my style!
Its nearly impossible to find a used coal stove here but they do pop up on occassion, mostly Harman's or Hitzers that a person would want. Its been a long time now though. I think we are looking for the same one, the 254, but I wouldnt turn down a Harman/Legacy either, especially the TLC-2000.