Torn Between the Alaska Kodiak & Hitzer 50-93

i have made up my mind... I am buying both stoves. I just purchased the hitzer, now I am looking for a kodiak to replace our old vigilant. I plan on moving the vigilant to a garage where 24/7 heat is not a priority. thanks for everyone help, I cant wait to get the hitzer fired up and hopefully have the great experiences everyone posts.

I just saw this on the Kodiak website:

Holds up to 120 lbs. of anthracite
High burn produces over 100,000 BTU's/hour and as low as 15,000
Up to 80 hours of burn Time

Assume it's burning good coal that outputs 13,000 BTU/hr

100# / 80 hrs = 1.25 #/hr producing 15,000 BTU.
15,000/1.25= 12,000 BTU/# thus Kodiak efficiency is 12,000/13,000 or 92%

92% !!!! that's VERY efficient.

Compare this to 50-93 - 50# hopper burn for 50 hrs. and the low burn is 16K BTU
So first as has already been pointed out the 16K per hour on one # of coal is fiction since no coal has 16K/# yield.
Assume it is as efficient as 30-95 which is advertised at 11,000 BTU/hr and you have an efficiency of 11,000/13,000 = 85%
Still beats wood and pellets.

If we give the 50-93 the benefit of the doubt and call it a 12K per pound then its right there with the Kodiak for efficiency.

One difference is that the Hitzer will idle lower since it can burn as low as 1#/hr while the Kodiak can only idle down to 1.25# per hour.

Several post have already made the point that stoves of this capacity are not generally used for their low idle ability.

Assuming the Kodiak is as reliable as the Hitzer - if I could go back Id would have gotten the Kodiak for the big 100# hopper instead of my hitzer with 30#-er

It's a wee bit early for me to be thinking anything near clearly, but I've got to throw in two bits. The Kodiak HOPPER does not hold 120 lbs. The sales verbiage is perhaps misleading. The hopper holds two hods, which is at most, 50 lbs. Now, the total capacity of the stove burn area plus the hopper MAY approach 120 lbs. if you stuff it to the gills.
Just sayin'
Lola

I just started a new 50-93 a week ago and filling it the burn area held over 50# maybe 60 or 70 and the hopper 50# so that part is the same as the Kodiak.

smokeyCityTeacher wrote:I just saw this on the Kodiak website:

Holds up to 120 lbs. of anthracite
High burn produces over 100,000 BTU's/hour and as low as 15,000
Up to 80 hours of burn Time

Assume it's burning good coal that outputs 13,000 BTU/hr

100# / 80 hrs = 1.25 #/hr producing 15,000 BTU.
15,000/1.25= 12,000 BTU/# thus Kodiak efficiency is 12,000/13,000 or 92%

92% !!!! that's VERY efficient.

Compare this to 50-93 - 50# hopper burn for 50 hrs. and the low burn is 16K BTU
So first as has already been pointed out the 16K per hour on one # of coal is fiction since no coal has 16K/# yield.
Assume it is as efficient as 30-95 which is advertised at 11,000 BTU/hr and you have an efficiency of 11,000/13,000 = 85%
Still beats wood and pellets.

If we give the 50-93 the benefit of the doubt and call it a 12K per pound then its right there with the Kodiak for efficiency.

One difference is that the Hitzer will idle lower since it can burn as low as 1#/hr while the Kodiak can only idle down to 1.25# per hour.

Several post have already made the point that stoves of this capacity are not generally used for their low idle ability.

Assuming the Kodiak is as reliable as the Hitzer - if I could go back Id would have gotten the Kodiak for the big 100# hopper instead of my hitzer with 30#-er

The Alaska weigh's 475 lb. Anyone know the weight of the Hitzer?

475lbs 50-93 Hitzer

I can see why you would just need to take one of each
Maybe we could get a comparison after both are up and running!!!

For me the ash pan has always been an item of contention on what could be a very nice coal stove. Meaning the stove runs great and heats great with a nice long burn time and then they put in this little crappy ash pan that over flows all the time and lets ash go everywhere. Which stove has the largest ash pan?

Thanks,
Glenn

grobinson2 wrote:For me the ash pan has always been an item of contention on what could be a very nice coal stove. Meaning the stove runs great and heats great with a nice long burn time and then they put in this little crappy ash pan that over flows all the time and lets ash go everywhere. Which stove has the largest ash pan?

Thanks,
Glenn

Don't know about the KODIAK, but HITZER pan covers the entire bottom below the grates. The only way the KODIAK pan can be better, is if it has higher sides. Not that HITZER ash pan sides are to low. HITZER has a nice ash pan. Should have said; the only thing that would make the KODIAK ash pan better is if it emptied itself.

Would you guys say that you can do one full shake down in one pan with the Hitzer or do you have to empty it twice like my Darby?

Thanks,
Glenn

grobinson2 wrote:Would you guys say that you can do one full shake down in one pan with the Hitzer or do you have to empty it twice like my Darby?

Thanks,
Glenn

The pan will hold a full shakedown. Have not had a shakedown the pan wouldn't handle. In my opinion, once you cut the round wire type handle off, it's the perfect ash pan. I bought my 50-93 first. The ashes would sometimes hang up on the ends of that wire type handle, where it sticks through the sides of the pan. Finally, I cut that handle off, and made it the perfect ash pan. The following year, I bought the 30-95. Because it was new, I couldn't bring myself to cut the same handle off it. A few ash hang-ups later, off it came. Now both my HITZER stoves have perfect ash pans. Don't ask me why HITZER even bothers to put that wire flip up handle on the ash pan. It's the only flaw the stove has. The remmedy to that is to cut it off. You can carry the ash pan one handed, with no problems what so ever.

oliver power wrote:

grobinson2 wrote:Would you guys say that you can do one full shake down in one pan with the Hitzer or do you have to empty it twice like my Darby?

Thanks,
Glenn

The pan will hold a full shakedown. Have not had a shakedown the pan wouldn't handle. In my opinion, once you cut the round wire type handle off, it's the perfect ash pan. I bought my 50-93 first. The ashes would sometimes hang up on the ends of that wire type handle, where it sticks through the sides of the pan. Finally, I cut that handle off, and made it the perfect ash pan. The following year, I bought the 30-95. Because it was new, I couldn't bring myself to cut the same handle off it. A few ash hang-ups later, off it came. Now both my HITZER stoves have perfect ash pans. Don't ask me why HITZER even bothers to put that wire flip up handle on the ash pan. It's the only flaw the stove has. The remmedy to that is to cut it off. You can carry the ash pan one handed, with no problems what so ever.

Oliver P can you elaberate on what you do to the pan to be able to carry it one handed

The Kodiak ash pan is quite large and has high sides. No problems with ash mess
When I was looking, I had similar concerns.

Hitzer Ash Pan

fastcat wrote:

oliver power wrote: The pan will hold a full shakedown. Have not had a shakedown the pan wouldn't handle. In my opinion, once you cut the round wire type handle off, it's the perfect ash pan. I bought my 50-93 first. The ashes would sometimes hang up on the ends of that wire type handle, where it sticks through the sides of the pan. Finally, I cut that handle off, and made it the perfect ash pan. The following year, I bought the 30-95. Because it was new, I couldn't bring myself to cut the same handle off it. A few ash hang-ups later, off it came. Now both my HITZER stoves have perfect ash pans. Don't ask me why HITZER even bothers to put that wire flip up handle on the ash pan. It's the only flaw the stove has. The remmedy to that is to cut it off. You can carry the ash pan one handed, with no problems what so ever.

Oliver P can you elaberate on what you do to the pan to be able to carry it one handed

Yes, pick it up useing one hand. I use the other hand to open the ash box, and run the vaccume.

The 50=93 holds 50 pounds in just the hopper itself plus another 80 pounds or so in the firebox below the hopper. That is where the Kodiak comes up with their 120# hopper. Good advertising glitch