I have an older pellet stove (13 year old Avalon) and am shopping for a coal stove now. The pellet stove has worked well for me but it only holds a small amount of ash and when I empty it, ash gets everywhere around the immediate area. Storing the pellets in a dry place is another pain because the only room I have for them is in my basement. Coal can be kept pretty much anywhere.
So... I'm looking for the most automated and least amount of maintenance coal stove available. The Keystoker 70 is on my list because it can be used as a water heater for your home.
Anyone have any other suggestions or comments?