Harmon 300i vs Pacific Energy Summit

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WoodPorn

Minister of Fire
Aug 24, 2009
1,503
South of the beloved Patriots
I am finally making a move to a larger stove, I am torn between the Harmon 3100i (75k btu), and the Pacific Energy Summit insert (99k btu).

Both are great stove from what I have read, both pretty good looking, however the Harmon is roughly $1k more expensive.

Does anyone have any pro's/con's that they can share with me????

WP
 
Can't give you both. Been using a Summit Stand alone with the blower for the past year. Wonderful stove. Starts easily, unaffected by outside conditions(won't take off it high winds outside), puts out huge heat, starts secondary burn within 10 minutes of start-up, only one lever runs the stove, fan is infinitely variable speed and is super quiet, clean out drawer is easy to use. Can't really recommend anything that I would change. And even burns wood that is not top notch if you elevate the pieces so that the air that runs down the front of the ceramic view can go right under the fire(just put a log on both sides).
 
Consider your local dealer's reputation as well!! -- ie you need service, installation etc. as well as the request for responses of the "pro's and con's"

ie I would not buy the "top rated" Brand X -- if the local dealer of Brand X does not have a solid reputation and has been in business for a while.
 
I'm not sure what service you actually need on these new steel stoves. There was no local dealer of my Pacific energy. I bought it from an outfit in Seattle Washington and they shipped to me 3000 miles east. The stove is build like a brick crap house. The baffle for secondary burning is not a tube but a piece of 3/16 inch high grade Stainless steel that is warranted for the life of the stove. If it burns out the outfit in Seattle will send me a new one as soon as I send them a photo, and then send the old one back. Other than the firebrick, and the ceramic glass that every stove now has, its to only part that could wear out. And the baffle simple lifts out. Once its installed, if you are at all handy, you can do the rest yourself. I had my Riteway 37 for 32 years and did all the minimal maintenance myself. And the people who bought the house from me are still using it, as far as I know.
 
If you over fire these machines then you can wear the parts. PE's are designed to be run with the stack temps between 400 and 700. And the 700 number is not supposed to be a steady one. If you are burning at the full regular burn with the temps above 400 on the stack, and you seen the secondary buring going on, then you are getting as much heat out of the stove as you can. If you need to burn it at 700 on the stack pipe, remember that that may mean its really hot, but it also means that lots of that heat is going up the chimny and not into your house. I turn on the fan full when the temps get to 550 to extract as much of the heat for my house not for the chimney.
 
I honestly have never paid attention to the stack temps (as I am using an insert) I keep a therm on the top plate and utilize that. The more I read/hear about the "fire dome" on the Harmon, the more I am shying away from it. It is not easily removed (for flue cleaning), and it is an expensive wearable item.
I still have yet to see anything under the search for a 300i in these forums.....
 
OK, I did it.....I pulled the trigger on a Harman 300i today!
This stove is so far from what I'm used to, I hope to be posting happy reviews in 2 weeks.

Still have yet to hear from anyone that owns one.....

A bit anxious.......and scared!
 
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I think you made a great choice. It is a great looking stove and several members are very happy with the Harman 300i. Congrats and keep us updated on the install.
 
Just wondering what changed your mind? On tuesday your were "shying away from" itb ecause of not being able to find out any information, and because you thought the firedome technology was less than what you wanted and expensive to replace.
 
More than anything, the burn time. They are claiming 16 hours on full 3cu ft box. I can't imagine it's true but even if it is 12 I'd be psyched. I do like the look of the Harman better, and my chimney sweep (also installed my Englander pellet) reccomended the Harman.
 
Be interesting to see how it does. Lots of people love the free standing 300TL. The problem I had when looking at the insert is that since it isn't a top loader like the free standing model you couldn't load it as high and let the load burn down. I suspect the TL is where they got that burn time number from.

Up until a few years ago the afterburner was cast iron and they changed it to ceramic. I have always wondered what that was all about.
 
From what I'm told and watched on utube, secondary combustion will take place behind the scenes.
I will absolutely miss the rolling blues if this is the case.
Looks like it won't be until the 27th (ish) for the install.
 
Up until a few years ago the afterburner was cast iron and they changed it to ceramic. I have always wondered what that was all about.

The ceramic should be way way more durable than cast iron. Ceramic can't oxidize out, and is almost crack proof. But I sure like watching the secondary burning inside the firebox of the Pacific Summit. The tongues of flameshoot down into the wood and the flame shoots up filling the whole firebox with flame all visible like an orange aurora borealis through the clear ceramic window.
 
The ceramic should be way way more durable than cast iron. Ceramic can't oxidize out, and is almost crack proof. But I sure like watching the secondary burning inside the firebox of the Pacific Summit. The tongues of flameshoot down into the wood and the flame shoots up filling the whole firebox with flame all visible like an orange aurora borealis through the clear ceramic window.

Yeah the 30-NC does that trick too. If I screw up. And am ready to see the thermo do 900 again.

The Harman afterburners have the right idea. Nice fire in the firebox and a lot of heat. Just don't even smack that ceramic with wood or a poker.
 
The ceramic should be way way more durable than cast iron. Ceramic can't oxidize out, and is almost crack proof. But I sure like watching the secondary burning inside the firebox of the Pacific Summit. The tongues of flameshoot down into the wood and the flame shoots up filling the whole firebox with flame all visible like an orange aurora borealis through the clear ceramic window.

That's it....rub it in.....:{)
 
That's it....rub it in.....:{)

Ain't heard a bunch of complaints about cracks in Harman inserts or people in living rooms with welding rigs.

Enjoy your stove.
 
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Huh? only get the display when you screw up?

Only goes to 900 if I screw up.

But as to that "blazing secondaries" thing anybody that has been here long knows I think that is a parlor trick and is useless in heating your house. Get a nice fire going and let the secondary air just pick off the gases that didn't burn down on the wood. If you want to heat your house with an out of control gas grill, a wood stove isn't the way to do it.

If I get blasting secondary air combustion. I blew it. It happens sometimes, but I blew it.
 
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But as to that "blazing secondaries" thing anybody that has been here long knows I think that is a parlor trick and is useless in heating your house. Get a nice fire going and let the secondary air just pick off the gases that didn't burn down on the wood. If you want to heat your house with an out of control gas grill, a wood stove isn't the way to do it.

If I get blasting secondary air combustion. I blew it. It happens sometimes, but I blew it.

Yeah.... and I'm not one of those that agrees with you on that point. And the reason is that without the "blazing secondaries", I used a cord more of wood than I do with them. So blasting secondary air combustion with the draft turned down in what is called "low" heats my house with one less cord per winter, may seem like a parlor trick for you. If it is, then its a pretty substantial parlor trick.

Of course heating a winter in Northern Virginia, is a far cry from heating a winter 60 miles from Canada.
 
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Ok here it is, the 300i (sans surround) on the 1st break in fire, this thing screams!

Anyone with the 300tl please chime in and let me know when you engage the damper and if you can see any signs of life...
2012-11-05_19-02-19_864.jpg
 
Looks really nice I am sure you will love it! Definitely keep us updated on the performance of the stove its always nice to hear a review.
 
Get that hearth extended if you don't want burn marks in that nice wood floor.
 
The insert has another 5" to get pushed back when the surround arrives, and there is a hearth rug in front.
 
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