i think hearth products in general hold their value fairly well

I noticed that allot of used stoves still have a decent amount of residual value left say vs. a gas or oil furnace. I noticed that all of quality stoves that are 20-30 years old are still worth a fairly good penny and when you compare them to a natural gas furnace of the same vintage the stove will always win. I think this makes them a better investment. a 20 year old natural gas furnace is worth nothing more then scrap, ready for the boneyard. a stove from the same era is still an item that has value so long as it hasn't been trashed. I also think stoves have a much longer lifespan, a modern high efficiency gas furnace is good for 10-15 years NO MORE.

I have a Harman P61 and I expect to get a much longer life out of that then I would any gas furnace. by the time it gets retired im going to be old and worn out myself. hearth products are made much better and out of much heavier materials then any modern natural gas furnace, which are basically throw away units. I am going to buy a decent woodstove and as long as I don't overfire it constantly and take care of it, it should have value for a very long time

what do you guys think?

the older gas furnaces were built like brick out-houses but they aren't built like that anymore. modern high efficiency gas furnaces have very thin heat exchanger tubes and allot of electronics to control everything. those old dinosaur gas furnaces are also highly expensive to operate, making them pretty much worthless, no resale value at all. no one is going to install a 20 year old natural gas furnace in their home, while people often do install 20 year stoves in their home as long as they are in good shape. my parents have a home built in the 1970's and while they have a boiler that is original to the home, it costs them a fortune to heat. try $250 per month on balanced billing, that's right $250x12. they are paying for heat in the middle of july when its 90 degrees outside. they have a $3,000 annual gas bill. old gas furnaces might still run but people remove them because they are much more expensive to operate. while hearth products have improved efficiency over the years the difference isn't as dramatic.

a pellet stove has a control board a couple of blowers and an auger feed motor. the dealer that sold me my Harman told me that there are quite a few of the first Harman pellet stove sold still running.

how old is the P61 as a design, when did they first come out. while cheaper pellet stoves like US stove seem to change designs every year or two Harman has not changed the design of the P61a since I bought my P61, they share almost all of the same parts except the control boards. my Harman Is on my 1st floor where its dry I don't see that control board failing unless it gets an electrical surge. if I had a gas furnace it would have to be in a damp basement, it wouldn't last too long down there. I have a very damp basement, that has been known to flood in the spring if the sump pump quits. my home is old and my well is in my basement, in the spring it is known to overspill.

how do you guys think parts availability is going to be like on my Harman as is ages? it seems to be well built, but your right if I can no longer get parts; that will be the end of its serviceable life.

by the way I also like wood/pellet heat allot better. I would have put a wood stove in my house but they are more of a mess and the chimney is an expense. the Harman P61 and P68's, I think heat just as well as woodstove.. at least I never had a lack of heat. they also regulated allot better with setback thermostats then wood or coal could.