help deciding on a used Mt Vernon

Hello,
We currently own an older pellet stove (kozi 100 - came with the house when we bought it). We have an older wood stove that is in working order but not usable b/c the pipe is rusted. We would like to replace it with a wood stove. Found a Quadra Fire Mt Vernon online, used, available for $2550. Not much info on it - other than it has been refurbished by the seller. We wouldn't buy sight unseen, but it's located a 2 hours away.

Since we have never purchased a pellet stove before, let alone a used one that might come with wear and tear, I was hoping for some advice/ideas on what to look for or ask about. We emailed and asked for more info on the age of the stove and what parts have been replaced, etc. Just to get an idea... Looks like this seller refurbishes old stoves and re-sells them.

Not sure if it's better to buy a Mt Vernon used or buy another brand new. We don't have the budget for a new harmon or quardafire at this time...we just moved in and everything is needs to be fixed/updating at the same time

Also, we have an older farmhouse - so we really like the rustic look you see with the Castille, Mt Vernon, etc. Of course, with that, comes $$$, so we are tryign to be open minded but my husband is really suck on the look of it. I keep reminding him that on a budget, we really don't have much of an option.

Any thoughts?
Thanks,
meg

Thank you, everyone! I wasn't able to respond from my phone (taptalk app kept crashing) but I'm finally back at my computer and able to responsd. Every post has been helpful and very much appreciated. My husband laughs at me when we are talking pellets or stoves and I say "i'm going to go check hearth forums". I really have gotten so much info, not just from asking questions, but from old posts and info. You guys are a huge wealthy of info

As for the stove, I heard back from the guy selling the stove. I'm not impressed. He gave a generic response about how each stove is serviced and he wasn't able to tell me when it was made or what parts were replaced. He responded later that it was a 2003 and wasn't able to tell me if it was a AE or not. I looked at the photos of the most recent Mt Vernon AE and this one looked a little different - closer to the castille. Anyway, based on the fact he was a bit sketchy and not so informative AND the info on this thread, I'm going to skip over this one. it's great to hear that good and bad about the mt vernon - it's good to know not everyone hates or loves them.

Based on what I have read here, I will probably not get a used Mt Vernon but I will research it a bit more and figure out what is the best option for our house. We have a drafty (soon to be sealed and insulated) house - so it's hard to figure out what size stove we need. My husband just wants one that has more of the traditional stove look (with feet vs. pedestal) although I agree, I like ti better, there are SO many more important things than the look!

thank again,
Meg

oldmountvernon said:

you can get a brand new one for close to that if you travel to Mass http://acushnetalternativeheating.com/ i paid 3000 for mine i wouldnt give 2500 for a used one

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Thanks for this info. I don't mind the travel to Massachusets. It will get us away from house repairs for the day Unfortunately, it looks like they are putting MSRP on the website. I'll have to get in touch and see. Not sure if the mt vernon is the best one for us but it's worth looking into if we can get a new one closer to 3k.

The stove that came with the house is a kozi 100. Not the best stove out there and definitely not big enough for the house, but it does a good job. I know that no matter what we get, it will be better than the kozi...a big monster like Mt Vernon would just be icing on the cake

stayfitz said:

Would strongly recommend against purchasing a used pellet stove. Especially, given the $2,550 price referenced. You should have many options for new stoves in that price range. I would suggest an Englander (Summers Heat, Timber Ridge) product for the DYI install, purchased new through Home Depot/Lowes, or refurbished by AM FM Engery. If installed by a dealer - consider a Enviro M55ci (Regency GCI60), Quad CB1200i

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Thanks! I just started a list of potential stoves. Going to go do some reading on how to decide the best stove for our house and go from there.

oldmountvernon said:

you can get a brand new one for close to that if you travel to Mass http://acushnetalternativeheating.com/ i paid 3000 for mine i wouldnt give 2500 for a used one

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This is a pretty good deal..and within driving distrance. I'm a little wary that it's a floor model but I'll get in touch and see what they say. Thanks!!