Rona. What is your pellet stove, and what would you consider to be a spare parts list? I use a Harman which isn't much more than a year old. What would a "spare parts list" be suggested for me?
Answering which stove do I have. I have been burning corn or pellets or a combination for 9 years. Started out with a Harman 45 because corn was cheap and fuel oil went through the roof. The Harman replaced a wood stove I had in a finished basement and my hope was it would heat the upstairs like the old wood stove did. Nope it didn't so I bought a Quad AE figuring bigger was better 60,000 btu versus 45,000 btu. Wrong again! I learned a lot about the AE that winter. Never was so glad to see Spring arrive. I had looked at Bixby but was turned off by close to 4,000.00 and really I didn't like the looks of them. but in August I seen them advertised on E-Bay for 1700-1800.00 new but no warranty. So bought one of them and after I got it home set it on rollers so I could roil it outside and run it trying to see how it worked and why it was sold so cheap. After a while I realized nothing was wrong with the unit and it really was a bargain. Now I finally got smart and installed in on the main floor of our home. Several people laughed and said who will service it for you and where will you get parts? That's easy with the money I saved I could buy a second one for parts if I need them so I did. Now I have 3400.00 invested but have two new stoves. In the mean time I got all the new parts under warranty for the AE and sold it for 3400.00.
I did have the ceramic igniters go bad but switched to metal igniters and no more problems. The only weak point I have seen is the convection fan bearings that after three years will need replacing but that is a simple job. They cost about 5.00 each and you need two. There was several software updates and with a special cable and the software you can improve or fine-tune the performance of the stove. Part of the software is called Bixcheck which if you use it you can check 46 different things on the stove to determine if things are working ot if you have a problem it will help determine what it is and the solution. You leave a cheap laptop hooked up so you can turn it off or on with any computer or smart phone.
It has been said these were complicated stoves and there was a lot of problems. Yes if you compared it to a wood stove they are complicated as you can adjust the air and fuel. Some people have a hard time with that but its the same with a carb on a lawn mower or bike or sno blower. When its cold air is more dense more oxygen so the stove needs a little more fuel. With the later software it can adjust itself.
The Bixby company is out of business for now but parts are available both from Bixby parts and other generic sources.
If I owned a Harman PC45 I would have extra stirrers and extra covers that fit over the fire. They are considered wear items. I would definitely want a extra ESP Probe as that is the first thing Harman blames a failure on. The igniter seems to last a long time they look almost identical to a metal Bixby igniter
If I owned a AE I would want extra igniters even the newer ones go bad. Extra gaskets for exh fan.
If I own a Bixby I would want a couple bearings for the convection fan and maybe a couple metal igniters if they were not installed. I would also want the cable and latest software so I could get the most out of the stove.
Everyone has their ideas of what they want from a bio burner. I wanted one that would burn corn or pellets without much changing. Most stoves will burn a 50-50 mix quite well. In fact corn and pellets complement each other. I like the idea of a large hopper for fuel and a large hopper for ash so I don't have to be home filling it or emptying the ash twice a day. When I do empty the ash I don't want to have to shut the stove off to do it. I like how it stays burning while emptying the pot. I usually try to shut down and clean every 2 or 3 weeks. Takes me about 10-15 minutes once the stove shuts off.
I should also point out when I was selling my Harman 45 and AE both companies were short on stoves and new ones weren't to be had so I got a good price for them.
This is just my experiences and why I ended up doing what I did. I have farmed all my life and probably a little more used to doing my own repairs then some people are. Maybe I am considered a bad person for burning corn that could feed the starving world I don't know but I doubt people would be willing to eat yellow corn.