Quad Classic Bay or Harman P43

I own both a Quad Mt. Vernon and a Harman Accentra, and I much prefer the Harman.

We own a Harman and love it. Cant speak to the Quad but all the reading I've done it seems people that own them love them as well. The Harman is truly a 'set it and forget it' appliance (apart from weekly cleanings). Just fill it up and let it do its job.

Hello
I own 2 Harman P61a similar to the P43 and a Quad Contour plus I picked up a Quad Classic Bay CB1200 that I just rebuilt. The Quad and Harman are both easy to clean and put out about the same heat. They both have the nickel trim and are easy to clean. The Harman is a little more rugged since the sheet metal is thicker and it's control panel has continuously variable settings in manual or auto start mode. It also has stove mode for continuous heat or room temp mode to keep the room temp a set temperature. The quad on the other hand is the best stove I have seen that runs on a T-Stat with a swing setting that can be wired, wireless or a WiFi T-Stat that I can control on my Iphone.A big difference is their auger systems, while the Harman is the best bottom feed that pushes the ash right into the ash pan, the jam proof Quad auger will just chew up any small matal objects that should not fall in the hopper and spit them out. If a bolt falls in the Harman it would totally cripple the auger and auger motor and can cause severe damage.

I do like all the scenic tile options for the Harman ash door. Plus you can do your own style.
In conclusion they are both super good stoves that share a very reliable history, so it depends on your application.

See pics below
1 - Quadrafire CB1200 "The Classic Bay" - I painted the grill Flame Proof Flat Aluminum from the Auto Parts store. Also I just got the optional Fire Brick backing that I have to throw in.
2 - Harman P-61a - I found a tile that I cut to fit the frame.

Cb 1200 can hold a lot of pellets so you will be filling it less. Cb 1200 might be a little harder to clean but is easier to restore back to efficient as there are scraper for the hart exchange tubes. The p43 is quieter.

I dont like the fact that the CB 1200 does not have room temp mode. In retrospect I may have chosen a different stove for that reason alone. The CB is bone simple to clean and service. It also holds a boat load of pellets although to completely fill the hopper is difficult and can be messy as you have to always level them out as the door is small compared to the hopper size. The OAK is also a bit of pain as the stove essentially breathes from the bottom base. I ended up sealing the base with silicone along with a lot of places on the firebox so it would burn using outside air instead of pulling from the base.

That said its a good stove no real complaints.

moey said:

I dont like the fact that the CB 1200 does not have room temp mode. In retrospect I may have chosen a different stove for that reason alone. The CB is bone simple to clean and service. It also holds a boat load of pellets although to completely fill the hopper is difficult and can be messy as you have to always level them out as the door is small compared to the hopper size. The OAK is also a bit of pain as the stove essentially breathes from the bottom base. I ended up sealing the base with silicone along with a lot of places on the firebox so it would burn using outside air instead of pulling from the base.

That said its a good stove no real complaints.

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What are you talking about? All quads run from a Tstat! The only mode they have is room temp mode. FYI the air that comes in under the base helps keep the ash pan area cool so the stove will comply with its listing with r and k values with the heat that builds under the unit. If take that silicone out unless you are installed to an earthen hearth or cement slab.

There is a big difference between room temp mode on a Harman and a CB1200 on a T-Stat. The Harman will feed more or less pellets to keep the temp within one degree of the set point and will also totally shut down when the weather gets warmer. The Quad is a more simple on/off so when the T-Stat is satisfied the stove shuts down.

Don2222 said:

There is a big difference between room temp mode on a Harman and a CB1200 on a T-Stat. The Harman will feed more or less pellets to keep the temp within one degree of the set point and will also totally shut down when the weather gets warmer. The Quad is a more simple on/off so when the T-Stat is satisfied the stove shuts down.

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According to room temp. It doesn't modulate but that's not the end all be all. Quad will also turn on when it calls for heat.

smwilliamson said:

According to room temp. It doesn't modulate but that's not the end all be all. Quad will also turn on when it calls for heat.

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Athough modulate is not the best term to use here. It does mean regulate or modify, mostly for audio output if you can visualize the signal on an oscilloscope.
Harman does modulate the heat output by regulating the room temp by modifying the pellet flow in that sense.

A better term is to "adjust" the fuel flow meaning increase or decrease to keep the room temp constant, you know the term KISS.

RTFM -- Harman Manual P13

When to use "Room Temp Mode"
In "Room Temp Mode" heat output is controlled
automatically by the Room Sensing Probe. When
the Room Sensing Probe calls for heat, the stove will
increase output. When the Room Sensing Probe is
getting close to the set temperature, the stove will begin
to level off output and keep the fire burning at just the
right temperature to maintain that setting.
High output is determined by the feed rate. The
maximum feed rate should be set for 1" of ash in front
of fire.
In "Room Temp Mode" fuel consumption is sacrificed
for exact room temperature. Therefore, as it gets colder,
more pellets will be burned automatically.
regulate, adjust, set, modify

smwilliamson said:

According to room temp. It doesn't modulate but that's not the end all be all. Quad will also turn on when it calls for heat.

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Some folks like constant heat a quad will cycle on/off and run on whatever heat setting it is set on L/M/H it will not ramp up or down just on/off. That is a big deal to a lot of folks and something they need to be aware of.

Ya'll soundin retahdid. TSTAT= room temp

moey said:

Some folks like constant heat...

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folks don't miss what they have never known.

smwilliamson said:

folks don't miss what they have never known.

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No but they miss being constantly warm.. Rather then cycling from warm to cold.

kdp7462 said:

Hi all. A new wrinkle in my stove search. A local dealer is selling an in box left over Environment M55-c cast iron free standing stove for 2800 cash. This puts it pretty much in line with the P43 and maybe 300 more than the Quad. Thoughts on the Enviro? I like the look and thought of the agitator burn pot, but that hopper design sucks!

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On the M55, the control panel is located in an aukward spot. All the Enviros use the standard bronze oilite SAE 841 auger bearing. The good news is that it is a very good stove and the auger bearing can be upgraded to the high temp nylon bearing.

KPD,
I absolutely love my Harmans. I will sling no BS here. I am also being as fair and unbiased as possible. When I was looking I was looking at Harman, Quad, and Enviro as well as others. The dealer I purchased from had all of these makes and models. In fact he had some new Quads etc; for sale cheaper because he wanted to get rid of them and be done dealing them, but did not want to sell me one. He was basically getting rid of everything and strictly only going to sell Harman from there on out because of their reliability and numerous other reasons. Very reputable guy and also a well known HVAC company. He made it his mission to steer my away from anything but a Harman. He's been in the business for decades. Sure he would have been happy to get rid of another brand he no longer wanted to be a dealer for but he is a straight shooter and likes to keep happy customers.

He heats his home and shop and sales room with Harmans. That said a lot to me. Another point he made was that it was difficult getting parts for Enviro's and there were long delays or waits for said parts which doesn't work well when it's cold. After owning my Harmans I am sold on them and if not people here would be hearing all about any issues I had with them. There are no issues. They are great stoves and very well made.

I would recommend Harman to anyone and everyone. Now peeps let's not jump on the band wagon here. The statements I've made are FACT and everyone knows it. With that said, Enviros and Quads are certainly good stoves. Another FACT. It all boils down to what you are happy and comfortable with and what your pellet stove budget allows. I will also state this: IF I had a choice between these three and they were close in pricing I would buy a Harman hands down. Period.

I did tons of research before pulling the trigger. It paid off well. I have zero regrets.